That Marketing Buddy

AWeber vs ActiveCampaign: monetization tools or CRM depth?

Joonas Rotko
Joonas Rotko

SEO & GEO professional · Email marketing and CRM platforms · Verified

Affiliate links on this page may earn me a commission, at no extra cost to you. They don't change what I recommend.

AWeber logo

AWeber

Desk research

From Lite, billed annually

$12.50/mo

$15/mo billed monthly

AWeber homepage
ActiveCampaign logo

ActiveCampaign

Desk research

From Starter, billed annually

$15/mo

$19/mo billed monthly

ActiveCampaign homepage

Quick answer

AWeber's Lite plan runs $15/month billed monthly and already includes 3 team seats. It is cheaper on both billing bases: at 500 subscribers Lite is $15/month billed monthly, and ActiveCampaign Starter is $19/month billed monthly; at 5,000 Lite is $60/month billed monthly, and Starter is $99/month billed monthly. ActiveCampaign bundles standard CRM and ecommerce tools AWeber doesn't document. I'd pick AWeber for price, seats and built-in monetization, and ActiveCampaign if CRM depth from day one is the point. Prices verified 19 Oct 2026.

Across the three setups below: AWeber in 3 of 3 scenarios.

Which one fits you?

  1. Solo marketer or small business, a list just past the free tier

    AWeber logo

    AWeber

    My pick

    $12.50/mo billed annually

    AWeber's Lite is $15/month billed monthly, or $12.50/month billed annually. ActiveCampaign's Starter is $19/month billed monthly, or $15/month billed annually. AWeber is cheaper on both billing bases, and it includes native paid-subscription tooling.

    Why this pick, and when to skip it

    Skip it if you want a CRM and ecommerce tools bundled in from day one: ActiveCampaign's Starter includes Standard CRM & ecommerce integrations, something AWeber doesn't document at any tier.

    See AWeber plans

  2. Growing list, sending regularly

    AWeber logo

    AWeber

    My pick

    $50/mo billed annually

    At 5,000 contacts AWeber's Lite is $60/month billed monthly, or $50/month billed annually. ActiveCampaign's Starter is $99/month billed monthly, or $79/month billed annually. AWeber is cheaper on both billing bases by a wide margin.

    Why this pick, and when to skip it

    Skip it if you want CRM and ecommerce depth bundled in and will pay for it: ActiveCampaign's Starter is $79/month billed annually at this size, and Plus and Pro add more automation and segmentation on top.

    See AWeber plans

  3. Small team managing one list together

    AWeber logo

    AWeber

    My pick

    $20.83/mo billed annually

    AWeber's Lite already includes 3 seats at $20.83/month billed annually, or $25/month billed monthly if you prefer to pay monthly. A team of three needs no upgrade. ActiveCampaign's natural 3-seat plan is Pro at $79/month billed annually.

    Why this pick, and when to skip it

    Skip it if you're willing to commit to annual billing and want deeper segmentation for a team of three: ActiveCampaign's Pro includes 3 seats, with Advanced segmentation and premium ecommerce integrations AWeber's Lite doesn't document.

    See AWeber plans

Neither fits? See the alternatives, or take the tool finder.

How are AWeber and ActiveCampaign really different?

  • Free plan and trial card requirement

    If you want to know exactly what you're committing to before you sign up, only ActiveCampaign states its card policy outright.

    AWeber

    No free-forever plan. 14-day trial; the pricing page doesn't state whether a card is required.

    ActiveCampaign

    No free-forever plan. 14-day trial, no card required.

  • Automation limits at the entry tier

    The two tools throttle automation differently: AWeber limits how many separate automations you can build, ActiveCampaign limits how many steps fit inside one.

    AWeber

    Lite caps at 3 automations; Plus removes the cap entirely.

    ActiveCampaign

    5 actions per automation on Starter; Unlimited automation actions from Plus up.

  • CRM and ecommerce bundling

    If you want a sales pipeline next to your inbox from day one, ActiveCampaign gives you the on-ramp; AWeber doesn't attempt it.

    AWeber

    Not documented by AWeber.

    ActiveCampaign

    Standard CRM & ecommerce integrations included from Starter, rising to Premium CRM & ecommerce integrations on Enterprise.

