Email Templates
Let's begin by checking out the email templates you can access with AWeber vs. ConvertKit.
AWeber Email Templates
AWeber offers an impressive gallery of approximately 700 templates. Many of them are responsive, and you can customize their images, buttons, fonts, etc. Although some of them look a little outdated, there's plenty of options to choose from. If you want custom designs, you can pay extra and have a team of professionals help you.
ConvertKit Email Templates
ConvertKit is slightly limiting when it comes to email design options. It offers three main email templates - text only, classic, and modern. However, you get plenty of customization options that allow you to personalize them. You can change the font, alignment, or color and add CTA buttons, headers, or lists. The integration with Unsplash grants access to thousands of images you can add to your emails.
The Winner
AWeber offers more options.
Landing Pages
Using landing pages allows you to collect leads easier and prepare them for the sales funnel.
AWeber Landing Pages
AWeber's landing page builder helps you create a page in minutes by dragging and dropping elements such as text boxes, buttons, or images. There are numerous professional templates you can use, as well as custom domains and interactive content options.
AWeber also provides different integrations with third-party software that enables you to create landing pages. Unbounce, LeadPages, LandingCube, and Landing Page Cat are some of these tools. Lander is another integration you can use to create landing pages for social media.
ConvertKit Landing Pages
ConvertKit provides around 20 attractive landing page templates. An intuitive builder allows you to create or customize a landing page easily and quickly. To personalize your pages, you can change their color, font, or different other elements. You can also use one of the approximately 100,000 professional photos available.
The Winner
Both platforms offer great options.
Forms
Forms work hand in hand with landing pages, enabling you to draw in more contacts. Here are some of the form options of AWeber vs. ConvertKit.
AWeber Forms
With AWeber, you can create simple but efficient forms by using an intuitive builder. There are different elements you can change to customize your forms and help them match your brand image. Thanks to the powerful integration with Google Analytics, you can easily track the performance and engagement of your forms. These forms are responsive and dynamic, which means they can display different content for different subscribers. Pop-ups, in-line, pop-over, or lightbox forms are available. If you don’t have a website, you can still create forms and host them through AWeber.
ConvertKit Forms
To create forms with ConvertKit, you have to use the same intuitive editor that helps you build landing pages. An excellent selection of modern form templates is available. If you use WordPress, the platform allows you to easily integrate your forms on your website.
The Winner
AWeber seems to provide more features.
Automation
Automating your email campaigns will help you speed up some processes, such as those related to sales, or keep contacts up to date with your latest posts.
AWeber Automation
AWeber offers one of the simplest automation-building processes thanks to its user-friendly drag-and-drop builder. You can configure drip campaigns for a wide variety of purposes such as lead-nurturing or post-sales. You can automate email campaigns in AWeber either by applying tags or according to customer subscriptions. Compared to other platforms that thoroughly analyze customers’ behavior in real-time to subsequently send targeted emails, AWeber is less complex.
ConvertKit Automation
ConvertKit takes a simple approach to automation. It allows you to create an automated flow with little effort using an intuitive builder; it allows you to view the available automation rules as lists, and pick those you want to use. Moreover, you can easily view all the workflows while building them, thanks to its visual builder.
The Winner
AWeber is less complex, so ConvertKit wins.
Segmentation
Segmenting your contacts into lists will allow you to send them personalized, highly engaging emails.
AWeber Segmentation
AWeber segmentation features are highly automatized, which means you don't have to spend a lot of time dividing your audience into lists. The segmentation process is simply carried out by applying tags to contacts. Based on their actions, such as opening an email or clicking on a link, you can decide whether to add or remove tags.
ConvertKit Segmentation
One of ConvertKit's strongest points is its segmentations functionality. The segmentation process is the easiest you can find these days, as it is tag-based. You can apply these tags to contacts based on their behavior, personal information, and integration with your past or current email campaigns. If you want to take segmentation one step further and support dynamic emails, you can merge tags. This way, the content included in the email will change according to the tags applied to each contact.
The Winner
Both tools offer similar features.
Pricing
Here are the different pricing plans of AWeber vs. ConvertKit.
AWeber Pricing
AWeber’s price depends on the number of contacts in your list. There is a free plan you can use for up to 500 contacts. It is not time-restricted and provides a generous array of tools. All the features are available with all plans. For the first tier, you have to pay $19 per month. The price continues to grow with your customer list: for more than 25,000 contacts, you can ask for a custom plan.
ConvertKit Pricing
ConvertKit’s price also varies based on the size of the contacts list. If you pay for the whole year, the company also offers you discounts. ConvertKit's free plan can be used for up to 1,000 contacts. The Creator plan is the first tier, with a cost f $29 per month: it is available for 1,000 subscribers. The Creator Pro plan includes all the platform's features, and its starting price point is $59 for 1,000 contacts.
