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Head-to-head · Newsletter Publishing Platforms

Ghost vs Buttondown

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Ghost #3 in Newsletter Publishing Platforms 9.0/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 1 of 2 features Visit Ghost
Buttondown #5 in Newsletter Publishing Platforms 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 2 features Visit Buttondown

Ghost leads on 0 checks, Buttondown on 2, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreGhost · 9.0/10
  • Lowest starting priceButtondown · $9/mo
  • Free planonly Buttondown
  • Free trialonly Ghost
  • Most featuresGhost · 1 of 2

Ghost scores higher on our rubric for newsletter publishing platforms: 9.0 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #5.

Buttondown offers free plan; Ghost doesn't. Buttondown is cheaper to start at $9/mo against $18/mo.

Ghost is the better fit for publishers wanting an owned site and newsletter. Buttondown is the better fit for lean email-first newsletters with integrations.

  • Ghost fits best

    Publishers wanting an owned site and newsletter

  • Buttondown fits best

    Lean email-first newsletters with integrations

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Ghost 9.0/10 Visit ↗ Buttondown 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.0 8.6
Ranking #3 in Newsletter Publishing Platforms #5 in Newsletter Publishing Platforms
Best for Publishers wanting an owned site and newsletter Lean email-first newsletters with integrations
Pricing model Paid Free plan + paid
Starting price $18/mo $9/mo (best)
Free plan — ✓ (best)
Free trial 14 days —
Deployment Cloud, Self-hosted Cloud
Platforms Web Web
Support Email, Community, Docs Email, Docs
Compliance 2FA GDPR
Integrations 8,000+ integrations 45+ integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market
Features Ghost 1/2 · Buttondown 0/2
Paid subscriptions Not checked yet Not checked yet
Custom domain ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Free audience limit Not checked yet Not checked yet
Publishing channels Not checked yet Not checked yet
Platform fee on paid subs 0% Ghost fee; payment processor fees apply Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Combines website publishing, newsletters, and member-only content
  • Supports free and paid tiers with recurring Stripe subscriptions
  • Self-hosting, APIs, and 8,000+ integrations support flexible setups
  • Free tier includes an editor, custom sending domain, and hosted archives
  • Supports subscriber segmentation and multi-step email automations
  • Connects to 45 integrations and offers a REST API and CLI
Cons
  • Starter is limited to 1,000 members
  • Paid plans start at $18/month, billed annually
  • Paid subscriptions and custom themes begin on Publisher
  • Paid pricing varies with active-subscriber count
  • Pricing assumes no more than one full-list email per day
  • Its emphasis is email publishing rather than a broad website platform
Our verdict

Ghost brings website publishing, email newsletters, and memberships into one platform for independent writers, creators, publishers, and organizations. It supports free and paid memberships, protected posts for members or specific tiers,…

Read the review →

Buttondown is an email newsletter platform for creators, writers, and businesses who want to publish newsletters and manage subscribers in one service. Its editor supports both rich text and Markdown, and hosted archives give readers a…

Read the review →
  1. GhostNewsletter Publishing Platforms 9.014-day trial
  2. ButtondownNewsletter Publishing Platforms 8.6Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Ghost — where it wins

    • Combines website publishing, newsletters, and member-only content
    • Supports free and paid tiers with recurring Stripe subscriptions
    • Self-hosting, APIs, and 8,000+ integrations support flexible setups

    Where it doesn't

    • Starter is limited to 1,000 members
    • Paid plans start at $18/month, billed annually
    • Paid subscriptions and custom themes begin on Publisher

  • Buttondown — where it wins

    • Free tier includes an editor, custom sending domain, and hosted archives
    • Supports subscriber segmentation and multi-step email automations
    • Connects to 45 integrations and offers a REST API and CLI

    Where it doesn't

    • Paid pricing varies with active-subscriber count
    • Pricing assumes no more than one full-list email per day
    • Its emphasis is email publishing rather than a broad website platform

More comparisons

All newsletter publishing platforms comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update