Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links for GetResponse and AWeber. If you sign up through one of them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We run our own newsletter, The AI Stack, on Beehiiv, not on either of these two — so treat this as an informed comparison of public features and pricing pages, not a first-hand daily-use account. Where a downside is real, we say so.
Comparison · buying guide
GetResponse vs AWeber (2026): Which Email Tool for a New Newsletter?
GetResponse and AWeber are two of the older, more established names in email marketing — both have been around long enough to have deep feature sets, real deliverability track records, and pricing pages that have shifted more than once over the years. If you're starting a brand-new newsletter and these two are on your shortlist, the decision usually comes down to one question: do you want a focused email tool, or a broader marketing toolkit that happens to include email? Here's the honest breakdown.
The 10-second version
- GetResponse — broader toolkit: funnels, webinars, and a more powerful visual automation builder, at the cost of more surface area to learn.
- AWeber — a simpler, more focused email tool that gets a first newsletter out with less setup overhead.
- Both have offered a genuine free tier historically — verify current caps before committing.
- Neither is "wrong" — the right pick depends on whether you want more tool or less right now.
How we compared them
We looked at both platforms' current public feature pages, pricing pages, and our own vetting notes, focused on the questions a first-time or newsletter-switching creator actually asks: how fast can I get my first send out, how far does automation go before I need a separate tool, what does it cost as my list grows, and is there a real free tier to test on. We have not run both platforms side-by-side on an identical newsletter for months at a time, so treat this as an informed comparison rather than first-hand long-term testing on either side. Pricing, tiers, and features on both platforms change — verify the current numbers on each platform's own site before you commit.
Ease of use
AWeber leans simpler. Its email builder and setup flow are aimed squarely at "write, design, send" without much else competing for your attention, which tends to mean a shorter path from signup to your first campaign if you don't already have a mental model of funnels or automation logic. GetResponse's interface has more in it — because it does more — and that shows up as a slightly steeper first-week learning curve: you'll bump into funnel builders, webinar setup, and automation flowcharts before you've sent a single newsletter issue, even if you don't end up using any of them yet. Neither is genuinely hard to use; the difference is how much extra tooling sits between you and your first send.
Automation
This is where the two diverge most. GetResponse's automation builder is visual, flowchart-style, and built for multi-step, behavior-based sequences — if a subscriber clicks this, wait two days, then send that, branch based on a tag — the kind of logic you'd expect from a dedicated marketing-automation platform, because GetResponse essentially is one, with email as the anchor feature. AWeber's automation covers the essentials solidly — tag-based sequences, basic triggers, a welcome series — but it doesn't try to compete as a full automation platform. If your near-term plan is "send a weekly newsletter and maybe one welcome sequence," AWeber's automation is plenty. If you can already picture a multi-branch funnel with several trigger points, GetResponse's builder is the one built for that from the ground up.
Pricing
Both platforms price primarily by subscriber count, and both have had multiple pricing-tier changes over the years, so treat any specific number here as a snapshot, not a promise — check each platform's current pricing page directly. The shape of the trade-off tends to hold regardless of the exact figures: AWeber is mostly charging you for email, so its plans are easier to reason about against a simple "what does sending to my list cost" question. GetResponse's pricing reflects its broader toolkit — funnels, webinar hosting, e-commerce features — so if you only ever use the email piece, you may be paying for capability you're not touching. If you know you want the extra tools, that's not overpaying, it's just bundled pricing; if you don't, it's worth checking whether a lower GetResponse tier still gives you what you need.
Free tier
Both AWeber and GetResponse have historically offered a genuine free plan for a small list, which is a real advantage over tools with no free option at all — you can build your first list and send real campaigns before paying anything. What's included on each free tier (automation access, number of landing pages, send volume) has shifted over time on both sides, so this is the single most important thing to verify fresh on each platform's current pricing page rather than trust a cached number from anywhere, including this page.
Who each one is best for
- Pick AWeber if you want the shortest path to your first newsletter issue, don't yet have a funnel or webinar plan, and would rather add tools later only if you actually need them.
- Pick GetResponse if you already know your newsletter is one piece of a bigger plan — landing pages, automated funnels, maybe webinars — and would rather have that headroom built in from day one than bolt on separate tools later.
- Not sure yet? Start with whichever matches the problem you have today. Both let you export your list if you switch later, though automations and landing pages don't move automatically.
Comparison table
| GetResponse | AWeber | |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes, historically — verify current caps | Yes, historically — verify current caps |
| Ease of use for a first send | More tooling to work around at first | More focused, faster to a first send |
| Automation depth | Visual, multi-branch, funnel-grade | Solid essentials (tags, triggers, sequences) |
| Beyond email | Landing pages, funnels, webinar hosting, e-commerce tools | Landing pages, basic automation — lighter overall |
| Best for | Newsletters that are one piece of a bigger funnel | A focused first newsletter with less setup overhead |
Pricing, free-tier caps, and feature sets are 2026 figures and change — confirm the current details on each platform's own pricing page before committing.
The verdict
Neither platform is the wrong choice — they're built for slightly different jobs wearing similar-looking "email marketing tool" branding. If your honest answer to "do I need funnels and webinars soon" is no, AWeber's simplicity will get you to your first send faster and with less to learn. If your honest answer is yes, or you already know your newsletter is meant to feed a bigger funnel, GetResponse's broader toolkit means you won't outgrow it as quickly. Start on the free tier of whichever one matches today's problem — not the tool stack you might want in a year.
Try GetResponse free →
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Still weighing more than these two?
If you haven't narrowed it down yet, our full roundup compares four creator-focused platforms — including the one we personally run our own newsletter on — side by side. Or, if Kit and Brevo are also on your shortlist, our best email marketing tools roundup ranks all four together.
See the full platform comparison →FAQ
- Is GetResponse or AWeber better for a brand-new newsletter?
- For a first newsletter with no funnel or webinar ambitions yet, AWeber's simpler, more focused feature set is usually the faster path to your first send. If you already know you want landing pages, funnels, and webinars in the same tool, GetResponse's broader toolkit is worth the extra setup surface.
- Do both have a free plan?
- Both have offered a genuine free tier for a small list historically, though exact subscriber caps and included features change over time. Check each platform's current pricing page for the live numbers before you commit.
- Which one has better automation?
- GetResponse's automation builder is the more visual, more powerful one, built for multi-step funnels and behavior-based sequences. AWeber's automation covers the essentials well (tag-based sequences, basic triggers) but doesn't try to be a full marketing-automation platform the way GetResponse does.
- Which one is cheaper?
- It depends on list size and which features you actually need. AWeber's core plans tend to feel simpler to reason about since you're mostly paying for email; GetResponse's pricing scales with the extra surface area (funnels, webinars, e-commerce tools), so it can cost more if you only ever use the email piece. Confirm current tiers on each site.
- Can I switch later if I pick wrong?
- Generally yes. Both let you export your subscriber list for use elsewhere. Automations, landing pages, and funnel setups usually don't move automatically, so switching costs you some rebuild time, not a permanent lock-in.
Bottom line: AWeber wins on simplicity and speed to your first send; GetResponse wins on headroom if you already know email is one piece of a bigger funnel. Both have a real free tier, so the cheapest way to decide is to try the one that matches today's problem, not a hypothetical future one.
If neither fits — because what you really want is a newsletter, not a suite — the third option is beehiiv, which is what we publish on. Affiliate link; it may earn us a commission at no cost to you.