Does AWeber Have SMS Marketing Included?

No, AWeber does not include SMS marketing in any of its current plans. It is a dedicated email marketing platform. SMS is not a built-in feature, not an add-on, and not available through native integrations within the dashboard. If SMS is a hard requirement for your business, you will need a separate tool or a different platform entirely.

This page is for you if:

• You run 1–5 small websites and are evaluating AWeber as your primary marketing tool
• You want to know whether AWeber can handle both email and SMS before committing to a paid plan
• You are currently on AWeber and wondering why you cannot find an SMS option

Stop reading here if:

• You have already decided to use a bundled email + SMS platform like Klaviyo or Omnisend
• You only need SMS marketing and have no interest in email automation

The core decision here is simple: AWeber is a strong email tool, but if SMS is part of your marketing plan, you are looking at paying for two separate platforms — and that cost and complexity adds up fast for small teams.

Does AWeber Have SMS Marketing Included? Here's What Small Teams Get Wrong

Small teams managing multiple websites often pick one email platform and assume it handles everything. AWeber is a solid choice for email automation — but if you're also expecting SMS marketing to be bundled in, you're going to hit a wall at the wrong moment.

This section breaks down the exact workflow problem that catches small teams off guard, what it costs you to find out too late, and a named decision framework you can use right now to figure out whether AWeber fits your stack — or whether you need to swap it out.

The Workflow Problem: One Platform, Missing Channel

Here's the specific scenario that creates real friction for small teams running 1–5 websites:

You're building out a contact strategy — email sequences, abandoned cart follow-ups, lead nurture flows. You're already in AWeber. It's working. Then a client asks about SMS reminders, or you notice a competitor is running SMS alongside email and getting better engagement rates.

You go looking for the SMS toggle inside AWeber. It's not there.

AWeber does not include native SMS marketing. There is no built-in SMS send, no phone number capture tied to a text workflow, and no combined email-plus-SMS automation builder inside the platform.

That's not a minor gap. For small teams, this creates a specific set of problems:

• You now need a second platform to run SMS campaigns
• You have to manage two separate subscriber lists and keep them in sync
• Your automation workflows split across tools, which breaks your logic and your reporting
• You pay for two subscriptions where you expected one
• Client or stakeholder conversations get awkward when you have to explain the gap

If you're running one website for yourself, this might be manageable. If you're managing 4–5 sites with different audiences, different campaign schedules, and different client expectations — the overhead compounds fast.

The Cost of Getting This Wrong

The real cost isn't just money. It's time, momentum, and trust.

Time cost: Discovering AWeber doesn't include SMS after you've already built your automation sequences means rebuilding part of your stack. That's hours of work — migrating contacts, reconnecting integrations, rewriting workflows.

Tool cost: Adding a standalone SMS platform on top of AWeber isn't free. Platforms like SimpleTexting, Postscript, or Klaviyo (which bundles email and SMS) each carry their own monthly fees. You may end up paying more than you would have if you'd started with a bundled platform from the beginning.

Client trust cost: If you've sold a client on a full contact strategy and then have to explain mid-project that SMS requires a completely different tool — that's a credibility hit. Small agency teams and freelancers managing client sites can't afford those conversations.

Opportunity cost: Competitors using platforms with native SMS bundling — like Klaviyo for e-commerce, or Omnisend — can run coordinated email + SMS campaigns from one dashboard. You're running the same play with more moving parts.

This is not a reason to dismiss AWeber. It's an excellent email automation tool, and for teams that only need email, it's a genuinely strong choice. But if SMS is part of your contact strategy now or in the near future, you need to decide that before you commit to a platform — not after.

For a broader look at how AWeber stacks up overall, see the AWeber review for agencies and client management.

The Toolvoro Workflow-to-Decision Method

When a tool gap might affect your whole stack, you don't need more research — you need a decision structure. Here's the Toolvoro Workflow-to-Decision Method, built specifically for small teams evaluating whether a platform fits before they're locked in.

It has four steps. Each one is an action, not a concept.

Step 1: Map Your Channel Requirements Before You Compare Platforms

Before you evaluate any tool, write down every contact channel your campaigns actually use — or will use within the next 12 months.

Do this now, on paper or in a doc:

• Email sequences (welcome, nurture, re-engagement)
• Transactional emails (receipts, confirmations)
• SMS reminders or promotional texts
• Push notifications
• Social retargeting via email list sync

Mark each one as active now , planned within 6 months , or not needed .

If SMS shows up as active now or planned within 6 months, you need a platform that includes it — or a clear, affordable integration path. This step stops you from evaluating AWeber (or any tool) against the wrong criteria.

