Softwr

Email Marketing · head to head

AWeber vs Shortwave

AWeber logo

AWeber

Email Marketing

Email marketing and automation for small business

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Shortwave logo

Shortwave

Email Marketing

AI-powered email assistant for intelligent inbox management

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: AWeber pricing varies based on subscriber count; must contact for exact rates; Shortwave per-seat pricing increases team costs compared to flat-rate email solutions
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which AWeber and Shortwave actually diverge.

Attributes where AWeber and Shortwave differ
AttributeAWeberShortwave
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWebiOS, Android, macOS, Windows

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 AWeber

Nothing recorded that Shortwave does not also cover.

Only in Shortwave

  • AI Email Filtering
  • Intelligent Autocomplete
  • Voice-Style Composition
  • Meeting Scheduling
  • Email-to-Todo Conversion
  • AI-Powered Search
  • Team Collaboration
  • Email Summaries

What people use each for

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

AWeber

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

Shortwave

  • Reducing inbox overload through AI-powered organizationnot AWeber
  • Drafting professional emails using natural languagenot AWeber
  • Scheduling meetings without back-and-forth coordinationnot AWeber
  • Searching email archives using conversational queriesnot AWeber
  • Converting emails to tasks for team task trackingnot AWeber

Where each one falls short

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

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

Shortwave

  • Per-seat pricing increases team costs compared to flat-rate email solutions
  • AI features may require higher tier plans, limiting value for smaller teams
  • Dependency on third-party integrations for full feature depth
  • Learning curve for effective use of AI-powered features
  • Limited customization for AI filter behavior compared to manual rules

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Shortwave

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Email search and organization
    • Basic inbox tools
    • Limited AI features
  • Business$30/month
    • Full standard search history
    • 5 years AI search history
    • Max 50 threads per AI search
  • Premier$45/month
    • Everything in Business
    • 2x more AI usage
    • Unlimited AI search history
  • Max$120/month
    • Everything in Premier
    • 6x more AI usage
    • Max 150 threads per AI search

Which should you pick?

Choose AWeber if

  • You want to start without paying.
AWeber review

Choose Shortwave if

  • You need ai email filtering.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want intelligent autocomplete.
Shortwave review

Questions people ask

Is AWeber or Shortwave better?
Neither clearly leads. AWeber starts at Free and Shortwave at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, AWeber or Shortwave?
AWeber starts at Free and Shortwave at Free.
Does AWeber or Shortwave run on more platforms?
AWeber runs on Web. Shortwave runs on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows.
Can I use AWeber for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is AWeber best used for?
AWeber is most often used for growing subscriber lists through landing pages, automating follow-up sequences from behavior triggers, selling digital products through integrated storefronts, processing payments in 100+ currencies. Of those, growing subscriber lists through landing pages and automating follow-up sequences from behavior triggers are not what Shortwave is typically brought in for.
What can AWeber do that Shortwave cannot?
Shortwave covers AI Email Filtering, Intelligent Autocomplete, Voice-Style Composition, Meeting Scheduling.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Shortwave: Is there a free trial for Shortwave?

Yes, Shortwave offers a 14-day free trial for all paid plans with no credit card required.

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
Shortwave: What platforms does Shortwave support?

Shortwave is available on iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows for full cross-platform email management.

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
Shortwave: How much AI usage do I get per plan?

Business plan includes 3 AI-powered filters and standard AI usage. Premier (2x more AI) and Max (6x more AI) plans provide increasing levels of AI feature access.

Source
Shortwave: What integrations does Shortwave support?

Shortwave integrates with Slack, Calendar, Notion, Asana, HubSpot, and 3,000+ apps via Tasklet.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on AWeber

More on Shortwave

Keep looking

Other head to heads