AWeber Pricing: Cheap or Overpriced? 2026

For most small businesses, email marketing costs depend heavily on subscriber count and the features actually needed. This page covers AWeber pricing in 2026, including its Free, Lite, and Plus plans, monthly rates by list size, overage charges, and whether a credit card is required to start. 

It also compares AWeber to alternatives like Mailchimp and Sender. Following AWeber’s significant price increases in December 2024, understanding the current pricing structure helps determine whether the platform offers genuine value for money across different business sizes and needs.

AWeber Pricing at a Glance

Important pricing update: In December 2024, AWeber increased its prices by 50–150% and eliminated all grandfathered pricing, affecting both new and long-time users. The AWeber pricing tiers shown above reflect these new 2025 rates.

AWeber Old vs. New Pricing Comparison Table

As noted earlier, AWeber implemented price increases in 2024, during which the mid-tier plan was renamed from ‘Pro’ to ‘Plus’. The table below illustrates how the monthly cost of this plan rose across different subscriber tiers.

AWeber Plans & Costs Reviewed

Let’s dive into an AWeber pricing comparison to see how each plan stacks up in 2025

Free Plan Review

AWeber’s free plan gives you access to its core features without spending a dime. You can manage up to 500 subscribers and send 3,000 emails per month—plenty to get started. Unlike many limited free tiers, AWeber Free includes full email design tools (including the Smart Designer), automations, sign-up forms, landing pages, and integrations.

Even better, you still get 24/7 support via phone, email, or chat, which is rare for a free plan. 

The trade-off? Once the influx of new subscribers pushes you beyond the 500-subscriber cap, you’ll need to upgrade. Still, it’s a generous starting point for small businesses or creators testing email marketing.

14-Day Free Trial Review

AWeber’s 14-day free trial lets you test any of their paid plans without immediate commitment. You’ll need to provide credit card details upfront, but you won’t be charged until the trial ends—which is pretty standard, as far as the refund policy goes.

This trial period is best suited for businesses ready to seriously evaluate AWeber’s capabilities—you get full access to your chosen plan’s features, whether that’s Lite or Plus.

The catch? AWeber’s trial is time-limited. You’ll need to make a decision within two weeks or lose access. I recommend using this trial period intensively—import your list, set up automations, and test deliverability—to determine if AWeber justifies its monthly pricing for your specific needs.

Lite Plan

AWeber’s Lite plan is the entry-level paid option for small businesses and creators ready to grow your business beyond a trial period.

Starting at $12.50/month (annual billing) for up to 500 subscribers, it provides 10 times the send volume, full email template access with drag-and-drop functionality, and accommodates up to three users. It also packs a landing page builder, which is useful for creating simple signup or lead-capture pages.

Still, Lite comes with caps that I’ve seen frustrate growing businesses: just 3 landing pages, 3 automations, and 1 custom segment. Plus, AWeber branding stays on your emails, and you don’t get advanced reporting or Webpage tracking.

In my experience working with clients, most users eventually upgrade when they need unlimited features, better list management, or branding removal—making the Plus plan the logical next step.

Plus Plan

The Plus plan is AWeber’s most popular option, and I can see why—it’s ideal for growing businesses, agencies, and ecommerce stores that need more freedom than Lite provides. Starting at $20/month (annual billing), it unlocks unlimited lists, landing pages to create sales pages, automations, and segments, along with advanced sales tracking to monitor performance.

You also get Webpage and Email sales tracking and the ability to remove AWeber branding—two major upgrades that make a real difference in professional email marketing campaigns. With 12× monthly send volume, unlimited users, and live chat support, it scales well as your subscriber base grows.

AWeber Hidden Fees & Extra Costs

While AWeber’s pricing looks straightforward, I’ve discovered a few extra costs to watch out for. Beyond the standard fees, AWeber shocked users in December 2024 by eliminating all grandfathered pricing and raising rates by 50–150% across the board—a move that forced even loyal, long-term customers onto the new, higher pricing tiers without exception.

I witnessed the frustration firsthand in marketing forums and social media groups, with many calling this mistake a breach of trust. For instance, one clearly unhappy Trustpilot user said this: “The real problem, though, lies in their misleading pricing. They advertise an affordable starting rate, but once you’re on board, hidden fees and sudden price increases hit you for more subscribers.”

Both Lite and Plus plans charge ecommerce transaction fees—1% for Lite and 0.6% for Plus—which can add up for high-volume stores that sell directly through email campaigns. If you exceed subscriber limits or send more emails than your plan allows, AWeber automatically bumps you into the next tier until the next billing cycle is over, raising the cost per subscriber without warning.

This automatic upgrade has caught many users off guard. This is why I often recommend Sender instead, which offers transparent pricing without surprise upgrades or hidden transaction fees. Branding removal is only available on Plus, meaning Lite users pay with visibility. Add-ons like the Done-For-You setup service ($79 + $20/month for ongoing subscriptions) also increase costs.

AWeber Monthly Pricing by Subscriber Count

This snapshot shows how AWeber’s email marketing software cost breaks down across different list sizes.

AWeber vs. Competitors: Which Costs Less?

Is AWeber Worth the Price?

In my opinion, the Plus plan still hits the sweet spot—offering unlimited automations, landing pages, and branding removal for under $20/month. It’s especially attractive if you value predictable pricing and easy setup.

However, the 500-subscriber limit on the free plan might deter bootstrapped startups. If you need more advanced CRM tools, multichannel automation, or sophisticated ecommerce features, email marketing solutions like ActiveCampaign, GetResponse, or Klaviyo may be better fits.

Who AWeber is Best For

• Small businesses and creators just getting started who want an easy-to-use email marketing tool with a generous free plan and strong core features;
• Users who value live customer support, including 24/7 phone, chat, and email assistance—even on lower-tier plans;
• Businesses focused primarily on email campaigns rather than complex, all-in-one marketing automation suites;
• Growing brands willing to pay more for simplicity and reliability, especially on the Plus plan with unlimited automations and branding removal.

Who Should Look Elsewhere

• Budget-conscious users. AWeber’s tiered pricing and automatic upgrades can cause costs to increase quickly as your subscriber list grows, making it less predictable for those with tight or fixed budgets;
• Advanced automation seekers. If you need CRM workflows, multichannel automation, or sales funnels, platforms with more features offer better value in the long run;
• High-volume ecommerce senders. Transaction fees and subscriber-based pricing can become expensive compared to competitors with flat or usage-based models;
• Users needing a scalable free plan. The 500-subscriber cap limits long-term use for startups that want to grow without upgrading quickly. For this, Sender with a free 2,500 contact plan is the best alternative for users testing the email marketing waters.

AWeber Pricing FAQs