Newsletter LedgerKit vs Buttondown: which costs less at your size
Up to 10,000 subscribers Kit is cheaper for both free and paid newsletters, because Kit's Free plan costs $0 and can sell subscriptions, while Buttondown charges from 101 subscribers and adds $9/month for paid subscriptions. Above 10,000 you need Kit Creator, and Buttondown costs less in our data, though Kit's Creator prices at that size are not yet confirmed on Kit's own page. Buttondown's self-serve prices in our data stop at 20,000 subscribers. Prices checked .
Quick answer
- Under 10,000 subscribers: Kit Free is $0, paid newsletter included. Buttondown is $0 only up to 100.
- 10,000 to 20,000: Buttondown costs less than Kit Creator in our data, for free and paid newsletters.
- Fees on paid revenue: Kit takes 0.6% on top of card processing; Buttondown takes 0% but charges a flat $9/month add-on.
Monthly cost side by side
| Subscribers | Kit, free newsletter | Buttondown, free newsletter | Kit, paid newsletter | Buttondown, paid newsletter | Cheaper (paid) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | $0.00 Free | $9.00 Standard | $14.50 Free | $31.30 Standard | Kit |
| 1,000 | $0.00 Free | $9.00 Standard | $29.00 Free | $44.60 Standard | Kit |
| 2,500 | $0.00 Free | $29.00 Standard | $72.50 Free | $104.50 Standard | Kit |
| 5,000 | $0.00 Free | $29.00 Standard | $145.00 Free | $171.00 Standard | Kit |
| 10,000 | $0.00 Free | $79.00 Standard | $290.00 Free | $354.00 Standard | Kit |
| 15,000 | $140.83 * Creator | $139.00 Standard | $575.83 * Creator | $547.00 Standard | Buttondown |
| 20,000 | $157.50 * Creator | $139.00 Standard | $737.50 * Creator | $680.00 Standard | Buttondown |
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 Kit (opens in a new tab) · Visit Buttondown (opens in a new tab)
What each charges, from their own pages
Kit
- Free plan up to 10,000 subscribers, and it can sell paid subscriptions.
- Charges 3.5% + 30¢ per transaction including card processing, which Kit says means it "only takes 0.6%".
- Above 10,000 subscribers you need the Creator plan. Creator prices above 3,000 subscribers are not yet confirmed on Kit's own page.
- The referral program is on the Pro plan, not Creator.
Official pricing source (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-10-19)
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)
Who each suits, on cost
Kit
Any list under 10,000 subscribers, free or paid, and creators who sell through automations and landing pages.
Buttondown
Lists between 10,000 and 20,000 watching the plan price, and writers who want a simple, text-first tool with a flat paid add-on.
Questions
Is Kit or Buttondown cheaper?
Kit is cheaper up to 10,000 subscribers because its Free plan covers that size, paid subscriptions included. From 10,000 to 20,000 Buttondown costs less than Kit Creator in our data.
Do Kit and Buttondown take a cut of paid subscriptions?
Kit charges 3.5% + 30¢ per transaction including card processing, which it describes as taking 0.6%. Buttondown takes 0% but charges $9/month for paid subscriptions; Stripe's fees still apply.
We have not used either product as a publisher; this page compares published prices and plan limits only. See the methodology.