Aweber vs Omnisend

Quick Overview

Simple email marketing vs ecommerce omnichannel automation

The biggest difference between AWeber and Omnisend is what they’re optimizing for day to day: AWeber is built to keep email marketing straightforward—campaigns, segmentation, and automated follow-ups without complex setup—while Omnisend prioritizes ecommerce-oriented automation that can span multiple channels (like email, SMS, and web push) and sync closely with store behavior. If you want a cleaner, email-first operating model, AWeber leans that way; if you need lifecycle automation tied to shopping activity, Omnisend leans there.

That split largely comes from their product bets over time: AWeber, founded in 1998, positions itself around removing complexity from email marketing, which shows up in an emphasis on core email execution and approachable automation. Omnisend, founded in 2014 (originally Soundest), was built with ecommerce marketers at the center and evolved from email-only into an omnichannel marketing automation platform—so its data and workflows are designed to react to purchase and browsing behavior across channels, not just newsletter-style sends.

For buyers, this difference changes what your marketing stack revolves around: an email-centric system that’s easier to run versus a commerce-linked engine that’s better at coordinating lifecycle touchpoints. The rest of this comparison unpacks how that plays out in automation depth, cross-channel reach, reporting expectations, and the operational overhead required to keep each approach clean as your programs mature.

Quick Comparison

At a Glance

Category	Aweber	Omnisend
Best for	Small businesses and entrepreneurs	Ecommerce merchants and shop owners
Core strength	Email campaigns and list management	Omnichannel ecommerce messaging
Automation depth	Behavioral triggers and split paths	Multi-channel conditional workflow splits
Pricing model	Subscriber-based pricing, unlimited users	Contact-based tiers with send caps
Learning curve	Beginner-friendly, occasional setup friction	Template workflows, ecommerce integrations

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. The company emphasizes 24/7 customer support and aims to remove complexity from email marketing.

Specialties

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

Omnisend

Visit website

O

11+ years operating Team 201-500

Founded: 2014
Team: 201-500
Industry: Omnichannel Marketing Automation For Ecommerce

Omnisend is an omnichannel marketing automation platform focused on ecommerce, helping businesses send personalized messages to the right person at the right time across channels. It started in 2014 as an email marketing platform called Soundest and later expanded into omnichannel automation.

Why These Platforms Feel So Different

AWeber began in 1998 as an email newsletter and automated follow‑up service built to reliably send messages at scale. Omnisend began in 2014 as Soundest, built around ecommerce marketing needs from the start. Those eras created different constraints, with AWeber growing up around email infrastructure and Omnisend around store-connected messaging.

Because AWeber was built early for newsletters and autoresponders, it prioritizes stable list handling and consistent sending. This leads to a product that often grows by layering newer capabilities onto established email workflows. One example is its long-standing emphasis on automated email follow-up as a core concept.

Because Omnisend started with ecommerce marketers at the center and later expanded beyond email in 2017, it prioritizes coordinating messages across channels. This leads to more dependence on tight connections with ecommerce platforms and the events they produce. One example is its push from email-only roots into combined email, SMS, and web push sequences inside a single automation flow.

These origin choices explain why the platforms feel different when you dig into how they model messaging and customer actions. The next sections unpack how those early priorities show up in day-to-day capabilities and limitations.

Feature Analysis

Feature Explanation: How These Capabilities Differ in Practice

You’ve already seen which boxes each platform checks. This section explains how key features behave day-to-day, and where the practical tradeoffs show up.

#1 Automation & Flows

AWeber supports automation with behavioral triggers and workflow tools like split paths and versioning. Its workflow automation is designed for building email funnels with branching based on subscriber actions.

Omnisend uses a visual drag-and-drop automation builder with multi-step logic, conditional splits, and pre-built ecommerce workflows like cart recovery. Automations can include email, SMS, and web push in one workflow.

