AWeber and Mailchimp are two of the best-known names in email marketing, and if you’re choosing between them you’ve probably noticed they pull in different directions. Here’s the honest comparison — and, at the end, the tool I actually use instead of both.
The quick version
Mailchimp is the friendly, polished all-rounder — easy to start, with a free plan and a slick interface. Over the years it’s grown into a broader marketing platform, and the pricing has crept up with it.
AWeber is the dependable veteran — straightforward email marketing, excellent support, and a free plan of its own. Less flashy, very reliable.
Where each one wins
Mailchimp edges it on design and on the sheer breadth of features if you want an all-in-one marketing suite. AWeber wins on simplicity and on support — you get real help quickly, and there’s far less to wade through.
On price, both have free tiers, and both get more expensive as your list grows. Neither is dramatically cheaper than the other once you’re paying; it comes down to which interface you’d rather live in.
But here’s what I actually use
I used to recommend AWeber for years, and Mailchimp is fine too. But email marketing moved on, and for anyone building an audience — a blog, a newsletter, a creator business — I switched to Kit (formerly ConvertKit) and never looked back.
The reason is automation and tagging done properly: you stop juggling separate lists and start sending the right email to the right person automatically. It’s free up to 10,000 subscribers, so you can see the difference yourself before paying anything.
Try Kit free — or read my full Kit vs AWeber comparison if you want the detail.
So which should you pick?
If it’s strictly AWeber vs Mailchimp: choose AWeber for simplicity and support, Mailchimp for design and an all-in-one feel. But if you’re building an audience and want automation that grows with you, do what I did and start with Kit instead.
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