AWeber Lite: $15/Month or $150/Year—What Happens Above 500 Subscribers?

Verdict

AWeber Lite at the 500-subscriber tier is currently $15/month or $150/year and allows 5,000 email sends per month. It is a practical paid step when you need more than the smallest AWeber setup, but the important billing risk is growth: AWeber can automatically move a paid account to a higher subscriber tier when the subscriber or sending limit is exceeded, while a later downgrade does not happen automatically.

AWeber's current public documentation also conflicts on the entry path. Current Help still describes a permanent Free plan, while the main pricing page emphasizes a 14-day trial that converts to a paid plan. This guide therefore registers Lite—not Free—and tells new users to verify the signup path they actually receive.

What the 500-subscriber Lite tier includes

The current Lite table lists 500 subscribers, 5,000 monthly sends, one email list, three landing pages, three email automations, three users, and one custom segment. It also includes 24/7 support and most of AWeber's core newsletter, landing-page, ecommerce, and integration tools, but some advanced features remain limited compared with Plus.

The send limit is tied to the subscriber tier: Lite allows up to 10 times the subscriber limit per month. At 500 subscribers that is 5,000 sends; at 1,000 subscribers it becomes 10,000.

Plus is the next current comparison tier. At 500 subscribers it is $30/month or $240/year and allows 6,000 sends monthly, with unlimited lists, landing pages, automations, custom segments, and users plus broader reporting and branding controls.

Subscriber and send limits can raise the bill automatically

AWeber's current pricing FAQ says that when a paid account exceeds the selected subscriber tier or sending frequency, the account is automatically upgraded to the next tier that can support the usage. AWeber says it notifies the customer and adjusts billing so sending can continue.

The reverse is different. If you later delete subscribers or reduce usage, the billing tier does not automatically move down. Current Help instructs customers to contact Customer Solutions to request a downgrade.

That makes list cleanup a billing task, not just a database task. A 500-subscriber Lite account that temporarily grows above its tier can move up automatically; shrinking the list later does not by itself restore the old price.

Free or 14-day trial? Current official pages disagree

AWeber's current "How much does AWeber cost?" Help still describes AWeber Free as lifetime access at $0 with up to 500 subscribers, 3,000 monthly sends, one list, and one workflow. Current downgrade Help also still describes eligibility for moving a paid account down to Free.

However, AWeber's main pricing page now leads with a 14-day free trial for paid Lite or Plus. Its trial documentation says the selected paid subscription begins automatically when the trial ends unless canceled, and the trial can end early with paid billing if subscriber or sending limits are exceeded.

Because both are current official materials, this article does not promise that every new account will be offered the permanent Free route. Check the actual signup flow before entering payment details.

$15 monthly or $150 annually

The current detailed Lite table lists $15/month at the 500-subscriber tier and $150/year for annual billing. Twelve unchanged monthly payments total $180, so the current annual total saves $30, or about 16.7%.

The main pricing card displays the annual equivalent as $12.49/month while the exact annual table says $150/year, which mathematically equals $12.50/month. Treat $150/year as the clearer invoice reference and regard the per-month card as rounded marketing display.

Annual billing makes more sense after the list size and sending cadence are stable. If you are close to 500 subscribers or 5,000 monthly sends, monthly billing gives you less commitment while you learn which tier you will actually occupy.

Cancellation, hold, and future price changes

AWeber says there are no long-term contracts on the standard pricing FAQ. Paid accounts recur at the selected billing cadence until canceled. Current online-cancellation Help says a canceled account stays active through the end of the current billing cycle, and the upcoming bill shows $0 after cancellation is confirmed.

AWeber also offers a $4.99/month Hold Package that preserves subscribers, automations, landing pages, and other account data while broadcasts, workflows, and new subscriber collection are paused.

The Service Agreement allows AWeber to change rates with 15 days' notice. Current subscription materials do not establish a broad general money-back guarantee for Lite, so do not assume cancellation creates a refund.

For context, MailerLite Comfort starts at $12/month and its 500-subscriber tier has 5,000 sends; systeme.io Startup is currently $17/month; Brevo Starter starts at $9/month; GetResponse Starter is $19/month for 1,000 contacts; HubSpot Marketing Hub Starter has a regular $20/month/seat reference. These are price-and-scope comparisons, not deliverability rankings.

Next step

Use the current signup flow to determine whether your account gets permanent Free or the 14-day paid-plan trial. If Lite is the right plan, start with the 500-subscriber tier only when its 5,000 sends and feature caps fit. Monitor both subscribers and sends because either can move billing upward, and contact support when you qualify for a downgrade.

AWeber's public Advocate Program is free to join and pays recurring commission for the lifetime of paid referred accounts: 30% for 0–99 new paid referrals, 40% for 100–499, and 50% for 500+ in a trailing 12-month period, with a 90-day cookie. Toolnavia does not have a verified AWeber advocate link, so affiliate tracking remains disabled.