# Page 2 | Buttondown Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Page 2 - Is Buttondown the right Email Marketing solution for you? Explore 114 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/10008721/Buttondown/reviews --- Buttondown 4.8 (114) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/10008721/Buttondown/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Page 2 - Reviews of Buttondown ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 26-50 of 114 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use AS Amanda S. freelance writer Writing and Editing Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Bare Bones But Gets the Words Out " March 16, 2025 3.0 Fantastic customer support, thank you! I think it's a bit clunky, and in the first week alone I experienced 2 major outages which cost me subscribers. So less glitchy would be nice. Pros It's not Sustack ;) . Also, that it's a straightforward newsletter rather than a social media platform disguised as a newsletter host. Setup and migration was fairly easy. Cons Wish there were more design template options for both the newsletter and the archives page, and that readers had a more visible way of interacting so they can reply/comment to each other on posts. Also different tiers of paid subscriber options would be great. Review Source SN Sophie N. Musician Music Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "First impressions of Buttondown " April 6, 2025 5.0 I am very satisfied with my experience with Buttondown; I find it useful and it makes sending my weekly newsletter an efficient and enjoyable experience. Pros I like the simplicity of the interface and how easy it is to use. It feels intuitive, and it does everything I need it to do without overcomplicating things. Cons I wish I could customize the emails a bit better, but it might just be because I am not good at coding. Switched from [Mailchimp](https://www.capterra.com/p/110228/MailChimp/) I didn't like the Mailchimp interface, it felt like it was always trying to sell me stuff I didn't need and introducing a million new features Review Source JW Jenny W. Writer Publishing Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Loving it so far!" July 2, 2025 5.0 I've only just sent my first newsletter, but already I'm so grateful to have a place where I can go directly to people's inboxes without the pressure of participating in a "platform" or social network. I feel like this is going to help cultivate a much more genuine connection with people who read my words. Pros This service is SUPER easy to set up and use. It's intuitive and friendly, even for a non-technical noob like me. Cons Enabling the filter that disallowed suspected risky emails from signing up was problematic for me at first. A friend tried to sign up with three different legitimate email addresses before he found one that worked. I had to turn that feature off before announcing my newsletter to a wider audience. Review Source KH Kate H. Productivity Coach Higher Education Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Such a smooth onboarding process!" February 20, 2025 5.0 I reached out to inquire about transitioning from Substack to Buttondown and was amazed to receive personalized support and an offer to do the transition of the mailing list for me! I truly had expected I'd have to figure it out on my own, so this was amazing. I've reached out with questions a few times and \[sensitive content hidden\] has responded promptly and with really clear instructions. Pros The customer service is out of this world! I'm so impressed with the personalized support I've received with transitioning my newsletter to Buttondown. Cons No cons yet. I feel like there may be a steep learning curve left to my own devices, but the folks at Buttondown have offered to jump on a call with me so I know there will be support if I run into any obstacles. Alternatives considered [Kit](https://www.capterra.com/p/175000/ConvertKit/)[Ghost](https://www.capterra.com/p/151947/Ghost/) Reason for choosing Buttondown Buttondown seemed more accessible to me and \[sensitive content hidden\] had recommended it. Review Source JL Jason L. Designer Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "5/5 would write again" February 19, 2025 5.0 Great, gets out of the way when I need it to, and powerful enough without feeling heavy Pros Straight forward UI/UX for writing, and also not too many settings forced upon me Cons Can’t layout more than one full width image at a time; no pricing tier between 100 and 1000 subscribers Switched from [Mailchimp](https://www.capterra.com/p/110228/MailChimp/) This was years ago, but mailchimp was and still is too bloated for newsletter writing that’s not part of a day job Review Source JM Jake M. Editor-in-chief Media Production Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Great product + stable business" October 28, 2024 5.0 Came here after Twitter took over Revue. I've tried to build without relying on Substack and Buttondown has allowed me to do that. It's great. Pros The product is great--it does everything I'd need from Substack. But, unlike Substack, it is being built