Newsletter Software Pricing (2026)
What 3 newsletter tools actually charge, taken from their own pricing pages and re-checked as they change. Cheapest first.
Pricing verified Aug 04, 2026
Prices here change. You'll hear about it.
Outmano watches pricing, features, roadmaps and reviews across your market, then sends one weekly brief: what changed, and what it means for you.
Newsletter pricing at a glance
| Product | Entry price | Plans | Free plan | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost | $18/mo | 4 | No | Yes |
| Beehiiv | $43/mo | 4 | Yes | No |
| Buttondown | Custom | 1 | Yes | No |
Every newsletter tool we track, cheapest first
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Ghost
Open-source publishing and newsletters.
Ghost sits in the mid-to-premium range for creator publishing tools — more expensive than a basic Substack setup but positioning itself as the serious, self-respecting alternative for writers who want ownership and control. They're going after creators who've outgrown Substack's limitations and don't want to be on a platform that takes a revenue cut.
Plans: Starter $18/mo · Publisher $29/mo · Business $199/mo · Custom Contact Sales
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Beehiiv
Newsletter platform with built-in growth tools.
Beehiiv sits in the middle of the newsletter platform pack — pricier than bare-bones tools like Buttondown but cheaper than enterprise email platforms like Klaviyo once you factor in features per dollar. They're clearly chasing the creator economy crowd who's outgrowing Substack's revenue-share model and wants more control without jumping to full marketing suites.
Plans: Launch $0/mo · Scale $43/mo · Max $96/mo · Enterprise Contact Sales
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Buttondown
Minimal newsletter tool for writers.
Buttondown is positioned as the indie/developer-friendly alternative to Mailchimp or ConvertKit — leaner, more transparent, and cheaper at small scale. The 50% nonprofit discount and the 'contact us' gate for high-volume senders signal they're deliberately targeting small creators and mission-driven orgs, not enterprise marketing teams.
Plans: Free $0/mo
Newsletter Software Pricing FAQ
- How much does newsletter software cost?
- Entry prices run from $18/mo (Ghost) to $43/mo (Beehiiv), with a median entry price of $30/mo across the 2 priced products we track.
- What is the cheapest newsletter software?
- Ghost has the lowest entry price of the newsletter software we track, at $18/mo. Beehiiv ($43/mo) is next. Beehiiv and Buttondown are free to start on.
- Is there free newsletter software?
- Yes — Beehiiv, Buttondown offer a free plan.
- How is newsletter software usually priced?
- 2 of the 3 newsletter tools we track use usage based pricing, against 1 on hybrid.