#2 Customer Segmentation

AWeber is built around lists and subscriber organization for targeting and follow-up. It supports audience management for sending targeted campaigns and automations.

Omnisend segments update dynamically as data changes, with real-time syncing from connected stores. Segments can be built from purchase history, browsing behavior, and engagement, and used inside automations.

#3 Multichannel Messaging

AWeber focuses on email marketing and also offers web push notifications. It does not offer built-in SMS sending.

Omnisend supports email, SMS, and web push, and lets you combine channels inside the same automation. It also supports syncing segments to ad audiences like Facebook Custom Audiences and Google Customer Match.

#4 Ecommerce Triggers & Personalization

AWeber connects to ecommerce tools through integrations like Shopify and BigCommerce. Some integrations focus on syncing customer data for segmentation and automation paths.

Omnisend is ecommerce-first, with automations triggered by real-time store actions like product views and orders. It also supports personalized product recommendations inside automations.

#5 Reporting & Revenue Attribution

AWeber includes reporting and analytics, including advanced reporting called out in its plan details. It also supports sales tracking features.

Omnisend provides campaign and automation reporting plus a sales dashboard with revenue attribution. Reports break down results by channel and allow configurable attribution windows.

#6 Integrations & Data Sync

AWeber offers a broad integrations directory across categories like ecommerce, CRM, and landing pages. Integrations include Shopify and BigCommerce among many others.

Omnisend emphasizes direct ecommerce platform connections and real-time data syncing for customer, order, and product data. It also provides an app marketplace and an open API for custom integrations.

Pricing

Pricing & Plans

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

Aweber

Per contact Volume pricing

Public, contact-based monthly pricing with published tiers through 100,000 contacts and custom pricing at higher volumes.

Omnisend

Per contact Free tier Volume pricing

Contact-based monthly pricing with public tiers through 100,000 contacts and custom pricing at higher volumes; SMS is available as a channel.

Free contacts: 250
Free monthly emails: 500

Contact tier

Aweber

Omnisend

1,000 contacts

PLAN

$25

per month

What's included

✓ Includes 10,000 emails
✓ Subscriber-count-based pricing (not seat-based)
✓ Landing pages and sign-up forms
✓ Email automations

Limitations

• Monthly sending is capped at 10,000 emails for this tier (per included email allowance).
• SMS is not available on this platform’s plans (no SMS channel in pricing data).

PLAN

$20

per month

What's included

✓ Includes 12,000 emails
✓ Email marketing with contact-based billing tiers
✓ SMS channel availability (where supported)
✓ Web push notifications (platform feature set)

Limitations

• Monthly sending is capped at 12,000 emails for this tier (per included email allowance).
• SMS is available, but SMS credits/allowances are not specified in the pricing tier data (may require separate SMS plan/credits).

10,000 contacts

PLAN

$100

per month

What's included

✓ Includes 100,000 emails
✓ Subscriber-count-based pricing (not seat-based)
✓ Email automations
✓ Landing pages and sign-up forms

Limitations

• Monthly sending is capped at 100,000 emails for this tier (per included email allowance).
• SMS is not available on this platform’s plans (no SMS channel in pricing data).

PLAN

$132

per month

What's included

✓ Includes 120,000 emails
✓ Email marketing with contact-based billing tiers
✓ SMS channel availability (where supported)
✓ Automation workflows

Limitations

• Monthly sending is capped at 120,000 emails for this tier (per included email allowance).
• Billable contacts can include both subscribers and non-subscribers (unsubscribers are not charged), which can affect which tier you fall into.

50,000 contacts

PLAN

$375

per month

What's included

✓ Includes 500,000 emails
✓ Subscriber-count-based pricing (not seat-based)
✓ Email automations for lifecycle campaigns
✓ Landing pages and sign-up forms

Limitations

• Monthly sending is capped at 500,000 emails for this tier (per included email allowance).
• SMS is not available on this platform’s plans (no SMS channel in pricing data).

