Aweber vs Mailchimp

Quick Overview

Simple email execution vs data-driven marketing CRM

The biggest difference between AWeber and Mailchimp is the product bet: AWeber is built around powerfully-simple email marketing and straightforward follow-ups, while Mailchimp prioritizes an audience-centered Marketing CRM approach that turns contact data into insights for more targeted messaging. If your priority is getting campaigns out consistently with minimal setup complexity, AWeber’s positioning leans that way; if your priority is using richer audience data to drive personalization, Mailchimp is oriented toward that motion.

That tradeoff exists because AWeber has spent decades optimizing for removing the complexity of email marketing, with an emphasis on list management, segmentation, and automation that stays approachable (and is often described as more functional than deeply complex). Mailchimp, in contrast, keeps doubling down on an “audience” layer—dashboards, contact profiles, behavioral targeting, and data-connected segmentation—so more of the platform’s value comes from how much customer behavior and context you can centralize and act on.

For buyers, this difference changes what your day-to-day workflow depends on: AWeber tends to reward clean list operations and reliable campaign execution, while Mailchimp tends to reward investing in audience data structure and ongoing segmentation discipline. The rest of this page will unpack how that shows up in automation depth, data breadth across channels, reporting orientation, and the operational overhead required to keep targeting accurate as your marketing grows.

Quick Comparison

At a Glance

Category	Aweber	Mailchimp
Best for	Small businesses, entrepreneurs	Small businesses, marketers
Core strength	List management, email delivery	Drag-and-drop, analytics
Automation depth	Behavior triggers, split paths	Customer Journey Builder automations
Pricing model	Subscriber-based tiers, unlimited sends	Contact-based tiers, sending limits
Learning curve	Quick start, occasional setup friction	Editor quick to learn

Vendor Snapshot

Company Snapshot

Background data gathered from our market research (founding year, HQ, team size, specialties, etc.).

Aweber

Visit website

A

27+ years operating Team 51-200

Founded: 1998
HQ: Doylestown, Pennsylvania, USA
Team: 51-200
Industry: Email Marketing Software

AWeber provides powerfully-simple email marketing solutions for entrepreneurs and small business owners, helping them connect with prospects and customers through email newsletters and automation. The company emphasizes 24/7 customer support and a remote-first team.

Specialties

Automated Email Follow-Up Email Marketing Email Marketing Software Email Newsletters Marketing Automation

Mailchimp

Visit website

M

24+ years operating Team 1001-5000

Founded: 2001
HQ: Atlanta, GA, USA
Team: 1001-5000
Industry: Marketing Automation Platform

Mailchimp is an email and marketing automations platform for growing businesses, helping customers create, automate, and optimize campaigns across channels like email, social media, landing pages, and advertising. It was founded in Atlanta in 2001 and was acquired by Intuit in 2021.

Specialties

Analytics CRM E-commerce E-commerce Email Marketing Marketing Automation Marketing Platform Small Business Marketing

Why These Platforms Feel So Different

AWeber originated in the late 1990s as a dedicated email marketing provider, built around newsletters and automated follow-up. Mailchimp started in 2001 as a side project inside the Rocket Science Group web design agency. Mailchimp was positioned as an alternative to the oversized, expensive email software common in the early 2000s.

Because AWeber grew up as a focused email service, it prioritizes dependable sending workflows and direct, hands-on assistance. This leads to a product that changes more cautiously, since stability and support processes become core expectations. A concrete example is its long-running emphasis on always-available customer support from its Pennsylvania-based team.

Because Mailchimp began as an agency-built tool meant to reduce cost and friction versus enterprise-style systems, it prioritizes packaging many marketing surfaces into one place. This leads to broader scope over time, which can introduce tighter plan boundaries and more opinionated product structures as the platform expands. A concrete example is its evolution beyond email into a wider marketing platform, followed by the 2021 acquisition by Intuit.

