Ghost vs Buttondown Pricing (2026)
How do these two stack up on price? Here's what each one costs, what you get, and where the value sits.
| Ghost | Buttondown | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $18/mo | Custom |
| Number of plans | 4 | 1 |
| Free plan | — | |
| Free trial | — | |
| Pricing model | usage-based | usage-based |
Starter
- Your own website
- Free custom domain
- 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
Free
- Rich text or markdown editor
- Send from a custom domain
- Hosted newsletter archives
- Privacy-first
Ghost vs Buttondown 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?
- Both use a usage-based model, so the comparison is straightforward — it comes down to features and limits at each price point.
- Which one is a better deal?
- Depends on what you need. Ghost: 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. Buttondown: 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.
Keep tabs on both.
We'll monitor pricing changes for Ghost and Buttondown and let you know when something moves.