AWeber vs Benchmark Email
AWeber and Benchmark Email are both popular choices in the email marketing platform space. AWeber has been around since 1998, giving it a 6-year head start over Benchmark Email (founded 2004). AWeber is the more affordable option at $15/mo, which is $4 less than Benchmark Email's $19/mo entry point. Both offer free plans to get started. AWeber has the edge with ecommerce integrations. Both tools work well for small businesses.
Quick Verdict
AWeber wins on price, deliverability.
Benchmark Email wins on rating, integrations.
Best for most users: AWeber (small businesses).
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.
Benchmark Email
Straightforward email marketing with all features on every plan
Benchmark Email is a multilingual email marketing platform founded in 2004 that takes an all-features-included approach, giving every user access to automation, A/B testing, and analytics regardless of plan tier. Available in 9 languages with global support, it appeals to international teams and nonprofits, though its significantly below-average deliverability rate (47.1% in third-party testing) is a serious concern that undermines its otherwise user-friendly design.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | AWeber | Benchmark Email |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.2/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Starting Price | $15/mo | $19/mo |
| Free Plan | 500 subscribers, 3,000 emails/month | 500 contacts, 2,500 emails/month, 1 user |
| Founded | 1998 | 2004 |
| Email Templates | 600 | 200 |
| Integrations | 750 | 1,500 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97.8% | 47.1% |
| Marketing Automation | Yes | Yes |
| A/B Testing | Yes | Yes |
| Landing Pages | Yes | Yes |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | Yes | Yes |
| SMS Marketing | No | No |
| Ecommerce Features | Yes | No |
| API Access | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Language | No | Yes |
| Web Push Notifications | Yes | No |
| Live Chat | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced Analytics | Yes | Yes |
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
Benchmark Email: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + All features included on every plan including free -- no feature gating between tiers
- + Available in 9 languages with live customer support in each, making it ideal for international teams
- + Intuitive drag-and-drop editor with mobile-optimized templates and device previews
- + Generous free plan with 500 contacts and 2,500 emails per month including AI content generation
- + Simple contact-based pricing that scales predictably without hidden charges for features
Cons
- − Extremely poor deliverability rate of 47.1% in EmailToolTester's January 2024 independent test, consistently ranking near the bottom
- − Segmentation is limited to within individual lists only -- cannot create cross-list segments for flexible targeting
- − Fewer than 30 pre-designed email templates despite marketing claims of 200+, limiting design variety
- − Slow product development cycle with features lagging behind competitors in automation and ecommerce capabilities
- − No migration support for non-enterprise customers when switching from another email platform
The Verdict
AWeber and Benchmark Email are closely matched — both score within 0.1 points of each other in our overall rating. Your decision should come down to specific needs rather than overall quality. On deliverability, AWeber reports 97.8% compared to 47.1% for Benchmark Email — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | AWeber | Benchmark Email |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $15/mo Winner | $19/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97.8% Winner | 47.1% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.2/5 | 4.3/5 Winner |
| Integrations | 10% | 750 | 1500 Winner |
| 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 need ecommerce integrations
- + You're a solopreneurs
- + You're a bloggers
Choose Benchmark Email if…
- + You're a beginners
- + You're a nonprofits
- + All features included on every plan including free -- no feature gating between tiers