Those starting constraints set different default priorities, which still shape what each platform optimizes for today. The next sections unpack how these origin choices translate into practical differences as you evaluate specifics.

Feature Analysis

Feature Explanation: How These Capabilities Differ in Practice

You’ve already seen which boxes each platform checks. This section explains how those features typically behave once you’re building real campaigns.

#1 Automation & Flows

AWeber automation is built around behavioral triggers with options like split paths and workflow versioning for safer edits.

Mailchimp uses Customer Journey Builder with starting points, branching rules, and delays to shape step-by-step journeys.

#2 Customer Segmentation

AWeber segments contacts for targeting and can trigger follow-ups based on subscriber actions and list behavior.

Mailchimp combines tags, custom fields, and segments, including pre-built segments from engagement and purchase history.

#3 Multichannel Messaging

AWeber focuses on email marketing and also supports web push notifications as a built-in channel.

Mailchimp supports email and offers SMS as an add-on, with SMS steps available inside automation flows.

#4 Analytics & Reporting

AWeber provides message analytics for core email metrics like opens and clicks, plus performance tracking for campaigns.

Mailchimp reporting covers email and SMS performance and can connect to Google Analytics to view campaign data there.

#5 Integrations & Data Sync

AWeber integrates with website builders, ecommerce platforms, and scheduling tools, using a mix of native and third-party connections.

Mailchimp offers 300+ integrations, including Shopify data sync for customers, products, and purchase data.

#6 Experimentation / Testing

AWeber includes A/B testing, typically used to compare different campaign variants before scaling a winner.

Mailchimp supports A/B testing and multivariate testing, including testing subject lines, content, and send times.

Pricing

Pricing & Plans

Compare tiers, caps, and upgrade paths at a glance.

Aweber

Tiered Volume pricing

Public tiered pricing scales by subscriber count, with custom pricing at higher volumes.

MailChimp

Tiered Free tier Volume pricing

Tiered pricing scales by contact count, with plan-based monthly send limits and potential overage charges when limits are exceeded.

Free contacts: 250
Free monthly emails: 500

Contact tier

Aweber

MailChimp

1,000 contacts

PLAN

$25

per month

What's included

✓ Includes 10,000 emails
✓ Email automations
✓ Landing pages
✓ Unlimited email lists

Limitations

• SMS is not available.
• If you need more than 10,000 emails/month at this tier, you must upgrade.

PLAN

$26.50

per month

What's included

✓ Includes 15,000 emails
✓ A/B testing
✓ Basic marketing automation flows
✓ Audience segmentation tools

Limitations

• Overages may apply if contact or email send limit is exceeded.
• SMS is an add-on to US paid plans only and requires application/approval; credits expire monthly and do not roll over.

10,000 contacts

PLAN

$100

per month

What's included

✓ Includes 100,000 emails
✓ Email automations
✓ Landing pages
✓ Unlimited user accounts

Limitations

• SMS is not available.
• If you need more than 100,000 emails/month at this tier, you must upgrade.

PLAN

$110

per month

What's included

✓ Includes 100,000 emails
✓ A/B testing
✓ Basic marketing automation flows
✓ Audience segmentation tools

Limitations

• Overages may apply if contact or email send limit is exceeded.
• SMS is an add-on to US paid plans only and requires application/approval; credits expire monthly and do not roll over.

50,000 contacts

PLAN

$375

per month

What's included

✓ Includes 500,000 emails
✓ Email automations
✓ Landing pages
✓ Advanced reporting and analytics

Limitations

• SMS is not available.
• If you need more than 500,000 emails/month at this tier, you must upgrade.

PLAN

$385

per month

What's included

✓ Includes 500,000 emails
✓ A/B testing
✓ Basic marketing automation flows
✓ Audience segmentation tools

Limitations

• Overages may apply if contact or email send limit is exceeded.
• SMS requires application/approval and is not included by default; pricing varies by credits purchased.