PLAN

$413

per month

What's included

✓ Includes 600,000 emails
✓ Email marketing with contact-based billing tiers
✓ SMS channel availability (where supported)
✓ Automation workflows for lifecycle messaging

Limitations

• Monthly sending is capped at 600,000 emails for this tier (per included email allowance).
• Billable contacts can include both subscribers and non-subscribers (unsubscribers are not charged), which can increase billable volume.

100,000 contacts

PLAN

$600

per month

What's included

✓ Includes 1,000,000 emails
✓ Subscriber-count-based pricing (not seat-based)
✓ Email automations
✓ Landing pages and sign-up forms

Limitations

• Monthly sending is capped at 1,000,000 emails for this tier (per included email allowance).
• SMS is not available on this platform’s plans (no SMS channel in pricing data).

PLAN

$900

per month

What's included

✓ Includes 1,200,000 emails
✓ Email marketing with contact-based billing tiers
✓ SMS channel availability (where supported)
✓ Automation workflows

Limitations

• Monthly sending is capped at 1,200,000 emails for this tier (per included email allowance).
• Billable contacts can include both subscribers and non-subscribers (unsubscribers are not charged), which can affect tier placement.

500,000 contacts

PLAN

Contact sales

—

What's included

✓ Includes custom emails
✓ High-volume plan with custom pricing
✓ Email automations
✓ List management and segmentation

Limitations

• Contact sales is required at this tier (pricing is not publicly listed).
• Email sending allowance is custom at this tier (not published as a fixed monthly cap).

PLAN

Contact sales

—

What's included

✓ Includes custom emails
✓ High-volume plan with custom pricing
✓ Email marketing and automation
✓ SMS channel availability (where supported)

Limitations

• Contact sales is required at this tier (pricing is not publicly listed).
• Email sending allowance is custom at this tier (not published as a fixed monthly cap).

1,000,000 contacts

PLAN

Contact sales

—

What's included

✓ Includes custom emails
✓ High-volume plan with custom pricing
✓ Email automations
✓ List management and segmentation

Limitations

• Contact sales is required at this tier (pricing is not publicly listed).
• Email sending allowance is custom at this tier (not published as a fixed monthly cap).

PLAN

Contact sales

—

What's included

✓ Includes custom emails
✓ High-volume plan with custom pricing
✓ Email marketing and automation
✓ SMS channel availability (where supported)

Limitations

• Contact sales is required at this tier (pricing is not publicly listed).
• Email sending allowance is custom at this tier (not published as a fixed monthly cap).

Customer Voices

Reviews & Ratings

See how Aweber vs Omnisend 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 quick and helpful
• Easy to get started and send emails
• Solid list management with multiple lists
• Reliable for basic email marketing needs

Top Cons

• Interface feels dated and clunky
• Automation lacks advanced branching logic
• Prices have increased noticeably
• Template editing and forms feel outdated

Omnisend

4.7 / 5.0

Based on 834 reviews

Positive sentiment

Top Pros

• Easy-to-use email builder and templates
• Automations are simple to set up
• Shopify integration feels tight and reliable
• Support is responsive and helpful

Top Cons

• Editor can feel restrictive or clunky
• Navigation sometimes confusing; hard to exit
• Template-first setup; blank option missing
• Pricing rises as lists grow; SMS costs add

Real-World Scenarios

How Aweber and Omnisend differ in real marketing workflows

Feature checklists don’t show how tools behave once campaigns are running and priorities shift. These scenarios translate differences into day-to-day workflow impact.

#1 Welcome and onboarding cadence

Aweber: Teams set a welcome cadence, then make occasional tweaks as lists grow; recurring sends run steadily with minimal ongoing handoffs.

Omnisend: Teams coordinate welcome timing around store activity, adjusting sequences weekly as promotions change; ongoing updates follow merchandising and inventory rhythm.

