AWeber vs Campaign Monitor
AWeber and Campaign Monitor are both popular choices in the email marketing platform space. AWeber has been around since 1998, giving it a 6-year head start over Campaign Monitor (founded 2004). Campaign Monitor is the more affordable option at $12/mo — that's $3 less than AWeber's $15/mo entry point. AWeber offers a free plan (500 subscribers), while Campaign Monitor does not. AWeber stands out with landing pages, while Campaign Monitor offers SMS marketing.
Quick Verdict
AWeber wins on deliverability, rating, integrations, free tier.
Campaign Monitor wins on price.
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.
Campaign Monitor
Beautifully crafted email marketing
Campaign Monitor is particularly well-suited for agencies and brands that need polished, branded email campaigns. Its client management features and beautiful template builder make it a popular choice for marketing agencies managing multiple client accounts.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | AWeber | Campaign Monitor |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.2/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Starting Price | $15/mo | $12/mo |
| Free Plan | 500 subscribers | No free plan |
| Founded | 1998 | 2004 |
| Email Templates | 600 | 120 |
| Integrations | 750 | 250 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97.8% | 97.5% |
| 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
Campaign Monitor: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Excellent email template builder
- +Strong agency features and client management
- +Good deliverability
- +Time zone sending optimization
- +Link review feature prevents broken links
Cons
- −No free plan
- −Lite plan caps at 2,500 emails
- −Premier plan expensive ($159/mo)
- −No landing page builder
- −Limited automation on lower tiers
The Verdict
AWeber and Campaign Monitor 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 97.5% for Campaign Monitor — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | AWeber | Campaign Monitor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $15/mo | $12/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97.8% | 97.5% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.2/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 750 | 250 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | No |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose AWeber if…
- + You need a free plan to get started
- + You need built-in landing pages
- + You're a small businesses
- + You're a solopreneurs
Choose Campaign Monitor if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($12/mo)
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You're a agencies
- + You're a brands