AWeber vs Substack
AWeber is a email marketing platform while Substack is a newsletter platform. AWeber has been around since 1998, giving it a 19-year head start over Substack (founded 2017). AWeber starts at $15/mo, while Substack is free. Their pricing is not measured the same way, so we don't rank them on price. Both offer free plans to get started. AWeber has the edge with marketing automation, A/B testing, landing pages.
Quick Verdict
AWeber wins on deliverability, integrations.
Substack 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.
Substack
The newsletter platform where writers build independent media businesses
Substack is the dominant newsletter platform that uniquely combines free publishing tools with a 10% revenue-share model, letting writers launch subscription-based media businesses with zero upfront cost. Beyond newsletters, it has evolved into a full creator ecosystem with podcasts, video, livestreaming, Notes (microblogging), and community Chat, backed by a powerful built-in discovery network that helps writers find audiences organically.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | AWeber | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.2/5 | 4.4/5 |
| Starting Price | $15/mo | Free |
| Free Plan | 500 subscribers, 3,000 emails/month | Unlimited subscribers, unlimited emails, all core features free — Substack only charges when you earn |
| Founded | 1998 | 2017 |
| Email Templates | 600 | 1 |
| Integrations | 750 | 0 |
| Deliverability Rate | 97.8% | 95% |
| Marketing Automation | Yes | No |
| A/B Testing | Yes | No |
| Landing Pages | Yes | No |
| Segmentation | Yes | No |
| Drag & Drop Editor | Yes | No |
| SMS Marketing | No | No |
| Ecommerce Features | Yes | No |
| API Access | Yes | No |
| Multi-Language | No | No |
| Web Push Notifications | Yes | No |
| Live Chat | Yes | No |
| Advanced Analytics | Yes | No |
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
Substack: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Completely free to start with no upfront costs — zero barrier to entry with all core publishing features available immediately
- + Built-in audience discovery network with Recommendations and Notes driving organic subscriber growth (users report gaining 1,000+ subscribers through Recommendations alone)
- + True content ownership: creators can export their full subscriber list and content at any time to migrate elsewhere
- + Multimedia platform supporting newsletters, podcasts, video, livestreaming, Notes, and Chat communities in a single integrated experience
- + Strong reader engagement with genuine community interaction through comments, Chat, and Notes — higher engagement rates than typical social media platforms
Cons
- − The 10% platform fee plus Stripe's ~2.9% + $0.30 per transaction creates a 13-16% total take rate that becomes very expensive at scale (e.g., $1,300-$1,600/month on $10K revenue)
- − No email marketing automation, segmentation, A/B testing, or advanced personalization — all subscribers receive identical emails with no conditional logic
- − No public API and zero native third-party integrations — cannot connect to CRMs, e-commerce platforms, Zapier, or other marketing tools
- − Limited design customization with a single standardized template — no drag-and-drop editor, no custom HTML, and minimal branding options
- − Platform can remove content or delete accounts without notice, and customer support is difficult to reach for issue resolution
The Verdict
Substack edges ahead with a 4.4/5 rating compared to AWeber's 4.2/5. The gap comes mainly from value for money (4.9 vs 4.2) and deliverability (4.4 vs 4). On deliverability, AWeber reports 97.8% compared to 95% for Substack — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | AWeber | Substack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $15/mo | Free |
| Deliverability | 25% | 97.8% Winner | 95% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.2/5 | 4.4/5 Winner |
| Integrations | 10% | 750 Winner | 0 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose AWeber if…
- + You need marketing automation
- + You need ecommerce integrations
- + You need API access for custom integrations
- + You need built-in landing pages
Choose Substack if…
- + You're a independent writers and journalists
- + You're a newsletter creators monetizing through paid subscriptions
- + Completely free to start with no upfront costs — zero barrier to entry with all core publishing features available immediately