News & Media · head to head
Prowly vs Buttondown
Prowly
News & Media
PR software to tell your story and track results
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
Buttondown
News & Media
The easiest way to start and grow your newsletter
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Buttondown has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Prowly the vendor's own pricing page as captured by the Internet Archive on 22 November 2021 named two paid tiers, Essential and Professional (referenced in a 'Buy Essential, Get Professional' promotion), plus a free 7 day trial with no credit card required; no dollar figures were present in the fetched markup, which is client-rendered; Buttondown limited built-in monetization compared to Substack, which offers native payment processing
- They diverge on capability: Prowly covers Media database, Buttondown covers Newsletter creation.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Prowly and Buttondown actually diverge.
| Attribute | Prowly | Buttondown |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | Unknown |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Founded | 2013 | 2017 |
Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 Prowly
- Media database
- Press release builder
- Online newsroom
- Email pitching
- Coverage tracking
- Semrush
- Google Analytics
- Slack
Only in Buttondown
- Newsletter creation
- Markdown support
- Subscriber management
- Analytics
- Paid subscriptions
- Stripe
- Webhooks
Both cover
- Zapier
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Prowly
- Media outreachnot Buttondown
- Press release creationnot Buttondown
- Journalist discoverynot Buttondown
- PR measurementnot Buttondown
Buttondown
- Newsletter publishingnot Prowly
- Email marketingnot Prowly
- Audience buildingnot Prowly
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Prowly
- The vendor's own pricing page as captured by the Internet Archive on 22 November 2021 named two paid tiers, Essential and Professional (referenced in a 'Buy Essential, Get Professional' promotion), plus a free 7 day trial with no credit card required; no dollar figures were present in the fetched markup, which is client-rendered
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
Prowly
On request- Essential$369/month
- Media database
- Press release creator
- Online newsroom
- Professional$589/month
- All Essential features
- Coverage tracking
- Advanced analytics
- EnterpriseFree
- Unlimited features
- API access
- Custom integrations
Buttondown
Free- Free$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 Buttondown if
- You need newsletter creation.
- You want to start without paying.
- You also want markdown support.
Questions people ask
- Is Prowly or Buttondown better?
- Neither clearly leads. Prowly 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, Prowly or Buttondown?
- Buttondown has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Prowly and Free for Buttondown.
- Does Prowly or Buttondown run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Buttondown for free?
- Yes. Buttondown has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Prowly starts at On request.
- What is Prowly best used for?
- Prowly is most often used for media outreach, press release creation, journalist discovery, pr measurement. Of those, media outreach and press release creation are not what Buttondown is typically brought in for.
- What can Prowly do that Buttondown cannot?
- Prowly covers Media database, Press release builder, Online newsroom, Email pitching. Buttondown covers Newsletter creation, Markdown support, Subscriber management, Analytics. Both handle Zapier, 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.