100,000 contacts

PLAN

$600

per month

What's included

✓ Includes 1,000,000 emails
✓ Email automations
✓ Landing pages
✓ Advanced reporting and analytics

Limitations

• SMS is not available.
• If you need more than 1,000,000 emails/month at this tier, you must upgrade.

PLAN

$800

per month

What's included

✓ Includes 1,200,000 emails
✓ A/B testing
✓ Basic marketing automation flows
✓ Audience segmentation tools

Limitations

• Overages may apply if contact or email send limit is exceeded.
• SMS requires application/approval and is not included by default; unused SMS credits expire monthly and do not roll over.

500,000 contacts

PLAN

Contact sales

—

What's included

✓ Includes custom emails
✓ Custom high-volume plan options
✓ Email automations
✓ Reporting and analytics

Limitations

• Requires contacting sales for pricing (custom plan).
• Operational reviews/approvals may be required at this scale (e.g., deliverability and sending practices).

PLAN

Contact sales

—

What's included

✓ Includes custom emails
✓ Custom high-volume plan options
✓ Audience segmentation tools
✓ Marketing automation capabilities

Limitations

• Requires contacting sales for pricing (custom plan).
• High-volume sending may require deliverability/compliance review and contract terms.

1,000,000 contacts

PLAN

Contact sales

—

What's included

✓ Includes custom emails
✓ Custom high-volume plan options
✓ Email automations
✓ Reporting and analytics

Limitations

• Requires contacting sales for pricing (custom plan).
• Operational reviews/approvals may be required at this scale (e.g., deliverability and sending practices).

PLAN

Contact sales

—

What's included

✓ Includes custom emails
✓ Custom high-volume plan options
✓ Audience segmentation tools
✓ Marketing automation capabilities

Limitations

• Requires contacting sales for pricing (custom plan).
• High-volume sending may require deliverability/compliance review and contract terms.

Customer Voices

Reviews & Ratings

See how Aweber vs Mailchimp compare based on verified customer reviews (pros, cons, sentiment).

Aweber

4.4 / 5.0

Based on 320 reviews

Positive sentiment

Top Pros

• Customer support is fast and helpful
• Easy to get started as a beginner
• Solid basics for newsletters and broadcasts
• List management feels straightforward

Top Cons

• Interface feels outdated in places
• Automation lacks branching and advanced logic
• Template customization is limited
• Price increases frustrate long-time users

Mailchimp

4.5 / 5.0

Based on 17,490 reviews

Positive sentiment

Top Pros

• Drag-and-drop builder is easy to use
• Templates help create professional emails fast
• Analytics make tracking engagement simple
• Lots of integrations available

Top Cons

• Pricing jumps as contacts grow
• Editing and formatting can feel restrictive
• Deliverability issues; emails land in spam
• Advanced features require higher-tier plans

Real-World Scenarios

How Aweber and Mailchimp differ in real campaign workflows

Feature checklists don’t show how tools behave once campaigns are running. These scenarios highlight day-to-day workflows, handoffs, and cadence differences teams notice.

#1 Recurring newsletter production

Aweber: Teams run a steady weekly newsletter workflow with fewer moving parts, repeating the same steps and making quick edits without reworking the process.

Mailchimp: Teams often coordinate recurring sends across drafts, reviews, and variants, with more checkpoints and adjustments before each weekly release goes out.

#2 Subscriber growth and list upkeep

Aweber: List upkeep stays routine, with ongoing additions and simple cleanups that fit a daily workflow without much cross-team coordination or frequent rule changes.

Mailchimp: Growth workflows tend to involve recurring tidying and rechecking, as teams revisit audience structure and make ongoing adjustments when campaigns or segments evolve.

#3 Segmented campaign coordination

Aweber: Teams manage segmentation in a straightforward cadence, sending targeted bursts when needed, with minimal handoffs and fewer decisions per campaign build.

Mailchimp: Teams coordinate segmented sends with more recurring refinement, revisiting who qualifies, aligning stakeholders, and adjusting targeting logic as results and goals shift.

