Alternatives
Best AWeber Alternatives for Agencies (2026)
By Red Kite Search Agency Created Updated 7 min read
Summary
AWeber is a solid choice, but it does not fit every agency. Mailchimp: Email marketing and automation for small businesses. Brevo: Email, SMS and WhatsApp marketing with transactional email and CRM. ActiveCampaign: Marketing automation and CRM with email and SMS. Prices and ratings below were checked in October 2026.
What are the best AWeber alternatives for agencies in 2026?
AWeber is dependable, but pricing scales with list size, Lite has tight limits, and agency features were not stated.
We compared each option with AWeber on price, scope, and public ratings, so you can see what you would gain and give up by switching. Decide how much automation you need first.
The three alternatives below are the usual comparisons: two broad email platforms and an automation specialist.
The shortlist is Mailchimp, Brevo, ActiveCampaign. The table puts them next to AWeber.
| Tool | Editorial score | Review-site ratings | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWeber | 4.2 / 5 | G2 4.2 | Lite $12.50 and Plus $20 a month billed annually (from, scaling with list size); Unlimited $899 a month billed monthly. A 14-day trial applies on Lite and Plus. | Solo creators to small teams |
| Mailchimp | 4.1 / 5 | G2 4.4 | Free for 250 contacts. Essentials $13, Standard $20 and Premium $350 a month at the smallest contact tier (500 contacts, 10,000 for Premium); prices rise with contacts. | Small teams to mid-size |
| Brevo | 4.2 / 5 | G2 4.5 | Free plan. Starter $8.08, Standard $16.17 and Professional $449.08 a month on annual billing ($9, $18 and $499 monthly); Enterprise from $2,499 a month. | Small to enterprise teams |
| ActiveCampaign | 4.3 / 5 | G2 4.4 | 14-day free trial. Starter $15, Plus $49, Pro $79 and Enterprise $145 a month on annual billing at 1,000 contacts. | Small to enterprise teams |
Why do agencies look for AWeber alternatives?
Agencies usually look beyond AWeber for stronger automation, multi-client tools, or lower prices at scale.
Others want stated security certifications.
A fair test is to run one real client project through each option for two weeks. Track setup time, how often the team got stuck, and whether the output was good enough to hand to a client without rework. Real use shows differences that feature lists hide.
Cost behaves differently in each tool. Some charge per month with usage caps, some charge per year, and some charge per user. Count what you will really use over twelve months, including overage and extra seats, before you compare headline prices.
Think about the client side. Clients judge your agency by the pages, reports, and invoices they receive, so look at the finished output as a client would, and check what a client can see, change, or break.
Finally, plan the move. Export your data, rebuild shared templates one at a time, and keep the old tool running for a short period so nothing a client relies on disappears during the switch.
Common limitations of AWeber
- Lite allows only 3 landing pages, 3 automations and 3 users.
- Prices scale with subscribers, and the tier behind the starting price should be checked.
- Security certifications, 2FA and mobile apps were not stated (the security page returned a 404).
- Agency features such as multiple accounts and client management were not stated.
Is Mailchimp a good AWeber alternative for agencies?
Mailchimp has a broad toolset and a free plan. Its pricing rises with contacts.
Mailchimp is an email marketing platform with campaigns, automation flows, pop-up forms, templates and more than 300 integrations. It sells Free, Essentials, Standard and Premium plans priced by contact count, with a 14-day trial on paid plans.
Who it suits: Agencies that run newsletters and simple automation for small-business clients and want a familiar, easy tool.
Mailchimp pros
- A free plan for up to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month.
- Entry paid plans from $13 a month for 500 contacts, with 24/7 email and chat support.
- More than 300 integrations and 100+ pre-built templates.
- SOC 2 reports, ISO 27001 and 2FA; enterprise SSO on Premium.
Mailchimp cons
- Prices scale with contacts and the stated figures are for the smallest tier.
- Free has no automation, and Essentials limits flows to 4 steps.
- Premium costs $350 a month from 10,000 contacts.
- Data is hosted in US data centers, and client accounts for agencies were not stated.
Is Brevo a good AWeber alternative for agencies?
Brevo prices by emails sent rather than contacts and includes a free plan.
Brevo is a customer platform with email marketing, SMS, WhatsApp, marketing automation, transactional email and sales tools. It has a free plan with 300 emails a day and priced plans by send volume, from Starter to Professional and Enterprise.
Who it suits: Agencies that want low-cost email with SMS and transactional sending, especially for EU-focused clients.
Brevo pros
- A free plan with 300 emails a day and transactional email features on every plan.
- Starter from $8.08 a month on annual billing.
- Unlimited automated multi-step workflows from Standard.
- Email, SMS and WhatsApp channels, with 150+ integrations.
Brevo cons
- Professional costs $449.08 a month on annual billing and Enterprise starts at $2,499 a month.
- Starter has basic reporting and no marketing automation.
- Security certifications and hosting regions were not captured (the security page returned an error).
- Only Professional lists phone support, and a mobile app was not stated.
