Aweber vs GetResponse: Which Will Boost Your Email Marketing?

A staggering 3.9 billion — that’s the estimated number of worldwide email users in 2019. By 2023, experts forecast that number to jump to 4.3 billion, a 10 percent increase.

These email users sent and received an estimated 293.6 billion emails every single day. Come 2023, experts estimate that this will skyrocket to 347.3 billion emails daily.

Powerful platforms, like AWeber and GetResponse, have a lot to do with this huge rise in email use.

Not sure what exactly these two are and why you would even want to know in the first place? Then let this AWeber vs GetResponse comparison enlighten and guide you.

A 101 on Email Marketing Platforms

Email is no longer just a communications media — it’s a must-have tool for anyone who wants to make money online. While you may have a profitable online business idea, it won’t do you any good if no one knows what you have to offer.

Email marketing platforms provide you with digital marketing resources to share your message. They give you the tools to find the right people you want to market and sell your services to. Their innovative technologies allow you to build and strengthen relationships with your clients.

One example of such technology is email automation. It lets you send either scheduled or action-triggered emails to your subscribers. Those who use this feature are 133% more likely to send relevant messages to customers.

The last thing you want is to send random promotional emails to people, hoping that a few of them will respond. Email marketing tools actually help prevent this, as it can result in people tagging you as a spammer. Instead, these let you communicate in a more humanized way through targeted content.

That said, 59% of marketers claim that email marketing brings in the biggest ROI. After all, 59% of consumers say that marketing emails affect their buying decisions.

All these show important and effective email marketing is for any business. Whether you have a brick-and-mortar shop or you want to become an affiliate marketer, you need it in your life.

This doesn’t mean that you should just pick out the first email marketing platform you see though. There are dozens of them out there, but only a few have the right features.

This review focuses on AWeber and GetResponse, as they’re pioneers in email marketing.

What is AWeber?

AWeber defines itself as a “powerfully-simple” email marketing solutions provider for small businesses.

What exactly does that entail though?

It includes over 700 email templates that you can simply drag, drop, and edit. It also offers tools for creating and sending HTML email newsletters. You can also automate your emails and even “autorespond” to emails sent to you.

These are just a few of the features that AWeber offers as part of its marketing services. All these make AWeber ideal not only for small businesses but also for new and startup bloggers.

A Quick History Lesson on AWeber

AWeber has been in business since 1998, which means that they’re turning 22 this year. With over two decades under their belt, it’s no wonder how they’ve reached over a million customers. While the company caters to clients worldwide, its headquarters are in Chalfont, Pennsylvania.

What about GetResponse?

GetResponse claims to be an “all-in-one marketing software”. It’s no doubt a comprehensive platform, offering email marketing to marketing automation services. At its core, it lets you create a list of marketing prospects that you can turn into partners or clients.

Like AWeber, GetResponse also enables you to create content and autorespond to messages. Moreover, its advanced analytics lets you easily track your leads and conversions. It also has customizable templates that you can edit for a more personal approach.

A Short Background on GetResponse

Like AWeber, GetResponse also came into existence in 1998. Simon Grabowski, its founder/CEO, actually started it in 1997 though, where he set up shop in Poland. By 2000, GetResponse was one of the first platforms that featured autoresponders.

Today, GetResponse is available in over 180 countries and 27 different languages. This helps explain why the company apparently gets 2,500 customer sign-ups every day. The company further claims that they send a whopping one billion emails every month.

A Review of the Similarities Between AWeber and Getresponse

Since both are email marketing platforms, it’s inevitable that they have some similarities. Here’s a quick rundown of what AWeber and GetResponse have in common:

• Ability to send an unlimited number of emails to subscriber lists
• Hundreds of customizable email templates
• Ability to capture and store your prospects’ email addresses
• Easy-to-manage subscriber lists
• Automated email sequences and autoresponders
• Statistics and performance reporting
• Mobile-friendly templates
• Third-party tool integration
• Automated RSS to Newsletter feature

Both companies continue to up their game though, so you can expect their feature list to grow.

How Does Aweber Differ from GetResponse?

AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages) is a Google invention that initially launched in 2016. In 2018, Google incorporated this open-sourced library into its Gmail service. AMP for email lets you combine up-to-date email content, responsiveness, and interactivity.

In July 2019, AWeber incorporated AMP for email into its API. With this, users can now create even more personalized and interactive Gmail messages.

For instance, customers can include a sign-up button for newsletters in their email. AWeber users can also incorporate questionnaires and appointment scheduling straight into the email. They can even embed a product shipping status tracker in the email message itself.

For subscribers, this means the ability to perform tasks without leaving their inbox. They simply click or tap on the newsletter sign-up button. They can answer questionnaires and set schedules from the email message itself.

Anything that GetResponse Has that Aweber Doesn’t?

When it comes to GetResponse vs AWeber unique features, the former appears to be the winner. With GetResponse, you can enjoy features like webinars and autofunnels. Moreover, it comes with its own built-in landing page builder.

You can also create AWeber landing pages, but you need to integrate it with a third-party tool. There’s a lot to choose from, but still, it’s not AWeber’s own landing page builder.

