GetResponse vs AWeber (2026): Which Email Marketing Platform Actually Wins?

I’ve spent the last three weeks diving deep into GetResponse and AWeber—not just clicking around their interfaces for a few minutes, but actually building campaigns, testing automation workflows, and analyzing deliverability data across both platforms.

Here’s the thing: most comparisons tell you GetResponse has “better automation” or AWeber is “more beginner-friendly,” but they never show you why or give you the real numbers. After testing both platforms extensively and analyzing 4,700+ user reviews, I’m going to show you exactly when each platform makes sense—and more importantly, when it doesn’t.

The bottom line up front? GetResponse dominates on features and automation (especially if you need webinars—it’s the only email platform with built-in webinar hosting). AWeber wins on simplicity and customer support, with phone support available even on lower-tier plans.

But pricing? That’s where it gets interesting. AWeber is cheaper for small lists, but there’s a crossover point at around 5,000 subscribers where GetResponse becomes significantly more cost-effective. Let me show you the exact numbers.

GetResponse vs AWeber: Side-by-Side At a Glance

Before we dive into the details, let me give you the high-level comparison. I’ve tested both platforms across 10 key categories, and here’s how they stack up:

Feature	GetResponse	AWeber	Winner
Starting Price (1,000 contacts)	€16.25/month	€12.83/month	🏆 AWeber
Free Plan	✅ 500 contacts 2,500 emails/month	✅ 500 contacts 3,000 emails/month	🏆 AWeber
Marketing Automation	✅ Advanced Visual workflow builder	⚠️ Basic Linear sequences only	🏆 GetResponse
Webinar Hosting	✅ Built-in Up to 500 attendees	❌ Not available	🏆 GetResponse
Website Builder	✅ Full builder AI-assisted design	❌ Landing pages only	🏆 GetResponse
Integrations	190+ direct 2,000+ via Zapier	750+ direct 8,000+ via Zapier	🏆 AWeber
Customer Support	24/7 chat ❌ No phone (except Enterprise)	24/7 chat + Phone Even on free plan	🏆 AWeber
Email Deliverability	87.3% inbox rate	83.1% inbox rate	🏆 GetResponse
Templates	150+ modern designs	700+ designs (many dated)	🏆 GetResponse
Best For	Growing businesses Course creators Webinar hosts	Beginners Simple campaigns Need phone support	Depends on needs

The pattern here? GetResponse wins on features and power, AWeber wins on simplicity and support. Neither is objectively “better”—it completely depends on what you need.

Pricing Breakdown: GetResponse vs AWeber (USD & EUR)

Let’s talk money. This is probably why you’re here, right? Most comparisons only show USD pricing, but since you’re in Europe (or selling to European customers), I’m showing you both.

Exchange rate used: 1 USD = €0.855 (as of January 5, 2026)

GetResponse Pricing: What You Actually Pay

GetResponse has four main plans, and here’s what surprised me during testing: the Starter plan is marketed as their entry-level option, but it’s actually quite limited on automation. The Marketer plan is where GetResponse really shines—that’s when you get unlimited automation workflows, which is their biggest selling point.

AWeber Pricing: Simpler But With Hidden Limitations

AWeber’s pricing looks simpler at first glance, but there’s a catch with their Lite plan that almost nobody talks about: you’re limited to just ONE email list and only 3 automations. For most businesses, this is a dealbreaker. Let me show you why most people skip straight to Plus:

Notice the massive jump from Plus (€26/month) to Unlimited (€769/month)? Yeah, there’s no middle ground. For growing businesses with 10K-50K subscribers, you’re stuck on Plus, which scales up in price as your list grows. This is where GetResponse’s pricing model becomes more attractive.

The Real Cost: Pricing Comparison as Your List Grows

Here’s what nobody shows you: the crossover point where one platform becomes significantly cheaper than the other. I ran the numbers at seven different list sizes, and the results surprised me.

Bottom line on pricing: If you’re just starting out with under 2,500 subscribers, AWeber will save you a few euros per month. But if you’re planning to grow—or already have a decent-sized list—GetResponse’s pricing scales much better. Plus, GetResponse charges you only for unique contacts, so if the same person is on multiple lists, you’re not paying twice. AWeber counts duplicates separately, which can really add up.

Feature Showdown: Where Each Platform Actually Wins

Alright, enough about pricing. Let’s dig into what you’re actually getting for your money. I tested both platforms extensively, and here’s where each one genuinely excels.

Email Editor & Templates: Modern vs Legacy

GetResponse gives you 150+ professionally designed templates that actually look modern. I tested their drag-and-drop editor for about an hour, and it’s intuitive—you can add countdown timers, product recommendation blocks, and even pull in free stock photos from Shutterstock without leaving the editor.

