ActiveCampaign vs AWeber: Which Solves Email Marketers’ Biggest Challenges?

Welcome to my ActiveCampaign vs Aweber review!

With an astonishing 4400% ROI, email marketing is an essential tool in your marketing arsenal.

And to truly tap into its potential, you need the right platform.

ActiveCampaign and AWeber are two email marketing titans vying for your attention. 

So which one truly delivers?

That's where this guide comes in. We'll evaluate their templates, ease of use, features, pricing, reporting, integrations, and more.

But if you cannot wait, we recommend ActiveCampaign - it's the clear winner overall.

Let’s dive in!

Active Campaign vs. Aweber (What Makes Them Different?)

ActiveCampaign and AWeber are both powerful tools for email marketing, but they cater to different needs. 

ActiveCampaign is an all-in-one tool. 

It merges:

• Email marketing,
• Marketing automation,
• Sales automation,
• and CRM software. 

AWeber, on the other hand, is a reliable email marketing and marketing automation solution. It’s a good fit for those who want to keep things simple. (By the way, here's our full AWeber review.)

So, let's break the ActiveCampaign vs Aweber comparison down:

• Features: ActiveCampaign is the clear winner with a score of 9.1, leaving AWeber trailing with an 8.0.
• Templates: ActiveCampaign again takes the crown. They've got a broader range of templates, and they're just plain better looking.
• Ease of Use: Aweber pulls ahead. It scores an 8.4, nudging ahead of ActiveCampaign's 7.8. If you're a beginner, AWeber might be the less daunting option.
• Reporting: ActiveCampaign scores 8.5, offering more detailed insights than AWeber's 7.0.
• Integrations: ActiveCampaign is again in the lead with an 8.8, offering smoother and more varied integrations than AWeber's 7.8.
• As for security? It's a draw.

Based on our evaluation, ActiveCampaign scores higher than AWeber in virtually all categories!

Templates - Active Campaign vs AWeber

ActiveCampaign's templates are a thing of beauty. They've got a wide variety, covering everything from email marketing to landing pages and customer journeys. And it's not just about looks. 

These templates are designed to convert, subtly steering your customer's attention where you want it.

AWeber can't match ActiveCampaign's visual appeal or variety, but they have plenty to offer. Their template volume is impressive, even if the designs feel a bit last season.

But AWeber has a trick up its sleeve. You can create email templates using your website URL or Facebook page. 

Plus, they've got pre-built autoresponder templates, perfect for welcoming new subscribers, confirming purchases, or rescuing abandoned carts.

ActiveCampaign Vs Aweber Templates Verdict

So, who wins the template showdown? It's a tough call.

While AWeber offers a larger volume of templates, I have to give the edge to ActiveCampaign.

Ease of Use

When it comes to ease of use, we're looking at a few key factors:

• Intuitiveness: Can a newbie find their way around without a map?
• Design and Layout: Is the design user-friendly? Does the layout make sense?
• Learning Curve: How quickly can you get up and running?
• Help Documentation: Can you find answers when you hit a roadblock?

ActiveCampaign

Let's start with ActiveCampaign. It's a robust platform, no doubt about it. And with great power comes some complexity.

Overall, the dashboard is clean, and the interface is generally intuitive. 

But some features are a bit like Easter eggs - you have to hunt for them. They're tucked away behind small navigations, which can be a bit puzzling for some users.

But let's not get hung up on that. The real star of the show is the visual automation builder. It's like a flowchart for your email sequences, showing you exactly how everything connects.

Say you're launching a new product. You can easily set up a series of emails to go out at specific intervals. 

I found it to be straightforward for the most part. Beginners may have a different experience.

Once you've got the basics down, though, you're good to go. You can dive deeper with detailed tutorials and regular webinars. 

So, while there's a bit of a learning curve, there's plenty of support to help you climb it.

ActiveCampaign’s overall ease of use: 7.8

• Intuitiveness: 8/10
• Design and Layout: 7/10
• Learning Curve: 7/10
• Help Documentation: 9/10

AWeber

Let's dive right into AWeber. It's got a neat and tidy dashboard that's easy on the eyes. But don't let the clean lines fool you. Some legacy users find the recent interface changes a bit of a head-scratcher.

Now, when it comes to finding your way around, it's a bit hit-and-miss. 

The main features? They're right there, front and center. But some of the other functions, like the email campaign builder, could use a bit of a tune-up.

