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Ghost vs Buttondown
Both sit in newsletters & publishing. Here is how they differ on the things you can actually check.
On price: Buttondown starts $9 a month cheaper than Ghost ($9 against $18, 50% less). Where a price could not be read from the vendor's page it is marked indicative below.
Ghost
ghost.org
Independent publishing platform with newsletters, paid memberships and a proper CMS. Self-host free or use Ghost(Pro).
Newsletters & Publishing
Visit GhostButtondown
buttondown.com
Markdown-first newsletters with a deliberately minimal interface, good API and a free tier for small lists.
Free planNewsletters & Publishing
Visit Buttondown| Ghost | Buttondown | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $18/mo | $9/mo |
| Entry plan | Starter | — |
| Paid annually | $18/mo | — |
| Price checked | 21 Sept 2026 | not verified |
| Pricing model | Free trial | Free plan |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Category | Newsletters & Publishing | Newsletters & Publishing |
| Around since | 2013 | 2017 |
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.
Ghost vs Buttondown, answered
- Is Ghost cheaper than Buttondown?
- No — Buttondown is the cheaper entry point, at $9 a month against Ghost's $18, 50% less. Ghost's figure is its annual rate — the vendor publishes no month-to-month price we could read.
- Do Ghost or Buttondown have a free plan?
- Buttondown publishes an ongoing free plan; Ghost does not.
- What is the difference between Ghost and Buttondown?
- Ghost: Independent publishing platform with newsletters, paid memberships and a proper CMS. Self-host free or use Ghost(Pro). Buttondown: Markdown-first newsletters with a deliberately minimal interface, good API and a free tier for small lists.
