AWeber vs Flodesk
AWeber and Flodesk are both popular choices in the email marketing platform space. AWeber has been around since 1998, giving it a 21-year head start over Flodesk (founded 2019). AWeber is the more affordable option at $15/mo — that's $10 less than Flodesk's $25/mo entry point. Both offer free plans to get started. AWeber has the edge with A/B testing, advanced analytics, API access. Both tools work well for solopreneurs and bloggers.
Quick Verdict
AWeber wins on price, deliverability, integrations.
Flodesk wins on rating.
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.
Flodesk
Design emails people love to get
Flodesk is a design-first email marketing platform known for its stunning templates and unusually simple builder. It's particularly popular among creative professionals who prioritize visual design over advanced marketing features. Its long-running flat-rate, unlimited-subscriber plan was retired for new members in December 2025 — pricing now scales with list size, so judge it on the design tooling rather than the old pricing story.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | AWeber | Flodesk |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.2/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Starting Price | $15/mo | $25/mo |
| Free Plan | 500 subscribers, 3,000 emails/month | Free list-building tools (forms, landing pages, audience tools); email sending requires paid plan |
| Founded | 1998 | 2019 |
| Email Templates | 600 | 40 |
| Integrations | 750 | 20 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97.8% | 96% |
| 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
Flodesk: Pros & Cons
Pros
- +Beautiful, design-focused email templates
- +Flat-rate pricing regardless of list size
- +Unlimited subscribers on all plans
- +Simple and intuitive interface
- +Built-in checkout and digital product sales
Cons
- −No A/B testing
- −No API access
- −Very limited integrations
- −No SMS marketing
- −Basic automation compared to competitors
The Verdict
Flodesk edges ahead with a 4.6/5 rating compared to AWeber's 4.2/5. The gap comes mainly from ease of use (5 vs 4.5) and deliverability (4.5 vs 4). On deliverability, AWeber reports 97.8% compared to 96% for Flodesk — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | AWeber | Flodesk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $15/mo | $25/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97.8% | 96% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.2/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 750 | 20 |
| 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 API access for custom integrations
- + You need A/B testing
- + You need advanced analytics
Choose Flodesk if…
- + You're a designers
- + You're a creatives
- + Beautiful, design-focused email templates