AWeber vs beehiiv
AWeber is a email marketing platform while beehiiv is a newsletter platform. AWeber has been around since 1998, giving it a 23-year head start over beehiiv (founded 2021). AWeber is the more affordable option at $15/mo — that's $28 less than beehiiv's $43/mo entry point. Both offer free plans to get started. Both tools work well for bloggers and creators.
Quick Verdict
AWeber wins on price, integrations.
beehiiv wins on deliverability, rating.
Best for most users: beehiiv (newsletter creators).
AWeber
Powerfully simple email marketing
AWeber is one of the original email marketing platforms, serving small businesses since 1998. It offers the largest template library (600+) and an impressive integration ecosystem. While its automation isn't as advanced as newer competitors, its reliability and excellent affiliate program make it a solid choice.
beehiiv
The newsletter platform built for growth
beehiiv was built by the team behind Morning Brew's growth to 4 million subscribers. It's specifically designed for newsletter businesses with built-in monetization through ad networks, paid subscriptions, and referral programs. The highest affiliate commission in the space at up to 60%.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | AWeber | beehiiv |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.2/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Starting Price | $15/mo | $43/mo |
| Free Plan | 500 subscribers | 2,500 subscribers |
| Founded | 1998 | 2021 |
| Email Templates | 600 | 20 |
| Integrations | 750 | 40 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97.8% | 98% |
| Marketing Automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| A/B Testing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Landing Pages | ✓ | ✓ |
| Segmentation | ✓ | ✓ |
| Drag & Drop Editor | ✓ | ✓ |
| SMS Marketing | ✕ | ✕ |
| Ecommerce Features | ✓ | ✓ |
| API Access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-Language | ✕ | ✕ |
| Web Push Notifications | ✓ | ✕ |
| Live Chat | ✓ | ✕ |
| Advanced Analytics | ✓ | ✓ |
AWeber: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +600+ email templates (largest library)
- +750+ integrations
- +Established and reliable (since 1998)
- +Free plan available
- +Excellent affiliate program (up to 50% recurring)
Cons
- −Interface feels dated compared to newer tools
- −Automation capabilities lag behind competitors
- −Free plan is limited
- −Lite plan restricts automations to 3
- −No SMS marketing
beehiiv: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Purpose-built for newsletter businesses
- +Built-in ad network for monetization
- +Referral program to grow subscribers
- +Paid subscription support
- +Founded by ex-Morning Brew team
Cons
- −Limited to newsletter use case
- −Fewer templates than established tools
- −Smaller integration ecosystem
- −No SMS marketing
- −Relatively new platform (2021)
The Verdict
beehiiv edges ahead with a 4.5/5 rating compared to AWeber's 4.2/5. The gap comes mainly from deliverability (4.5 vs 4) and ease of use (4.8 vs 4.5). On deliverability, beehiiv reports 98% compared to 97.8% for AWeber — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | AWeber | beehiiv |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $15/mo | $43/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97.8% | 98% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.2/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 750 | 40 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose AWeber if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($15/mo)
- + You're a small businesses
- + You're a solopreneurs
Choose beehiiv if…
- + You're a newsletter creators
- + You're a media companies
- + Purpose-built for newsletter businesses