Mailchimp vs AWeber
Quick verdict
As of 2026-07-08, Mailchimp is the cheaper email marketing tool, starting at $13/mo versus AWeber at $15/mo. That's $2/mo less on the entry plan. Both offer a free plan. Mailchimp has 4 plans; AWeber has 4 plans. Mailchimp includes a built-in CRM; AWeber does not.
Mailchimp starts at $13/mo and has a free plan. AWeber starts at $15/mo and has a free plan.
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Against the $15.5/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. 8 of 12 email marketing tools include a free plan.
| Mailchimp | AWeber | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $13/mo | $15/mo |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Paid plans | 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 subscribers |
| 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
- Most generous truly-free plan (500 subs)
- Beginner-friendly, strong 24/7 support
- Solid deliverability track record
- Canva in editor
Cons
- No native SMS/webinars
- Basic automation vs ActiveCampaign/GetResponse
- No real CRM
- Dated interface
Frequently asked questions
Is Mailchimp or AWeber cheaper?
Mailchimp is cheaper to start. Mailchimp begins at $13/mo and AWeber at $15/mo on their entry paid plans, a gap of $2/mo per month. 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 2026-07-08.
Does Mailchimp or AWeber have a free plan?
Mailchimp has a free plan and AWeber has a free plan. Both let you start for free, so you can trial each before paying for higher limits. Every figure comes straight from our maintained, dated dataset, verified on 2026-07-08. We source it from each vendor's own pricing page, not a paid placement.
Which has more features, Mailchimp or AWeber?
Mailchimp supports 3 of the 5 core features we compare 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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