Buttondown vs Campaign Monitor
Buttondown is a newsletter platform while Campaign Monitor is a email marketing platform. Campaign Monitor has been around since 2004, giving it a 13-year head start over Buttondown (founded 2017). Buttondown is the more affordable option at $9/mo — that's $3 less than Campaign Monitor's $12/mo entry point. Buttondown offers a free plan (100 subscribers), while Campaign Monitor does not. Buttondown stands out with landing pages, while Campaign Monitor offers A/B testing and SMS marketing.
Quick Verdict
Buttondown wins on price, deliverability, rating, free tier.
Campaign Monitor wins on integrations.
Best for most users: Buttondown (developers).
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.
Campaign Monitor
Beautifully crafted email marketing
Campaign Monitor is particularly well-suited for agencies and brands that need polished, branded email campaigns. Its client management features and beautiful template builder make it a popular choice for marketing agencies managing multiple client accounts.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Buttondown | Campaign Monitor |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.4/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Starting Price | $9/mo | $12/mo |
| Free Plan | 100 subscribers | No free plan |
| Founded | 2017 | 2004 |
| Email Templates | 5 | 120 |
| Integrations | 30 | 250 |
| Deliverability Rate | 98% | 97.5% |
| 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 | ✓ | ✓ |
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
Campaign Monitor: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Excellent email template builder
- +Strong agency features and client management
- +Good deliverability
- +Time zone sending optimization
- +Link review feature prevents broken links
Cons
- −No free plan
- −Lite plan caps at 2,500 emails
- −Premier plan expensive ($159/mo)
- −No landing page builder
- −Limited automation on lower tiers
The Verdict
Buttondown edges ahead with a 4.4/5 rating compared to Campaign Monitor's 4.1/5. The gap comes mainly from value for money (4.8 vs 4.1) and deliverability (4.5 vs 4). On deliverability, Buttondown reports 98% compared to 97.5% for Campaign Monitor — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | Buttondown | Campaign Monitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $9/mo | $12/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 98% | 97.5% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.4/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 30 | 250 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | No |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose Buttondown if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($9/mo)
- + You need a free plan to get started
- + You need built-in landing pages
- + You're a developers
Choose Campaign Monitor if…
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You need A/B testing
- + You're a agencies
- + You're a brands