Is ActiveCampaign a good AWeber alternative for agencies?
ActiveCampaign is stronger on automation and CRM. It costs more as lists grow.
ActiveCampaign combines email marketing, multi-step automation, a built-in CRM, landing pages and SMS (as an add-on) with more than 1,000 integrations and 950 automation recipes. It sells Starter, Plus, Pro and Enterprise plans priced by contact tier, each with a 14-day trial.
Who it suits: Agencies that build detailed automation and lifecycle journeys for clients and want a CRM alongside email.
ActiveCampaign pros
- Plans from $15 a month on annual billing at 1,000 contacts, with a 14-day trial.
- More than 1,000 integrations and 950+ automation recipes.
- Unlimited automation actions from Plus, plus landing pages and a CRM.
- MFA on every account, SSO, and a SOC 2 report through its Trust Center.
ActiveCampaign cons
- Prices shown are annual at 1,000 contacts; monthly prices were not shown.
- Starter limits automations to 5 actions and includes only 1 user.
- SMS and pipelines are paid add-ons.
- Client accounts for agencies and data hosting regions were not stated.
What is the quick verdict on each AWeber alternative?
If you only have a minute, this table gives our verdict on each alternative to AWeber, based on the research above.
| Tool | Verdict | Editorial score |
|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp | A familiar, easy email tool with a free plan and 300+ integrations. Prices rise with your contact count, automation and seats are limited on lower plans, servers are US-only, and Mailchimp does not offer client accounts for agencies. | 4.1 / 5 |
| Brevo | A low-cost email platform with transactional email on every plan and SMS and WhatsApp channels. Prices are by send volume and automation starts on Standard, and security detail was not captured because its security page returned an error. | 4.2 / 5 |
| ActiveCampaign | A strong automation platform with a CRM, 1,000+ integrations and SOC 2 evidence. Plans are priced by contacts and shown annually only, user seats are limited on lower plans, and agency client-account features were not stated. | 4.3 / 5 |
How much do AWeber and its alternatives cost?
AWeber Plus costs $20 a month billed annually, scaling with list size. Mailchimp Essentials costs $13 a month, Brevo Starter costs $9 a month, and ActiveCampaign Plus costs $49 a month.
| Tool | Pricing summary |
|---|---|
| AWeber | Lite $12.50 and Plus $20 a month billed annually (from, scaling with list size); Unlimited $899 a month billed monthly. A 14-day trial applies on Lite and Plus. |
| Mailchimp | Free for 250 contacts. Essentials $13, Standard $20 and Premium $350 a month at the smallest contact tier (500 contacts, 10,000 for Premium); prices rise with contacts. |
| Brevo | Free plan. Starter $8.08, Standard $16.17 and Professional $449.08 a month on annual billing ($9, $18 and $499 monthly); Enterprise from $2,499 a month. |
| ActiveCampaign | 14-day free trial. Starter $15, Plus $49, Pro $79 and Enterprise $145 a month on annual billing at 1,000 contacts. |
What do reviewers say about AWeber and its alternatives?
Review-site scores are a useful signal for how happy teams are after the first few months. They are snapshots from October 2026, and review counts differ widely between tools.
| Tool | Source | Rating | Number of reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWeber | G2 | 4.2 / 5 | 650 |
| Mailchimp | G2 | 4.4 / 5 | 5,436 |
| Brevo | G2 | 4.5 / 5 | 2,768 |
| ActiveCampaign | G2 | 4.4 / 5 | 14,813 |
Which AWeber alternative suits which kind of agency?
The right pick depends mostly on team size, how clients interact with the tool, and whether you need money data. This table maps common situations to a recommendation.
| Agency situation | Best pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Broad toolset | Mailchimp | Wide features. |
| Sends-based pricing | Brevo | Free plan. |
| Automation | ActiveCampaign | Deep workflows. |
How hard is it to switch away from AWeber?
Export your lists and unsubscribe history from AWeber before you leave.
Rebuild automations and templates by hand.
Warm up sending gradually on the new platform.
Before you leave AWeber
- List active automations.
- Export subscribers.
- Compare cost at list size.
- Rebuild templates.
- Warm up sending.
How do you choose the right AWeber alternative?
Decide how much automation you need.
Compare cost at your list size.
A quick decision guide
- Choose Mailchimp for breadth.
- Choose Brevo for sends-based pricing.
- Choose ActiveCampaign for automation.
- Stay with AWeber for simple email and phone support.
- Test each on one list.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best AWeber alternative?
- Mailchimp for breadth, Brevo for price, and ActiveCampaign for automation.
- Why do agencies look beyond AWeber?
- List-based pricing and automation depth.
- Which alternative has a free plan?
- Mailchimp and Brevo.
- Does AWeber have a free plan?
- Yes, up to 500 subscribers.
- Which is best for automation?
- ActiveCampaign.
Sources
Prices, plan limits, and ratings were gathered in October 2026 from:
- AWeber pricing page
- Mailchimp pricing page
- Brevo pricing page
- ActiveCampaign pricing page