Buttondown vs Sendy
Both are in Newsletter platforms. Here is how their plans, prices and features compare, taken from each vendor's own site.
The main differences
- Fees: Buttondown Priced by active subscribers (slider on the page); Sendy $69 one-time payment, plus Amazon SES sending costs.
| Buttondown | Sendy | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free plan | Not verified yet |
| Free plan | Yes | Not stated by the vendor |
| Free trial | Not stated by the vendor | Not stated by the vendor |
| Plans | Free ($0); Paid () | Self-hosted licence () |
| Fees | Priced by active subscribers (slider on the page) | $69 one-time payment, plus Amazon SES sending costs |
| Best for | Not stated | Agencies |
| Key features | Rich text or markdown editor; Send from a custom domain; Hosted newsletter archives; Tagging and segmentation (add-on) | Drag and drop, WYSIWYG and HTML editors; Live campaign reports; AI assistant for newsletters and subject lines; List segmentation |
| Checked on | 2026-10-02 | 2026-10-04 |
Prices change; confirm on the vendor's site before you buy. Full details and sources are on each tool's page.
Buttondown
- Free for the first 100 subscribers
- Charged by active subscribers, not total contacts
- Features are sold as add-ons, so you pay only for what you use
- 50% non-profit discount
Trade-offs
- Most features beyond the editor are paid add-ons
- Automations, multiple newsletters and custom-domain archives cost $29 a month each
- Prices assume at most one email a day to your whole list
Sendy
- $69 one-time with no monthly subscription
- Sending through Amazon SES costs about $1.60 per 10,000 emails
- White label accounts with sending limits per client
Trade-offs
- You host and maintain it yourself
- You need your own Amazon SES account
- No free plan or trial was listed