Mailchimp vs AWeber 2024: How to choose the best email tool
Email marketing remains among the most powerful forms of digital marketing; its adaptability, cost-effectiveness and direct reach is hard to beat.
Its capacity to deliver high returns on investment, build loyalty and drive conversions has not only kept it relevant, but given rise to numerous email automation software and platforms.
Mailchimp and AWeber are two such tools, both regularly featuring among businesses’ top-rated.
About Mailchimp
Mailchimp is a comprehensive marketing platform primarily known for its email capabilities. It has, however, expanded to include various other features to support businesses.
Here are some of Mailchimp’s core email marketing features:
Email campaigns- Email design : Create, send and manage email campaigns using customisable templates or a drag-and-drop email builder
- Automation : Schedule automated emails such as welcome series and abandoned cart reminders
- A/B testing : * Test different versions of content marketing emails to optimise performance
Contact management
- Lead capture : Create opt-in forms and segment lists to target specific audiences
- Customer segmentation : Organise contacts based on behaviour, purchase history and other elements for tailored campaigns
Reporting and analytics
- Performance tracking : Monitor open rates, click-through rates, bounces and unsubscribes
- Insights : Gain insights into customer behaviour to improve future content marketing campaigns
Additional features
- Social media integration : Schedule and publish engaging content on social media platforms
- Ecommerce integration : Sync with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce to create targeted email campaigns based on store activity
- Website and landing page builder : Build and publish websites and landing pages using a drag-and-drop editor
- Geotargeting : Send targeted messages based on customers’ geographic locations
Advanced tools*
- Multivariate testing : Test multiple variables in email campaigns
- Customer journey builder : Create automated sales funnels with customisable conditions
- Postcards : Send physical postcards for promotions and reminders
* These tools are available on paid and higher-tier plans
Who it can help
Mailchimp is most effective for small to mid-sized businesses. It is best suited for:
- Marketing, education and social media services
- Start-ups and small businesses
- E-commerce and retail
- Mobile and web apps
- Online content marketing and copywriting agencies
- Businesses needing integrations
- Service providers
About AWeber
AWeber is a cloud-based email marketing platform designed to help businesses manage their email marketing campaigns effectively and connect with subscribers.
Here are some of AWeber’s core email marketing features:
Email campaigns- Email design : Create and send digital marketing copy, newsletters, coupons and special offers using customisable templates or the Smart Designer AI-powered tool
- Automation : Schedule automated messages, including welcome series and follow-up emails to build relationships and engage subscribers.
- A/B testing : Test different versions of emails to optimise performance and improve engagement
Contact management
- Lead capture : Create and publish opt-in forms on websites to capture subscriber information and build email lists
- Customer segmentation : Organise contacts with detailed filters and tags based on behaviour, purchase history and custom fields for targeted campaigns
Reporting and analytics
- Performance tracking : Monitor open rates, click-through rates, conversions, revenue over time and other metrics to evaluate campaign effectiveness
- Insights : Gain insights into subscriber behaviour and campaign performance to refine future marketing efforts
Additional features
- Landing page builder : Build and design landing pages using a variety of templates and smart content functionality to embed interactive content
- Integrations : Gain access to a wide range of third-party tools and applications to enhance functionality
- Subscriber management : Add, import and manage subscriber lists, including customising fields and excluding certain subscribers from specific campaigns
Advanced tools
- Spam score calculation : Improve email deliverability by calculating and optimising spam scores
- Custom workflows : Create automated workflows triggered by subscriber actions or tags to ensure relevant communication
Who it can help
AWeber is a solid choice for small businesses and start-ups. It is best suited for:
- Small businesses and start-ups
- Bloggers and content creators
- Ecommerce businesses
- Entrepreneurs and solopreneurs
- Intermediate email marketers
Mailchimp for email marketing: Pros and cons
Pros
Ease of use- Clean, user-friendly interface makes it easy to navigate and create campaigns
Email editor
- Offers both ‘Classic’ and ‘New Builder’ editors with drag-and-drop functionality, integrated error-checking and copy optimisation tools
Marketing automation tools
- The ‘Customer Journeys’ feature allows for creating automated sequences with pre-built templates
Segmentation
- Advanced audience segmentation options based on demographics, behaviour and other criteria
Personalisation
- Dynamic content insertion with merge tags allows for targeted and personalised email campaigns
Analytics and reporting
- Real-time analytics, including detailed campaign performance metrics and custom reports
Email deliverability
- Generally good deliverability rates, with domain verification and authentication options to improve inbox placement
Integrations
- More than 300 integrations with popular tools like Shopify, Salesforce and Google Analytics
Cons
Affordability- Paid plans can become expensive quickly, especially for larger email lists. Charges include duplicates, unsubscribed and inactive contacts
Email template library
- Limited selection of responsive and modern templates
Sign-up forms
- Form builder is confusing, lacks a colour picker and options are not clearly presented
Landing pages
- Limited design options, no start-from-scratch feature and lack of A/B testing
Split testing
- Paid add-on for Litmus Inbox Preview, limited to email campaigns (no landing pages)
Customer support
- Email support only available for 30 days for free users
Automation
- Automation features are not as robust or intuitive compared to other tools
AWeber for email marketing: Pro and cons
Pros
Ease of use and setup- User-friendly; easy to import customers and create and segment lists
- Stable platform, widely trusted by email marketers
Cost-effective for beginners
- Free plan for businesses with fewer than 500 contacts
Customer support
- Strong 24/7 customer service
Comprehensive email tools
- More than 700 email templates
- The ability to create custom designs using Canva
- Users can automate email sequences, send RSS to email broadcasts and segment subscribers
- Includes A/B testing for email campaigns
Analytics and reporting
- Sophisticated email analytics and pre-designed reports to track key metrics
Integration and customisation
- Integrates with numerous third-party apps and tools for seamless workflow
- Supports both single-opt-in and double-opt-in for subscriber lists
Template and image library
- Offers a vast library of customisable email templates and access to over 6,000 stock images
Cons
Pricing issues- Users are charged for subscribers even if they have unsubscribed
- Multiple charges for single subscribers on multiple lists
Deliverability concerns
- Some emails may land in spam folders
- Lacks detailed deliverability safeguards and the ability to categorise delivery data based on email service providers
Outdated user interface
- UI is considered by some to be outdated and cumbersome, hindering multitasking and smooth workflow
- Steep learning curve
Limited A/B testing and reporting features
- Landing page builder does not support A/B testing
- Reports can sometimes be inaccurate or incomplete
Template and feature limitations
- Some templates are outdated and may require significant customisation
- The RSS to email feature has a limited selection of templates and can be difficult to convert and edit
Content is still king
While Mailchimp and AWeber are both good for email marketing, the ‘winner’ will be determined by personal preference based on their different offerings, strengths and weaknesses.
Whichever platform you choose though, it is important to remember that content reigns supreme; the success of your email marketing ultimately hinges on compelling, engaging content.
It may, thus, be wise to hire a professional content writing company to enhance your digital marketing copy and content strategy.
Contact Hunter & Scribe today and let compelling messaging and company newsletters be your secret weapon for email marketing success.