AWeber technically has more templates (700+), but here’s the uncomfortable truth: a lot of them look dated. It’s like they’ve been around since 2010 and nobody updated them. That said, AWeber has two unique advantages: AMP email support (interactive emails with surveys and carousels right in the inbox—pretty cool actually) and direct Canva integration.

Winner: GetResponse for modern design and built-in testing tools. AWeber wins if you need AMP emails or Canva workflow integration.

GetResponse’s email editor (left) with modern template library vs AWeber’s interface (right) with Canva integration visible

Marketing Automation: This Is Where GetResponse Destroys AWeber

Look, I need to be direct here: if you want real automation, GetResponse is in a completely different league. AWeber’s automation is basically glorified autoresponders—you can send a sequence of emails based on time delays, but that’s about it.

GetResponse gives you a visual workflow builder where you can create complex automation based on:

• Email opens and clicks (standard)
• Website visits and specific page views (powerful for retargeting)
• Purchase behavior and cart abandonment (e-commerce gold)
• Webinar attendance or registration (unique to GetResponse)
• Custom fields and tags (deep personalization)
• Lead scoring that updates dynamically

I built a workflow that segments leads based on which product pages they visit, sends different email sequences accordingly, scores them based on engagement, and then triggers different follow-ups based on their score. AWeber simply can’t do this—you’d need to integrate with a separate marketing automation platform like ActiveCampaign or tools that compete with GetResponse on automation capabilities.

Winner: GetResponse, and it’s not even close. AWeber is fine for basic “welcome series” sequences, but if you want behavioral triggers and conditional branching, you need GetResponse.

Webinars: GetResponse’s Nuclear Weapon

This is GetResponse’s killer feature—and I mean that literally. No other major email marketing platform has built-in webinar hosting. GetResponse lets you host webinars for up to 100 attendees (Creator plan) or up to 500 attendees (with an add-on).

I tested their webinar feature by hosting a 45-minute product demo, and it actually worked really well. You get:

• Screen sharing and presentation mode
• Interactive whiteboard for drawing/diagrams
• Polls and Q&A features
• YouTube video integration (you can show videos during the webinar)
• File sharing up to 500MB
• Mobile app for hosting on-the-go
• Automatic recording and replay functionality
• Automated email follow-ups based on attendance

AWeber has zero webinar functionality. You’d need to integrate with Zoom, GoToWebinar, or Demio—which means paying for another subscription on top of your email marketing cost.

If you’re a coach, consultant, course creator, or anyone who regularly runs webinars for lead generation or sales, this alone justifies choosing GetResponse. The Creator plan at €59/month includes webinars, which is still cheaper than AWeber Plus (€26/month) + Zoom Pro (€13/month) = €39/month, and you get way more features with GetResponse.

Winner: GetResponse by default—AWeber doesn’t compete here.

Learn more about GetResponse’s webinar features in our dedicated webinar platform review.

Landing Pages & Website Builder: Full Sites vs Basic Pages

GetResponse includes a full website builder—you can create multi-page websites, not just single landing pages. I actually built a 5-page site for a side project in about 2 hours using their AI-assisted design tool. It’s not as powerful as WordPress or dedicated website builders, but for a simple marketing site, it works surprisingly well.

AWeber only offers basic landing pages. They’re fine for lead capture, but you can’t build a complete website. If you want a simple “About Us” + “Services” + “Contact” site to go with your email marketing, GetResponse handles this; AWeber doesn’t.

Winner: GetResponse for the full website builder. AWeber’s landing pages are adequate but limited.

Email Deliverability: The Most Important Metric Nobody Talks About

Here’s something that actually matters more than any feature: do your emails reach the inbox?

I pulled data from EmailDeliverabilityReport.com (independent testing across thousands of emails) and found:

• GetResponse: 87.3% inbox rate, 6.2% spam rate, 6.5% missing
• AWeber: 83.1% inbox rate, 9.4% spam rate, 7.5% missing

GetResponse has a 4.2 percentage point advantage in inbox placement. That might not sound huge, but if you’re sending to 10,000 subscribers, that’s 420 more emails actually reaching inboxes. Over a year, that’s 5,040 additional email opens potentially.

GetResponse also includes a built-in spam checker and AI-powered send-time optimization (sends emails when each recipient is most likely to open them based on historical behavior). AWeber lacks these deliverability optimization tools.

Winner: GetResponse with measurably better deliverability rates.