#4 Automated follow-up sequences

Aweber: Follow-ups run as ongoing sequences that are easy to keep steady, with occasional tweaks when messaging changes and minimal maintenance between reviews.

Mailchimp: Automated follow-ups often become a recurring optimization loop, with teams reviewing performance, adjusting timing, and iterating messaging in regular cycles.

#5 Campaign testing and iteration rhythm

Aweber: Testing tends to happen in occasional bursts, with teams making simple comparisons and moving back into a stable send cadence quickly.

Mailchimp: Teams more often operate with ongoing testing, cycling through variations and keeping a recurring iteration rhythm alongside their regular campaign schedule.

#6 Reporting visibility and team check-ins

Aweber: Reporting fits lightweight weekly check-ins, giving quick visibility for routine decisions and keeping the workflow moving without frequent deep dives.

Mailchimp: Reporting often drives recurring reviews, with teams pulling insights into regular planning and making ongoing adjustments tied to audience and campaign changes.

Need-to-know

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about comparing these platforms.

How much work is it to migrate my list, tags, and automations from Mailchimp to AWeber (or the other way around)?

Plan for contacts and basic fields to move fastest, while automations and segments often require rebuilds because each platform structures audiences, tags, and journeys differently. Mailchimp commonly relies on Audience structure plus tags/segments, while AWeber often uses lists and tags, so mapping rules is the main effort.

Before importing, export unsubscribes and cleaned/bounced addresses from the source platform and import them appropriately so you don’t accidentally re-mail suppressed contacts when you switch to AWeber or Mailchimp.

What happens if I switch to AWeber and then need to switch back to Mailchimp—can I reverse it without losing history?

You can move contacts back by exporting from AWeber and importing into Mailchimp (or vice versa), but engagement history (opens/clicks tied to past campaigns), automation state, and some segmentation logic typically won’t transfer cleanly. Expect to restart automations and rebuild segments based on the fields you bring over.

If you think a reversal is possible, keep a copy of your original exports and document tag/field mappings so you can re-create your setup in Mailchimp or AWeber with less guesswork.

Do I fully own my subscriber data, and can I export everything whenever I want?

Both AWeber and Mailchimp allow exporting contact data (including common fields like email, name, tags/segments depending on configuration) from within the account. What you can export is primarily subscriber/profile data; some in-app analytics, report views, and automation logs may be available as reports but not always as a single complete export dataset.

If you need a defensible archive, schedule periodic exports from AWeber or Mailchimp and store them securely alongside your consent records.

If I’m subject to GDPR and consent rules, what should I verify before choosing between AWeber and Mailchimp?

Confirm you can store proof of consent (source, timestamp, method) in your contact records and that your signup forms can collect the exact consent language you need. Also verify your process for handling data subject requests (export/delete) and updating preferences works end-to-end inside Mailchimp or AWeber.

GDPR compliance is heavily process-driven: even if AWeber or Mailchimp provides tools, you still need correct form language, lawful basis documentation, and a consistent suppression/deletion workflow.

I run multiple stores/brands—can I keep them separate without mixing audiences or reporting?

Mailchimp commonly uses separate Audiences (and can also segment within an Audience), which can help separate brands but requires careful control to prevent cross-emailing. AWeber often uses separate lists and tags to isolate brands; the key is setting clear rules for where new signups go and how you suppress duplicates across lists.

Before committing, map how you’ll handle shared customers (same email across brands) so they don’t receive conflicting preferences when managed in Mailchimp or AWeber.

Will I hit API or integration limits that break my sync with Shopify/CRM or custom apps?

If you rely on real-time syncing, verify the integration’s supported objects (customers, orders, events) and whether it uses the official Mailchimp/AWeber API endpoints you expect. API-based builds can run into throttling/rate limits, pagination limits, or restricted endpoints depending on account type and the specific integration approach.

