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 | Ghost | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | Custom | $18/mo |
| Number of plans | 1 | 4 |
| Free plan | — | |
| Free trial | — | |
| Pricing model | usage-based | hybrid |
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. 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.
Keep tabs on both.
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