and grown in a sustainable way. This means that I don't worry about the company getting taken over by VCs who don't understand the product and ruin it in the pursuit of growth. Cons I wouldn't even call it a con but the pricing structure is a little different from Substack's, but even there I kind of appreciate it b/c I can just pay a relatively stable fee to use a service I value, which I'm happy to do. Review Source CM Chris M. Writer Writing and Editing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Simple, Straightforward Goodness" November 10, 2024 5.0 Positive experience overall - I've been using Buttondown for a couple of years after moving away from Mailchimp and I appreciate the simplicity of it (and not being run by awful people like some of their competitors..!) The personal touch on emails is a plus, and the editor does everything you could ask of it while staying simple and streamlined. Pros Easy to use interface, simple to set up and get started, continuing addition of features to improve the product over time. Cons Sometimes things like subscriber adds/etc take a while to process on the backend - also not a fan of the subscriber limit on the free plan being a meagre 500 but I understand they need to make money somehow... Switched from [Mailchimp](https://www.capterra.com/p/110228/MailChimp/) Recommendation from a friend and wanting to try a new email newsletter provider Review Source AW Aaron W. NA Writing and Editing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Simple yet powerful email marketing with many tech-savvy options" July 26, 2024 4.0 My experience has been great; it's like a breath of fresh air compared to most of the bloated, overpriced email products out there, and there are no ethical qualms either. I love being able to support handmade software that is built by people who care about quality and service. Pros Buttondown is easy to set up and start using and has a lot of powerful features out of the box. The customer service is excellent and Justin is always adding new stuff to the product; he's very transparent about future plans and his organization and attention to detail is impressive. As a developer myself, I know good software when I see it, and Buttondown is it. Cons Buttondown doesn't always have all of the fancy ease-of-use and design-customization features that much larger products have. Alternatives considered [Kit](https://www.capterra.com/p/175000/ConvertKit/)[Mailchimp](https://www.capterra.com/p/110228/MailChimp/) Reason for choosing Buttondown It's much slimmer, easier to use, and it had a feature-ful free option. Switched from [Mailchimp](https://www.capterra.com/p/110228/MailChimp/) I was making a new email list and wanted to start fresh. I heard about Buttondown via another newsletter I'm subscribed to—written by another software developer—and wanted to try it out. Review Source CA Cass A. Head Writer for Non-fiction Entertainment Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Review for Buttondown from Semiurge " November 17, 2024 5.0 It's good as a no frills, does what it says on the tin service. I'm not looking for more, so I can't say if that's a problem if you want more. Pros It's simplicity makes it easy to use and quick to figure out. Cons There could be a little more explanation at account creation of what each field filled out will look like practically when you're finished. I accidentally misnamed the newsletter at first because I thought I was just filling out a username for the website, although I haven't used one of these sites before. Also, I changed my email but continued to receive messages at my old one rather than the new one. Review Source NV Nils V. CEO Computer Software Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Buttondown is easy to set up and use" April 1, 2025 5.0 Buttondown provides exactly what you need without any extra complexity that comes with many tools. It's simple, easy to use, and it works. Pros Ease of use, simple setup, complete control, reasonable price. Cons Everything has been good so far. No problems getting set up and sending out my first campaigns. Review Source TS Travis S. CEO Entertainment Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Great newsletter service and best in class support" November 11, 2024 5.0 Pros It's fully featured without feeling overwhelming and works like a charm. Their support is absolutely best in class. Cons I'd love more email templates to select from. Alternatives considered [Kit](https://www.capterra.com/p/175000/ConvertKit/)[MailerLite](https://www.capterra.com/p/136603/MailerLite/)[Mailchimp](https://www.capterra.com/p/110228/MailChimp/) Reason for choosing Buttondown I enjoyed their ease of use and setup. Support was also extremely helpful as I ramped up. Review Source ER Ed R. Co-Founder and Principal Design Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "New Buttondown user" April 13, 2025 5.0 Groovy! It was really straightforward to go from "Shall I start a newsletter?" to "Let's hit Send on my first email" Pros The email design tools and analytics are great and easy to use! Cons It was hard to get ready to send the first