Here’s a deeper look at the GetResponse features that you won’t find in AWeber.

Webinars

GetResponse claims to be the pioneer provider of “complete webinar marketing solutions”. Whether it really is or not, its webinar feature does come with a lot of useful components.

For starters, your audience can access your webinar room without the need for any plug-ins. You can also live stream webinars via your Facebook and YouTube accounts. As you carry out your presentation, you can upload visuals to make it even more engaging.

Chat features, interactive whiteboards, smart polls, and call-to-actions are also available. All these you can do during the webinar itself. 

Autofunnels

The autofunnel feature lets you automatically generate sales funnels. It’s basically a mix of ready-made functionalities and features. You tell GetResponse what exactly you want, and its team will do it for you.

This may include buying targeted ads for your Facebook and Instagram accounts. You can also choose from ready-made templates using the “Social Ads Creator” tool. There are also editable web forms built directly into your landing pages.

What’s more, autofunnels allow you to recover abandoned orders. Your GetResponse account will automatically email customers with winning scripts. These perfectly-timed messages may then prompt them to complete their purchase.

E-Commerce Store

GetResponse also lets you set up a store within the platform itself. If you don’t have one yet, you can build a product library within the API. You can sell whatever you want, from online courses to services to physical products.

You can also integrate your existing online shop with your GetResponse account. It’s also simple, as the platform lets you populate the product inventory quickly.

If your store is compatible with GetResponse, the transfer is even easier. Stores with Etsy, Shopify, and WooCommerce are some examples. You can “copy” everything from these stores straight to your GetResponse product library.

Either way, this eCommerce feature makes promoting your products faster and simpler. You can market your products straight from your GetResponse landing pages and emails. Since you have more platforms to sell from, then you can sell even more.

This also makes it easier to manage your store, as you can control it using your GetResponse account.

AWeber Pricing vs GetResponse Pricing

Both AWeber and GetResponse offer a 30-day free trial for their services. This is a good way to gauge which one will help you grow your business better.

Just to give you an idea though, here’s a quick comparison of what these platforms offer and how much they cost.

Basic Plan Pricing and Comparison

For a basic plan of up to 500 subscribers, AWeber pricing is set at $19 a month. For that money, you get unlimited emails, automation, 6,000 stock photos, and a lot more. If you have between 501 and 1,000 subscribers, the price for this plan jumps to $29 a month.

For $15 a month for up to 1,000 subscribers, GetResponse pricing is no doubt more cost-effective. This already includes unlimited landing pages, unlimited lead funnels, and unlimited automation templates. Of course, you also get email marketing solutions, autoresponders, and Facebook ads.

These basic plans are ideal for startups and new entrepreneurs. Especially if you’re only starting to build your subscriber list. If you have less than 1,000 subscribers, you can save $168 a year with GetResponse.

Additional Features for Higher Plans

Another difference between the two is the availability of features for each tier. With Aweber plans, you get the same things with every plan. The only difference is the number of subscribers you can cater to using your account.

With GetResponse, each upgrade lets you access the same things from the lower tier, plus more. For example, the PLUS plan comes with all BASIC features, but it also includes webinars. Other extras include sales funnels, webinar funnels, and automation builder.

Discounts and Promos

AWeber offers a 14% discount for a quarterly pre-payment and a 14.9% discount for a one-year pre-payment. The company also offers a 20% discount to students who have a .edu or .ac email address. Nonprofit organizations can enjoy three months of free service and a 25% discount.

GetReponse discounts are greater, however, starting at 18% for a 12-month pre-payment plan. This goes up to a whopping 30% for a 24-month pre-payment plan. Meaning, you can get 4% or 15.1% more savings with GetResponse’s pre-payment offers!

Nonprofit organizations can also get either a 30% or 50% discount if they sign up with GetResponse. The higher discount is for those who feature the GetResponse logo on their website.

AWeber vs GetResponse: Which One Wins?

AWeber and GetResponse are both impressive email marketing platforms. They have a wide array of tools that can help boost your email marketing ROI. Especially if you’re not that tech-savvy, or if you’re still new to being a digital entrepreneur.

AWeber does win in terms of customer service, as it offers more support options. Aside from email and live chat support, you can also get in touch with them via a toll-free number.

GetReponse, on the other hand, only has email and chat support. Their live chat support, however, is available 24/7/365.

In terms of the number of features, GetResponse is no doubt the winner. It offers more email marketing solutions, while still having a reasonable price. It has also more built-in features as well as those that you can easily integrate.

Remember, however, that AWeber also has its AMP for email. If email interactivity is a core component for your business, make sure to keep this in mind.

So, AWeber or GetResponse?

This still depends on your priorities. If you need AMP for email badly, then you may want to look into AWeber. But if you need more useful features at a lower price, then GetResponse should be your top choice.

What’s important is to factor in and compare all the details in this AWeber vs GetResponse guide. Also, take the time to check out actual customer reviews for both sides. This way, you can better gauge which one wins the hearts of other budding and seasoned marketers.

Ready for more guides like this to help you build your profitable online kingdom? Then make sure you check out my other free marketing guides!