Brevo (Sendinblue) vs Buttondown
Brevo (Sendinblue) is a all-in-one marketing platform while Buttondown is a newsletter platform. Brevo (Sendinblue) has been around since 2012, giving it a 5-year head start over Buttondown (founded 2017). Both start at $9/mo. Both offer free plans to get started. Brevo (Sendinblue) has the edge with A/B testing, SMS marketing, a drag-and-drop editor. Both tools work well for developers.
Quick Verdict
Brevo (Sendinblue) wins on rating, integrations.
Buttondown wins on deliverability.
Best for most users: Brevo (Sendinblue) (small businesses).
Brevo (Sendinblue)
The most approachable CRM suite
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) stands out with its unique pricing model based on email volume rather than subscriber count. This makes it particularly attractive for businesses with large contact lists but moderate email frequency. It also includes CRM, SMS, and transactional email capabilities.
Buttondown
The easiest way to start and grow your newsletter
Buttondown is a minimalist newsletter platform beloved by developers and writers who prefer Markdown over drag-and-drop editors. It focuses on writing quality and simplicity, with excellent API support for custom integrations and automations.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Brevo (Sendinblue) | Buttondown |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Starting Price | $9/mo | $9/mo |
| Free Plan | Unlimited contacts, 300 emails/day | 100 subscribers |
| Founded | 2012 | 2017 |
| Email Templates | 60 | 5 |
| Integrations | 60 | 30 |
| Deliverability Rate | 96.5% | 98% |
| Marketing Automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| A/B Testing | ✓ | ✕ |
| Landing Pages | ✓ | ✓ |
| Segmentation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drag & Drop Editor | ✓ | ✕ |
| SMS Marketing | ✓ | ✕ |
| Ecommerce Features | ✓ | ✓ |
| API Access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-Language | ✓ | ✕ |
| Web Push Notifications | ✓ | ✕ |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✕ |
| Advanced Analytics | ✓ | ✓ |
Brevo (Sendinblue): Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Unique pricing model based on emails sent, not contacts
- +Free plan allows unlimited contacts
- +Built-in SMS, WhatsApp, and live chat
- +Transactional email support
- +Strong API for developers
Cons
- −Free plan limited to 300 emails per day
- −Fewer email templates than competitors
- −Interface can feel cluttered
- −Automation is less intuitive than specialized tools
- −Some features feel underdeveloped
Buttondown: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Markdown-first writing experience
- +Excellent API for developers
- +Clean, minimal interface
- +Paid subscription support
- +Custom domain on free plan
Cons
- −No visual email editor
- −Minimal templates
- −No A/B testing
- −Small free plan (100 subscribers)
- −Limited integrations
The Verdict
Brevo (Sendinblue) and Buttondown are closely matched — both score within 0.1 points of each other in our overall rating. Your decision should come down to specific needs rather than overall quality. On deliverability, Buttondown reports 98% compared to 96.5% for Brevo (Sendinblue) — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | Brevo (Sendinblue) | Buttondown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $9/mo | $9/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 96.5% | 98% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.5/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 60 | 30 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Brevo (Sendinblue) if…
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You need A/B testing
- + You're a small businesses
- + You're a ecommerce
Choose Buttondown if…
- + You're a writers
- + You're a bloggers
- + Markdown-first writing experience