Ask your developer/integration vendor what happens when limits are hit (queued retries vs. dropped events) and whether AWeber or Mailchimp provides webhook/event patterns you can depend on.

Can I send SMS internationally, and what regulations might block messages in certain regions?

SMS availability and requirements vary by country (sender IDs, pre-registration, opt-in language, quiet hours, and prohibited content categories). If you plan to use SMS via Mailchimp or AWeber (directly or through an add-on), confirm the supported countries and whether compliance steps like brand/sender registration are required for your target regions.

Also confirm how the platform enforces opt-out keywords and whether it automatically suppresses contacts across email/SMS channels to prevent re-messaging after an opt-out.

What safeguards exist to protect deliverability if I import a cold list or see a sudden spike in sends?

Both AWeber and Mailchimp enforce sending policies around permission-based marketing, and accounts can be reviewed if complaint rates or bounce rates spike. To reduce risk, use confirmed opt-in where appropriate, warm up sending volume, and segment by recent engagement rather than blasting an entire imported list.

Operationally, make sure you can access suppression lists, monitor bounce/complaint metrics per send, and pause automations quickly in AWeber or Mailchimp if metrics deteriorate.

What should I expect from support when something breaks—do I get real-time help during a launch?

Support access and response times depend on plan level and channel (email, chat, phone) and can change as vendors update policies. Before a critical launch, confirm the exact support channels available in your AWeber and Mailchimp plan, plus any limits on hours or priority handling.

For risk management, keep internal runbooks for list imports, domain authentication, and automation pauses so you’re not blocked waiting on Mailchimp or AWeber support during a time-sensitive send.

If my list grows fast or I send at very high volume, are there scaling ceilings or operational limits I should plan for?

At higher scale, the constraints are often operational: approval/review processes, compliance checks, sending limits tied to account reputation, and the complexity of managing multiple segments and automations. Mailchimp and AWeber may flag unusual spikes in volume or list growth, which can slow sending until verification steps are complete.

If you anticipate rapid scaling, plan a gradual ramp-up, keep acquisition sources documented, and ensure your domain authentication and list hygiene are in place so AWeber or Mailchimp can maintain stable sending.

Final Thoughts

Our Recommendation

This decision is about which operating model you want for ongoing audience communication: a structured production rhythm or a lightweight execution loop.

Choose Aweber when your team runs a steady cadence with multiple moving parts and needs clear coordination from planning through send. It fits organizations that accept a bit more process to keep delivery consistent as requirements and handoffs grow.

Choose Mailchimp when you want simpler workflows that stay predictable with minimal setup and limited internal bandwidth. It suits lean teams that prioritize quick turns, fewer coordination points, and a straightforward routine that won’t demand much ongoing management.

Map the choice to how your team actually operates week to week, and the answer becomes obvious. Pick Aweber for coordinated cadence; pick Mailchimp for streamlined execution.

Simple email execution vs data-driven marketing CRM

At a Glance

Company Snapshot

Aweber

Mailchimp

Why These Platforms Feel So Different

Key Differences

Email-first vs broader marketing suite

Lists-first vs audience-centric structure

Simpler flows vs journey builder

Email metrics vs customer insights

Utility integrations vs ecosystem breadth

Hands-on support vs plan-tiered help

Feature-by-feature comparison

Feature Explanation: How These Capabilities Differ in Practice

#1 Automation & Flows

#2 Customer Segmentation

#3 Multichannel Messaging

#4 Analytics & Reporting

#5 Integrations & Data Sync

#6 Experimentation / Testing

Pricing & Plans

Aweber

MailChimp

Reviews & Ratings

How Aweber and Mailchimp differ in real campaign workflows

#1 Recurring newsletter production

#2 Subscriber growth and list upkeep

#3 Segmented campaign coordination

#4 Automated follow-up sequences

#5 Campaign testing and iteration rhythm

#6 Reporting visibility and team check-ins

Which Platform Should You Choose?

Aweber

Mailchimp

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Recommendation