Mailchimp vs AWeber
Quick verdict
As of 2026-07-05, Mailchimp is the cheaper email marketing tool, starting at $13/mo versus AWeber at $15/mo. That's $2/mo less on the entry option. Mailchimp has a free plan; AWeber does not. Mailchimp has 3 priced options; AWeber has 3 priced options.
Mailchimp starts at $13/mo and has a free plan. AWeber starts at $15/mo and has no free plan.
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Against the $15.50/mo median entry price across the 12 tools we track, Mailchimp's $13/mo is 16% below and AWeber's $15/mo is 3% below. 7 of 12 email marketing tools include a free plan.
| Mailchimp | AWeber | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $13/mo | $15/mo |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✗ |
| Priced options | 3 | 3 |
| Pricing model | per contacts | per contacts |
| Automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| CRM | ✓ | ✗ |
| SMS | Add-on (Essentials/Standard); included on Premium (US/CA/UK) | ✗ |
| Ecommerce | Shopify/WooCommerce integrations, product retargeting, abandoned cart, purchase segmentation | Sell via Stripe; dynamic product content. No deep cart recovery. |
| Entry plan limit | from 500 contacts (max 50k) | from 500 contacts (max 150,000) |
| Integrations | 300+ | hundreds (~750+ cited via native + Zapier) |
| Visit site | Visit site → | Visit site → |
Sources: mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing, verified · aweber.com/pricing.htm, verified
Mailchimp — pros & cons
Pros
- Best-known brand, easiest on-ramp
- Huge template/integration library (300+)
- Genuine (reduced) free tier
- Strong Intuit/QuickBooks ties
Cons
- Price jumps steeply with contacts (top reason for churn)
- Bills for unsubscribed/non-subscribed unless archived
- Free plan gutted Jan 2026
- Multi-step automation locked behind Standard
AWeber — pros & cons
Pros
- Free 14-day trial to try paid plans (no card required)
- Beginner-friendly, strong 24/7 support
- Solid deliverability track record
- Canva in editor
Cons
- No permanent free plan (14-day trial only, confirmed 2026-07-16)
- No native SMS/webinars
- Basic automation vs ActiveCampaign/GetResponse
- No real CRM
ToolFit Score: Mailchimp
Mailchimp scores 67/100 on the ToolFit Score, computed from our maintained pricing, feature, and fit dataset.
| What we scored | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Price competitiveness | 19.84/24 | entry $13/mo is 16% below the $15.5/mo category median. |
| Feature breadth | 18.06/20 | supports 5 of the 9 feature flags the ToolFit Score tracks natively (3 more on a higher tier). |
| Best-for coverage | 10/16 | tagged as a best fit for 2 use cases. |
| Integrations | 9/12 | lists 300+ integrations. |
| Free-tier availability | 10/8 | includes a free plan. |
| Review sentiment | — | no published review-sentiment data yet. |
Computed deterministically from our gold dataset — pricing, features, fit, integrations, and a count-weighted third-party review-sentiment aggregate. Weights v2.0.0 — how we score.
ToolFit Score: AWeber
AWeber scores 60/100 on the ToolFit Score, computed from our maintained pricing, feature, and fit dataset.
| What we scored | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Price competitiveness | 15.97/24 | entry $15/mo is 3% below the $15.5/mo category median. |
| Feature breadth | 13.89/20 | supports 4 of the 9 feature flags the ToolFit Score tracks natively (2 more on a higher tier). |
| Best-for coverage | 15/16 | tagged as a best fit for 3 use cases. |
| Integrations | 15/12 | lists 750+ integrations. |
| Free-tier availability | 0/8 | has no free plan. |
| Review sentiment | — | no published review-sentiment data yet. |
Computed deterministically from our gold dataset — pricing, features, fit, integrations, and a count-weighted third-party review-sentiment aggregate. Weights v2.0.0 — how we score.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mailchimp or AWeber cheaper?
Mailchimp is cheaper to start. Mailchimp begins at $13/mo and AWeber at $15/mo, a gap of $2/mo. Both usually bill less on an annual plan, so weigh yearly pricing before deciding. Every figure comes straight from our maintained, dated dataset, verified on 2026-07-05.
Does Mailchimp or AWeber have a free plan?
Mailchimp has a free plan and AWeber has no free plan. So Mailchimp is the one to try first if a free plan is a must-have for you. Every figure comes straight from our maintained, dated dataset, verified on 2026-07-05.
Which has more features, Mailchimp or AWeber?
Mailchimp supports 3 of the 5 features we compare on this page and AWeber supports 2, so Mailchimp covers more out of the box. Choose on the specific capabilities — automation, CRM, SMS, ecommerce, or landing pages — that matter most for how you plan to send.
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