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Affiliate disclosure: ToolTester24 may earn a commission if you buy through the affiliate links in this guide, at no extra cost to you. Our guide relies on public vendor documentation rather than hands-on account testing.
Choosing between MailerLite vs AWeber comes down to how each platform counts your contacts and prices its entry tiers. Small business owners often look at the starting monthly price first. Yet billing rules for unsubscribed contacts and free plan limits change your real yearly cost much faster.
MailerLite focuses on a clean interface, active-only contact billing, and a generous free tier for approved accounts. AWeber brings decades of small business email experience, live phone support, and built-in design tools like Canva. Both platforms handle standard newsletters, signup forms, landing pages, and automated welcome series.
Below, we compare their current public pricing pages, contact counting rules, workflow builders, and support channels. Each figure comes straight from official vendor help docs. That way, you can pick the right newsletter tool for your budget.
How Do MailerLite and AWeber Differ at a Glance?
MailerLite and AWeber both serve small firms, creators, and local shops that send standard email updates. However, they structure their plans and account rules in very distinct ways.
MailerLite keeps its dashboard minimal and charges you only for active contacts who can receive emails. New accounts go through a sign-off step before sending to protect shared sender reputations. Once approved, small senders get a larger free allowance than AWeber gives on its entry tier.
AWeber skips the complex multi-tier feature gates on its main paid plan and has phone and live chat support early. On the other hand, AWeber counts opted-out and pending contacts toward your billing tier until you delete them manually.
| Matchup Factor. | MailerLite. | AWeber. |
|---|---|---|
| Free Plan Contact Limit. | Up to 1,000 active contacts after account sign-off. | Up to 500 total contacts. |
| Free Plan Monthly Email Limit. | Up to 12,000 emails per month. | Up to 3,000 emails per month. |
| Paid Plan Starting Price. | Starts at $10 per month billed monthly for 500 contacts on Growing Business. | Starts at $15 per month billed monthly for 500 contacts on Lite. |
| Billed Contact Rules. | Counts only active contacts. | Counts active, opted-out, and pending contacts unless deleted. |
| Users Built in on Paid Tiers. | Three users on Growing Business and no-cap users on Advanced. | Three users on Lite and no-cap users on Plus. |
| Live Support Options. | Email on Free, 24/7 email on Growing Business, and 24/7 live chat on Advanced. | Email on Free, plus phone and live chat on paid plans. |
How Do Free Plans and Paid Tiers Compare?
On the official MailerLite pricing page, the Free plan supports up to 1,000 active contacts and 12,000 monthly emails. It has one user seat, the drag-and-drop email editor, up to 10 landing pages, and basic email workflow. Paid Growing Business plans start at $10 per month billed monthly (or $9 per month billed yearly) for 500 active contacts with no-cap monthly emails and three user seats. The Advanced plan starts at $20 per month billed monthly (or $18 per month billed yearly) for 500 contacts and adds more than two workflow triggers, live chat support, and a custom HTML editor.
On the official AWeber pricing page, AWeber Free covers up to 500 contacts and 3,000 monthly email sends. It allows one email list, one landing page, and one basic email workflow. AWeber Lite starts at $15 per month billed monthly (or $12.50 per month billed yearly) for 500 contacts and adds no-cap monthly emails, three landing pages, three workflows, and one custom segment. AWeber Plus starts at $30 per month billed monthly (or $20 per month billed yearly) for 500 contacts and removes limits on lists, landing pages, workflows, and custom segments.
If your list grows from 500 to 2,500 contacts, this price gap widens. MailerLite keeps costs lower at each contact bracket and has no-cap landing pages on its paid tiers. You can check current plan tiers through MailerLite or compare them against AWeber before importing your list.
How Do Contact Counting Rules Affect Your Bill?
List hygiene straight changes what you pay each month. Many small business owners overlook how email platforms count people who opt out or never click a confirmation link.
MailerLite bills strictly for active contacts. When a reader clicks your unsubscribe link or bounces hard, MailerLite moves that address out of your active count right away. You keep their historical campaign data without paying to store an inactive email address.
AWeber counts subscribed, opted-out, and pending addresses toward your plan limit. If 150 people unsubscribe from a 450-person active list, AWeber still sees 600 total contacts in your account and moves you into the next pricing tier. To keep your bill down on AWeber, you must open your contact control filter regularly and delete opted-out contacts by hand.
