News & Media · head to head
NewsBlur vs Buttondown
Buttondown
News & Media
The easiest way to start and grow your newsletter
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Each has a real cost: NewsBlur the free account is limited to 64 sites; Buttondown limited built-in monetization compared to Substack, which offers native payment processing
- They diverge on capability: NewsBlur covers Intelligence training, Buttondown covers Newsletter creation.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which NewsBlur and Buttondown actually diverge.
| Attribute | NewsBlur | Buttondown |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | Unknown |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android | Web |
| Founded | 2010 | 2017 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 NewsBlur
- Intelligence training
- Story sharing
- Original site view
- Text view
- Blurblogs
- Instapaper
- Evernote
Only in Buttondown
- Newsletter creation
- Markdown support
- Subscriber management
- Analytics
- Paid subscriptions
- Zapier
- Stripe
- Webhooks
Both cover
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
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
Buttondown
- Newsletter publishingnot NewsBlur
- Email marketingnot NewsBlur
- Audience buildingnot NewsBlur
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
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
NewsBlur
Free- FreeFree
- 64 sites
- Basic training
- Web and mobile
- Premium$36/year
- Unlimited sites
- Full training
- Priority updates
Buttondown
Free- Free$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 NewsBlur if
- You need intelligence training.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want story sharing.
Choose Buttondown if
- You need newsletter creation.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want markdown support.
Questions people ask
- Is NewsBlur or Buttondown better?
- Neither clearly leads. NewsBlur 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, NewsBlur or Buttondown?
- NewsBlur starts at Free and Buttondown at Free.
- Does NewsBlur or Buttondown run on more platforms?
- NewsBlur runs on Web, Ios, Android. Buttondown runs on Web.
- Can I use NewsBlur for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is NewsBlur best used for?
- NewsBlur is most often used for reading rss feeds with training that filters by author, tag or title, archiving full article content from followed sites, following a large number of feeds with fast refresh. Of those, reading rss feeds with training that filters by author, tag or title and archiving full article content from followed sites are not what Buttondown is typically brought in for.
- What can NewsBlur do that Buttondown cannot?
- NewsBlur covers Intelligence training, Story sharing, Original site view, Text view. Buttondown covers Newsletter creation, Markdown support, Subscriber management, Analytics. 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.
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.