AWeber vs Drip
AWeber and Drip are both popular choices in the email marketing platform space. AWeber has been around since 1998, giving it a 15-year head start over Drip (founded 2013). AWeber is the more affordable option at $15/mo — that's $24 less than Drip's $39/mo entry point. AWeber offers a free plan (500 subscribers, 3,000 emails/month), while Drip does not. AWeber stands out with landing pages, while Drip offers SMS marketing.
Quick Verdict
AWeber wins on price, integrations, free tier.
Drip wins on deliverability, rating.
It's a close call — your choice depends on your specific needs.
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.
Drip
Marketing automation for ecommerce
Drip is a focused ecommerce marketing platform known for its powerful visual automation builder and behavior-based segmentation. It's designed specifically for online stores that want sophisticated marketing automation without the complexity of enterprise tools.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | AWeber | Drip |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.2/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Starting Price | $15/mo | $39/mo |
| Free Plan | 500 subscribers, 3,000 emails/month | No free plan |
| Founded | 1998 | 2013 |
| Email Templates | 600 | 50 |
| Integrations | 750 | 150 |
| 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
Drip: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Excellent ecommerce automation
- +Visual workflow builder
- +Strong Shopify integration
- +Revenue attribution
- +Behavior-based segmentation
Cons
- −No free plan
- −More expensive starting price ($39)
- −No landing page builder
- −Limited to ecommerce focus
- −Smaller company, less known
The Verdict
Drip edges ahead with a 4.4/5 rating compared to AWeber's 4.2/5. The gap comes mainly from deliverability (4.5 vs 4) and feature depth (4.4 vs 4.3). On deliverability, Drip reports 98% compared to 97.8% for AWeber — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | AWeber | Drip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $15/mo | $39/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97.8% | 98% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.2/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 750 | 150 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | No |
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 a free plan to get started
- + You need built-in landing pages
- + You're a small businesses
Choose Drip if…
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You're a ecommerce
- + You're a d2c brands