#2 Segmentation and targeting updates

Aweber: Targeting is managed through list-based workflows, with segments refreshed on a scheduled cadence; marketers review and adjust filters during campaign bursts.

Omnisend: Targeting adapts to shopping signals, with segments updating continuously; teams make quick weekly adjustments when product focus or audience intent shifts.

#3 Promotional campaign coordination

Aweber: Campaigns run as planned weekly sends, with manual coordination across messages; teams rely on checklists to manage handoffs during busy launch windows.

Omnisend: Campaigns coordinate across channels in recurring bursts; teams align timing with sales events and adjust messaging mid-week based on early response.

#4 Ecommerce lifecycle follow-ups

Aweber: Follow-ups operate on a consistent cadence and often require periodic list cleanup; teams monitor replies and adjust messaging during recurring review cycles.

Omnisend: Follow-ups adapt to shopper behavior, updating ongoing reminders around browsing and purchasing; teams tune cadence weekly to reduce fatigue during promotions.

#5 Reporting and performance visibility

Aweber: Visibility is checked after each send, with weekly reporting routines; teams make incremental adjustments based on broad engagement trends over time.

Omnisend: Visibility is monitored ongoing during campaign bursts; teams review performance alongside store activity and make mid-campaign adjustments to timing and audience focus.

#6 Team workflow and handoffs

Aweber: Workflows stay straightforward for small teams, with fewer handoffs; recurring tasks follow a stable weekly rhythm and changes are batched.

Omnisend: Workflows involve more coordination with ecommerce operations; teams manage recurring updates tied to product launches, discounts, and seasonal bursts.

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, automations, and templates without breaking things?

Moving contacts and basic fields is typically straightforward via CSV exports/imports, but tags, custom fields, and suppression/unsubscribe statuses need careful mapping when migrating between Aweber and Omnisend.

Automation workflows and email templates rarely transfer 1:1, so expect to rebuild campaigns/flows inside the destination platform and re-check signup forms, tracking, and domain authentication after the move.

What happens if I switch to Omnisend (or Aweber) and later need to switch back—can I reverse it cleanly?

You can reverse the decision by exporting contacts and core data from Omnisend or Aweber and importing into the other platform, but rebuilt items (automations, templates, signup forms) generally must be recreated again.

To avoid losing continuity, keep a copy of your original lists, suppression data, and a documented field/tag map so you can re-import with minimal mismatch if you return to Aweber or move away from Omnisend.

Do I actually own my subscriber data, and can I export everything (including unsubscribes and engagement history)?

In both Aweber and Omnisend, you can export contact lists and common fields, which supports typical data ownership and portability needs.

However, full-fidelity exports of certain event-level history (like detailed message interaction logs) may not come out in a single, complete export in the exact structure you’d want, so plan for partial historical reconstruction if you change platforms.

How do Aweber and Omnisend handle GDPR and consent rules—what if I need proof of opt-in for EU subscribers?

Both Aweber and Omnisend support consent-based list building workflows (e.g., opt-in forms and subscriber status tracking), but the burden of capturing and retaining proof (timestamp, source, and consent language shown) still sits with your process.

If you need audit-ready evidence, ensure your forms/logs capture signup source and consent details and verify what each platform stores and exposes for compliance reviews before sending to regulated regions.

I run multiple stores/brands—can I keep them separate without mixing audiences or triggering cross-brand emails?

Multi-brand setups often require separate lists/audiences, distinct sender identities, and strict segmentation rules; in Aweber and Omnisend, this typically means designing your account structure so contacts and automations don’t overlap unintentionally.

Before consolidating brands, confirm how each platform handles shared contacts, duplicate emails, and suppression across segments so one brand’s unsubscribe or promotion rules don’t accidentally affect another brand’s messages.

Will API limits or integration constraints break my setup if I sync lots of events or use custom integrations?

If you rely on custom integrations, check each platform’s API capabilities and any rate/throughput constraints, because high-frequency event syncing (purchases, browsing, webhooks) can hit limits or require batching and retries.