  • Paid subscriptions and monetization fees

    AWeber bakes in native monetization tooling that ActiveCampaign doesn't publish an equivalent for.

    AWeber

    Included on Lite and Plus, with a lower platform fee on Plus (0.6%) than Lite (1.0%).

    ActiveCampaign

    Not documented by ActiveCampaign.

  • Billing options

    Both let you pay month to month on their entry plans. For a team plan, only AWeber skips the yearly commitment.

    AWeber

    Lite and Plus publish a monthly rate and are also sold on annual billing.

    ActiveCampaign

    Starter and Plus are sold month to month or on annual billing; Pro and Enterprise are annual only.

What will AWeber or ActiveCampaign cost for your setup?

The cheapest plan that covers each setup, add-ons included. Prices exclude VAT.

Solo marketer or small business, a list just past the free tier

500 subscribers · mailed 3 times a month (for tools priced by emails sent) · 1 user

ToolMonthlyYearly, per month

AWeber

My pick
$15
$12.50

Lite

Above 150,000 subscribers: nothing published fits.

ActiveCampaign

$19
$15

Starter

Above 25,000 subscribers: Plus (+$434/mo, billed annually).

See AWeber plans
Usage, limits and billing

AWeber

  • Uses 500 of 150,000 subscribers.
  • On monthly billing: $180 a year.
  • On annual billing: $150 a year.

ActiveCampaign

  • Uses 500 of 25,000 subscribers.
  • On monthly billing: $228 a year.
  • On annual billing: $180 a year.

Growing list, sending regularly

5,000 subscribers · mailed 3 times a month (for tools priced by emails sent) · 1 user

ToolMonthlyYearly, per month

AWeber

My pick
$60
$50

Lite

Above 150,000 subscribers: nothing published fits.

ActiveCampaign

$99
$79

Starter

Above 25,000 subscribers: Plus (+$370/mo, billed annually).

See AWeber plans
Usage, limits and billing

AWeber

  • Uses 5,000 of 150,000 subscribers.
  • On monthly billing: $720 a year.
  • On annual billing: $600 a year.

ActiveCampaign

  • Uses 5,000 of 25,000 subscribers.
  • On monthly billing: $1,188 a year.
  • On annual billing: $948 a year.

Small team managing one list together

1,000 subscribers · mailed 3 times a month (for tools priced by emails sent) · 3 users

ToolMonthlyYearly, per month

AWeber

My pick
$25
$20.83

Lite

Above 150,000 subscribers: nothing published fits.

ActiveCampaign

Annual only
$79

Pro

Above 50,000 subscribers: nothing published fits.

See AWeber plans
Usage, limits and billing

AWeber

  • Uses 1,000 of 150,000 subscribers.
  • On monthly billing: $300 a year.
  • On annual billing: $250 a year.

ActiveCampaign

  • Uses 1,000 of 50,000 subscribers.
  • On annual billing: $948 a year.
  • Pro is sold on annual billing only.
How I calculated this

For each tool I price every current plan plus the add-ons a setup needs, from the vendor's published prices only, and take the cheapest. Monthly and annual billing are priced separately. When a limit or price isn't published, the tool shows as not fitting instead of a guess.

  • Solo marketer or small business, a list just past the free tier: A list of about 500 contacts, just past the free tiers most vendors offer. One login. Tools priced by emails sent are costed at three mailings per subscriber a month.
  • Growing list, sending regularly: A list of 5,000 contacts, sending regularly. One login. Tools priced by emails sent are costed at three mailings per subscriber a month.
  • Small team managing one list together: Three people logging in to the same 1,000-contact list. Seats, not list size, are the deciding limit. Tools priced by emails sent are costed at three mailings per subscriber a month.ActiveCampaign, monthly billing: Not sold on monthly billing.

AWeber vs ActiveCampaign side by side

I compare email/CRM platforms on: Real cost per list size, both billing bases; Free-tier contact ceiling before you must pay anything; Team seats included, and the seat price past that; List segmentation depth; Automation workflow depth and any step/action limits; Deliverability and sending limits (emails per month, per day, or per rolling window); CRM and ecommerce integration depth; What happens past your plan's contact ceiling (overage pricing vs a forced upgrade).

