AWeber vs Mailchimp: Email Marketing Showdown Winner

Picking an email marketing platform feels a bit like dating sometimes — you’re looking for that perfect match that just gets what your business needs. Trust me, I’ve been down this road before with clients, and it’s rarely a straightforward decision.

After testing both AWeber and Mailchimp extensively (and dealing with their respective quirks), I wanted to share some real-world insights on these popular platforms. This isn’t just about features and pricing — it’s about which one actually delivers when the rubber meets the road.

AWeber vs Mailchimp — Quick Comparison

Feature Overview

Strengths & Weaknesses

AWeber vs Mailchimp — Feature Comparison

I’ve spent countless hours in both platforms, and here’s what jumped out at me:

When it comes to creating emails, AWeber keeps things pretty straightforward — their drag-and-drop editor isn’t fancy but gets the job done. I really liked their AMP for emails feature, which lets subscribers interact with your content without leaving their inbox. 

Mailchimp’s editor feels more polished and offers those dynamic content blocks that change based on who’s viewing them — super helpful if you’re running an online store.

The biggest difference I noticed? Automation capabilities. AWeber handles the basics well enough — you can set up decent autoresponders and trigger emails based on tags. But Mailchimp’s automation is in another league.

You can build these multi-step journeys that branch off in different directions depending on what your subscribers do. It’s like the difference between a basic flowchart and a choose-your-own-adventure book.

One thing that surprised me was the integration situation. AWeber claims 750+ integrations versus Mailchimp’s 300+, but the quality matters more than quantity. Mailchimp’s native Shopify and WooCommerce connections just worked better in my testing.

AWeber vs Mailchimp — Pricing Comparison

The price difference becomes pretty obvious when you look at the numbers:

For 1,000 subscribers: AWeber starts around $15/month while Mailchimp wants $20. By the time you hit 25,000 subscribers: AWeber asks for $150/month compared to Mailchimp’s $230.

That $80 monthly difference adds up to nearly $1,000 a year! Is it worth it? Well, that depends on whether you’ll actually use those fancy Mailchimp features or if you’re just paying for bells and whistles you’ll never touch.

I was initially drawn to AWeber’s more affordable pricing, but after using both, I realized why the cost difference exists. It’s like comparing a reliable sedan to a luxury car with all the add-ons — both get you where you’re going, but the experience is different.

AWeber vs Mailchimp — The Free Plans Review

AWeber lets you send 3,000 emails monthly to up to 500 subscribers. Mailchimp caps you at just 1,000 emails for the same subscriber count. Both slap their branding on your emails (annoying but expected).

The higher email limit on AWeber’s free plan is genuinely useful if you’re sending frequent updates to a small list. I was hitting Mailchimp’s limit way too quickly, which pushed me to upgrade sooner than I wanted.

AWeber vs Mailchimp — The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

AWeber wins points for simplicity and value. Their customer support answered my questions at 2 AM (yes, I was working that late), and their pricing doesn’t make my accountant nervous. But their automation is pretty bare-bones, and I hit walls when trying to set up anything complex.

Mailchimp feels more grown-up. Their reporting is significantly better — I could actually see which campaigns were driving sales rather than just opens and clicks. Their segmentation options let me target messages with surgical precision.

But the price jumps steeply as your list grows, and their interface takes time to master — I spent my first week feeling lost in all the options.

AWeber vs Mailchimp — Ratings & User Reviews

Overall rating:

3.7

/5

G2:

4.2

Trustpilot:

2.5

Capterra:

4.4

See other alternatives

Overall rating:

3.9

/5

G2:

4.3

Trustpilot:

2.8

Capterra:

4.5

See other alternatives

Final Thoughts

Having implemented both platforms across various business types and sizes, I’ve found there’s no universal “better” option — it really depends on your specific needs, budget, and marketing sophistication.

Choose AWeber if you value simplicity, affordability, and straightforward email marketing without complexity. It’s the right fit when budget matters and your needs are relatively straightforward.

Go with Mailchimp when you need advanced automation, deeper integrations, and sophisticated targeting capabilities — and when you have the marketing budget to support those needs.

Either way, both platforms offer free trials that let you test-drive their features before committing — something I always recommend before making a final decision.

About author

Emily Austin

Author

Sender

Emily is a content manager who has dipped her toes in almost all fields of marketing, including email marketing, PR, social media, and ecommerce. She loves perfecting digital content, ensuring everything is polished and ready to go live.