Newsletter LedgerSysteme.io vs Buttondown: which costs less at your size
On plan price Systeme.io costs less than Buttondown from 101 contacts up to 20,000, billed monthly: its Free plan holds 2,000 contacts while Buttondown's is free only to 100 subscribers. Neither takes a cut of sales. Buttondown is the more focused newsletter tool; Systeme.io bundles funnels, courses and checkout. Systeme.io prices checked , Buttondown prices .
Quick answer
- Up to 100: both are $0.
- 101 to 2,000: Systeme.io stays $0; Buttondown is $9 (to 1,000) or $29 a month.
- 2,001 to 20,000: Systeme.io is $17, $47 or $97 a month, below Buttondown's $29, $79 or $139 at the same size.
- Paid subscriptions: Buttondown adds them for +$9/month; neither takes a share of revenue.
Monthly plan price side by side
| Contacts / subscribers | Systeme.io | Buttondown | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | $0.00 Free | $0.00 Standard | Same |
| 500 | $0.00 Free | $9.00 Standard | Systeme.io |
| 1,000 | $0.00 Free | $9.00 Standard | Systeme.io |
| 2,000 | $0.00 Free | $29.00 Standard | Systeme.io |
| 5,000 | $17.00 Startup | $29.00 Standard | Systeme.io |
| 10,000 | $47.00 Webinar | $79.00 Standard | Systeme.io |
| 20,000 | $97.00 Unlimited | $139.00 Standard | Systeme.io |
Per month, US dollars, billed month to month (Systeme.io's yearly prices were not shown on its page). Plan price only: card fees on any sales come on top for both. Systeme.io counts contacts and Buttondown counts subscribers, which are close but not identical. * = includes a figure not yet confirmed on the vendor's own page.
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 Systeme.io (opens in a new tab) · Visit Buttondown (opens in a new tab)
What each offers, from their own pages
Systeme.io
- Plans are priced by contacts: Free to 2,000, Startup $17/month to 5,000, Webinar $47/month to 10,000, Unlimited $97/month with no contact limit.
- Email sends are listed as unlimited on every plan; the Free plan allows one email campaign and one automation rule.
- No transaction fees from Systeme.io on sales; Stripe or PayPal still charge theirs.
- Funnels, courses, a blog and email in one tool.
Official pricing source (opens in a new tab) (checked 2026-10-24)
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 2026-10-24)
Who each suits
Systeme.io
Creators who sell courses or products and want funnels, checkout and email in one tool, and lists that want a free plan past 100 readers.
Buttondown
Writers who want a simple, focused newsletter tool with Markdown and an API, and who do not need funnels or courses.
Questions
Is Systeme.io cheaper than Buttondown?
On plan price, yes, from 101 contacts at every size we checked up to 20,000, billed monthly. Buttondown is free only to 100 subscribers, then $9, $29, $79 and $139 a month at 1,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000. Systeme.io is free to 2,000 contacts, then $17, $47 and a flat $97.
What does Buttondown do better?
Buttondown is a dedicated newsletter tool with Markdown writing, an API and paid subscriptions as a +$9/month add-on with no cut of revenue. Systeme.io's Free plan allows only one email campaign and one automation rule.
Do they take a cut of sales?
Neither: Buttondown says you keep all the money after card fees, and Systeme.io says it charges 0% transaction fees. Card processor fees apply on both.
We have not used either product as a publisher; this page compares published prices and plan limits only, not deliverability or editors. See the methodology.