The Winner
AWeber is more affordable.
Ease of Use
Let’s see which one of these two platforms is easier to use.
AWeber Ease of Use
. Multiple features turn AWeber into an intuitive platform, starting with its drag-and-drop interface. The email builder is straightforward and practical. It can easily be used even by people with zero previous experience. You can easily choose elements from the toolbar and simply drag and drop them. The automation builder works similarly.
ConvertKit Ease of Use
ConvertKit also stands out through its ease of use and simplicity. As it is centered on bloggers, both email and automation-building processes are fairly intuitive, and the interface is plain and well-organized. There are also multiple useful resources you can use to learn how to navigate the platform. Moreover, you can customize your dashboard.
The Winner
Both tools are easy to use, however we prefer ConvertKit's simplicity.
Integration
Integrations allow you to connect third-party apps to your email marketing platform. Discover how many integrations AWeber vs. ConvertKit offer.
AWeber Integrations
AWeber tops many of its competitors by offering hundreds of integrations with third-party services in different niches such as eCommerce, led generation, content management, or social media. Some of the most powerful integrations include Google Analytics, PayPal, WordPress, Facebook, Lander, Wix, Blogger, Squarespace.
ConvertKit Integrations
ConvertKit offers nearly 100 integrations with major marketing, content management, or social platforms. Some of its integrations include Zapier, WordPress, Shopify, Crowdcast, Unsplash, and plenty others.
The Winner
AWeber offers more integrations.
Reporting
Reports enable you to track your email campaign’s results in order to improve their efficiency.
AWeber Reports
AWeber offers you all the basic email campaign metrics that allow you to track your performance. Open rates, click-throughs, bounces, etc. are available. More complex reports help you track your sales, for example, by seeing which campaign generated the highest ROI. It’s also possible to get stats on the most useful channels that brought you new subscribers.
ConvertKit Reporting
ConvertKit also offers a full suite of essential email metrics such as open rates, new subscribers, unsubscribes, and clicked links. The reports are nicely displayed in a logical and easy-to-follow way. However, they are limited compared to other platforms. On the other hand, the integration with Google Analytics allows you to get more detailed reports on your contacts' behavior on your website.
The Winner
AWeber provides more in-depth reports.
Customer Support
Customer support options are essential these days, even for the tech-savvy, given the complexity of email marketing software.
AWeber Customer Support
AWeber offers prompt and professional support. Online reviews on this topic are usually positive. You can contact the support department by phone, email, or chat with an agent. AWeber offers reliable customer support, 12 hours a day, from Monday to Friday. Email and chat support are available 24/7.
ConvertKit Customer Support
ConvertKit also has a reliable support team. They are striving to outrun their competitors in this regard, by offering a custom welcome video to each new customer. To get help, you can contact their agents via email or live chat. There is also a users community that can help you.
The Winner
Aweber, as it also offers phone support.
When to Use Each
Learn which is the best audience for each one of these tools and whether you fit in one of the niches.
When to Use AWeber
AWeber is an excellent choice for small businesses, given its affordability. It offers all the tools small companies need to start engaging their customers through email marketing. Simple and reliable, this platform is also suitable for content creators.
When to Use ConvertKit
ConvertKit was primarily created for bloggers and content creators. It is an excellent platform for anyone who is looking for ease of use and simplicity. If you're relying on WordPress to power your website, ConvertKit is also a good choice since it offers powerful integration with this system.
Pros and Cons
Each one of these two email marketing software options has its pros and cons. Here is a quick overview.
AWeber Pros and Cons
AWeber actually offers a bit of everything you need to create high-converting email campaigns and track their results. The email and landing page builders are intuitive: you get hundreds of templates and affordable pricing plans. However, they charge for duplicates.
ConvertKit Pros vs. Cons
ConvertKit is a simple email marketing platform that enables you to create engaging email campaigns in minutes. The landing page and forms are also easy to set up. The reports are logical and straightforward. However, this platform lacks the complexity you get with other tools in terms of reporting, email design options, or integrations.
Alternatives to Convertkit or AWeber
These are two other email marketing platforms you might also want to consider:
GetResponse is a user-friendly tool that offers good deliverability, a beginner-friendly dashboard, engaging templates, and a webinar tool, among others.
ActiveCampaign is one of the most popular email marketing tools. It is intuitive, features numerous modern and responsive templates, and an intuitive automation builder.
Final Winner:
Although for many of the criteria we used in this comparison, both platforms performed equally well, our final winner is AWeber. This tool is more versatile, targets a larger audience, offers more email design options, and is affordable.
Check out our other comparisons