Step 2: Check Platform Coverage Against Your Map — Not the Marketing Page

Go into AWeber's actual feature list — not the homepage headline, not a summary article. Look at what's in the platform dashboard.

AWeber currently covers:

• Email broadcasts and campaigns
• Autoresponder sequences
• Landing pages
• Subscriber tagging and segmentation
• Basic automation workflows

It does not cover:

• Native SMS sending
• SMS subscriber capture
• Combined email + SMS automation flows

Now check that against your map from Step 1. If SMS is on your map, AWeber covers less than you need. That's not a value judgment — it's a coverage gap. Name it clearly so your decision isn't based on wishful thinking.

If you're also weighing AWeber against another platform on email alone, the AWeber vs Mailchimp comparison for small businesses covers that directly.

Step 3: Decide Your Integration Tolerance — Then Check the Real Cost

Some teams are fine managing two tools. Others aren't. This step forces you to make that call explicitly, then price it out honestly.

Ask yourself three questions:

1. Can our team realistically maintain a two-tool stack without dropping balls on syncing, reporting, or audience management?
2. What does a standalone SMS tool actually cost per month at our contact volume?
3. Does adding that cost make AWeber + SMS tool more expensive than a bundled alternative?

Run the actual numbers. If you have 2,000 contacts and want basic SMS, an entry-level SMS platform might run $20–$50/month on top of your AWeber plan. At that point, a bundled platform priced comparably may actually be cheaper — and simpler.

Don't guess. Pull the real pricing pages and do the addition.

If AWeber + integration still wins on cost and simplicity for your specific situation, that's a legitimate outcome. The point is to make the decision with real numbers, not assumptions.

Step 4: Lock the Decision With a 90-Day Commitment Rule

Once you've mapped channels, checked coverage, and priced integrations, pick a path and commit to it for 90 days before reconsidering.

Small teams lose significant time to tool-switching triggered by minor friction. If AWeber fits your actual requirements (email-only or email-plus-integration), commit to making it work properly rather than half-implementing it while shopping for alternatives.

If SMS is a current requirement and AWeber doesn't cover it, make the switch now — not gradually. A half-migrated stack is worse than either a full AWeber setup or a full switch to a bundled platform.

The 90-day rule keeps you from getting stuck in perpetual evaluation mode, which is where small teams burn hours without shipping campaigns.

If you're already inside AWeber and want to get more out of the email automation it does include, the AWeber automation workflows tutorial walks through building sequences that actually perform.

And if you're deciding between AWeber and other email automation tools for a WordPress-powered site, the best email automation tools for WordPress in 2025 list includes platforms with bundled SMS where relevant.

AWeber is worth using for email. But the answer to "does AWeber have SMS marketing included" is a clear no — and that gap has real consequences for small teams who build their contact strategy around a single platform assumption.

Use the Workflow-to-Decision Method to get in front of that gap before it costs you time, money, or a client conversation.

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How to Evaluate AWeber's SMS Gap and Decide What to Do Next

This section walks you through a practical audit of your current setup. By the end, you will know exactly whether AWeber covers your needs, where the gap hurts you, and what your next move should be.

Step 1: Confirm Whether Your AWeber Plan Includes Any SMS Capability

What to do: Log into AWeber. Navigate to Messages in the left sidebar. Look for any tab, toggle, or submenu labeled SMS, Text, or Mobile. Check your account plan details under My Account → Billing → Current Plan .

Why it matters: AWeber does not include SMS marketing on any of its standard plans as of now. This step is not about hoping — it is about confirming the gap is real for your specific account. Some reseller or partner bundles occasionally differ.

How to verify it worked: If you see no SMS option under Messages and your billing page shows only email subscriber counts with no SMS credits or limits listed, the gap is confirmed. You are on an email-only plan.

Common failure mode: Confusing AWeber's web push notifications feature (which does exist) with SMS. Push notifications and SMS are not the same thing. Push requires a browser opt-in and delivers to desktop or mobile browsers. SMS delivers to a phone number. Do not count push as a substitute unless your audience has demonstrated they respond to it.

Step 2: Map Which of Your Contacts Have Phone Numbers on File

What to do: In AWeber, go to Subscribers → Manage Subscribers . Use the search and filter options to identify any custom fields where you have collected phone numbers. Export a sample list to a spreadsheet and count what percentage of your active subscribers have a phone number attached.

