Last Updated 3 months by Emily Standley-Allard
Email marketing is still one of the most effective marketing strategies out there for businesses and creators. This post reviews Convertkit and Aweber which are two of the top email marketing software programs out there.
The key to getting the most out of email marketing lies in the tools you use. Ideally, if you have a blog or online business you should get your hands on a top-quality email marketing tool that makes your life easier and allows you to carry out email automation – while providing other features too.
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These days, you have several options but today we’re going to focus on two major players in the blogging universe: ConvertKit and Aweber.
Both choices have their advantages and disadvantages. The best way to figure out which one is ideal for you is to compare the options – which we’ve done in this blog post!
ConvertKit Benefits & Disadvantages
ConvertKit is an email marketing tool that helps you gain control over your subscribers. Already, we have a key difference between it and Aweber; ConvertKit doesn’t separate your subscribers into lists, it uses tags.
You can click on tags to add subscribers to new lists, rather than needing to create an entirely new list, then send out emails getting your subscribers to subscribe to that specific list along with the existing one.
This tool also makes excellent use of email automation.
You can assign ‘triggers’ to links or buttons in your emails, which automatically complete an action when clicked.
For example, if someone clicks on a link saying ‘Subscribe’ you can automate it to instantly sign the person up rather than needing them to fill out loads of forms.
The ConvertKit Free plan includes:
- Unlimited landing pages
- Unlimited, customizable CTAs & signup forms
- 30+ premium landing page templates
- Unlimited traffic
- Customizable domain setup
- Mobile responsive designs
- Manage up to 1000 subscribers
- Unlimited Email broadcasts
- Subscriber tagging
- Seamless Unsplash integration
- Creator community
Check out more of ConverKit’s features HERE
Additionally, it features an intuitive interface that makes it easy for you to create different email templates. From email templates for bloggers to email templates for small business – you can do a lot with this tool.
However, the main benefit – and a reason to possibly choose this over Aweber – is the subscriber-focused attitude.
It was recently brought to my attention that AWeber is also subscriber-based, meaning you can manage all of your subscribers within one list using tags and segments.
As mentioned above, the unique tagging system makes it easier to carry out email automation, which means you spend less time doing things manually. So, you can save time and run a more efficient campaign.
One disadvantage of ConvertKit is that it’s hard to remove inactive subscribers. You have to email the company directly and get them to remove an inactive subscriber for you.
The customer service for ConvertKit has improved tremendously from a few years ago.
It is now parallel in instantaneous communication similar to a long-standing company like Constant Contact which is also seamless in its communication and customer care.
In this day and age of instant access, people expect to have their issues resolved then and there. Yes, we’re indeed an impatient generation.
Aweber Overview & Benefits
Aweber is the older of the two tools, and this plays in its favor. As an email marketing tool with lots of years behind it, you expect to see fewer issues. Not only that, but there’s more support for an older product like this.
So, if you ever have any problems, you can take advantage of the 24/7 customer support offered by Aweber.
What’s more, Aweber comes with a neat autoresponder that instantly sends out email replies to notify your subscribers that you received their message.
Speaking of email automation, the drag and drop feature on Aweber makes it very easy for you to edit emails and adjust the different ways you automate them. Combine this with well over 700 online email templates and you’ve got a great little package.
Lastly, Aweber can boast a prettier price tag than ConvertKit. Both products are priced depending on the number of subscribers you’re managing.
The more options you have, the more expensive it is. However, Aweber comes in as the cheapest option across the board – apart from when you have up to 1000 subscribers, in this category they’re both the same price.
Where disadvantages are concerned, Aweber has a slightly annoying feature where people who unsubscribe still fall into your subscriber count.
It’s also so much harder to move people between lists, which you don’t get with ConvertKit.
AWeber like Convertkit is subscriber-based. You can also trigger actions when someone clicks a link, opens your email, or visits a specific page on your website.
One of the many advantages Aweber has over ConvertKit is that they are flexible enough to allow someone to have multiple lists within a single account.
So you can run multiple businesses (via lists) within one account.
Which is the better email auto marketing tool?
Both ConvertKit and Aweber boast a host of strong features.
But, which one is superior to the other? In essence, it comes down to what you’re looking for in an email marketing tool.
If email automation is your number one priority – and you want to have features that make your life easier – then ConvertKit in my purely subjective opinion does come out on top.
The tag feature makes it so simple to implement email automation, and it removes all the stress that comes from your typical subscriber list management.
They also have a brand-new feature that allows content creators to sell their products directly from the platform! See below.
On the other hand, Aweber has been around longer. From the time of this post it has more integrations with email apps, and more email templates.
Plus, it works out as the cheaper option, so it’s good for anyone looking to stay within a lower budget.
Update! Sell Products Online with Convertkit
Convertkit has done a tremendous amount of work helping content creators earn a living online.
Currently, ConvertKit lets you create, manage, and sell digital products online! Get started now by adding your first product or set up your payout details so that you’re ready to receive payments right away.
They offer creators the tools they need to get started on this mission directly from your platform.
With ConvertKit Commerce creators will be able to start building a subscriber base, engage and grow their audience, and sell digital products, all through our platform.
Examples of these products include ebooks, courses, PDFs, newsletter subscriptions, documentaries, albums, presets, photography, films, and more.
As with every part of their product, Commerce is being built with creators in mind.
Realistically, the decision is up to you! Hopefully, this comparison has helped you figure out which option appeals to your needs the most.
Not to be biased but I use ConvertKit and Podia for all my content creation and selling needs.
They make it so simple to start building your customized email campaigns without spending too much time on email marketing which frankly, is not anyone’s favorite task!
This system has a great reputation worldwide, is used by small and large companies and entrepreneurs around the world, it is very safe and effective with a good anti-spam policy.
Update – I most recently switched over to ConvertKit because I really love their autoresponders, sequences, tagging ability and landing pages.
They even have a convenient WordPress plugin that integrates with other 3rd party applications as well.
Their tutorials could be a bit better structured, and I found to be slightly confusing.
Their customer service is very helpful and always gets back to you.
They also have some pretty major bloggers signed up with them. Obviously, they’re doing something right!
You see, everyone goes through times when they need different options so it’s all a matter of personal preference and where you are in your business journey.
No matter which email marketing software or company you pick, it’s vital to start growing your email marketing list as soon as possible as a small business or creative content entrepreneur.
Try it out and sign up FREE with ConvertKit for up to 1,000 subscribers today!
