AWeber Free Plan
Twenty-two years. That’s how long AWeber waited to launch a free plan. When it finally happened in 2020, you could almost hear the collective “about time” from the email marketing world.
But here’s the thing — they didn’t just slap together some bare-bones offering to keep up with competitors. 500 subscribers, 3,000 monthly emails, plus automation and their famous phone support. Even for free users.
Most platforms play the numbers game differently. Give you tons of subscribers but lock away the good features. Or hand you all the tools but limit you to sending emails to your immediate family. AWeber found a middle path that’s… actually pretty smart.
The catch? That 3,000 email limit sneaks up on you faster than you’d think. And some features that feel essential stay locked behind the paywall.
What is the AWeber Pricing Plan?
AWeber charges based on your subscriber count, not emails sent. Four tiers: Free (500 subscribers), Lite ($12.50/month), Plus ($20/month), and Unlimited ($899/month for large operations).
Here’s where it gets annoying — they count dead emails toward your total. Got 300 active subscribers plus 200 people who unsubscribed two years ago? You’re paying for 500.
But there’s a flip side. Even free users get phone support. Not email-only support. Not “submit a ticket and wait three days” support. Actual humans you can call when your campaign breaks at 10pm before a big launch.
That matters more than most people realize. When Sender gives you 2,500 free subscribers but no phone support, and AWeber gives you 500 subscribers with 24/7 phone access — which would you rather have when things go wrong?
A Quick Overview of AWeber and Its Features
Founded in 1998 by Tom Kulzer, AWeber has somehow survived every email marketing trend of the past quarter-century. Remember when everyone thought email was dying because of social media? Yeah, AWeber kept quietly doing email marketing while everyone else chased shiny objects.
They serve over 100,000 small businesses — the kind of businesses where the owner is also the marketing department, customer service rep, and probably empties the trash cans too. Coaches, consultants, nonprofits, local service businesses. People who need email marketing to work without becoming a PhD project.
Their 700+ templates lean professional rather than flashy. The drag-and-drop editor prioritizes “easy to use” over “look what I can customize.” And their deliverability rates stay consistently above average, which matters when every email represents potential revenue.
What Do You Get with the AWeber Free Plan?
The free plan hits a sweet spot between “actually useful” and “clearly designed to make you upgrade eventually.” 500 subscribers and 3,000 monthly emails covers most small businesses for their first several months, assuming they’re not sending daily campaigns.
But let’s do the math on that email limit. 500 subscribers getting one weekly newsletter = 26,000 emails annually. Sounds fine until you add welcome sequences, occasional promotions, maybe some abandoned cart reminders if you’re selling anything. Suddenly you’re pushing against that 3,000 monthly cap.
The feature access surprises people, though. Full automation builder, unlimited landing pages, phone support. Most of what makes AWeber actually useful for business, just with quantity limits.
Key Features of the Free Plan
Email Creation and Automation Tools
The drag-and-drop builder handles responsive design automatically. No wrestling with mobile layouts or wondering if your email looks terrible on phones. 700+ templates cover the basics — newsletters, promotions, event invitations — without getting too fancy.
Smart Designer suggests layouts based on your content. It’s more helpful than you’d expect for beginners, though experienced marketers will probably ignore it. Custom HTML support lets developers import existing designs, which is nice for agencies switching clients over.
Automation workflows include the essentials: welcome series, autoresponders, basic behavioral triggers. You can create sequences based on opens, clicks, form submissions. Not as sophisticated as dedicated automation platforms, but solid enough for most small business needs.
The visual workflow builder makes sense immediately. Drop in an email, add a wait period, branch based on whether someone clicked a link. Simple logic that actually works.
Landing Pages and List Building
Unlimited landing pages — genuinely generous for a free plan. The builder uses the same drag-and-drop interface as emails, so if you can figure out one, you’ve figured out both.
Templates focus on lead capture, product launches, event registration. Professional-looking without being flashy. You can customize colors, fonts, basic layout stuff. Won’t win design awards, but gets the job done.
Signup forms come in all the usual flavors — embedded, pop-ups, slide-ins, standalone pages. Integration with your email lists happens automatically, which saves the headache of manually connecting everything.
List management stays pretty basic on free accounts. One list profile, can’t save custom segments. But you can tag subscribers and create basic segments for different audiences.