AWeber and ActiveCampaign compared on the main buying criteria
Real cost per list size, and which billing basis is quotedLite: $15/month billed monthly, or $12.50/month billed annually, at the entry band, rising with the list; see the scenario costs above for 1,000 and 5,000 subscribers.Starter: $19/month billed monthly, or $15/month billed annually, at the entry band; Pro and Enterprise are annual only. See the scenario costs above for 5,000 contacts.
Free-tier contact ceiling before you must pay anythingNone. AWeber has no free-forever plan, only a 14-day trial.None. ActiveCampaign has no free-forever plan either, only a 14-day trial, no card required.
Team seats included, and the seat price past that3 on Lite, unlimited on Plus; no separate extra-seat price published.1 on Starter and Plus, 3 on Pro, 5 on Enterprise. Extra seats can be bought in-app, but no per-seat price is published.
List segmentation depthNot broken out.Limited on Starter, rising through Standard and Advanced to Premium on Enterprise.
Automation workflow depth and any step/action limits3 automations on Lite, unlimited on Plus.5 actions per automation on Starter; Unlimited automation actions from Plus up.
All details, including automation and AI workflows
All compared details for AWeber and ActiveCampaign
Deliverability and sending limits (emails per month, per day, or per rolling window)Not documented by AWeber.Not documented by ActiveCampaign.
CRM and ecommerce integration depthNot documented by AWeber.Standard CRM & ecommerce integrations on Starter and Plus, Standard CRM & premium ecommerce integrations on Pro, Premium CRM & ecommerce integrations on Enterprise.
What happens past your plan's contact ceiling (overage pricing vs a forced upgrade)Not documented by AWeber.Not documented by ActiveCampaign.
Full price ladderLite: $15/month billed monthly. Plus: $30/month billed monthly. Both rise with the subscriber count, and both are also sold on annual billing at a lower per-month rate. Done For You is a separate managed plan.Starter: $19/month billed monthly, or $15/month billed annually. Plus: $59/month billed monthly, or $49/month billed annually. Pro: $79/mo and Enterprise: $145/mo, both on annual billing only. All rise with the contact count from the entry band. Above 50,000 contacts ActiveCampaign says to talk to sales.
How pricing scalesSubscriber-count tiered, with published prices on the vendor slider from 0-500 up to 100,001-150,000 subscribers on both monthly and annual billing. Above 150,000 no price is published.Priced by contact-list size on top of the plan tier from a 1,000-contact entry band; features differ between tiers rather than staying flat as they do on AWeber.
Team seats and extra-seat pricing3 on Lite, unlimited on Plus; no per-seat add-on price published.Seats included rise from 1 on Starter to 5 on Enterprise. Extra seats can be bought in-app; no per-seat price is published.
White labeling / branding removalNot documented by AWeber.Lower-tier accounts can only remove ActiveCampaign branding and swap the logo via a Settings > Appearance checkbox; they cannot customize the domain or edit CSS/HTML. Full white-labeling (custom domain, CSS/HTML rebrand) is Enterprise-only. Full white-labeling (custom domain, CSS/HTML rebrand) is Enterprise-only.
API accessNot documented by AWeber.Available on every plan, including Starter, per the pricing page's feature table.
Integrations: Zapier and WordPressNot documented by AWeber.Zapier is available on every plan, including Starter. WordPress is listed account-wide in the integrations marquee, not gated by tier.
Trial and card requirement14 days; whether a card is required isn't stated on AWeber's pricing page.14 days, no card required, confirmed on the live pricing page.
Refund termsNo published refund policy.A real 30-day money-back guarantee, but only on a customer's first-ever paid subscription; excludes SMS/WhatsApp credit subscriptions and ActiveCampaign HQ.

Who should pick AWeber, and who should pick ActiveCampaign?

AWeber logo

AWeber

Desk research
  • Best for solo marketers and small businesses
  • Best for growing lists sending regularly
  • Best for small teams sharing one account

AWeber's Lite plan starts at $15/month billed monthly at the smallest list size and includes 3 team seats. Plus starts at $30/month billed monthly and adds unlimited seats and automations. Both plans are priced by subscriber count, and AWeber publishes prices up to 150,000 subscribers. There is no free plan, only a 14-day trial.

