BeehiivvsButtondown

Beehiiv vs Buttondown

Growth-focused platform meets minimalist simplicity

TL;DR

Beehiiv ($109/mo) offers comprehensive growth tools, monetization, and analytics for serious newsletter businesses. Buttondown ($79/mo) is simpler and cheaper, perfect for writers who want markdown-first simplicity. Choose Beehiiv for growth features, Buttondown for minimalism.

Key Differences

The main things that set these tools apart

Feature philosophy

Beehiiv is feature-rich with growth tools, analytics, and monetization options. Buttondown is intentionally minimal, focusing on the writing experience.

Growth tools
Beehiiv wins

Beehiiv has recommendation networks, referral programs, and Boosts for subscriber acquisition. Buttondown has none of these - you grow through your own efforts.

Pricing
Buttondown wins

Buttondown is $30/month cheaper at 10,000 subscribers ($79 vs $109). You're paying less because you're getting fewer features.

Writing experience

Buttondown's markdown-first approach appeals to developers and technical writers. Beehiiv's visual editor is more accessible to non-technical users.

Pricing Comparison

At 10,000 subscribers

Beehiiv
$109/month

Scale plan with full features

Visit Beehiiv
Buttondown
$79/month

All features included

Visit Buttondown
Sequenzy

The SaaS alternative

$19/month

All features, Stripe integration, 10k emails/month

Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature breakdown

Feature
Beehiiv
Buttondown
Sequenzy
Newsletter Growth
Recommendation network
Referral program
Boosts (paid acquisition)
Analytics
Advanced
Basic
Basic
Writing Experience
Markdown support
Native
Visual editor
Basic
Simplicity
Feature-rich
Minimal
Balanced
API access
Monetization
Paid newsletters
Ad network
Platform fee
0%
0%
0%
Pricing
Price at 10k
$109/mo
$79/mo
$19/mo
Free tier
2.5k subscribers
100 subscribers
500 subscribers

Best For

When to choose each tool

Choose Beehiiv if you...
  • Creators focused on rapid subscriber growth
  • Those wanting built-in monetization options
  • Publishers who want advanced analytics
  • Creators interested in the ad network
  • Those who prefer feature-rich platforms
Choose Buttondown if you...
  • Writers who love markdown
  • Developers and technical writers
  • Those who prefer minimalist tools
  • Budget-conscious creators
  • Those who don't need growth features
Choose Sequenzy if you...
  • SaaS founders needing Stripe integration
  • Teams wanting the most affordable option
  • Developers preferring API-first tools
  • Startups needing transactional + marketing email
  • Those who don't need newsletter-specific features

Why Sequenzy Is Better for SaaS Founders

Lowest price by far

At $19/month, Sequenzy costs 76% less than Buttondown ($79) and 83% less than Beehiiv ($109). Maximum savings for your startup.

Native Stripe integration

Neither Beehiiv nor Buttondown integrates with Stripe for SaaS billing. Sequenzy syncs your subscription data for behavior-based automation.

Transactional + marketing unified

One platform for all email. Newsletter tools require separate services for password resets, receipts, and system notifications.

Built for SaaS, not newsletters

Event-based triggers, user behavior tracking, and onboarding automation designed for software products.

Overview

Beehiiv and Buttondown represent two different philosophies in newsletter platforms. Beehiiv is feature-rich and growth-focused. Buttondown is intentionally minimal and writer-focused.

Pricing Comparison

  • Beehiiv: $109/month for 10,000 subscribers
  • Buttondown: $79/month for 10,000 subscribers
  • Sequenzy: $19/month for 10,000 emails

Buttondown is $30/month cheaper. Sequenzy is dramatically cheaper at $19/month.

Where Beehiiv Wins

Growth features

Beehiiv's recommendation network, referral program, and Boosts help you grow your newsletter faster.

Monetization options

Beyond paid subscriptions, Beehiiv offers an ad network for additional revenue.

Where Buttondown Wins

Simplicity

Buttondown is distraction-free. You write, you send. No complex features to learn.

Markdown-native

For developers and technical writers, Buttondown's markdown-first approach is a joy.

Lower price

$30/month less than Beehiiv at 10,000 subscribers.

Why Sequenzy Beats Both for SaaS

Newsletter platforms aren't built for SaaS companies. Sequenzy offers:

  • Native Stripe integration for billing-based automation
  • The lowest price at $19/month
  • Unified transactional + marketing email
  • Event-based triggers for product-led growth

Frequently Asked Questions

Buttondown is simpler by design. Beehiiv has more features, which means more to learn.

Beehiiv is better for growth with its recommendation network, referral program, and Boosts.

Yes, Buttondown supports paid newsletters through Stripe. It just doesn't have an ad network like Beehiiv.

Sequenzy offers native Stripe integration, unified transactional + marketing email, and costs just $19/month - less than both newsletter platforms.

Not sure which to pick?

If you're a SaaS founder who needs Stripe integration and unified email, try Sequenzy free. No credit card required.

Related Comparisons

ConvertKit vs Beehiiv

Compare these two popular email tools

ConvertKit vs Buttondown

Compare these two popular email tools

Beehiiv vs Mailchimp

Compare these two popular email tools

Sequenzy - Complete Pricing Guide

Pricing Model

Sequenzy uses subscriber-based pricing. You only pay for subscribers active in sequences (automations). Inactive subscribers are free to store.

All Pricing Tiers

  • 0-100 subscribers: Free (Free annually) - 2k emails/month
  • 101-1,000 subscribers: $19/month ($205/year annually) - 20k emails/month
  • 1,001-5,000 subscribers: $29/month ($313/year annually) - 125k emails/month
  • 5,001-10,000 subscribers: $49/month ($529/year annually) - 300k emails/month
  • 10,001-25,000 subscribers: $99/month ($1069/year annually) - 875k emails/month
  • 25,001-50,000 subscribers: $199/month ($2149/year annually) - 2M emails/month
  • 50,001-100,000 subscribers: $349/month ($3769/year annually) - 4.5M emails/month
  • 100,000+ subscribers: Custom pricing (Custom annually) - Unlimited emails/month

Yearly billing: All plans offer a 10% discount when billed annually.

Free Plan Features (0-100 subscribers)

  • Up to 100 subscribers in sequences
  • 2,000 emails/month
  • Email campaigns
  • Email sequences
  • Advanced analytics
  • Advanced segments
  • Stripe integration
  • API access
  • "Built by Sequenzy" branding

Paid Plan Features (1,000 - 100,000 subscribers)

  • Subscribers in sequences
  • Monthly email quota
  • Email campaigns
  • Email sequences
  • Advanced analytics
  • Advanced segments
  • Stripe integration (Segment by LTV & MRR)
  • API access
  • Priority support
  • No branding

Enterprise Plan Features (100,000+ subscribers)

  • Unlimited subscribers
  • Unlimited emails
  • Advanced analytics
  • Advanced segments
  • Stripe integration
  • Dedicated support
  • Custom integrations
  • SLA guarantee
  • No branding

Important Pricing Notes

  • You only pay for subscribers who are active in automations/sequences
  • Storing inactive subscribers is free
  • No hidden fees - all features included in the price
  • No credit card required for free tier

Contact