Why it matters: Before switching tools or adding a separate SMS platform, you need to know whether you even have the data to run SMS campaigns. If fewer than 10% of your list has a phone number, SMS may not be your highest-leverage move right now. If 40% or more do, the gap in AWeber becomes a real cost in missed reach.

How to verify it worked: Your export file should have a column for any phone-related custom field. Count non-empty rows in that column and divide by total subscribers. This gives you your SMS-addressable audience percentage.

Common failure mode: Many AWeber users never added a phone field to their opt-in forms because AWeber's default form builder does not include a phone number field by default. If your export shows zero phone numbers, that is almost certainly a form design issue — not proof that your audience would not provide one. Do not conclude SMS is irrelevant based on missing data you never collected.

Step 3: Identify Which Campaigns Would Benefit Most From SMS

What to do: Open your AWeber campaign list under Automations → Campaigns . For each active campaign, ask one question: does a time-sensitive or high-attention moment exist where an email alone risks being ignored? Write those campaigns down. Common examples include flash sales, appointment reminders, event day notifications, or abandoned cart follow-ups.

Why it matters: SMS has a significantly higher average open rate than email. That stat has been consistent across multiple industry sources for years. For small teams running 1–5 sites, SMS is not a replacement for email — it is a reinforcement channel for your most critical sequences. Knowing which campaigns need that reinforcement tells you whether the gap in AWeber is a minor inconvenience or a real revenue leak.

How to verify it worked: You should have a short list of 2–5 specific campaigns where a text message would meaningfully increase action. If you cannot name a single one, AWeber's email-only approach is probably sufficient for your current stage.

Common failure mode: Treating SMS as universally better and assuming every campaign should have it. That is how teams burn their SMS list quickly. Over-texting subscribers kills opt-in rates. Only campaigns with genuine urgency justify SMS touchpoints.

Step 4: Research the Realistic Cost of Adding SMS Through a Separate Tool

What to do: Visit the pricing pages of at least two SMS-capable platforms that integrate with AWeber or that you could migrate to. Platforms with documented AWeber integrations or that serve as full replacements include options like Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, and Brevo. Note the per-message cost or monthly SMS credit allotment, plus any base subscription cost.

Why it matters: Running AWeber plus a separate SMS tool means paying for two platforms. For a small team managing 1–5 sites, that stack cost matters. You need to decide whether the combined cost is lower than switching to a platform that bundles both. This is a math question, not a preference question.

How to verify it worked: You should have two numbers on paper: the cost of keeping AWeber and adding an SMS tool, versus the cost of switching to a bundled platform. If the bundled option is cheaper and covers your email volume, the decision gets easier.

Common failure mode: Evaluating SMS tools in isolation without accounting for the time cost of managing two platforms. Syncing lists, maintaining two sets of automations, and troubleshooting two billing accounts is real overhead. Price the time, not just the software.

Step 5: Make the Binary Decision Using the Scenario Table Below

What to do: Match your situation to the closest row in the table. Use the recommended action column to guide your next move. Do not overthink it — the table forces a clear choice.

Why it matters: The most common trap for small teams is staying in evaluation mode too long. Every week you delay is a week your time-sensitive campaigns run without SMS reinforcement — or a week you pay for a tool that does not fit.

How to verify it worked: You should leave this table with one action selected. Not two. One.

Common failure mode: Selecting "stay with AWeber" because it feels safer, even when the data from steps 1–4 clearly supports switching or adding. Familiarity is not a strategy.

Decision Table: Your Scenario vs. Your Action

What to Do If You Decide to Stay with AWeber

If your scenario points to staying, use that decision productively. AWeber's email automation is genuinely capable for small teams. The gap in SMS is real but not fatal if your audience is primarily email-responsive.

Focus on:

• Tightening your automation sequences using the campaign builder
• Testing subject lines across your top three performing lists
• Adding phone number fields to new opt-in forms so you are collecting the data for a future SMS layer
• Reviewing your open and click rates quarterly to know when SMS would start making sense

For a deeper look at what AWeber actually does well, the AWeber review for agencies and client management covers strengths and limitations with more detail.

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What to Do If You Decide to Upgrade or Switch

If your scenario points to adding SMS or switching platforms, do not treat that as a failure. AWeber is a strong email tool. It was not built to be an SMS platform, and for many small teams, that distinction only becomes important at a certain growth stage.

Your move:

• Export your AWeber subscriber list cleanly before any migration
• Check which platform offers the tightest automation feature parity with what you already have in AWeber
• Prioritize platforms that let you import existing tags and segments, not just email addresses
• Set a migration deadline and stick to it — partial migrations are more disruptive than full ones

If you want to compare AWeber against a specific alternative before committing, the AWeber vs Mailchimp comparison for small business covers the trade-offs in detail.

