Aweber vs Getresponse
Creating and sending newsletters by email is a whole lot easier when you use the right tool to do it for you. A couple of the most popular services for doing this are from Aweber and Getresponse.
While they are similar in many ways, there are also enough differences between them to allow us to see which one could be best for you depending upon your needs and situation.
What Do They Do?
Both of these tools are capable of hosting your mailing list. These also allow you to create professional newsletters, with a wide range of templates for you to choose from.
You can then send them out to your subscribers very easily. By setting auto responders for defined times, you can also be sure that you automatically communicate with your users at exactly the right times.
The wealth of statistics provided by both is also useful. You can very simply see how many people open the emails that you send them, how many click on the links, and how many unsubscribe from them.
Other functions found on both services let you send RSS to newsletters, integrate with third party tools, and use message builders to create newsletters.
What Are the Big Differences?
While these two options have many similar features, there are also some things that set them apart. In particular, you can choose Getresponse plans that include extras such as webinars, a landing page builder, and additional marketing automation for advanced users.
It is also worth thinking about which company’s templates are better. For a start, they both have several hundred models but Aweber does have the edge in terms of volume of templates and, therefore, choice.
You probably need to see examples from both to decide which templates appear more attractive in terms of Aweber vs Getresponse. Looking around, people seem to slightly favor Aweber but your final decision could simply come down to which one looks best for your particular needs.
The good news is that all of the templates from both companies are responsive. What this means is that people can view them equally well on any type of device. The newsletter will adjust automatically to fit perfectly onto laptops, cell phones, and tablets as necessary.
When designing responsive templates, Getresponse has an edge. This is because you get shown previews of both the mobile and desktop versions as you drag and drop the elements of your newsletter into place.
Another point where it is hard to separate them is in terms of the fonts. When we compare Aweber vs Getresponse there isn’t a lot of difference. In fact, both companies would do well to add more font options for users to choose from.
On the question of auto responders, Getresponse gives you more options to let you set them up perfectly. They have also included an automation function that lets you set up your response to certain actions made by the recipient. Aweber have made their auto responder system very easy to use but it doesn’t give quite as much flexibility.
Getting Started
It is clear that a lot of work has gone into making it easy to get started on either platform. They each let you import your own data in a number of formats. However, their accepted formats differ, so if you have a certain format you need to use then you should check in advance which one lets you do this.
Importing data to Aweber is a little bit more cumbersome and time-consuming but nothing terrible unless you are really in a rush. A big advantage for Getresponse is the fact that you can import your data from a number of different third-party tools.
Integration and Apps
At some point, you will probably want to integrate with another site or add an app. There are plenty of options in this respect for both services.
They each allow you to integrate with the likes of Salesforce, PayPal, Facebook, and other sites. When we look at the number of apps, Aweber is well ahead of Getresponse, though.
The Cost
Getresponse gives you three tiers of pricing to choose from, with different features. Once you choose a tier, there are also a number of plans you can then choose from in that tier. The number of subscribers that you have will help you find the correct plan for your needs.
In the case of Aweber, there are five plans. Here, you can simply choose your level according to the number of subscribers that you have. The features are the same in each plan, so there is less decision-making to carry out.
If it comes down to a straight question of price, you may find yourself leaning towards Getresponse. Of course, you will also want to take into account the other relevant factors we have looked at here, before making a final decision.
You can choose a free, one-month trial with either of these services. Since they have many aspects in common, a free trial is a smart way to be sure that you have made a good decision.
Aweber vs Getresponse: Conclusion
These are both excellent services that make it far easier to reach out to your subscribers with newsletters. By considering your exact needs, it should be clearer which one is right for you. Having said that, in many cases either option will be fine for getting the basics done without any fuss.