Support and Integration Options
This is where AWeber flexes. 24/7 phone support for free users. Most platforms make you pay $50+ monthly before they’ll let you talk to a human. AWeber gives you a phone number from day one.
Integration library covers the big players — WordPress, Shopify, PayPal, Facebook, plus hundreds of others through Zapier. Nothing exotic, but all the connections most small businesses actually use.
Free migration service is kind of amazing. AWeber’s team will move your existing lists and campaigns from other platforms at no cost. Takes the pain out of switching if you’re coming from somewhere else.
What’s Missing in the AWeber Free Plan?
The limitations become obvious once you try to do anything sophisticated.
Restricted or Limited Features
Advanced segmentation stays locked. You can create basic segments but can’t save them or build complex targeting rules. Want to email only people who opened your last three campaigns but didn’t buy anything? Need to upgrade.
Split testing works for signup forms but not email campaigns. You can test different form designs to improve signups, but can’t test subject lines or email content to optimize opens and clicks.
Advanced reporting gives you the basics — opens, clicks, unsubscribes. But detailed subscriber insights, revenue tracking, conversion analytics? Paid plan territory.
Hidden Costs and Limitations
AWeber branding shows up on everything. Every email, every landing page gets a little “Powered by AWeber” footer. For business communications, it looks… amateur.
Confirmation emails can’t be disabled. New subscribers must confirm via email before joining your list. Improves deliverability but kills conversion rates compared to single opt-in. You’re trading signups for inbox placement.
Email limits kick in hard. Hit 3,000 sends and campaigns stop. No warning, no grace period. You either remove subscribers or upgrade immediately.
Who’s the AWeber Free Plan Perfect For?
Small business owners building their first email lists get real value here. The combination of phone support, reliable delivery, and automation tools provides professional functionality without monthly costs.
Content creators and bloggers love the RSS-to-email automation. Publish a blog post, it automatically becomes a newsletter. Plus unlimited landing pages for lead magnets and opt-in funnels.
Nonprofits benefit hugely from the 24/7 support and professional templates. Donor communications, volunteer coordination, event promotion — all doable within the 3,000 monthly limit for smaller organizations.
Local service businesses can maintain client relationships effectively. Appointment reminders, follow-up sequences, promotional campaigns. The automation handles routine communication while you focus on actual work.
Not great for e-commerce businesses with complex product catalogs or agencies juggling multiple clients. The single list profile and limited segmentation become restrictions pretty quickly.
How Does the AWeber Free Plan Compare to Paid Plans?
Feature Comparison
Lite removes the most annoying restrictions while keeping the 500-subscriber limit. Unlimited emails (up to 10x your list size), no more AWeber branding, saved segments. For $12.50/month, it fixes most free plan frustrations.
Plus adds behavioral automation, split testing for everything, priority support. The 12x email multiplier supports more frequent campaigns and complex sequences.
Unlimited targets agencies and high-volume operations. At $899/month, it’s clearly not for small businesses.
Compared to Sender, the numbers look different. Sender gives you 2,500 free subscribers and 15,000 monthly emails. AWeber gives you 500 subscribers and 3,000 emails. But AWeber includes phone support and better deliverability — things Sender charges for.
When It Makes Sense to Upgrade
- Email volume drives most upgrades. Weekly newsletters plus automation sequences push most businesses past 3,000 monthly emails within six months. The math becomes unavoidable.
- Professional appearance matters for established businesses. B2B services, consultants, anyone where email branding affects credibility typically upgrade quickly.
- Segmentation needs justify Plus plans for businesses with diverse audiences. E-commerce stores, course creators, membership sites need targeting that basic segmentation can’t handle.
- Team access becomes essential as businesses grow. Free plans work for solopreneurs, but agencies and marketing teams need multiple users and approval workflows.
Bottom Line
AWeber’s free plan makes an interesting trade-off — fewer subscribers than competitors but better support and deliverability. Perfect for small businesses that value reliability over volume.
The 3,000 email limit hits sooner than you’d expect, but upgrades feel like natural growth rather than forced payments. If phone support matters and you trust proven deliverability over maximizing free limits, AWeber delivers solid value. For pure numbers, Sender’s 2,500 free subscribers win easily.
