Buttondown vs Ghost Pricing (2026)
How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.
| Buttondown pricing | Ghost pricing | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | Custom | $18/mo |
| Number of plans | 1 | 4 |
| Free plan | — | |
| Free trial | — | |
| Pricing model | usage-based | hybrid |
Price is one row. To weigh the features too, use our feature comparison template →
Buttondown
- Rich text or markdown editor
- Send from a custom domain
- Hosted newsletter archives
- Privacy-first
Starter
- Your own website
- Free custom domain (NEW)
- Email newsletter
- Simple design settings
- 1,000 members
Publisher
- 3 staff users
- Custom themes
- 8,000+ integrations
- Paid subscriptions
- Advanced analytics
- 1,000 members
Business
- 15 staff users
- Priority support
- Higher usage limits
- Early access to features
- 10,000 members
Custom
- Unlimited staff users
- Advanced configurations
- Dedicated IP address
- 99.9% uptime SLA
- Unlimited members
Buttondown vs Ghost FAQ
- Which one is cheaper?
- One or both use custom pricing, so it depends on your specific needs.
- Can I use either one for free?
- Buttondown has a free plan. Ghost doesn't — though they do offer a free trial.
- How do they charge?
- Different approach here. Buttondown uses usage-based pricing, while Ghost goes with hybrid. That changes the math depending on your team size and usage.
- Which one is a better deal?
- Depends on what you need. Buttondown: Buttondown positions itself as the indie-friendly, pay-for-what-you-use option in a market full of bloated all-in-one platforms — it's cheap to start and stays cheap if you keep things simple. They're clearly courting solo writers and small creators who resent subsidizing enterprise features they'll never touch, rather than competing head-on with feature-loaded platforms like ConvertKit or beehiv on raw capability. Ghost: At $18-$29 for the entry tiers, Ghost undercuts Substack's take-rate model and sits below heavier CMS-plus-membership stacks, positioning itself as the affordable, self-hosted-friendly alternative for indie writers and small publishers. The $199 Business tier and uncapped Custom option show they're also chasing larger media operations that outgrow scrappier tools but don't want WordPress-plus-plugins complexity.
Still deciding? See the best Buttondown alternatives or the best Ghost alternatives, ranked with verified pricing.
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