AWeber vs Omnisend
Both are on our shortlist for course creators. They part company on several things that matter more than the monthly price.
AWeber
OmnisendWhich one, for whom
- Starting out with no budgetOmnisendOmnisend 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 Omnisend
- Worried about being locked inOmnisendAWeber's terms cut off access to your contact data when you cancel. Omnisend 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 | Omnisend | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | None | 250 subscribers |
| Free sends | 14-day trial only | 500 emails/mo |
| Welcome sequence on free | No | Yes |
| Connects to Teachable | Direct | Not listed |
| Connects to Kajabi | Direct | Not listed |
| Connects to Podia | Direct | Not listed |
| Connects to Thinkific | Direct | Not listed |
| Paid from | $12.49/mo | $11.20/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. | 500 free emails a month is roughly 2 sends to a 250-person list. |
| G2 score | 4.2 out of 5, from 650 reviews | 4.6 out of 5, from 1,246 reviews |
| Trustpilot score | 4.3 out of 5, from 176 reviews | 4.4 out of 5, from 506 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, Omnisend on G2, Omnisend on Trustpilot.
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
OmnisendEasy to leave
Cancelling a paid plan does not delete anything by itself: their help centre says you drop to the free plan and your contacts, campaigns and reports "remain accessible in read-only mode." The real risk is inactivity rather than cancellation: an account with no login for several months can be treated as inactive and permanently deleted, and a deliberate account deletion is instant and irreversible. Export your list if you plan to leave the account untouched for a while. Source
AWeber vs Omnisend, answered
- Is AWeber or Omnisend better for an online course?
- Neither is better outright, and anyone who says so is guessing on your behalf. Omnisend if you are starting out with no budget. Omnisend if you are worried about being locked in. AWeber if you are selling the course from the same tool.
- Which of AWeber and Omnisend has the better free plan?
- Omnisend allows more free subscribers (250 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 Omnisend 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 breakdownOmnisendOnly if you also ship physical products
$11.20/mopaid plans start here. Free up to 250. Read off their pricing page on 9 September 2026.
Start free on OmnisendRead the full Omnisend 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.