Buttondown
Minimal newsletter tool for people who just want to write in markdown and hit send
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Free up to 100 subs, from $9/mo
Buttondown is the newsletter tool for people who think ConvertKit has too many features. Write in markdown, send to your list, done. No drag-and-drop editors, no complex automation flows, no features you will never use.
Built and run solo by Justin Duke. The $9/month starting price is the cheapest in the newsletter space. The tradeoff is obvious: if you want referral programs, A/B testing, or complex automation, you need a different tool. If you just want to write and send a newsletter without the tooling getting in the way, Buttondown is refreshingly simple.
What's good
- Markdown-based editor — no dragging boxes around
- $9/month for up to 1,000 subscribers is the cheapest paid newsletter tool
- No bloated features — it does newsletters and that is it
Watch out for
- Very basic automation — no complex email sequences
- Only 100 subscribers on free tier; Substack and Beehiiv offer more
- Minimal templates — your emails look plain (which some people prefer)