For teams investing heavily in WordPress-based sites, the best email automation tools for WordPress in 2025 includes platforms that bundle SMS with strong native WordPress integration.

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What the Data Actually Shows About AWeber and SMS

AWeber has been around since 1998 and serves over 100,000 users globally (AWeber's own published figures). That longevity matters for small teams — it signals stability, not a startup that pivots its feature set every 18 months.

But longevity doesn't equal completeness. And on the SMS question specifically, the data is straightforward: AWeber does not include SMS marketing as a built-in feature. It is an email-first platform. SMS is not bundled into any AWeber plan, including AWeber Pro.

Here are honest data points worth knowing before you decide:

• AWeber's free plan supports up to 500 subscribers and unlimited email sends (AWeber published limits, subject to change — verify current terms at AWeber's site)
• AWeber Pro removes send limits and unlocks automation, split testing, and advanced segmentation
• AWeber integrates with Zapier, which opens indirect paths to SMS tools like Twilio or SimpleTexting — but this is a workaround, not a native feature
• Competitors including Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign, and Omnisend offer native SMS bundled within their plans, meaning one dashboard, one subscriber list, and unified reporting
• Platforms like Omnisend include SMS credits in paid tiers starting at relatively low price points — though exact pricing shifts frequently, so check each tool's current pricing page directly

The gap is real. If SMS is a channel your team actively uses or plans to use, AWeber will require you to manage a separate tool, a separate cost, and a separate integration layer.

Top 3 Buyer Objections — Answered Honestly

Objection 1: "Maybe AWeber added SMS recently and I missed it"

This is the most common source of confusion. AWeber regularly updates its feature set, and users reasonably wonder if SMS has been quietly added.

As of the time of writing, AWeber has not added native SMS marketing. The platform focuses on email, landing pages, web push notifications, and ecommerce integrations. Web push notifications are the closest thing to a non-email channel AWeber offers natively — and push is not SMS.

If you want to be certain before committing, check AWeber's official features page directly. Feature sets change, and a current source beats any article.

Objection 2: "I can just use Zapier to connect a SMS tool — isn't that good enough?"

For some teams, yes. For most small teams managing 1–5 websites, probably not.

Here's what "good enough" actually looks like in practice:

• You need a Zapier account (free tier has strict task limits; paid tiers add cost)
• You need a separate SMS platform account with its own pricing
• Subscriber data lives in two places, meaning list hygiene and segmentation become a manual maintenance problem
• Automation sequences that mix email and SMS require building logic across two tools rather than one
• Troubleshooting failures means checking two dashboards and the Zap itself

If you're sending occasional SMS blasts to a small list and don't need email-SMS automation sequences, the Zapier route can work. If you want SMS integrated into automated flows — for example, a cart abandonment sequence that sends an email, waits 24 hours, then fires an SMS — you're building complexity that compounds over time.

Objection 3: "AWeber is cheaper, so even with a separate SMS tool it probably saves money"

This depends entirely on your SMS volume and which tool you pair it with.

AWeber's pricing is genuinely competitive on the email side. But once you add:

• A Zapier paid plan (if you exceed free task limits)
• A separate SMS platform subscription
• The time cost of managing two integrations

...the "cheaper" framing often dissolves. Run the actual math for your list size and SMS volume before assuming the split-tool approach saves money. In some cases it does. In others, a bundled platform ends up being equal or lower total cost with less operational friction.

Pros and Cons for Small Teams

✅ Strengths

• Reliable deliverability with a long track record — important for teams where email is the core channel
• Genuinely usable free plan for teams just starting out or running small lists
• Clean automation builder that doesn't require a learning curve most small teams can't afford
• Strong template library including landing pages, not just emails
• Direct integrations with WordPress, WooCommerce, PayPal, and other tools small site owners actually use
• Responsive customer support with live chat and email options
• No contracts — month-to-month billing reduces commitment risk

❌ Watchouts

• ❌ No native SMS marketing — this is a confirmed gap, not a rumor
• ❌ Web push notifications are available but limited compared to dedicated push tools
• ❌ If you need email + SMS automation in a single workflow, AWeber cannot do it without third-party tools
• ❌ Zapier workarounds add cost, complexity, and maintenance overhead
• ❌ Competitors bundling SMS (Omnisend, Klaviyo, ActiveCampaign) give you unified subscriber data — AWeber's approach splits it across platforms
• ❌ Reporting does not include cross-channel views since there are no native cross-channels to report on

Where AWeber Still Makes Sense

Being direct: AWeber is a strong tool for what it does. The issue isn't that it's a bad platform — it's that it's the wrong platform if SMS is a requirement .

