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, which is $3 less than Campaign Monitor's $12/mo entry point. Buttondown offers a free plan (100 subscribers), while Campaign Monitor does not. Campaign Monitor has the edge with A/B testing, SMS marketing, ecommerce integrations.
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 | 0 | 120 |
| Integrations | 45 | 250 |
| Deliverability Rate | 98% | 97.5% |
| Marketing Automation | Yes | Yes |
| A/B Testing | No | Yes |
| Landing Pages | No | No |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | No | Yes |
| SMS Marketing | No | Yes |
| Ecommerce Features | No | Yes |
| API Access | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Language | No | Yes |
| Web Push Notifications | No | No |
| Live Chat | No | No |
| Advanced Analytics | No | Yes |
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 Winner | $12/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 98% Winner | 97.5% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.4/5 Winner | 4.1/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 45 | 250 Winner |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes Winner | 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're a developers
- + You're a writers
Choose Campaign Monitor if…
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You need ecommerce integrations
- + You need A/B testing
- + You need advanced analytics