email. Alternatives considered [Slack](https://www.capterra.com/p/135003/Slack/) Reason for choosing Buttondown Recommendations from others who switched fr Substack to BD. Review Source SM Scott M. Author Entertainment Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Excellent place to grow an audience" November 1, 2024 5.0 I'm probably on the more modest side of users, with only a few hundred subscribers, but I think even at that level, I've got a rich set of tools to work with that make it fun to approach publishing. I haven't monetized yet, so this is maybe a review targeted for hobbyists rather than professionals, but I have no doubt if I'm able to grow further, the support will be there. Pros Buttondown was my first experience setting up a newsletter, and it was pretty much painless. It was intuitive to understand how to get up and running, the editor saw significant improvement in the time that I've been using it and feels natural to use, and it was free while I built an audience. The one time I needed support it was fast and helpful. Cons I don't really have any bug reports or problems worth mentioning. Alternatives considered [Mailchimp](https://www.capterra.com/p/110228/MailChimp/) Reason for choosing Buttondown Buttondown had a better indie reputation. Review Source DN Diogo N. Supreme Wizard of Creativity Publishing Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "More than good enought!" May 20, 2025 5.0 I am just starting and adapting to this new environment. But it does what it needs to be done. I am satisfied so far. Pros It's free? It's cheaper than substack. It does not fund nazis. That is very important to me. What else can I say? Cons Harder to use. Fewer customizations on design and layout. I wish it formed a community like substack and it had space to recommend other newsletter here. Review Source RM Rupert M. CEO Internet Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Optimistic, but ended up disappointed" February 4, 2025 3.0 At first, very excited to start as the product was very aligned with what I wanted. Then seeing the poor delivery rate & getting no response from support for weeks, I grew frustrated and disappointed, and started looking for alternatives. Pros Independent, simple user interface, RSS connection, relatively affordable. Cons I never got a response to my support emails! Which means I will probably find another provider when I have the time. Also most of my emails went to spam. (Which is why I tried to contact support). Review Source DR David R. Towering Figure Arts and Crafts Used the software for: 2+ years ### "incredible interface, great customer service" August 29, 2024 5.0 It's just great. I am not a huge user but I use it to sell artwork and promote shows, and it works. Pros The interface is beautiful and IT WORKS, the free analytics provided are just what I want, and the personal service is unmatched. Cons If a person signs up twice, the sign-up is simply ignored and I don't think the signer-upper gets notice either. I wanted people to add new info (postal addresses) and I don't think I was able to do that using the buttondown form. Switched from [Mailchimp](https://www.capterra.com/p/110228/MailChimp/) Mailchimp is for people who want to follow a lot of unnecessary rules to spam people, and to design fancy newsletter for people to throw out. Review Source DN Daniel N. Developer Advocate Information Technology and Services Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Reliable and easy to use" May 23, 2025 5.0 Pretty new to the platform. But I love markdown and all the thougthful sane defaults. I've used other tools, and I like that Buttondown is made with so much thought Pros Well made, easy to use, and reliable with support for markdown. A lot of controls and nice added functionality. Cons None yet. It's been working well, especially migrating from a different platform. We're slowly getting used to all the functionality, but that's normal with any new tool Switched from [HubSpot CRM](https://www.capterra.com/p/152373/HubSpot-CRM/) many reasons. But basically it was too expensive and a broad tool Review Source AH Alix H. Author Publishing Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Great customer service, some spam problems" May 22, 2025 5.0 Pros The customer service (the personal concierge stuff is great!) and the overall low number of nazis. I hope your content moderation continues to exclude extremists. Cons I've gotten several emails about my newsletters landing in spam, which is a bummer. I hope delivery rates can improve. Switched from [Substock](https://www.capterra.com/p/10027794/Substock/) I had political problems with substack--the proliferation of extremist right-wing voices, and the active efforts to undermine traditional news media, were a problem for me. Review Source PL Patrick L. Sr. Brand and Product Designer Design Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Lovely prooduct." January 8, 2025 5.0 Love it. Also great to have direct contact with the people behind it. Pros The straight forwardness and lack of fluff. Cons A bit more design possibilities to have more control over the look and feel. And