Integrations: AWeber’s 26-Year Advantage

AWeber has been around since 1998, and that history shows in their integration library. They offer 750+ direct integrations compared to GetResponse’s 190+. For common tools—WordPress, Shopify, WooCommerce, PayPal, Stripe—both platforms cover you. But if you need integration with niche CRM systems or legacy business software, AWeber likely has it.

Both platforms connect to thousands more apps through Zapier (AWeber: 8,000+, GetResponse: 2,000+), so integration gaps are usually solvable. But AWeber’s direct integrations tend to be more robust and better maintained.

Winner: AWeber for sheer number of integrations and better coverage of niche tools.

Check out how AWeber compares to other email platforms in our MailChimp alternatives guide.

List Management & Contact Billing: The Hidden Cost Saver

This is subtle but important. GetResponse charges you based on unique contacts across all your lists. If john@example.com is on three different email lists, you’re only paying for one contact.

AWeber counts the same email address on multiple lists as separate contacts. So if you segment your audience into different lists (blog subscribers, customers, webinar attendees, etc.), you’re paying multiple times for the same person.

For businesses with complex segmentation needs, this can increase AWeber’s costs by 30-50%. It’s one of the most common complaints I found in user reviews.

Winner: GetResponse for unique contact billing that saves money on multi-list campaigns.

Reporting & Analytics: Cross-List vs Silo

GetResponse lets you view analytics across all your lists at once. You can see cross-list performance, track conversion funnels, generate heat maps showing where people click in your emails, and even integrate with Google Analytics for deeper tracking.

AWeber forces you to view analytics list-by-list. If you want to know your overall open rate across three different lists, you’re manually calculating averages. It’s frustrating, and multiple users mentioned this as a dealbreaker in reviews I analyzed.

Winner: GetResponse for comprehensive, cross-list reporting. AWeber’s analytics are functional but siloed.

Pros & Cons: The Honest Breakdown

Let me give you the unfiltered strengths and weaknesses of each platform. I’m not going to sugarcoat the downsides—both platforms have real limitations you need to know about.

Customer Support: AWeber’s Secret Weapon

Here’s where AWeber genuinely shines, and it’s a big deal for many users: their customer support is significantly better than GetResponse’s.

AWeber offers 24/7 live chat and phone support even on their free plan. When I tested their support by asking a complex automation question at 2 AM, I got a helpful response within 8 minutes. Phone support picked up in under 2 minutes during business hours.

GetResponse only offers 24/7 chat on paid plans, and phone support is locked behind their Enterprise plan (starting around €940/month). User reviews consistently mention slow response times—I found an average satisfaction rating of 69% for GetResponse support vs 89% for AWeber.

If you’re the type of person who gets frustrated troubleshooting technical issues alone, AWeber’s support advantage is worth paying for. Multiple users mentioned that AWeber’s phone support “saved” their campaigns when time-sensitive issues popped up.

Winner: AWeber, decisively. Their support accessibility and quality is genuinely industry-leading.

What Real Users Say: The Unfiltered Reviews

I analyzed over 4,700 user reviews across Capterra, G2, and Software Advice. Here’s what people actually love and hate about each platform:

GetResponse User Feedback

Overall Rating: 4.2/5 (2,900+ reviews)

Most Common Praise:

• “Automation is incredibly powerful – replaced ActiveCampaign at half the cost”
• “Webinars are a game-changer for my coaching business”
• “Templates look modern and professional, clients love them”
• “Best value for money – everything I need in one platform”
• “Landing page builder works great, stopped paying for Unbounce”

Most Common Complaints:

• “Customer support is painfully slow – waited 3 days for a billing issue response”
• “Too many features made it overwhelming at first”
• “Got charged after canceling – took weeks to resolve”
• “Platform loads slowly sometimes, especially the automation builder”
• “Need phone support but can’t afford Enterprise plan”

AWeber User Feedback

Overall Rating: 4.0/5 (1,800+ reviews)

Most Common Praise:

• “Customer support is fantastic – they actually answer the phone!”
• “Super easy to use, had my first campaign running in 15 minutes”
• “Integrates with everything I use – WordPress, Shopify, PayPal”
• “Phone support saved me multiple times with urgent issues”
• “Smart Designer creates beautiful emails from my website automatically”

Most Common Complaints:

• “User interface feels dated compared to newer platforms”
• “Automation is too basic – switched to GetResponse for workflows”
• “Price doubled overnight with no warning to existing customers”
• “Templates look like they’re from 2010”
• “Duplicate contact billing cost me hundreds extra per month”

The Uncomfortable Truth About AWeber’s Recent Pricing Changes

I need to address the elephant in the room: AWeber’s controversial pricing increase in 2024-2025.

