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Buttondown vs EmailOctopus
Both sit in newsletters & publishing. Here is how they differ on the things you can actually check.
On price: both start at the same $9 a month. Where a price could not be read from the vendor's page it is marked indicative below.
Buttondown
buttondown.com
Markdown-first newsletters with a deliberately minimal interface, good API and a free tier for small lists.
Free planNewsletters & Publishing
Visit ButtondownEmailOctopus
emailoctopus.com
Low-cost email marketing that can send through your own Amazon SES account, cutting per-email costs sharply at volume.
Free planNewsletters & Publishing
Visit EmailOctopus| Buttondown | EmailOctopus | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $9/mo | $9/mo |
| Entry plan | — | Pro |
| Paid annually | — | $9/mo |
| Price checked | not verified | 21 Sept 2026 |
| Pricing model | Free plan | Free plan |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Category | Newsletters & Publishing | Newsletters & Publishing |
| Around since | 2017 | 2014 |
1 of these 2 prices were read from the vendor's own pricing page, most recently on 21 Sept 2026; the rest are indicative. Entry tier only — vendors change pricing without notice.
Buttondown vs EmailOctopus, answered
- Is Buttondown cheaper than EmailOctopus?
- Neither. Both start at $9 a month at the entry tier.
- Do Buttondown or EmailOctopus have a free plan?
- Both do. Buttondown and EmailOctopus each publish an ongoing free tier rather than a time-limited trial.
- What is the difference between Buttondown and EmailOctopus?
- Buttondown: Markdown-first newsletters with a deliberately minimal interface, good API and a free tier for small lists. EmailOctopus: Low-cost email marketing that can send through your own Amazon SES account, cutting per-email costs sharply at volume.
