evidence: Plateaus, Mesas, & Buttes - What’s The Difference? Plateaus, mesas, and buttes can look very similar and it can be a challenge to know the difference. Things become even more confusing when you listen to the average person describe these cliff formations, because they’ll often use the names interchangeably. So how can you tell the difference so you know what to name them on your fantasy map? Much of it comes down to the overall size, but there are a couple other things simple things to keep in mind which will help you distinguish them. [...] Once again, a butte is very similar to a mesa. The main difference comes down to the overall size and that it has eroded away to the point it is now taller than it is wide.