Software · head to head
Apple News vs Buttondown
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Apple News apple News+ costs $12.99 per month in USD after the first month, or is included only via the $39.95 per month USD Apple One Premier bundle; Buttondown limited built-in monetization compared to Substack, which offers native payment processing
- They diverge on capability: Apple News covers Curated news feed, Buttondown covers Newsletter creation.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Apple News and Buttondown actually diverge.
| Attribute | Apple News | Buttondown |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | Unknown |
| Platforms | Ios, Macos | Web |
| Founded | 1976 | 2017 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
What each one covers
Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.
Only in Apple News
- Curated news feed
- Premium magazines
- Audio stories
- Personalization
- Offline reading
- iCloud
- Apple One bundle
- Siri
Only in Buttondown
- Newsletter creation
- Markdown support
- Subscriber management
- Analytics
- Paid subscriptions
- Zapier
- Stripe
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Apple News
- Daily news readingnot Buttondown
- Magazine subscriptionnot Buttondown
- News discoverynot Buttondown
- Staying informednot Buttondown
Buttondown
- Newsletter publishingnot Apple News
- Email marketingnot Apple News
- Audience buildingnot Apple News
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Apple News
- Apple News+ costs $12.99 per month in USD after the first month, or is included only via the $39.95 per month USD Apple One Premier bundle
Buttondown
- Limited built-in monetization compared to Substack, which offers native payment processing
- Fewer growth and discovery features compared to Beehiiv or Ghost
- Smaller community and ecosystem than larger newsletter platforms
- Basic automation compared to full-featured email marketing platforms
- No native mobile app for managing newsletters on the go
Pricing, plan by plan
Apple News
Free- Apple NewsFree
- Free news articles
- Personalized feed
- Topic following
- Apple News+$12.99/month
- Premium magazines
- Major newspapers
- Audio stories
Buttondown
Free- Free$undefined/mo
- Up to 100 subscribers
- Core newsletter features
- Hosted archives
- Paid$undefined/mo
- Pricing scales by subscriber count above 100
- Add-on features from $9/month
Which should you pick?
Choose Apple News if
- You need curated news feed.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Ios, Macos.
- You also want premium magazines.
Choose Buttondown if
- You need newsletter creation.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want markdown support.
Questions people ask
- Is Apple News or Buttondown better?
- Neither clearly leads. Apple News starts at Free and Buttondown at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Apple News or Buttondown?
- Apple News starts at Free and Buttondown at Free.
- Does Apple News or Buttondown run on more platforms?
- Apple News runs on Ios, Macos. Buttondown runs on Web.
- Can I use Apple News for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Apple News best used for?
- Apple News is most often used for daily news reading, magazine subscription, news discovery, staying informed. Of those, daily news reading and magazine subscription are not what Buttondown is typically brought in for.
- What can Apple News do that Buttondown cannot?
- Apple News covers Curated news feed, Premium magazines, Audio stories, Personalization. Buttondown covers Newsletter creation, Markdown support, Subscriber management, Analytics.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Buttondown: How much does Buttondown cost?
Buttondown is free for your first 100 subscribers and includes core newsletter features. After that, pricing scales based on subscriber count. Add-on features start at $9/month each.
SourceButtondown: What editor options does Buttondown offer?
Buttondown supports Markdown, HTML, and WYSIWYG editors so you can compose newsletters in your preferred format.
SourceButtondown: Does Buttondown track analytics?
Analytics are disabled by default in Buttondown, prioritizing privacy. You can enable tracking if desired, and the platform is GDPR-compliant.
SourceButtondown: What is Buttondown's company structure?
Buttondown is an independent, self-funded, and profitable SaaS platform founded by Justin Duke with no plans to take external investment or change that model.