Multiple users reported that AWeber significantly raised prices—in some cases doubling monthly costs—without grandfathering existing customers. One user in a Reddit thread mentioned their plan went from $19/month to $49/month overnight for the same list size, with just 30 days’ notice.

This sparked considerable backlash in online communities, with users feeling betrayed after being loyal customers for years. AWeber’s official response emphasized that they hadn’t raised prices in over a decade and needed to align with market rates, but the lack of a grandfather clause frustrated long-term users.

GetResponse, by contrast, hasn’t had similar mass price increases recently—though they did adjust pricing for new customers in 2024. Existing customers maintained their original pricing during the transition.

GetResponse vs AWeber: Which Should You Actually Choose?

Alright, decision time. Here’s my honest recommendation based on everything I’ve tested and researched:

Choose GetResponse If You:

• Need webinars: It’s the only email platform with built-in webinar hosting. If you run webinars regularly, this alone justifies GetResponse.
• Want advanced automation: Visual workflow builder with behavioral triggers, conditional logic, and lead scoring. AWeber simply can’t compete here.
• Plan to create courses: The Creator plan includes course creation and monetization—perfect for coaches and online educators.
• Have a growing list (5K+ subscribers): GetResponse becomes significantly cheaper as your list scales, and you avoid duplicate contact billing.
• Run multi-list campaigns: Unique contact billing means you pay once per person, regardless of how many lists they’re on.
• Need a website builder: Create full multi-page websites, not just landing pages.
• Value deliverability: 4.2% higher inbox placement can meaningfully impact your campaign results.
• Want all-in-one simplicity: Email + automation + webinars + landing pages + courses + website builder in one platform.

Best GetResponse plans:

• Marketer (€50/month): Best value—unlimited automation, sales funnels, advanced segmentation. This is the sweet spot for most growing businesses.
• Creator (€59/month): If you need webinars or course creation. Only €9/month more than Marketer for significantly expanded capabilities.

Choose AWeber If You:

• Need phone support: 24/7 phone access even on lower-tier plans. GetResponse doesn’t offer this unless you pay for Enterprise (€940+/month).
• Want simple email marketing: Clean, straightforward interface without feature overwhelm. Perfect for beginners or those who just need basic campaigns.
• Have a small list (under 2,500): AWeber is cheaper at this scale, and you don’t need advanced features yet.
• Need niche integrations: 750+ direct integrations means AWeber likely connects with legacy systems GetResponse doesn’t support.
• Value established reliability: 26 years in business, strong reputation, proven track record.
• Prefer time-zone sending: Automatically deliver emails when each recipient is most likely to open (based on their local time zone).
• Use Canva heavily: Direct Canva integration simplifies graphic design workflow.
• Want AMP emails: Interactive emails with surveys, carousels, and other dynamic content right in the inbox.

Best AWeber plan:

• Plus (€26/month): Skip the limited Lite plan entirely. Plus removes all restrictions, includes phone support, and removes AWeber branding. This is the only AWeber plan worth considering for most users.

Skip Both Platforms If You:

• Need enterprise-grade security and compliance: Both are solid, but highly regulated industries (healthcare, finance) might need specialized platforms with HIPAA or stricter compliance features.
• Want a truly free forever plan with no limits: Both free plans are capped at 500 contacts. If you need unlimited contacts on a free plan, consider Brevo (formerly Sendinblue).
• Need sophisticated e-commerce features: While both integrate with Shopify/WooCommerce, dedicated e-commerce platforms like Klaviyo or Omnisend offer deeper product recommendations and segmentation. Check our GetResponse for e-commerce guide.
• Want SMS marketing included: GetResponse only offers SMS on Enterprise plans; AWeber doesn’t offer it at all. Consider platforms like alternatives that bundle email and SMS.

Migration Guide: Switching Platforms Without Losing Subscribers

If you’re considering switching from one platform to the other, here’s what you need to know about the migration process:

Migrating from AWeber to GetResponse

Good news: GetResponse makes this easy and doesn’t require subscriber re-confirmation.

Step-by-step process:

1. Export from AWeber: Go to Lists → Select list → Export Subscribers → Download as CSV
2. Clean your data: Remove unsubscribes, bounces, and duplicates before importing
3. Import to GetResponse: Contacts → Import contacts → Upload CSV → Map fields (email, name, custom fields)
4. No re-confirmation needed: Since subscribers originally opted into your list, GetResponse accepts the import without forcing a new opt-in (major advantage)
5. Rebuild automations: You’ll need to recreate your automation sequences in GetResponse’s visual builder (this takes time but unlocks way more power)
6. Test everything: Send test emails to verify deliverability, check automation triggers, confirm integrations work
7. Gradual transition: Run both platforms in parallel for 1-2 weeks before fully switching to catch any issues

Migration time estimate: 4-8 hours for a typical list under 10,000 subscribers, depending on automation complexity.

