ConvertKit should be thought of more as automation software than newsletter software; it is for businesses who have complex needs for automated workflows and analytics.
It's also extremely expensive; if you have just one thousand subscribers you'll be paying $49/month on ConvertKit, as opposed to only $9/month on Buttondown.
Buttondown allows you to customize and organize your subscribers (through tags and analytics) while still giving you an easy way to compose great emails and grow your audience. It offers the same rich API and easy embeddable widgets that ConvertKit does, while being a more pleasant tool.
Buttondown lets you focus on writing, rather than spending all day working on templates and automation workflows.
Feature | Buttondown | ConvertKit |
---|---|---|
Free for your first hundred subscribers |
|
|
Archives |
|
|
Embeddable widget |
|
|
Analytics |
|
|
Drag and drop image uploading |
|
|
Email scheduling |
|
|
Clean, usable design |
|
|
Smart embeds |
|
|
Autosaving |
|
|
First-party API |
|
|
Paid subscriptions |
|
|
Third-party integrations |
|
|
Privacy-first |
|
|
Markdown support |
|
|
Free RSS support |
|
|
Multiple newsletters |
|
|
'Pay what you want' mode |
|
|
Discussion threads |