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News & Media · head to head

Arc Publishing vs Buttondown

Arc Publishing logo

Arc Publishing

News & Media

The enterprise publishing platform for news organizations

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Buttondown logo

Buttondown

News & Media

The easiest way to start and grow your newsletter

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Buttondown has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Arc Publishing now sold as Arc XP, and arcpublishing.com redirects there; Buttondown limited built-in monetization compared to Substack, which offers native payment processing
  • They diverge on capability: Arc Publishing covers Modular CMS, Buttondown covers Newsletter creation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Arc Publishing and Buttondown actually diverge.

Attributes where Arc Publishing and Buttondown differ
AttributeArc PublishingButtondown
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb
Founded20162017

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (News & Media).

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 Arc Publishing

  • Modular CMS
  • Content creation
  • Publishing workflow
  • Paywall management
  • Subscription billing
  • Analytics dashboard
  • API framework
  • Commerce integration

Only in Buttondown

  • Newsletter creation
  • Markdown support
  • Subscriber management
  • Analytics
  • Paid subscriptions
  • Zapier
  • Twitter
  • Webhooks

Both cover

  • Stripe
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Arc Publishing

  • Content management for news and digital publishersnot Buttondown
  • Subscription and paywall managementnot Buttondown
  • Video publishing alongside articlesnot Buttondown
  • Multi-site delivery for broadcast and B2B publishersnot Buttondown

Buttondown

  • Newsletter publishingnot Arc Publishing
  • Email marketingnot Arc Publishing
  • Audience buildingnot Arc Publishing

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Arc Publishing

  • Now sold as Arc XP, and arcpublishing.com redirects there
  • Pricing is not published
  • Built for media companies, so the editorial workflow assumptions do not suit a general business site

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

Arc Publishing

On request
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Custom CMS
    • Paywall integration
    • Advanced analytics

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 Arc Publishing if

  • You need modular cms.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want content creation.
Arc Publishing review

Choose Buttondown if

  • You need newsletter creation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want markdown support.
Buttondown review

Questions people ask

Is Arc Publishing or Buttondown better?
Neither clearly leads. Arc Publishing starts at On request and Buttondown at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Arc Publishing or Buttondown?
Buttondown has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Arc Publishing and Free for Buttondown.
Does Arc Publishing or Buttondown run on more platforms?
Arc Publishing runs on Web, Mobile. Buttondown runs on Web.
Can I use Buttondown for free?
Yes. Buttondown has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Arc Publishing starts at On request.
What is Arc Publishing best used for?
Arc Publishing is most often used for content management for news and digital publishers, subscription and paywall management, video publishing alongside articles, multi-site delivery for broadcast and b2b publishers. Of those, content management for news and digital publishers and subscription and paywall management are not what Buttondown is typically brought in for.
What can Arc Publishing do that Buttondown cannot?
Arc Publishing covers Modular CMS, Content creation, Publishing workflow, Paywall management. Buttondown covers Newsletter creation, Markdown support, Subscriber management, Analytics. Both handle Stripe, Web support.

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.

Source
Buttondown: What editor options does Buttondown offer?

Buttondown supports Markdown, HTML, and WYSIWYG editors so you can compose newsletters in your preferred format.

Source
Buttondown: 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.

Source
Buttondown: 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.

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