Buttondown vs Passes
Side-by-side comparison on fees, payouts, monetization, and audience ownership.
Platform fee
from $9/mo · monthly subscription
10% · of revenue
Payout speed
instant
instant
Minimum payout
$0
$50
Countries
Stripe-supported
Primarily US, Stripe-supported
Email list export
Full access
Limited
Custom domain
Yes
Yes (subdomain)
Community features
Basic comments, surveys, subscriber tags
DMs, group chats, 1:1 video calls
Best for
Technical writers and minimalists who want Markdown and full ownership
Mainstream creators, influencers, coaches wanting low-fee subs and merch
Buttondown vs Passes: which one wins?
Buttondown charges from $9/mo (monthly subscription) versus Passes at 10% (of revenue).
On payout speed, Buttondown pays instant while Passes pays instant. No difference here.
For audience ownership, Buttondown offers full access email export and Passes offers limited. 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. Passes fits mainstream creators, influencers, coaches wanting low-fee subs and merch.