Newsletter LedgerButtondown vs MailerLite: which costs less at your size
This one is close. Neither takes a cut of paid subscriptions, and their plan prices sit within a few dollars of each other at most sizes, so which is cheaper flips with your exact list size. For a paid newsletter MailerLite is cheaper at most sizes we checked, mainly because Buttondown adds $9/month for paid subscriptions. Above 20,000 subscribers only MailerLite has a self-serve price in our data. Prices checked .
Quick answer
- Free newsletter: neither is cheaper overall: the winner changes with list size and the gap is usually a few dollars.
- Paid newsletter: MailerLite is cheaper at most sizes we checked; Buttondown wins at 5,000.
- Free plans: MailerLite Free covers 250 subscribers, Buttondown 100. Neither free plan sells subscriptions.
Monthly cost side by side
| Subscribers | Buttondown, free newsletter | MailerLite, free newsletter | Buttondown, paid newsletter | MailerLite, paid newsletter | Cheaper (paid) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | $9.00 Standard | $10.80 Comfort | $31.30 Standard | $24.10 Comfort | MailerLite |
| 1,000 | $9.00 Standard | $17.10 Comfort | $44.60 Standard | $43.70 Comfort | Same |
| 2,500 | $29.00 Standard | $29.70 Comfort | $104.50 Standard | $96.20 Comfort | MailerLite |
| 5,000 | $29.00 Standard | $44.10 Comfort | $171.00 Standard | $177.10 Comfort | Buttondown |
| 7,500 | $79.00 Standard | $62.10 Comfort | $287.50 Standard | $261.60 Comfort | MailerLite |
| 10,000 | $79.00 Standard | $80.10 Comfort | $354.00 Standard | $346.10 Comfort | MailerLite |
| 15,000 | $139.00 Standard | $116.10 Comfort | $547.00 Standard | $515.10 Comfort | MailerLite |
| 20,000 | $139.00 Standard | $143.10 Comfort | $680.00 Standard | $675.10 Comfort | MailerLite |
Per month, US dollars, plans billed yearly where the platform offers it, otherwise month-to-month. "Free newsletter" is the plan price only. "Paid newsletter" assumes 5% of the list pays $8/month and includes the plan, the platform's fee and Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 per charge. "Same" means within $1. * = includes a figure not yet confirmed on the vendor's own page. Try your own numbers in the cost calculator.
Disclosure: links to platforms go through /go/ redirects. Some are affiliate links (currently beehiiv, Systeme.io and Buttondown): if you sign up and pay, we may earn a commission at no cost to you. That never changes the numbers or the order of results. Full disclosure.
Visit Buttondown (opens in a new tab) · Visit MailerLite (opens in a new tab)
What each charges, from their own pages
Buttondown
- Free for the first 100 subscribers, then priced by list size: $9/month to 1,000, $29 to 5,000, $79 to 10,000 and $139 to 20,000.
- Paid subscriptions are a +$9/month add-on, and Buttondown says "You keep all of the money you make after credit card fees."
- No yearly price found, so our figures are month-to-month.
Official pricing source (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-10-19)
MailerLite
- Free plan up to 250 subscribers, without paid newsletters.
- Comfort is priced by list size and sells paid subscriptions with 0% commission; only Stripe fees apply.
- Paying yearly saves 10%.
- A general email marketing tool, not only a newsletter platform.
Official pricing source (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-10-19)
Who each suits, on cost
Buttondown
Writers who want a simple, text-first newsletter tool with Markdown, and a flat add-on instead of a bigger marketing suite.
MailerLite
Writers who also want marketing email with automations and landing pages, and lists that may grow past 20,000.
Questions
Is Buttondown or MailerLite cheaper?
It depends on your exact list size: the plan prices are within a few dollars of each other at most sizes. For a paid newsletter MailerLite is cheaper at most sizes in our example because Buttondown charges a $9/month paid add-on.
Do Buttondown and MailerLite take a cut of paid subscriptions?
No. Both state 0% of subscription revenue; you pay the plan (plus Buttondown's $9/month add-on) and Stripe's card fees.
We have not used either product as a publisher; this page compares published prices and plan limits only. See the methodology.