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Buttondown vs Microsoft Start

Buttondown logo

Buttondown

News

The easiest way to start and grow your newsletter

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Microsoft Start logo

Microsoft Start

News

Your personalized news feed powered by Microsoft

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Buttondown limited built-in monetization compared to Substack, which offers native payment processing; Microsoft Start no pricing information available
  • They diverge on capability: Buttondown covers Newsletter creation, Microsoft Start covers Personalized news.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Buttondown and Microsoft Start actually diverge.

Attributes where Buttondown and Microsoft Start differ
AttributeButtondownMicrosoft Start
Pricing modelUnknownfree
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Windows
Founded20171975

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (News).

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 Buttondown

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

Only in Microsoft Start

  • Personalized news
  • Topic following
  • Weather updates
  • Sports scores
  • Finance news
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Windows 11
  • Microsoft Account

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Buttondown

  • Newsletter publishingnot Microsoft Start
  • Email marketingnot Microsoft Start
  • Audience buildingnot Microsoft Start

Microsoft Start

  • Daily newsnot Buttondown
  • Topic trackingnot Buttondown
  • Weather updatesnot Buttondown
  • Quick informationnot Buttondown

Where each one falls short

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

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

Microsoft Start

  • No pricing information available
  • Service appears to be consumer-facing rather than commercial product
  • No pricing model published

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Microsoft Start

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Personalized news feed
    • Topic following
    • Cross-device sync

Which should you pick?

Choose Buttondown if

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

Choose Microsoft Start if

  • You need personalized news.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Windows.
  • You also want topic following.
Microsoft Start review

Questions people ask

Is Buttondown or Microsoft Start better?
Neither clearly leads. Buttondown starts at Free and Microsoft Start at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Buttondown or Microsoft Start?
Buttondown starts at Free and Microsoft Start at Free.
Does Buttondown or Microsoft Start run on more platforms?
Buttondown runs on Web. Microsoft Start runs on Web, Ios, Android, Windows.
Can I use Buttondown for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Buttondown best used for?
Buttondown is most often used for newsletter publishing, email marketing, audience building. Of those, newsletter publishing and email marketing are not what Microsoft Start is typically brought in for.
What can Buttondown do that Microsoft Start cannot?
Buttondown covers Newsletter creation, Markdown support, Subscriber management, Analytics. Microsoft Start covers Personalized news, Topic following, Weather updates, Sports scores. Both handle 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
Microsoft Start: How much does Microsoft Start (MSN) cost?

Microsoft Start (formerly MSN.com) is a free service with no subscription required. The platform provides news, weather, and personalized content at no cost to users.

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
Microsoft Start: Does Microsoft Start offer any paid services or premium features?

Microsoft Start does not publish any paid tiers or premium features. The service is entirely free to access and use without any payment or subscription.

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
Microsoft Start: Are there ads on Microsoft Start?

Microsoft Start provides personalized news and content free of charge. Any advertising present on the service helps support the free platform offering.

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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