AWeber vs EmailOctopus
Both are on our shortlist for course creators. They part company on several things that matter more than the monthly price.
AWeber
EmailOctopusWhich one, for whom
- Starting out with no budgetEmailOctopusEmailOctopus can run an automated welcome sequence on its free plan. AWeber cannot, so a new subscriber hears nothing from you until you pay.Start free on EmailOctopus
- A list already in the thousandsEmailOctopusEmailOctopus stays free to 2,500 subscribers against AWeber's nothing.
- Worried about being locked inEmailOctopusAWeber's terms cut off access to your contact data when you cancel. EmailOctopus does not do that.
- Selling the course from the same toolAWeberAWeber can take the payment itself, so you do not need a separate checkout.See AWeber pricing
Side by side
| AWeber | EmailOctopus | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | None | 2,500 subscribers |
| Free sends | 14-day trial only | 10,000 emails/mo |
| Welcome sequence on free | No | Yes |
| Connects to Teachable | Direct | Through Zapier |
| Connects to Kajabi | Direct | Not listed |
| Connects to Podia | Direct | Not listed |
| Connects to Thinkific | Direct | Not listed |
| Paid from | $12.49/mo | $9/mo |
| At 5,000 subscribers | $60 | Not published |
| At 25,000 subscribers | $210 | Not published |
| The catch | The paid Lite plan allows one email list and three automations, so the second funnel you build is what pushes you up to Plus, not the size of your list. | Fewer features than the others by design. Good if you only need to send, thin if you need funnels. |
| G2 score | 4.2 out of 5, from 650 reviews | 4.2 out of 5, from 46 reviews |
| Trustpilot score | 4.3 out of 5, from 176 reviews | 4.8 out of 5, from 267 reviews |
Figures read off each vendor's own pricing page on 9 September 2026. Where a row says not published, that vendor does not state a price at that list size and we will not invent one.
The last two rows are other people's scores, not ours, read on 6 September 2026. Check them yourself:AWeber on G2, AWeber on Trustpilot, EmailOctopus on G2, EmailOctopus on Trustpilot.
- EmailOctopus: The G2 score rests on 46 reviews, which is a small enough number that a handful of unhappy or delighted people can move it.
Getting your list back out
AWeberHard to leave
Read this before you sign up. Their service agreement says AWeber has "the right to delete all data, files or other information that is stored in the subscriber's account" if the account is terminated, for any reason, by either side. Export your list before you cancel, not after. Source
EmailOctopusHard to leave
Cancelling the paid plan on its own just drops you to the free tier: contacts and lists are retained, though automations pause. Their Terms of Use go further than that, though: "Once terminated, we may permanently delete your account and all the data associated with it, including your Content from our Website." A full, deliberate account deletion is described in their own help article as removing everything, including lists, campaigns and reports, and is irreversible. Export your list before deleting anything, not just before cancelling. Source
AWeber vs EmailOctopus, answered
- Is AWeber or EmailOctopus better for an online course?
- Neither is better outright, and anyone who says so is guessing on your behalf. EmailOctopus if you are starting out with no budget. EmailOctopus if you are a list already in the thousands. EmailOctopus if you are worried about being locked in. AWeber if you are selling the course from the same tool.
- Which of AWeber and EmailOctopus has the better free plan?
- EmailOctopus allows more free subscribers (2,500 against none). A bigger allowance is not automatically the better plan: check the welcome sequence row above, because that is where the two usually part company.
- Can I move from AWeber to EmailOctopus later?
- Yes, and you should assume you will. Export your list before you cancel anything, and keep whatever marks who bought from you. We wrote the whole running order up separately.
Try either one
AWeberAutomation from day one of the trial, no free plan behind it
$12.49/mopaid plans start here. No free plan. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.
See AWeber pricingRead the full AWeber breakdownEmailOctopusCheapest way to run a plain list
$9/mopaid plans start here. Free up to 2,500. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.
Start free on EmailOctopusRead the full EmailOctopus breakdownMoving between them? Read the switching guide first, or answer 5 questions to check neither of these is the wrong shortlist.
Neither of these? See all 14, including which ones connect straight to Teachable, Kajabi, Podia or Thinkific, or compare what they cost as your list grows.