AWeber vs MailerLite Comparison 2026
AWeber and MailerLite both send campaigns and automations, priced by subscriber count. AWeber's free plan covers 500 subscribers and bundles in automations, landing pages and forms, though the editor looks its age. MailerLite's free plan stops at 250 subscribers, and automations do not start until the $12 a month Comfort plan, but every paid tier undercuts AWeber's, and the gap grows with the list. Pick AWeber to automate a small list for nothing today. Pick MailerLite to pay less once that list is no longer small.
Email marketing with a free plan that lasts
Email marketing that stays cheap as lists grow
At a glance
- MailerLite starts cheaper, at $12.
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
AWeber | MailerLite | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $12.50 | From $12 |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days |
| API |
AWeber
Email marketing with a free plan that lasts
AWeber has been sending newsletters since before most of its competitors existed, and it shows in both directions: the deliverability is dependable and the interface is dated. The free plan runs to 500 subscribers with automations included, which is more than most rivals give away. Its ecommerce feature charges a small percentage of each sale on the cheaper plans.
Our note
AWeber's free plan holds 500 subscribers with the automations switched on, twice what MailerLite gives away, so it suits a list that needs sequences before it needs size. The editor is the part that shows its age.
MailerLite
Email marketing that stays cheap as lists grow
MailerLite sends campaigns, runs automations and hosts the signup forms feeding them, and prices all of it under the tools it competes with. The editor is plain in a way that suits people who write more than they design. The free plan stops at 250 subscribers, which is a fraction of what beehiiv and Kit give away, so the comparison is really about what you pay at ten thousand.
Why people weigh these two
- MailerLite instead of AWeber
- Stays cheap as lists grow, with a free tier and paid from $12, almost exactly AWeber's $12.50; a newer interface against AWeber's longer sending record.
- AWeber instead of MailerLite
- AWeber has run for decades and its free plan does not push toward a deadline, a calmer choice for a list not in a hurry to grow past it.
Which one should you pick
Take AWeber if the list is under 500 subscribers and needs automated sequences running today at no cost. Free includes automations, landing pages, forms and web push, which MailerLite reserves for a paid plan. The cost is an editor that shows its age, and on the ecommerce side, a sales fee of 1.0 percent free, falling to 0.6 percent once you pay.
Take MailerLite once the size of the list matters more than what free includes. Comfort starts at $12 a month and Power at $25, both priced against the subscriber count you choose, with 10 percent off for paying yearly. Free stops at 250 subscribers with no automations attached, so treat it as a two-week test rather than a place to run a real list. The editor is plain, built for people who write more than they design.
Common questions
- Does either free plan include automations?
- AWeber's does, up to 500 subscribers, alongside landing pages and forms. MailerLite's free plan holds 250 subscribers and does not include automations, which start on the $12 a month Comfort plan.
- Which is cheaper once the list outgrows the free tier?
- MailerLite, in most cases. Comfort is $12 a month and Power is $25, both priced against the subscriber count you pick, with a further 10 percent off for paying yearly. AWeber's Lite tier is $12.50 and Plus is $20, then unlimited subscribers priced by list size above that.
- Which one charges a fee on sales made through the list?
- AWeber does, on its built-in ecommerce feature: 1.0 percent of each sale on the free plan, falling to 0.6 percent on Lite and Plus. MailerLite is priced on subscribers and sending, with no comparable per-sale charge in its plans.
- Do both offer a free trial?
- Both offer 14 days. AWeber's trial runs alongside a free plan that already reaches 500 subscribers. MailerLite's trial opens the paid features with no card required, and API sending reverts to paid-only once the 14 days end.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.