AWeber vs Substack
AWeber
Reliable email marketing and automation for independent publishers and small media businesses
Publishers using it: 3 · incl. Fictive Universe, The Bama Buzz, Fable and Folly
Last verified Nov 11, 2026
At a glance
- AWeber scores 2.8/5 and Substack scores 3.6/5 in Benchmark Grid's independent email newsletter platforms benchmark, both assessed on the same 10 criteria.
- The widest gaps are integrations & api (AWeber 4.2, Substack 1.2) and segmentation & automation (AWeber 3.8, Substack 1.5); they are within 0.3 on 1 of 10 criteria.
- AWeber is built for small publishers; Substack for small and mid-market.
- On total cost of ownership AWeber scores 3.2 and Substack 3.5 (higher means better value, not a lower price).
- In our tracking 3 publishers use AWeber and 21 use Substack.
- Scores last verified 11 Nov 2026. Vendors cannot pay for a score or a position.
Where they differ
AWeber is stronger on integrations & API (4.2 vs 1.2), segmentation & automation (3.8 vs 1.5) and editor & template design (3.5 vs 2.0).
Substack is stronger on monetisation (4.7 vs 2.8).
Which one fits
Choose AWeber if…
- You publish at small scale.
- You weight integrations & API, segmentation & automation and editor & template design heavily — AWeber leads on those in this benchmark.
Choose Substack if…
- You publish at small and mid-market scale.
- You weight monetisation, analytics after Apple Mail Privacy Protection and audience growth tools heavily — Substack leads on those in this benchmark.
Also weighing these
The nearest-scored tools to AWeber and Substack in this benchmark, listed A to Z.
- 3.1Campaign MonitorProfessional email marketing and automation platform featuring designer-grade templates and visual journeysRead review
- 3.6FlowletterWordPress-integrated newsletter platform for publishers using Leaky Paywall subscription modelsRead review
- 3.8LetterheadMake it. Measure it. Improve it.Read review
- 2.8MailchimpTurn ideas into emails & SMS that connectRead review
All 7 scored tools are in Best Email Newsletter Platforms.
Who uses them
Publishers we have detected running each tool, from ads.txt, site code and published case studies. Agencies, brands and vendors are excluded.
Head to head
| Criterion | AWeber | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Deliverability & inbox placement16% of capability | 4.6 | 4.2 |
| Audience growth tools12% of capability | 3.2 | 4.6 |
| Monetisation12% of capability | 2.8 | 4.7 |
| Segmentation & automation12% of capability | 3.8 | 1.5 |
| Analytics after Apple Mail Privacy Protection10% of capability | 1.6 | 3.0 |
| Editor & template design10% of capability | 3.5 | 2.0 |
| Integrations & API8% of capability | 4.2 | 1.2 |
| Subscriber management & data portability8% of capability | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| Compliance & list hygiene6% of capability | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Sending performance at scale6% of capability | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| Capability45% of composite | 3.5 | 3.3 |
| Publisher fit40% of composite | 2.0 | 4.0 |
| Total cost of ownership15% of composite | 3.2 | 3.5 |
Cost of ownership
| Sub-score | AWeber | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 3.8 | 3.9 |
| Entry cost | 3.9 | 4.2 |
| Implementation cost | 3.8 | 4.2 |
| Hidden-fee risk | 2.0 | 3.0 |
| Ongoing cost | 2.4 | 2.2 |
AWeber pricing
Per-subscriber SaaS tiers
Substack pricing
Free to publish; Substack takes a 10% commission on paid subscription revenue plus standard Stripe processing fees.
What users say
AWeber
7 positive · 15 neutral · 10 negative
Substack
15 positive · 30 neutral · 9 negative
Mentions we could not tie to a real user, and those flagged as promotional, are excluded. Sentiment is opinion, and is independent of the verified publisher adoptions above.
AWeber scores 2.8 and Substack scores 3.6 in Benchmark Grid's independent Best Email Newsletter Platforms benchmark (benchmarkgrid.com/vs/aweber/substack, verified Nov 11, 2026)
Common questions
How do AWeber and Substack differ?
AWeber is stronger on integrations & API (4.2 vs 1.2), segmentation & automation (3.8 vs 1.5) and editor & template design (3.5 vs 2.0). Substack is stronger on monetisation (4.7 vs 2.8). Neither is better in the abstract — which one suits you depends on which of those dimensions carries the most weight in your operation.
Which is cheaper, AWeber or Substack?
On total cost of ownership — pricing transparency, entry cost, implementation, hidden-fee risk and ongoing cost — AWeber scores 3.2/5 and Substack scores 3.5/5. A higher score means better value, not a lower sticker price.
How are these scores calculated?
Each tool is assessed against its category's published criteria (10 in this benchmark), which make up Capability (45% of the composite), Publisher fit (40%) and Total cost of ownership (15%). Assessment is carried out by SODP's editorial team against a published methodology. Vendors cannot pay for inclusion, scores or positions.
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Both tools are scored in Best Email Newsletter Platforms. See alternatives to AWeber or alternatives to Substack.
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Where to next
Related comparisons
Other head-to-heads publishers look at in Best Email Newsletter Platforms.
