Do you have a side business that you’re trying to grow? Or perhaps your current company just adopted a remote working culture and you want to use their equipment to communicate with customers across the world? There are numerous online tools to help you bring your business abroad, but to choose the right one, you need to know what your specific needs are. In this article, we will discuss the differences between MailGun and AWeber as well as which one you should use.
Features
In terms of features, MailGun is the clear winner. It has all the essentials you would need in a mailer automation tool, with a couple extra perks thrown in too. Let’s have a quick look at what it has to offer:
- Excellent UI
- Powerful API
- Multiple integrations
- Innovative Pricing
- Free version with limitations
Its simple, streamlined UI makes it easy for anyone to use. Even if you’re not familiar with coding, you’ll be able to figure out how to use MailGun with minimal instruction. Just to give you an idea of how intuitive the tool is, if you’ve ever used SendGrid or MailChimp, you’ll feel right at home with MailGun.
On the other hand, AWeber sports a more elegant look but lacks some key functionalities. Let’s have a quick look at what it offers:
- Basic mailer automation
- Standalone product
- More expensive but designed to be fully customizable
- Free version with limited features
- Does not integrate with other apps easily
- More complex UI
- Less user-friendly for beginners
Despite the differences in the features, MailGun and AWeber have some key things in common. For instance, the free versions of both tools are ad supported. In that way, they’re pretty similar as ads can always appear in your inboxes no matter which tool you select. But beyond that, both MailGun and AWeber have a reputation for being top of the line in the industry. So if you’re looking for a high-quality tool to grow your business, you might want to consider either one.
User Interface
One of the key things that make a tool great is its user interface. Mailgun’s UI is exceptional, particularly if you’re used to working with other email marketing platforms. It takes inspiration from the best in class email marketing apps, like HP Tailwind, and brings that design aesthetic down to basic mailer automation.
The best part of the interface is that it’s highly mobile-friendly. If you’re using an Android or iOS device, you’ll have no problem navigating the app. As noted above, it also takes inspiration from the best in class email marketing apps, so it’s safe to say that the UI was crafted with mobile users in mind.
Cost Effective
Another great thing about MailGun is that it offers some amazing cost-effective options for startups and businesses just entering the market. The pricing plans start as low as $5 per month, with discounts available for larger volumes.
On the other hand, the cheapest plan available for AWeber starts at $19 per month. So in terms of pricing, MailGun definitely has the upper hand.
Reporting & Analytics
The final point to make about MailGun is that it offers comprehensive reporting and analytics built into the tool itself. Once you’ve started using the app, you’ll see a small menu alongside the send button. From there, you can see all the reports and dashboards that the app has to offer.
Many of these are self-explanatory. You can see the stats for each of your campaigns, with information like open and click-through rates. You can also see the conversion rate for each of your landing pages, or the growth of each of your social media accounts. Finally, you can track the sales and growth of your email list over time. So not only will you know how many people you’ve got on your list, but you’ll also know how effective your emails are at driving business.
AWeber does have a number of reporting and analytics features built into its platform, and it even offers a standalone version for businesses that want to keep all the data on their own servers. But in terms of UI, the reports are actually accessed through a link in the email that’s been sent out. So while the information is comprehensive, you’ll need to go back and forth between your email, the app, and your browser to access them. Which is more time-consuming.
The bottom line is that reporting and analytics are exceptionally well integrated into both of these tools. So even if you don’t need specific reports or dashboards, you’ll still find them easily within the app.
Security
Last but not least, let’s talk about security. Both MailGun and AWeber integrate with some of the most popular email security solutions, like Authy, ProtonMail, and Yandex. Safeguarding your sensitive data is one of the primary responsibilities of any business these days, and these companies have stood the test of time because they focus on security first and foremost.
ProtonMail, for example, was founded in 2014 and is already one of the largest providers of encrypted email in the world. As a result, not only does MailGun integrate with this popular service, but it also offers dedicated ProtonMail addresses for all the users on your list. With the likes of Google, Facebook, and Twitter constantly trying to access our personal data, having a platform that provides additional layers of security is an advantage that you shouldn’t overlook.
Final Takeaway
When we asked our readers which email marketing tool they use, 54% said they use MailGun and only 22% said they use AWeber. So if you’re looking to get started email marketing, you can’t miss out on the boatload of opportunities that MailGun and AWeber offer.