AWeber vs Mailchimp 2026
The two oldest brands in email marketing, still competing on mostly legacy reputations. Both are reliable; neither is the value leader anymore. Here is the honest breakdown.
AWeber vs Mailchimp Compared
| Dimension | AWeber | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 500 subscribers | 500 contacts, 1,000 sends/mo |
| Paid start | ~$15/mo Lite | ~$13/mo Essentials |
| Automation | Linear campaigns, basic branches | Customer Journeys (tiered) |
| Templates | ~600+ (dated feel) | ~100+ modern + AI tools |
| Landing pages | Basic builder | Included + domains |
| Support | Phone + chat + email | Chat + email (phone = premium) |
| Integrations | ~750 | 300+ (deep ecosystem) |
| Best for | Beginners wanting human help | Brand polish + ecosystem |
Pricing at Scale
Both start near $13-15/month and climb steeply:
- AWeber: predictable per-subscriber pricing; Plus tier unlocks split testing and advanced pages
- Mailchimp: per-contact pricing that punishes large lists, with features gated by tier - the bill surprises people at 5K+ contacts
At 10,000 contacts both cost more than MailerLite or Moosend for equivalent sending needs. If price is the driver, see our Mailchimp alternatives instead.
Features and Support
Where Mailchimp wins: template quality, landing page builder, brand design tools, social posting, and the breadth of its integration ecosystem. Its Customer Journeys automation, while tier-locked, is more capable than AWeber Campaigns.
Where AWeber wins: phone support on paid plans (Mailchimp reserves it for ~$350/month Premium), a genuinely simpler interface, and 25+ years of deliverability reputation. For a first-time sender who wants to call a human when stuck, AWeber is the friendlier ramp.
Automation reality check: neither competes with ActiveCampaign or GetResponse on workflow depth. Both cover welcome series and simple drips well; both struggle with complex behavioral branching.
Verdict
- Mailchimp if: you want the bigger ecosystem, better templates, and do not mind feature gating
- AWeber if: you are a beginner who values phone support and simplicity over features
- Honest third option: MailerLite or Brevo often beats both on price and modernity; GetResponse beats both on all-in-one features at ~$19/month
Full reads: AWeber review | Mailchimp review | GetResponse vs AWeber
