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AWeber vs Substack: cost and features compared (2026)
Last verified against official pricing pages · USD, monthly billing, excluding tax
Prices change often. Every price here was checked against the platform's official pricing page on the date shown, but plans, promos and taxes vary. Always confirm on the official site before you buy or switch. Not financial advice.
Quick answer
- Basic newsletter: Substack is cheaper at every size we checked.
- With automations: only AWeber has a verified option at every size we checked.
- Paid newsletter: AWeber is cheaper at every size we checked.
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Cost at 1k, 5k, 10k and 25k subscribers
Basic newsletter (no automations)
| Subscribers | AWeber | Substack | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $25 (Lite) | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | Substack by $25/mo |
| 5,000 | $60 (Lite) | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | Substack by $60/mo |
| 10,000 | $100 (Lite) | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | Substack by $100/mo |
| 25,000 | $210 (Lite) | $0 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | Substack by $210/mo |
With automations (welcome sequences, drips)
| Subscribers | AWeber | Substack | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $25 (Lite, limited) | n/a | AWeber (only option in our verified data) |
| 5,000 | $60 (Lite, limited) | n/a | AWeber (only option in our verified data) |
| 10,000 | $100 (Lite, limited) | n/a | AWeber (only option in our verified data) |
| 25,000 | $210 (Lite, limited) | n/a | AWeber (only option in our verified data) |
Substack has no native automation builder in our data, so that scenario shows n/a.
Paid newsletter (5% of subscribers pay $8/mo)
| Subscribers | AWeber | Substack | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 | $58.40 (Lite) | $69.40 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | AWeber by $11/mo |
| 5,000 | $227 (Lite) | $347 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | AWeber by $120/mo |
| 10,000 | $434 (Lite) | $694 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | AWeber by $260/mo |
| 25,000 | $1,045 (Lite) | $1,735 (Free + 10% of paid revenue) | AWeber by $690/mo |
Switching? AWeber → Substack cost · Substack → AWeber cost · Best platform for your needs
Cheapest plan on each platform that covers the list size and required features. Paid totals = plan + platform cut + Stripe card fees (2.9% + $0.30 per payment, estimate) + Stripe's 0.7% Billing fee on recurring payments where confirmed (beehiiv, MailerLite, Ghost, Buttondown, Substack and AWeber); not added for GetResponse (not confirmed); Kit's 3.5% + $0.30 is all-in. How we model fees. "limited" = feature is capped on that plan. Run your exact numbers →
Key differences
| AWeber | Substack | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | free up to 500 subscribers | free at any size |
| Fee on paid subscriptions | 0.6–1% platform cut depending on plan + Stripe fees | 10% platform cut + Stripe fees |
| Cheapest plan with automations | Plus (from $30/mo) | not available |
| Cheapest plan with own domain | Lite (from $15/mo) | Free + 10% of paid revenue (free) + $50 one-time |
| Cheapest plan without platform branding | Plus (from $30/mo) | not available |
| Plans | Free, Lite, Plus | Free + 10% of paid revenue |
| Prices verified | 2026-10-20 | 2026-10-20 |
Who each is best for
AWeber is best for
Small businesses and creators who want a long-established email tool with a simple subscriber-based price, landing pages and built-in selling, and who email a few times a week at most.
- Priced by active subscribers (unsubscribes and unconfirmed contacts don't count). Each tier includes monthly sends of 10× the tier on Lite and 12× on Plus; going over the subscriber count or the sends moves you up a tier automatically. source
- Free plan: up to 500 subscribers and 3,000 sends a month, 1 automation, 1 landing page, AWeber branding stays. source
- Lite caps you at 3 email automations, 3 landing pages and 1 list, and keeps AWeber branding; Plus removes branding and limits. source
- Paid subscriptions are sold via Stripe on AWeber landing pages: AWeber takes 1.0% per transaction on Free and Lite and 0.6% on Plus, plus Stripe fees. source
Substack is best for
Writers starting from zero who want $0 upfront cost and Substack's built-in network, and are fine giving up 10% of paid revenue.
Try AWeber (paid link) Try Substack
FAQ
Is AWeber cheaper than Substack?
It depends on your list and needs. In our data (monthly billing, 1,000 / 5,000 / 10,000 / 25,000 subscribers): basic newsletter — Substack is cheaper at every size we checked. With automations — only AWeber has a verified option at every size we checked. Paid newsletter — AWeber is cheaper at every size we checked. Prices verified 2026-10-20.
Which has the bigger free plan, AWeber or Substack?
AWeber: free up to 500 subscribers. Substack: free at any size. Free plans have feature limits — see the comparison table.
Do AWeber and Substack take a cut of paid subscriptions?
AWeber: 0.6–1% platform cut depending on plan + Stripe fees. Substack: 10% platform cut + Stripe fees.
What do AWeber and Substack cost at 10,000 subscribers?
On monthly billing, a basic newsletter costs $100/mo on AWeber Lite and $0/mo on Substack Free + 10% of paid revenue. With automations: $100/mo (AWeber Lite) vs n/a on Substack.
Sources
- AWeber pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- AWeber: paid subscriptions
- AWeber: docs.aweber.com/getting-started-with-aweber/aweber-information/pricing-frequently-asked-questions
- AWeber: docs.aweber.com/getting-started-with-aweber/aweber-information/how-much-does-aweber-cost
- Substack pricing (checked 2026-10-20)
- Substack: substack.com
- Stripe pricing (card-fee estimate)
- Stripe Billing pricing (0.7% on recurring payments)
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Guides: Is beehiiv worth it in 2026 · Substack to beehiiv migration · AWeber Free plan (2026)
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