AWeber vs Beehiiv
Email Marketing pricing comparison · 2026 · Updated April 2026
AWeber pricing ranges from $0–$899/month, while Beehiiv ranges from $0–$109/month. AWeber is typically 45% more affordable, though your actual cost depends on tier and team size.
Sources & confidence
Every dollar amount and contract clause below traces back to a sourced fact. We don't manufacture composite scores.
Plans at a glance
Every tier per product. Lock one to drive the cost row above and reveal a tier-specific outbound CTA.
Contract terms
The fine print, surfaced. Green = buyer-friendly. Each clause backed by a quoted source.
What users say
Aggregated, with sample sizes. We use whichever review platform has data.
AWeber and Beehiiv both handle email newsletters, but they're built for different operators. AWeber is a general-purpose email marketing platform serving small businesses since 1998 — pricing starts at $0 (Free, 500 subscribers), $15/month (Lite), $30/month (Plus), and $899/month (Unlimited). Beehiiv is purpose-built for newsletter creators and publishers — its free Launch plan covers up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited sends, then scales to $49/month for Scale and $109/month for Max.
Beehiiv's free plan is dramatically more generous than AWeber's: 2,500 subscribers and unlimited sends versus AWeber's 500-subscriber, 3,000-email cap. For growing newsletters, Beehiiv Scale at $49/month supports up to 100,000 subscribers — AWeber Plus at the same price tier would cover far fewer. The pricing gap reflects Beehiiv's model: it monetizes through creator success rather than subscriber count arbitrage.
The real differentiation is monetization. Beehiiv includes a built-in ad network, paid subscription management (with no transaction fees), a referral program, and a recommendations system — all native. AWeber is email-only with no built-in monetization layer; you'd need Stripe, a third-party membership platform, and separate tools to replicate what Beehiiv bundles. For creators building subscription-based newsletters, Beehiiv's all-in-one model eliminates $50-200/month in additional tool costs. AWeber's advantage is its broader business audience — integrations with ecommerce, CRM, and lead capture tools that Beehiiv doesn't prioritize.
Plan-by-Plan Pricing
| Plan | AWeber | Beehiiv |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free /month | Free /month |
| Lite | $15 /month | $49 /month |
| Plus | $30 /month | $109 /month |
| Unlimited | $899 /month | Custom |
Cost at Scale
Total cost of ownership — licenses, implementation, and hidden costs included.
AWeber
6 scenariosBeehiiv
1 scenarioMarket Intelligence
AWeber
- Median annual cost
- $780
- Based on
- 197 deals
Beehiiv
- Median annual cost
- $1,571
- Based on
- 102 deals
Contract Terms
| Term | AWeber | Beehiiv |
|---|---|---|
| Auto-renewal | Yes | — |
| Cancellation | Before annual renewal date | — |
| Minimum commitment | — | — |
| Price escalation | Price increases implemented in 2025 | Pricing increases with subscriber count tiers |
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Our Verdict
Choose Beehiiv if you're building a newsletter-first business — whether ad-supported, paid subscription, or a combination. Beehiiv's free plan, generous subscriber limits, and built-in monetization tools (ad network, paid subscriptions, referrals) eliminate the need for multiple external tools and deliver more value per dollar than AWeber for dedicated newsletter operators.
Choose AWeber if you're a small business using email as a marketing channel rather than a media product. AWeber's broader integration ecosystem, simpler campaign management, and deliverability track record suit businesses running promotions, lead nurture sequences, and customer retention emails better than Beehiiv's newsletter-centric model. AWeber's recent price increases have made this comparison closer, but it remains the better fit for non-creator businesses.
Frequently Asked Questions
01 Is Beehiiv free for more subscribers than AWeber?
Yes. Beehiiv's free Launch plan supports up to 2,500 subscribers with unlimited email sends. AWeber's free plan covers only 500 subscribers with a 3,000-email-per-month cap. For newsletters just getting started, Beehiiv's free tier offers five times the subscriber capacity before requiring a paid upgrade.
02 Does Beehiiv have an ad network that AWeber doesn't?
Yes. Beehiiv operates its own ad network where newsletter creators can earn revenue by displaying sponsored content to subscribers. AWeber has no built-in monetization mechanism — it's purely an email delivery tool. Beehiiv's ad network, combined with its paid subscription and referral tools, makes it a revenue platform rather than just an email sender.
03 How does AWeber's recent price increase affect this comparison?
AWeber raised prices in 2025, prompting criticism from long-term users. The increases made AWeber one of the more expensive platforms for creators and small newsletters, particularly at mid-tier subscriber counts. Beehiiv noted this publicly and positioned itself as a better-value alternative. For anyone reassessing their AWeber subscription after a price increase, Beehiiv is the most direct alternative.
04 Can Beehiiv handle business email marketing as well as newsletters?
Beehiiv can send marketing emails, but its tools are optimized for newsletter publishing workflows — not typical business marketing tasks like lead capture forms, CRM integrations, or ecommerce triggers. AWeber integrates with 750+ apps and handles B2B marketing sequences, landing pages, and behavioral triggers more robustly than Beehiiv.
05 Does Beehiiv support paid newsletters without transaction fees?
Yes. Beehiiv allows creators to charge subscribers for premium content with no platform transaction fees — you keep 100% of subscription revenue beyond Stripe's standard processing fee. AWeber has no paid subscription feature. For creators converting free readers to paying subscribers, Beehiiv's zero-fee model is a significant financial advantage.
06 How does pricing compare at 10,000 subscribers?
At 10,000 subscribers, Beehiiv Scale runs $49/month and supports up to 100,000 subscribers at that same price. AWeber Plus for 10,000 subscribers runs approximately $100/month. Beehiiv is roughly half the price at this tier while supporting far larger list growth without a price increase until you exceed 100,000 subscribers.