some more guidance in the technical parts like loading variable content like names in the emails. Review Source ES Ezra S. Creator Health, Wellness and Fitness Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Amazing first experience - everything I needed, nothing I didn't" July 23, 2024 5.0 It's been positive - the app mostly gets out of the way so I can focus on writing! I'm excited to grow my newsletter on Buttondown. Pros Buttondown is a full-featured email newsletter provider that stacks up nicely against all of the other competing platforms, especially for someone starting a low-volume, new newsletter. It is a relatively simple platform, which is a godsend when starting out as an independent creator. The default templates and options are appropriate for most basic newsletters, and I was up and running in no time. Sent my first newsletter a couple of weeks ago and I've been thrilled by the response. Cons On the whole, it's on the basic end of newsletter providers I've used. You are limited in the customization options (especially if you don't want to dive into the stylesheets yourself!) and I experienced a little bit of roughness around the edges when scheduling my first email newsletter (see my notes about scheduling elsewhere in my review). Finally, the price, fair and a great value, is higher than some of the alternatives. But it feels good to support a business that cares about its customers and provides responsive and quality support. Alternatives considered [beehiiv](https://www.capterra.com/p/249823/beehiiv/) Reason for choosing Buttondown Buttondown is an independent company that has demonstrated its transparency and ethics. In this space, there aren't any companies that come close in these areas. Review Source Response from Buttondown July 29, 2024 Thank you for the kind words, Ezra! And we're working on that first-run scheduling flow right as we speak :) MG Mark G. Mark Entertainment Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Buttondown " April 21, 2025 4.0 So far so good. I realize I never checked if there is a Buttondown App. I hope there is. Pros The team responsiveness is excellent. I like the payment model too. Cons I wish there was a better way to connect with other Buttondown authors. Review Source NO Nadia O. Founder and CEO Computer Software Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "So glad to have moved over from Mailchimp!" September 18, 2024 5.0 Pros I love the clean, functional simplicity of it, with smart defaults. It's competitively priced and has great built-in subscription functionality. The \[sensitive content hidden\], has been incredible with my onboarding. He personally helped me move over from Mailchimp and has been on hand to answer any questions I have regarding getting used to the new platform. I'm so happy to be with Buttondown now. Cons It wasn't always clear how to adjust certain default settings, especially ones related to design, but Justin has been on hand with prompt responses whenever I've had a query. Switched from [Mailchimp](https://www.capterra.com/p/110228/MailChimp/) I was paying a lot for not a lot. To name a few issues: the interface to put together my campaigns was clunky, there was no functionality for subscriptions, and the free archive view was limited to twenty emails. Review Source AO Aderson O. Founder E-Learning Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A simple yet delightful email newsletter experience" August 15, 2024 5.0 I have been using Buttondown for almost 2 years now and it has been a great experience. They are very welcoming about suggestions for features and act very quickly when we report a problem. It has been a delight to use the product. Price is way more affordable than its big name competitors, and it is way more straightforward to use it as compared to competitors as well. Highly recommend it! Pros It is very simple to use. Very driven to one goal only: to create newsletters as fast as possible. Cons I think I would like it to have some basic layout templates that I could use out-of-the-box. Alternatives considered [Mailchimp](https://www.capterra.com/p/110228/MailChimp/) Reason for choosing Buttondown It is way simpler to use than other similar and more complex products. Lower price is also a factor. Review Source MS Maggie S. Therapist Mental Health Care Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Simple and lovely!" January 30, 2025 5.0 I am enjoying the ease of buttondown! I am excited to use it to connect with people in meaningful ways. Pros It's simple! It's easy to get your questions answersed. Cons Some of the language is a bit confusing for folks who don't have a coding background. Review Source AH Alan H. Owner Media Production Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Easily the best, easiest newsletter service" December 24, 2024 5.0 Pleasant, easy, and frustration free setup, use, and even upgrades to premium features. Pros Easy setup and generous free plan to help you get started building your newsletter! Cons I could use a few more text editing tools in the editor, but the ones I have available are okay. Review Source Similar Products Featured