Aweber and GetResponse have earned great reputations for a reason – they have continued to develop and innovate their products, while putting functionality and usability at the forefront.
Both email marketing services charge recurring fees, so overall cost could be a major factor in your decision. While the pricing structures can appear complicated at first glance, they are based on the number of subscribers you acquire. Typically, your business will generate more revenue as your list grows, meaning the extra costs will be absorbed.
Aweber offers a basic package of up to 500 subscribers for $19 per month ($1 for the first month), an extra $10 for a further 2000 subscribers and additional increments up to $149 for between 10,001 – 25,000 subscribers.
GetResponse offer a 30-day free trial, after which you would be paying $15 for up to 1000 subscribers, $25 for 2500 and then additional increases as your list grows.
Both Aweber and GetResponse have large enterprise packages, suitable for high volume customers, and also offer discounts if you sign up on an annual basis. Overall, GetResponse is slightly cheaper than Aweber, but there is not a vast amount of difference between the two.
If price is a major factor for you, GetResponse currently offer a slightly more affordable service. The difference may be negligible but recurring costs can add up. Aweber has a slight advantage when it comes to design and template options, though GetResponse has made considerable improvements and much of the difference is now down to personal taste.
The core services they offer in terms of deliverability, segmentation, analytics and scheduling, are now at a very even level, meaning you can use the services to a very advanced level and not suffer a loss in performance whichever company you use. Both companies have clearly spent time and money to stay ahead of most of the competition.
If you are still unsure about which option to take, you may like to make use of their trial options. As mentioned above, GetResponse offers a 30-day free trial, while Aweber charges $1 for the first month. This can be a great way to get a feel for the products before you make the final decision.
But all these Email Responders I’ve just listed above, cost money. Their prices range from $14 – $19 a month for their entry level plans.
If you are just starting out, and have a small-ish Email Subscriber list, your blog won’t be making much money, if any, …. yet. It doesn’t make good financial sense to pay over $200 per year in order to use an expensive email automation system, when you only need to send out regular emails to relatively few people. So, a CHEAPER UNLIMITED Autoresponder would be great for starter blogs. SMART i-Autoresponder offers a free not-quite-fully-Automated Email-responder.