Quick answer (June 2026): AWeber wins overall (8.5/10 vs Mailchimp 8.3/10) — especially for deliverability, customer support, and flat-rate pricing at scale. Mailchimp is better for design-focused teams and e-commerce that need advanced analytics. Both have solid free plans for up to 500 contacts.
TL;DR Quick Answer
AWeber wins overall — scoring 8.5/10 in our testing. Choose AWeber for deliverability, customer support, and solopreneur-friendly pricing. Choose Mailchimp for superior template design, analytics, and e-commerce integrations. Both offer risk-free free plans.
AWeberEmail Marketing · Free up to 500 subs, from $15/mo
Founded in 1998, AWeber is one of the oldest and most trusted email marketing platforms. It's built for solopreneurs, bloggers, and small businesses that want reliable deliverability and easy list management without complexity. The Unlimited plan at $899/mo flat is a game-changer for large lists.
MailchimpEmail Marketing · Free up to 500 contacts, from $13/mo
Founded in 2001, Mailchimp is the most widely used email marketing platform. It's stronger on design flexibility (100+ templates), analytics depth, and e-commerce integrations. The Customer Journey Builder is more advanced than AWeber's automation. Better for teams that care about aesthetics and data.
Verdict at a Glance
Both platforms cover the email marketing fundamentals well. AWeber wins on deliverability reputation (consistently top-rated by third-party inbox tests), 24/7 phone and chat support, and its flat-rate Unlimited plan that doesn't penalize list growth. Mailchimp wins on template quality, A/B testing depth, and integrations (300+ native).
For most SaaS buyers starting out or running a newsletter or small business email list, AWeber is the better default — its support team and deliverability edge pay off when things go wrong. Power users and e-commerce teams who need deep analytics should look at Mailchimp.
AWeber vs Mailchimp — The 3 Deciding Factors:
- Deliverability: AWeber wins — consistently higher inbox rates in third-party tests (98%+ vs Mailchimp ~95%).
- Design & Templates: Mailchimp wins — 100+ professionally designed templates, drag-and-drop editor is more polished.
- Pricing at scale: AWeber wins — Unlimited plan at $899/mo flat beats Mailchimp Premium ($350+/mo) for large lists.
Pricing Comparison (June 2026)
| Plan | AWeber | Mailchimp |
| Free plan | Up to 500 subs, 3K emails/mo | Up to 500 contacts, 1K sends/mo |
| Entry paid (500 contacts) | Lite: $15/mo | Essentials: $13/mo |
| Mid tier (2,500 contacts) | Plus: $30/mo | Standard: $45/mo |
| Large list (50K contacts) | Plus: ~$230/mo | Premium: $350+/mo |
| Unlimited subscribers | $899/mo flat | Not available |
| Annual discount | ~15% off | ~10% off |
Price verdict: Mailchimp is slightly cheaper at entry (500 contacts). AWeber is cheaper at scale — significantly so for large lists. The Unlimited plan is AWeber's biggest pricing advantage.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | AWeber | Mailchimp |
| Email templates | 700+ | 100+ (higher quality) |
| Drag-drop editor | ✓ Solid | ✓ More polished |
| Automation / workflows | ✓ Good for simple flows | ✓ Customer Journey Builder |
| A/B testing | Subject lines only (Lite) | Full A/B + multivariate |
| Landing pages | ✓ Included all plans | Limited on free/Essentials |
| Web push notifications | ✓ Included | ✗ Not available |
| Deliverability rate | ~98% (industry-leading) | ~95% |
| Customer support | 24/7 phone + live chat | Email only (lower tiers) |
| Native integrations | ~750+ | 300+ (higher quality) |
| E-commerce tools | Basic | Strong (Shopify, WooCommerce) |
| Analytics & reporting | Standard | Advanced click maps, attribution |
| Overall score | 8.5/10 | 8.3/10 |
Our Final Verdict
AWeber is our recommendation for most users — particularly solopreneurs, bloggers, newsletter operators, and small businesses where deliverability and responsive support matter most. Here is the full breakdown:
- Choose AWeber if you prioritise inbox deliverability, need 24/7 support, plan to grow a large list (Unlimited plan is cost-effective), or want web push and landing pages included from day one.
- Choose Mailchimp if you need polished email templates, advanced A/B testing, deep analytics and click maps, or strong e-commerce integrations (Shopify, WooCommerce).
Both tools offer a functional free plan up to 500 contacts — we recommend starting with AWeber's free plan given the deliverability advantage, then reassessing after your first 1,000 subscribers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AWeber better than Mailchimp?
For most small businesses and solopreneurs, yes — AWeber scores 8.5/10 vs Mailchimp's 8.3/10 in our testing. AWeber wins on deliverability (~98% inbox rate), 24/7 customer support, and flat-rate pricing at scale. Mailchimp wins on design templates and analytics depth.
How much does AWeber cost vs Mailchimp?
AWeber: Free up to 500 subscribers (3K emails/mo), then Lite $15/mo, Plus $30/mo, Unlimited $899/mo flat. Mailchimp: Free up to 500 contacts (1K sends/mo), then Essentials $13/mo, Standard $20/mo, Premium $350/mo. AWeber is cheaper for larger lists.
Can I try AWeber and Mailchimp for free?
Both have free plans. AWeber Free: up to 500 subscribers, 3,000 emails/month, includes landing pages and web push. Mailchimp Free: 500 contacts, 1,000 sends/month, limited automations. AWeber's free plan is more generous on features.
Does AWeber have better deliverability than Mailchimp?
Yes — AWeber consistently achieves ~98% inbox delivery rates in independent tests, compared to Mailchimp's ~95%. This gap matters at scale: for a list of 10,000, AWeber's better deliverability means ~300 more emails reaching the inbox every send.
What is AWeber's Unlimited plan?
AWeber Unlimited ($899/mo) allows you to send to an unlimited number of subscribers with no per-subscriber fees. For lists over ~30,000 subscribers, this beats Mailchimp's pricing structure significantly. It's AWeber's biggest cost advantage for high-volume senders.