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Software · head to head

Buttondown vs NewsBlur

Buttondown logo

Buttondown

Software

The easiest way to start and grow your newsletter

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
NewsBlur logo

NewsBlur

Software

A personal news reader bringing people together

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; NewsBlur the free account is limited to 64 sites
  • They diverge on capability: Buttondown covers Newsletter creation, NewsBlur covers Intelligence training.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Buttondown and NewsBlur actually diverge.

Attributes where Buttondown and NewsBlur differ
AttributeButtondownNewsBlur
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20172010

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 Buttondown

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

Only in NewsBlur

  • Intelligence training
  • Story sharing
  • Original site view
  • Text view
  • Blurblogs
  • Pocket
  • Instapaper
  • Evernote

Both cover

  • Twitter
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Buttondown

  • Newsletter publishingnot NewsBlur
  • Email marketingnot NewsBlur
  • Audience buildingnot NewsBlur

NewsBlur

  • Reading RSS feeds with training that filters by author, tag or titlenot Buttondown
  • Archiving full article content from followed sitesnot Buttondown
  • Following a large number of feeds with fast refreshnot 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

NewsBlur

  • The free account is limited to 64 sites
  • Search and text view extraction require Premium at $36 per year
  • Premium is capped at 1,024 sites and Premium Archive at 4,096 sites
  • Full content archiving and the Daily Briefing require Premium Archive at $99 per year
  • The fastest 5 to 15 minute feed refresh and regex training require Premium Pro at $29 per month
  • Site following is capped at 10,000 even on the top tier

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

NewsBlur

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 64 sites
    • Basic training
    • Web and mobile
  • Premium$36/year
    • Unlimited sites
    • Full training
    • Priority updates

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 NewsBlur if

  • You need intelligence training.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want story sharing.
NewsBlur review

Questions people ask

Is Buttondown or NewsBlur better?
Neither clearly leads. Buttondown starts at Free and NewsBlur at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Buttondown or NewsBlur?
Buttondown starts at Free and NewsBlur at Free.
Does Buttondown or NewsBlur run on more platforms?
Buttondown runs on Web. NewsBlur runs on Web, Ios, Android.
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 NewsBlur is typically brought in for.
What can Buttondown do that NewsBlur cannot?
Buttondown covers Newsletter creation, Markdown support, Subscriber management, Analytics. NewsBlur covers Intelligence training, Story sharing, Original site view, Text view. Both handle Twitter, 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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