For small teams running 1–5 websites where email is the primary marketing channel and SMS is either not needed or handled as a completely separate, low-volume effort, AWeber holds up well. It's stable, the deliverability is solid, and the pricing is honest.

If you're in that situation and want to explore AWeber properly before committing, the free plan is the right starting point. No payment details required at entry.

When to Consider an SMS-Enabled Alternative Instead

If any of these apply to your situation, start your evaluation elsewhere:

• You're running ecommerce stores and want cart abandonment sequences that use both email and SMS
• You have a local business audience where SMS open rates matter more than email open rates
• You want one subscriber list, one dashboard, and one automation builder covering both channels
• Your team already uses SMS marketing and you're evaluating whether to consolidate tools
• Your audience skews mobile-first and you see higher engagement from text than email

Platforms worth comparing in that scenario include Omnisend (strong ecommerce SMS bundling), ActiveCampaign (robust automation with SMS add-on), and Klaviyo (deeper ecommerce integrations). None of these are perfect — each has tradeoffs worth checking — but all three solve the SMS gap AWeber leaves open.

For a direct head-to-head on a key AWeber competitor in the small business space, the AWeber vs. Mailchimp comparison covers feature and pricing differences in plain terms.

Related Reading

If you're still evaluating AWeber's broader feature set — beyond just the SMS question — these pages cover the practical detail:

• See how AWeber holds up across email, automation, and client management in the AWeber review for agencies and client management
• Learn how to actually build sequences step by step in the AWeber automation workflows tutorial
• Compare your options more broadly in the best email automation tools for WordPress in 2025

The SMS gap is a real limitation. But it's one limitation in a platform that otherwise does email marketing competently for small teams. Know what you need before you decide — and verify current feature availability directly with AWeber before committing, since platforms update their feature sets regularly.

Check AWeber's Current Features

Toolvoro Pro Tips: Getting More From AWeber Without SMS

These are not "read the docs" reminders. These are gaps that cost small teams time and money.

Pro Tip 1: Use AWeber's web push notifications as a partial SMS substitute

AWeber includes browser-based web push notifications on paid plans. For time-sensitive announcements — sales, limited spots, flash content — push notifications hit a subscriber's screen immediately without requiring a phone number. Most small teams running 1–5 sites never activate this feature. It is not SMS, but for urgency-based messaging it covers more ground than email alone and costs you nothing extra inside your existing plan.

Pro Tip 2: Segment by engagement before deciding you need SMS

A common reason teams look at SMS is low email open rates. Before switching platforms or paying for a bundled SMS tool, pull AWeber's engagement segments — specifically subscribers who have not opened in 60-plus days. Run a re-engagement sequence on that segment alone. If your active segment opens at 35% or higher, your list hygiene is the problem, not the channel. Solving that inside AWeber is free. Switching to a platform with SMS bundled in will not fix a dirty list.

Pro Tip 3: If you genuinely need SMS, build the bridge before you migrate

If SMS is a real requirement — appointment reminders, order confirmations, flash promotions — do not wait until you are frustrated with AWeber to act. Connect AWeber to an SMS-specific tool like SimpleTexting or Postscript via Zapier now, while your list is clean and your automations are stable. Migrating mid-campaign costs more in lost momentum than the Zapier subscription. Set the integration up during a quiet week, not during a launch.

Should You Use AWeber or Switch for SMS?

Here is the honest split for small teams managing 1–5 sites:

Stay with AWeber if:

• Your core channel is email and you have no current SMS use case
• You want simplicity and do not want to manage two communication channels
• Your budget is tight and email alone is performing
• You are using WordPress and want native opt-in form compatibility — check best email automation tools for WordPress 2025 for context

Consider a different platform if:

• SMS is already in your marketing plan, not a future maybe
• You are in e-commerce and expect cart abandonment or order update SMS flows
• Your audience skews mobile-first and has lower email engagement
• You want one vendor, one dashboard, and one support team for both channels

Use AWeber plus a third-party SMS tool if:

• You need occasional SMS — announcements, launches, re-engagement — but email is still primary
• You have Zapier already in your stack and the integration cost is manageable
• You want to test SMS without committing to a platform migration

The Verdict

AWeber is a capable email marketing platform for small teams — but if bundled SMS is your requirement, it does not have it, and no plan upgrade will change that.

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