AWeber vs EngageBay
AWeber is a email marketing platform while EngageBay is a all-in-one marketing platform. AWeber has been around since 1998, giving it a 20-year head start over EngageBay (founded 2018). EngageBay is the more affordable option at $14.99/mo, which is $0.01 less than AWeber's $15/mo entry point. Both offer free plans to get started. EngageBay has the edge with SMS marketing.
Quick Verdict
AWeber wins on deliverability, integrations.
EngageBay wins on price, rating.
Best for most users: EngageBay (small businesses on a budget).
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.
EngageBay
All-in-one CRM for marketing, sales & support
EngageBay is a bootstrapped all-in-one CRM platform that bundles marketing automation, sales pipeline management, helpdesk ticketing, and live chat into a single affordable package. Founded in 2018 as a cost-effective alternative to HubSpot, it serves over 150,000 businesses with a free plan supporting up to 15 users. Its strongest differentiator is delivering the full marketing-sales-support stack at a fraction of enterprise CRM pricing, making it particularly attractive to budget-conscious SMBs.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | AWeber | EngageBay |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.2/5 | 4.7/5 |
| Starting Price | $15/mo | $14.99/mo |
| Free Plan | 500 subscribers, 3,000 emails/month | 250 contacts, 1,000 branded emails, up to 15 users |
| Founded | 1998 | 2018 |
| Email Templates | 600 | 100 |
| Integrations | 750 | 30 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97.8% | 95% |
| Marketing Automation | Yes | Yes |
| A/B Testing | Yes | Yes |
| Landing Pages | Yes | Yes |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | Yes | Yes |
| SMS Marketing | No | Yes |
| Ecommerce Features | Yes | Yes |
| API Access | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Language | No | No |
| Web Push Notifications | Yes | Yes |
| 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
EngageBay: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Exceptionally affordable all-in-one platform combining CRM, marketing, sales, and support — Pro plan at $119.99/mo vs HubSpot at $900+/mo
- + Generous free plan supports up to 15 team members with email marketing, CRM, helpdesk, and live chat included
- + Highly rated customer support (4.8/5 on Capterra) with live chat and real human agents available 24/5
- + Built-in landing page builder with 87 templates, web forms, pop-ups, and SMS marketing included from Basic plan
- + Strong marketing automation with visual workflow builder, lead scoring, and A/B testing on Growth plan and above
Cons
- − Limited email editor widgets and somewhat outdated email template designs compared to modern competitors
- − Reporting module offers only basic analytics — lacks advanced custom reporting depth for data-driven teams
- − Per-user pricing model becomes expensive as teams scale beyond 5-10 users, especially on Growth and Pro plans
- − Occasional performance issues including slow page loads and intermittent bugs reported by users
- − Steep learning curve for advanced features — the breadth of the all-in-one platform can overwhelm new users
The Verdict
EngageBay edges ahead with a 4.7/5 rating compared to AWeber's 4.2/5. The gap comes mainly from value for money (4.8 vs 4.2) and support (4.8 vs 4.2). On deliverability, AWeber reports 97.8% compared to 95% for EngageBay — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | AWeber | EngageBay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $15/mo | $14.99/mo Winner |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97.8% Winner | 95% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.2/5 | 4.7/5 Winner |
| Integrations | 10% | 750 Winner | 30 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose AWeber if…
- + You're a small businesses
- + You're a solopreneurs
- + 600+ email templates (largest library)
Choose EngageBay if…
- + You want lower starting costs ($14.99/mo)
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You're a small businesses on a budget
- + You're a startups replacing hubspot