Buttondown vs Ghost
Side-by-side comparison on fees, payouts, monetization, and audience ownership.
Platform fee
from $9/mo · monthly subscription
from $9/mo · monthly subscription
Payout speed
instant
instant
Minimum payout
$0
$0
Countries
Stripe-supported
Stripe-supported
Email list export
Full access
Full access
Custom domain
Yes
Yes
Community features
Basic comments, surveys, subscriber tags
Comments, paid tiers, member signups
Best for
Technical writers and minimalists who want Markdown and full ownership
Independent publishers and creators who want ownership and zero revenue share
Buttondown vs Ghost: which one wins?
Buttondown and Ghost share similar fee structures (from $9/mo), so the decision rests on differences elsewhere.
On payout speed, Buttondown pays instant while Ghost pays instant. No difference here.
For audience ownership, Buttondown offers full access email export and Ghost offers full access. Email portability matters most for creators planning to migrate later or build a list independent of any single platform.
Best for: Buttondown suits technical writers and minimalists who want markdown and full ownership. Ghost fits independent publishers and creators who want ownership and zero revenue share.