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Email Marketing · head to head

ActiveCampaign vs AWeber

ActiveCampaign logo

ActiveCampaign

Email Marketing

CRM, marketing automation, and sales platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
AWeber logo

AWeber

Email Marketing

Email marketing and automation for small business

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ActiveCampaign starter tier capped at 5 automation actions per automation; unlimited actions require Plus tier or higher; AWeber pricing varies based on subscriber count; must contact for exact rates
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ActiveCampaign and AWeber actually diverge.

Attributes where ActiveCampaign and AWeber differ
AttributeActiveCampaignAWeber
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
PlatformsCloud-based SaaSWeb
Founded2003Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Email Marketing).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ActiveCampaign

  • Contact management
  • Sales pipeline
  • Marketing automation
  • Email marketing
  • Customer service
  • Reporting
  • Automation
  • Zapier

Only in AWeber

Nothing recorded that ActiveCampaign does not also cover.

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ActiveCampaign

  • Businesses automating cross-channel campaigns (email, SMS, WhatsApp)not AWeber
  • Marketing teams needing AI-driven lead scoring and automationnot AWeber

AWeber

  • Growing subscriber lists through landing pagesnot ActiveCampaign
  • Automating follow-up sequences from behavior triggersnot ActiveCampaign
  • Selling digital products through integrated storefrontsnot ActiveCampaign
  • Processing payments in 100+ currenciesnot ActiveCampaign

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ActiveCampaign

  • Starter tier capped at 5 automation actions per automation; unlimited actions require Plus tier or higher
  • Active Intelligence (AI features) limited or excluded in Starter and Plus tiers; Advanced Intelligence only available in Pro and Enterprise
  • SSO and advanced CRM integrations only available in Pro and Enterprise tiers
  • Multiple users scaling limited: Starter allows 1 user, Plus allows 3, Enterprise allows 5 users

AWeber

  • Pricing varies based on subscriber count; must contact for exact rates
  • Late payment charge of $25 plus 1.5% monthly interest on outstanding balances
  • Data deleted 20 days after payment due date if unpaid

Pricing, plan by plan

ActiveCampaign

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the ActiveCampaign review.

AWeber

Free
  • Lite$15/month
    • Pricing varies by subscriber count
    • 14-day free trial
    • Email sending limit: 10x subscriber count per month
  • Plus$30/month
    • Pricing varies by subscriber count
    • 14-day free trial
    • Email sending limit: 12x subscriber count per month
  • Done For You Service$30/month
    • One-time setup fee: $79
    • 14-day free trial

Which should you pick?

Choose ActiveCampaign if

  • You need contact management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud-based SaaS.
  • You also want sales pipeline.
ActiveCampaign review

Choose AWeber if

  • You want to start without paying.
AWeber review

Questions people ask

Is ActiveCampaign or AWeber better?
Neither clearly leads. ActiveCampaign starts at Free and AWeber at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ActiveCampaign or AWeber?
ActiveCampaign starts at Free and AWeber at Free.
Does ActiveCampaign or AWeber run on more platforms?
ActiveCampaign runs on Cloud-based SaaS. AWeber runs on Web.
Can I use ActiveCampaign for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is ActiveCampaign best used for?
ActiveCampaign is most often used for businesses automating cross-channel campaigns (email, sms, whatsapp), marketing teams needing ai-driven lead scoring and automation. Of those, businesses automating cross-channel campaigns (email, sms, whatsapp) and marketing teams needing ai-driven lead scoring and automation are not what AWeber is typically brought in for.
What can ActiveCampaign do that AWeber cannot?
ActiveCampaign covers Contact management, Sales pipeline, Marketing automation, Email marketing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ActiveCampaign: Is there a free trial without providing a credit card?

Yes, ActiveCampaign offers a 14-day free trial that requires only an email address for sign-up. No credit card is needed and setup is instant.

Source
AWeber: How much does AWeber cost?

AWeber offers a free tier with unlimited basic access. Paid plans start at $15 per month for Lite and $30 per month for Plus, with pricing varying based on subscriber count. All plans include a 14-day free trial.

Source
ActiveCampaign: How is pricing determined for my account?

Pricing is custom and based on your contact volume, which ranges from fewer than 500 to more than 250,000 contacts. ActiveCampaign states they will put together a pricing package specific to your needs after you submit the pricing request form.

Source
AWeber: What are the current promotions for AWeber?

AWeber is offering promotional pricing: $79 for email marketing launch (87% off regular $599 price) or $1 for setup (marked down from $599) for a limited time.

Source
ActiveCampaign: Do I need to talk to sales to access the platform?

No, the 14-day free trial provides full access to the autonomous marketing platform without requiring sales contact. After the trial ends, you must complete a pricing request form to move forward.

Source
AWeber: What fees and charges does AWeber assess for payment issues?

Returned check fee is $25. Late payment charge is $25 plus 1.5% per month interest on outstanding balances. Service interruption billing for spam violations is $50.00 per hour. Payment default occurs if unpaid within 20 days after invoice date.

Source
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