Best for: Small to mid-size creators and small business owners who need email automation and landing pages, want to monetize subscribers directly, and can handle the subscriber-tiered pricing structure.

Strengths

  • Lite plan at $15/month billed monthly is a low entry point for creators building an email presence, with 3 team seats included.
  • Plus has unlimited team seats and unlimited automations, where Lite is limited on automations.
  • Low monetization fees: 0.6% on Plus, 1.0% on Lite, letting creators keep more of paid subscription revenue.

Limits

  • No free plan; only a 14-day trial. You must commit to Lite ($15/month billed monthly) or Plus ($30/month billed monthly) to start.
  • Lite is priced up to 150,000 subscribers, and the price rises with each subscriber band as your list grows.
  • Pricing scales by subscriber count on both Lite and Plus; the entry prices are just the starting point. Subscriber-count tiered, with published prices on the vendor slider from 0-500 up to 100,001-150,000 subscribers on both monthly and annual billing. Above 150,000 no price is published.

Skip it if you need a free forever tier or flat-rate pricing. Also skip it if you want unlimited team seats and automations without paying more per subscriber band, since Plus costs more than Lite at every list size.

AWeber reviewAWeber pricingAWeber alternatives

ActiveCampaign logo

ActiveCampaign

Desk research

ActiveCampaign prices by contact list size on top of the plan tier, and the plan cards only show the annual rate. Month-to-month billing shows up at checkout for Starter and Plus only (Starter from $19/month billed monthly); Pro and Enterprise need a yearly commitment. Starter caps you at 5 actions per automation and one seat, so it reads more like a taste of the platform than a real working plan.

Best for: A small business that wants CRM and ecommerce integrations bundled with email marketing from the entry tier.

Strengths

  • API and webhook access on every plan, including Starter.
  • Zapier is available on every plan, not gated to the top tier.
  • A 14-day trial with no card, plus a 30-day money-back guarantee on the first paid subscription.

Limits

  • Starter automations are capped at 5 actions per automation; Plus and up remove the cap.
  • Full white-labeling (custom domain, CSS/HTML rebrand) is Enterprise-only.
  • The Enhanced CRM add-on (pipelines, sales engagement) isn't offered on Starter at all.

Skip it if you need more than 5 actions per automation or a second seat without upgrading past Starter.

ActiveCampaign reviewActiveCampaign pricingActiveCampaign alternatives

My pick: AWeber in 3 of 3 scenarios.

See AWeber plansSee ActiveCampaign plans

Neither AWeber nor ActiveCampaign? Try these

  • MailerLite logo

    MailerLite

    From $10.80/mo billed annually

    Pick it if you want a genuine permanent free plan that neither AWeber nor ActiveCampaign offers, with automation and a landing page included from the free tier.

    MailerLite reviewMailerLite alternatives

  • Brevo logo

    Brevo

    From $8.08/mo billed annually

    Pick it if you want SMS and transactional email bundled with marketing email under one account, rather than AWeber's creator-monetization angle or ActiveCampaign's CRM-first one.

    Brevo reviewBrevo alternatives

  • Klaviyo logo

    Klaviyo

    From $20/mo billed monthly

    Pick it if ecommerce-specific segmentation and revenue attribution matter more than AWeber's monetization tools or ActiveCampaign's general-purpose CRM.

    Klaviyo reviewKlaviyo alternatives

Buying guides that rank AWeber or ActiveCampaign

Switching between AWeber and ActiveCampaign

Check each vendor's help center for a direct AWeber-to-ActiveCampaign migration guide before switching; a general CSV export/import is the fallback either way. AWeber's 14-day trial doesn't state whether a card is required, so confirm that before you start a test rebuild there. ActiveCampaign's 14-day trial needs no card, so it's the easier one to test-drive without commitment. Budget time to manually rebuild automations and segments either way; neither vendor documents a one-click import between the two.

What would change my pick?

  • ActiveCampaign cutting its Starter rates below AWeber's Lite, or selling Pro month to month, would change the growing-list and team-account picks.
  • AWeber documenting a CRM or ecommerce integration, or ActiveCampaign publishing a native monetization fee, would close the clearest positioning gap between these two.
  • A published per-seat add-on price from ActiveCampaign, or a stated refund policy from AWeber. Both stay unverified or absent, and either would shift the fine-print read.