Take the drag-and-drop feature, for example. It's not as slick as you'd hope. If you're trying to whip up an email sequence or shuffle things around, you might find yourself wrestling with it a bit.

If you're new to AWeber, expect a moderate learning curve. It's not rocket science, but you'll need a bit of time to get the hang of things.

But here's the good news. AWeber doesn't leave you hanging. Their tutorials and webinars are top-notch, and their customer support team is on the ball and ready to help.

AWeber’s overall ease of use: 8.4

• Intuitiveness: 9/10
• Design and Layout: 8/10
• Learning Curve: 7.5/10
• Help Documentation: 9/10

If AWeber is more your speed, I also evaluated the best AWeber alternatives.

ActiveCampaign Vs. AWeber Ease of Use Verdict

Based on my personal experience, I found AWeber to be easier to use. But it’s close. 

ActiveCampaign Features (Overview)

Here are ActiveCampaign’s features at a glance:

• Email Marketing
• Advanced Automation
• Split Testing and Predictive Sending
• CRM
• Sales Automation
• Site Tracking
• Landing Pages
• Forms
• Segmentation
• Dynamic Content

AWeber Features (Overview)

Now, let’s take a look at Aweber’s features:

• Email marketing tool
• Automation feature
• Landing Page Builder
• Ecommerce
• Sign Up Form Builder
• AI Writing Assistant
• Dynamic Content
• Segmentation
• A/B Split Testing
• Integrations

ActiveCampaign vs Aweber Features - In-Depth Review

To really get to grips with these two platforms, we're going to look at four key areas:

• Email Marketing Features
• CRM Capabilities
• Automation Capabilities

Email Marketing Features

ActiveCampaign is a beast in the email marketing arena (see also ActiveCampaign vs Drip). It's got segmentation, dynamic content, split testing - you name it. 

Users love the depth and customization it offers for laser-focused campaigns. Score: 9.2

AWeber, meanwhile, is all about keeping things simple. It's got a solid range of email marketing tools, like autoresponders and a bunch of templates. 

But it doesn't quite match up to ActiveCampaign when it comes to advanced segmentation and personalization. Score: 8.5

CRM Capabilities

ActiveCampaign is a winner in the CRM category. It's got a built-in CRM system that lets you track customer interactions and sales processes all in one place. 

Users love having everything under one roof. Score: 9.0

AWeber, on the other hand, doesn't have a built-in CRM. 

So you'll need to integrate with a third-party CRM tool, which might be a bit of a pain. Score: 7.5

Automation Capabilities

ActiveCampaign lets you build complex, multi-step automations based on a range of triggers. Users rave about the flexibility and depth of the automation features. Score: 9.3

AWeber keeps automation simple. It's got autoresponders and basic drip campaigns. But it doesn't have the same level of depth and flexibility as ActiveCampaign. Score: 8.0

ActiveCampaign vs Aweber Features Verdict

If features are your top priority, ActiveCampaign is a clear winner with an overall feature score of 9.1.

With an overall feature score of 8.0, AWeber is a solid platform - no doubt about it. It's simple, user-friendly, and offers a good range of email marketing features. 

For some users without advanced needs, Aweber will be the better option. But when it comes to advanced capabilities, it just can't compete with ActiveCampaign.

Pricing

Below you will find Active Campaigns pricing and AWeber pricing.

Active Campaign Pricing

These are starting prices that will increase with subscriber count and features.

Marketing:

• Plus ($49/month): Includes email marketing and integrations.
• Professional ($149/month): Adds predictive AI and Salesforce integration.
• Enterprise: Adds custom reporting and HIPAA support.

Sales:

• Plus ($19/month): Sales automation and lead scoring.
• Professional ($49/month): Sentiment analysis AI and win probability AI.
• Enterprise: Adds custom reporting and single sign-on.

Bundles:

• Plus ($93/month): Includes email automation and event tracking.
• Professional plan ($386/month): Adds Salesforce integration and sentiment analysis AI.
• Enterprise: Adds custom reporting and single sign-on.

ActiveCampaign also offers a Marketing Lite plan. It's a great starting point before moving to more comprehensive plans as your business grows.

Marketing Lite: At $29 per month (paid yearly), includes email marketing, chat & email support, and site & event tracking.

AWeber Pricing

Free: $0/month for up to 500 subscribers. Includes one email list, one landing page, one email automation, basic email support, and advanced analytics.