When moving between Aweber and Omnisend, validate that your required endpoints exist (contacts, tags/segments, events, unsubscribes) and that your integration can handle backoff logic to avoid dropped updates.

What if I want to send SMS—are there regional restrictions or carrier rules that can block messages?

SMS has country-by-country rules (consent, sender ID, quiet hours, carrier filtering) that can prevent delivery even if your email program is compliant; Omnisend users especially should confirm SMS availability and requirements for their target regions.

Regardless of whether you’re in Aweber or Omnisend, you’ll need explicit SMS consent and proper compliance handling for opt-outs, and you should expect that some countries or carriers may restrict certain message types or require registration steps.

If my deliverability drops, what safeguards do I actually have—can I control sending to protect my domain?

Deliverability protection is largely operational: domain authentication, list hygiene, suppression management, and controlled ramp-up matter more than any single toggle, and both Aweber and Omnisend rely on those foundations.

If performance declines, you should be able to pause campaigns, tighten segmentation, and stop sending to unengaged contacts while you verify authentication and review complaint/unsubscribe patterns inside Aweber or Omnisend.

What should I realistically expect from support—especially during migration or if something breaks on a weekend?

Support responsiveness varies by plan, channel, and time zone, so you should confirm what live support options are included and whether weekend coverage is available before you depend on it for time-sensitive launches.

For critical cutovers, plan a buffer: schedule migrations when support is available and keep a rollback plan so you can keep sending from Aweber or Omnisend even if an integration or DNS change needs troubleshooting.

If my list and sending volume grow fast, is there a ceiling where operations become painful (performance, segmentation, reporting)?

As volume increases, complexity becomes the constraint: larger datasets can make segmentation, automation logic, and reporting slower or harder to manage unless your naming, fields, and suppression rules are disciplined.

Whether you’re in Aweber or Omnisend, plan for governance (field standards, event naming, archiving inactive segments) so scaling doesn’t create accidental sends, bloated audiences, or hard-to-audit automations.

Final Thoughts

Our Recommendation

This choice comes down to how your team prefers to run messaging: a hands-on cadence with more moving parts, or a tighter workflow designed to stay predictable week to week.

Choose Aweber when you can support an active operating rhythm, with regular iteration and coordinated handoffs across campaigns. It fits teams that are comfortable managing ongoing adjustments and keeping execution organized as complexity grows.

Choose Omnisend when you want a simpler execution lane with clear routines and minimal coordination load. It suits lean teams that need steady output, fewer internal dependencies, and a process that stays consistent under time and staffing constraints.

Once you map the decision to your cadence and coordination overhead, the direction becomes clear. Pick Aweber for operationally involved marketing, or Omnisend for streamlined, repeatable workflows.

Simple email marketing vs ecommerce omnichannel automation

At a Glance

Company Snapshot

Aweber

Omnisend

Why These Platforms Feel So Different

Key Differences

General email vs ecommerce first

Email-only vs omnichannel messaging

Simple sequences vs lifecycle workflows

Subscriber lists vs commerce events

Broad connectors vs deep store sync

Engagement metrics vs revenue attribution

Feature-by-feature comparison

Feature Explanation: How These Capabilities Differ in Practice

#1 Automation & Flows

#2 Customer Segmentation

#3 Multichannel Messaging

#4 Ecommerce Triggers & Personalization

#5 Reporting & Revenue Attribution

#6 Integrations & Data Sync

Pricing & Plans

Aweber

Omnisend

Reviews & Ratings

How Aweber and Omnisend differ in real marketing workflows

#1 Welcome and onboarding cadence

#2 Segmentation and targeting updates

#3 Promotional campaign coordination

#4 Ecommerce lifecycle follow-ups

#5 Reporting and performance visibility

#6 Team workflow and handoffs

Which Platform Should You Choose?

Aweber

Omnisend

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Recommendation