Which Tool Has Better Email Editors and Workflows?
Both tools provide visual drag-and-drop newsletter editors that work well without coding skills. MailerLite uses clean content blocks for text, images, product cards, countdown timers, and embedded surveys. Its layout stays fast and uncluttered. Still, template custom edits on the Free tier do not include custom HTML editing.
AWeber connects straight with Canva inside the email editor and has a large stock image library. That helps small shops create banners without switching browser tabs. However, some older AWeber templates look dated compared to MailerLite’s newer block designs.
For workflow, MailerLite lets you build clear visual workflows triggered by form signups, link clicks, date fields, or group updates. If you need up to three triggers in a single workflow, you must upgrade to MailerLite Advanced. AWeber uses a simpler tag-and-campaign system where applying a tag starts a sequence. Still, the Lite plan caps you at three active workflows and one saved segment.
| Feature Group. | MailerLite Features. | AWeber Features. |
|---|---|---|
| Drag-and-Drop Editor. | Modern block builder with dynamic content and product blocks. | Visual builder with direct Canva button and stock photo library. |
| Landing Page Limits. | Up to 10 on Free and no-cap on paid plans. | One on Free, three on Lite, and no-cap on Plus. |
| Workflow Triggers. | Single trigger on Free and Growing Business, up to three on Advanced. | Tag-based and signup triggers, capped at three workflows on Lite. |
| Segmentation Rules. | No-cap saved segments and groups across all plans. | One custom segment on Lite and no-cap segments on Plus. |
| Account Check. | Strict manual account review needed before full sending limits open. | Standard signup process with immediate access to dashboard tools. |
How Do Buyer Support and Inbox reach Compare?
Buyer support is AWeber’s strongest advantage for non-technical owners. Paid AWeber users can pick up the phone during business hours or open live chat and email support seven days a week. When a DNS record or signup form breaks, speaking to a human agent saves hours of frustration.
MailerLite matches support channels to your plan level. Free users get email support for the first 30 days. Growing Business users receive 24/7 email support, while 24/7 live chat needs the Advanced tier. MailerLite has no phone support line on any plan.
On the inbox reach side, MailerLite enforces a strict anti-spam review when you open an account. Some new firms without a live website find this sign-off step slow. Yet this screening keeps bad senders off MailerLite’s shared IP pools. That helps protect inbox placement for legitimate newsletters.
Six-Step Checklist to Choose Between MailerLite and AWeber.
- Count your current active email contacts and estimate your list growth over the next 12 months.
- Check whether you already have a live business website and custom domain email address for MailerLite’s account review.
- Decide if you want active-only contact billing on MailerLite or if you are willing to delete opted-out contacts manually in AWeber.
- Count how many landing pages and custom audience segments you need right now, since AWeber Lite caps both.
- Test whether your team needs live phone support during setup or prefers self-serve help docs and email tickets.
- Check your DNS access. That way, you can add SPF, DKIM, and DMARC login check records before sending your first campaign.
Often Asked Questions.
Does MailerLite charge for opted-out contacts?
No, MailerLite charges only for active contacts on your list. Opted-out and bounced addresses stay in your account history without adding to your monthly bill.
Why does AWeber count opted-out contacts toward my plan limit?
AWeber bills based on total stored contacts across active, pending, and opted-out statuses. You can avoid paying for opted-out contacts by deleting them manually from your list settings.
Can I use a free Gmail or Yahoo address to send newsletters on MailerLite and AWeber?
You should use a custom domain email address on both platforms. Yahoo and Google bulk sender rules block or filter marketing campaigns sent from free personal email addresses.
Which platform gives you a larger free plan for a new newsletter?
MailerLite offers the larger free allowance with up to 1,000 active contacts and 12,000 monthly emails after account sign-off. AWeber Free caps accounts at 500 contacts and 3,000 monthly emails.
Final Verdict: Which Newsletter Tool Should You Pick?
Pick MailerLite if you want lower monthly pricing, active-only contact billing, and a larger free tier up to 1,000 contacts. It fits small firms and newsletter creators who already have a live website and do not need phone support.
Pick AWeber if you value live phone support, built-in Canva image editing, and fast account setup without a manual sign-off queue. Just remember to delete opted-out contacts each month so inactive addresses do not push your account into a higher billing tier.
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