Lite: $14.99/month for unlimited subscribers (additional fees apply). Offers one email list, three landing pages, three email automations, three users, and 24/7 customer support.

Plus: $29.99/month for unlimited subscribers (additional fees apply). Provides unlimited email lists, landing pages, and automation feature, along with priority 24/7 customer support and advanced features.

Unlimited: $899/month for businesses with over 100,000 subscribers. Includes unlimited features and personalized account management at a fixed price.

Live chat is available for all plans Mon-Fri 7a-10p EST.

Phone support is available 8a-8p EST.

ActiveCampaign vs Aweber Reporting

Here’s how I evaluated the reporting capabilities:

• Depth of Data: How comprehensive is the data provided by the platform? 
• Visual Representation: How well does the platform present data visually?
• Ease of Use: Is it easy to navigate and understand, or is there a learning curve?
• Customization: How much flexibility does the platform offer in terms of customizing reports? Can users easily segment data and view performance based on different parameters?

ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign's reporting feature is all about depth and detail. 

Users can get super granular with their data on opens, clicks, and even geo-tracking, which is a significant advantage. 

This depth of data is super useful, allowing users to gain a thorough understanding of their campaigns.

But it's not just about the numbers. ActiveCampaign also serves up your data in easy-to-digest charts and graphs. It's like a visual feast of insights.

Once you get your bearings, you'll find the insights invaluable

ActiveCampaign Reporting: 8.5/10

• Depth of Data: 9/10
• Visual Representation: 8.5/10
• Ease of Use: 7.5/10 (due to the initial learning curve)
• Customization: 9/10

AWeber

AWeber's reporting feature is all about simplicity. Users love the clean interface and the clear, easy-to-understand data.

The platform gives you the basics: open rates, click-through rates, and bounce rates. It's just what you need to keep tabs on your campaign performance.

But it's not all sunshine and roses, as some users are left wanting more. They're looking for advanced analytics and segmentation options.

AWeber Reporting: 7/10

• Depth of Data: 6.5/10
• Visual Representation: 7.5/10
• Ease of Use: 8/10
• Customization: 6/10

Verdict

ActiveCampaign is the heavyweight here. It's perfect for those who want to slice and dice the data, track every open, every click, and even where those clicks are coming from.

But let's say you're a small business owner - you don't have the time to become a data scientist. AWeber gives you the essentials, clear and simple. 

ActiveCampaign vs. AWeber Integrations

With over 870 options on the table, users can easily link ActiveCampaign with a whole host of third-party apps, from CRM systems to social media platforms and e-commerce solutions. Big names like Shopify, WordPress, Salesforce, and Zoho CRM are all in the mix.

These integrations run smoothly, with hardly any hiccups.

 Overall Integration Score: 8.8 

• Ease of Integration: 9 
• Range of Integrations: 9 
• Performance: 8

AWeber isn't far behind. It's compatible with a wide range of third-party apps, from website builders to e-commerce platforms and social media tools. GoToWebinar, WordPress, and PayPal are just a few of the big players. Users generally find these integrations easy to set up and reliable. 

Some users have had issues managing a single list across multiple websites. And if you're looking to integrate with WooCommerce, be prepared to fork out an extra $49 for a plugin.

Overall Integration Score: 7.8 

• Ease of Integration: 8 
• Range of Integrations: 8 
• Performance: 7

The Verdict on Integrations

Both ActiveCampaign and AWeber have solid integration capabilities, but ActiveCampaign takes the cake for ease of integration, range, and performance.

Security

When it comes to security, both ActiveCampaign and AWeber hold their own. 

ActiveCampaign ticks all the boxes for GDPR, SOC 2, and ISO 27001 compliance. 

They've got a dedicated security team and encryption for data at rest and in transit. Plus, they offer a security package with extra features like two-factor authentication and account activity logs.

AWeber is also GDPR-compliant and stands out for its transparency about subprocessors. They provide a detailed list of subprocessors, their roles, and links to their security policies. This gives users a clear picture of how their data is handled.

The Verdict

It's a draw in the security category. Both platforms meet the security needs of most companies.

ActiveCampaign vs AWeber: The Final Verdict

After a head-to-head comparison, ActiveCampaign is the email marketing platform that comes out on top (and if you're still convinced, check out our full ActiveCampaign review). It's got advanced features, a wide range of templates, solid reporting capabilities, and it plays well with other tools. 

So, if anyone were to ask me for a recommendation on email marketing tools, ActiveCampaign would be the first name out of my mouth.

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