The 28-Year Reliability Premium
AWeber launched in 1998. It's been sending emails for 28 years—longer than Gmail has existed. That longevity matters for deliverability.
Internet Service Providers (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo) trust established senders more than new platforms. AWeber has spent nearly three decades building relationships with ISPs, maintaining clean sender reputation, and proving it removes bad actors quickly.
Mailercloud is significantly newer. While it handles technical email authentication (DKIM, SPF) correctly, it doesn't have AWeber's decades-long reputation. In practice, this means your emails from AWeber are slightly more likely to reach the inbox, especially when sending to large ISPs.
The difference isn't massive—Mailercloud's deliverability is still good. But if you're running a business where every percentage point of deliverability matters (e-commerce, high-ticket sales, time-sensitive offers), AWeber's proven track record is worth the $20/month premium.
Similar legacy platforms include Constant Contact (1995), iContact (2003), and MailerLite (2005—though still considered newer than AWeber).
Support: Email Tickets vs. Phone Calls
Mailercloud only offers email support. You submit a ticket and wait for a response—usually within 24 hours.
AWeber offers phone support, live chat, and email. When you're stuck configuring email authentication, your campaign isn't sending, or you can't figure out automation rules, being able to call someone immediately is invaluable.
Here's a real scenario: You're launching a Black Friday campaign in 2 hours, and your emails are going to spam. With Mailercloud, you submit a ticket and hope someone responds quickly. With AWeber, you call support, and they walk you through fixing DNS records while you're on the phone.
The trade-off is clear: save $240/year with Mailercloud and handle problems yourself, or pay extra for AWeber's hand-holding. If you're technical or have a developer on staff, email support is probably fine. If you're a solo founder or small business owner, phone support is worth the premium.
Other platforms with phone support include Constant Contact, Campaigner, and Emma. Most modern platforms (Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Klaviyo) have moved to chat-only or email-only support.
Simplicity vs. Features
AWeber is intentionally simple. It doesn't try to be everything—no webinars, no conversion funnels, no advanced CRM features. Just reliable email marketing with basic automation.
This simplicity is a feature, not a bug. For absolute beginners, AWeber's interface is less intimidating than feature-heavy platforms like ActiveCampaign or GetResponse.
Mailercloud has more features—AMP emails, more A/B testing options, better API documentation. But these features come with complexity. You need to learn what AMP is and how to use it. You need to understand more settings and configuration options.
The question is: Do you want simple and reliable (AWeber) or feature-rich and affordable (Mailercloud)?
If you're new to email marketing and just want to send newsletters and basic automation, AWeber's simplicity is valuable. If you're comfortable with technology and want maximum features for your money, Mailercloud offers better value.
A similar "simple vs. feature-rich" dynamic exists between Mailchimp (simple) and ActiveCampaign (feature-rich), or ConvertKit (simple for creators) and Drip (complex for e-commerce).
AMP Emails: Mailercloud's Technical Edge
Mailercloud supports AMP for Email, which lets subscribers interact with emails without leaving their inbox:
- Forms they can fill out and submit directly in Gmail
- Carousels they can swipe through
- Accordions that expand/collapse
- Live content that updates (inventory, pricing, countdowns)
AWeber doesn't support AMP at all. Neither do most competitors—Mailchimp, ConvertKit, Klaviyo, and Drip all lack AMP support.
The catch: AMP emails require technical knowledge. You can't use AWeber's simple drag-and-drop editor—you need to understand AMP HTML syntax or hire a developer. Most small businesses never use this feature.
But if you're technical and want to experiment with cutting-edge email interactivity, Mailercloud gives you that option. Use cases:
- E-commerce: Let customers add items to cart from email
- Events: RSVP directly in the inbox
- Surveys: Collect feedback without external links
- Bookings: Schedule appointments from email
For most users, this is a "nice to have" that goes unused. But for technical teams wanting to push email marketing forward, AMP support is a genuine advantage.
Established vs Budget
AWeber has 20+ years of deliverability reputation. Mailercloud is newer with competitive features at lower prices. For mission-critical email, AWeber's track record reduces risk. For budget-conscious teams, Mailercloud provides essentials at lower cost.
Deliverability
AWeber's decades of sender reputation management provide strong inbox placement. Mailercloud has good deliverability but less history. Both support proper authentication. Check our email deliverability guide for best practices.
Support
AWeber offers responsive phone, email, and chat support. Mailercloud offers standard email and chat. For small business owners valuing personal assistance, AWeber's support is above average.