AWeber vs ActiveCampaign: questions people ask

Is AWeber cheaper than ActiveCampaign?

Yes, on both billing bases. At 500 subscribers AWeber's Lite is $15/month billed monthly, and ActiveCampaign's Starter is $19/month billed monthly. At 5,000, Lite is $60/month billed monthly, and Starter is $99/month billed monthly. On annual billing the gap holds: Lite is $50/month billed annually at 5,000 against Starter's $79/month billed annually.

Does either tool have a free plan?

No. Neither has a free-forever plan. AWeber offers a 14-day trial; ActiveCampaign offers the same length trial with no card required. AWeber's pricing page doesn't state whether its trial needs a card.

Which tool bundles CRM and ecommerce tools from the entry tier?

ActiveCampaign. Starter includes Standard CRM & ecommerce integrations at no extra cost. AWeber doesn't document an equivalent CRM or ecommerce integration tier.

Does ActiveCampaign publish a monthly-billing price?

Yes, for Starter and Plus: at the entry band Starter is $19/mo and Plus $59/mo month to month, with lower rates on annual billing. Pro ($79/mo) and Enterprise ($145/mo) are sold on annual billing only.

Which is the better pick for a 3-person team sharing one list?

AWeber. Lite already includes 3 seats at $25/month billed monthly, or $20.83/month billed annually. ActiveCampaign's 3-seat plan, Pro, is $79/month billed annually and has no monthly option, so AWeber is cheaper on either basis.

Do both tools offer a real money-back guarantee?

Not quite the same. ActiveCampaign has a genuine 30-day money-back guarantee, but only on a customer's first-ever paid subscription. AWeber's pricing page doesn't mention a refund policy either way; ask AWeber support directly if this matters to you.

What will this cost me at 5,000 contacts?

AWeber's Lite is $60/month billed monthly, or $50/month billed annually. ActiveCampaign's cheapest fitting plan, Starter, is $99/month billed monthly, or $79/month billed annually. AWeber is cheaper on both bases.
Joonas Rotko

Joonas Rotko

SEO & GEO professional, founder of That Marketing Buddy

I'm a Finnish SEO and GEO professional with 11+ years in digital marketing, including years as a co-owner of a digital marketing agency. On That Marketing Buddy I test and compare SEO and AI-visibility software for entrepreneurs, marketing professionals and agencies.

About meHow I reviewLinkedIn

How I verified this

Every price and limit here comes from the vendors' own pages, last checked . AWeber: desk research. ActiveCampaign: desk research.

Sources and changelog

38 facts from 9 source pages, oldest checked 30 Sep 2026.

  • : ActiveCampaign now shows month-to-month prices for Starter and Plus, so the two are compared on both billing bases; Pro and Enterprise stay annual only. AWeber is cheaper on both bases at 500 and 5,000 subscribers and for the team of three, so all three picks stay with AWeber.
  • : AWeber's price ladder re-read from the live pricing page. Lite is now priced from the 500-subscriber band on both billing bases, which lets AWeber and ActiveCampaign be compared on annual billing. AWeber is cheaper on that basis at 500, 1,000 and 5,000, so all three picks stay with AWeber.
  • : New page. I pick AWeber in all three scenarios: it is cheaper on annual billing, the one basis both publish, and it also has a monthly rate. ActiveCampaign is the pick if CRM and ecommerce depth from day one matter more.
Spot something out of date?Vendors and readers, send me the correct fact.

Software sites change almost every week, and I want every claim on this page to be factually correct. If you are a vendor or a reader, send me the correct fact and a link to the official page. I will check it and update the page. The opinions and rankings stay mine.

I only change a fact when the official page shows it.

Free. I use your details only to follow up. Privacy

Compare AWeber or ActiveCampaign with another tool

AWeber vs …

ActiveCampaign vs …

Suggested comparisons

WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

The SEO and AI visibility software worth your money, and the ones that are not

Every week: which SEO and AI visibility tools actually move the needle, what they really cost when the intro discount ends, and which ones to skip. Written for people running their own marketing, not for engineers. No fluff, no daily spam.

Join for free. One email a week, unsubscribe anytime. I use your email only for this. Privacy policy