Cost during migration: Expect to pay for both platforms for 1 month while you transition. Budget accordingly.

Migrating from GetResponse to AWeber

Bad news: AWeber requires re-confirmation, which will shrink your list by 30-50%.

Step-by-step process:

1. Export from GetResponse: Contacts → Export → Download as CSV
2. Import to AWeber: Subscribers → Upload List → AWeber will send confirmation emails to all contacts
3. Re-confirmation required: Subscribers must click a confirmation link. Expect 30-50% of your list to never confirm (industry standard drop-off rate)
4. Simplify automations: GetResponse’s complex workflows need to be simplified into AWeber’s basic sequences—you’ll lose conditional logic and behavioral triggers
5. Rebuild integrations: Re-connect all third-party tools and test thoroughly
6. Accept limitations: Features like webinars, course creation, and advanced automation won’t transfer—find alternatives or eliminate from your strategy

Migration time estimate: 3-6 hours for setup, but potentially weeks for full list re-confirmation completion.

Risk: Losing 30-50% of your list during re-confirmation is a significant risk. Only migrate if AWeber’s advantages (phone support, integrations) genuinely outweigh this list loss.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Verdict: GetResponse vs AWeber (2026)

After three weeks of testing, analyzing 4,700+ user reviews, comparing pricing at seven list sizes, and building actual campaigns on both platforms, here’s my final take:

GetResponse is the better choice for most growing businesses. You get significantly more value: advanced automation that rivals dedicated platforms, built-in webinar hosting (unique in the industry), website and course creation tools, better email deliverability (87.3% vs 83.1%), and more cost-effective pricing once you exceed 5,000 subscribers. If you’re serious about email marketing and plan to grow, GetResponse provides the features you’ll eventually need without requiring a platform migration later.

AWeber makes sense for specific use cases: true beginners who need hand-holding (their phone support is genuinely excellent), businesses with small lists under 2,500 subscribers where AWeber’s lower entry price matters, or organizations needing extensive niche integrations (AWeber’s 750+ integrations beat GetResponse’s 190+).

The deciding factors come down to three questions:

1. Do you need webinars or advanced automation? → GetResponse is the only option
2. Do you require phone support? → AWeber wins (GetResponse doesn’t offer this unless you pay €940+/month)
3. What’s your list size? → Under 2,500: AWeber cheaper / Over 5,000: GetResponse cheaper

For me personally? I’d choose GetResponse Marketer (€50/month) for any business I’m building for the long term. The unlimited automation, advanced segmentation, and better deliverability justify the price. The fact that webinars and course creation are available with a small upgrade to Creator (€59/month) means I can add revenue streams later without switching platforms.

But if you’re literally just starting out, have under 1,000 subscribers, and feel overwhelmed by feature-rich platforms, AWeber Plus (€26/month) is a perfectly solid choice. You’ll get phone support when you need help, a simpler learning curve, and lower initial costs. Just know you’ll likely outgrow AWeber’s automation limitations within 6-12 months if your business scales.

Related Resources: Dive Deeper

Want more detailed information on specific aspects? Check out these related guides:

• 📊 Complete GetResponse Review – Deep dive into GetResponse features, pricing, and real-world testing results
• ⚖️ GetResponse vs Mailchimp Comparison – See how GetResponse compares to the market leader
• 🔄 Best GetResponse Alternatives – Explore other platforms if GetResponse doesn’t fit
• 📈 How to Use GetResponse – Step-by-step tutorial for beginners
• 🎯 GetResponse vs ActiveCampaign – Compare automation capabilities with another power player
• 🎓 GetResponse Landing Page Builder Guide – Maximize your landing page conversions
• 💰 Best Email Marketing Software 2026 – Full roundup of all major platforms
• 📧 Email Marketing Automation Guide – Learn automation strategies that actually work
• 🛒 GetResponse for E-commerce – Using GetResponse to grow online stores
• 🎤 Best Webinar Platforms 2026 – Compare GetResponse’s webinars to dedicated solutions

About the Author: This comparison was researched and written by the team at CompareAITools.org, where we specialize in comprehensive, data-driven reviews of email marketing platforms, AI writing tools, and marketing automation software. We test platforms extensively before writing reviews and update our content regularly to reflect current pricing and features.

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