Brevo vs Mailchimp

Detailed comparison — pricing, features, pros & cons

Brevo — Brevo is a multichannel CRM suite previously known as Sendinblue. It works best for Businesses with large lists who send infrequently (volume pricing advantage) and Multi-channel marketers combining email, SMS, and WhatsApp campaigns.

Mailchimp — Mailchimp is a popular email marketing and automation platform for small businesses. It works best for Small businesses starting with email marketing and Creators building newsletter audiences.

This comparison covers pricing, key strengths and limitations, and what each tool does best to help you choose the right fit for your workflow.

Quick Comparison

Feature Brevo Mailchimp
Rating 4.4 / 5 4.3 / 5
Pricing Model Freemium Freemium
Starting Price Free / $25/mo Free / $13/mo
Category Marketing & Lead Generation Marketing & Lead Generation
Free Plan ✓ Yes ✓ Yes

Pros & Cons

Brevo
Pros
  • Email volume pricing — a 100K contact list sending once monthly costs far less than Mailchimp
  • Multi-channel in one platform — email, SMS, WhatsApp, push notifications, and live chat
  • Transactional email via SMTP/API for developers integrating email into SaaS products
  • CRM included at no extra cost — tracks contacts, deals, and interaction history
Cons
  • Automation workflows less visual and powerful than ActiveCampaign's multi-branch builder
  • Brevo branding appears on free and Starter plan emails without a paid upgrade
  • WhatsApp and SMS usage costs are variable — can spike unexpectedly with high send volumes
Mailchimp
Pros
  • Industry-leading deliverability reputation built over 20+ years with major ISPs
  • Drag-and-drop email builder with 100+ templates requires no HTML knowledge
  • Audience manager handles contacts, tags, segments, and purchase history in one view
  • Pre-built automation journeys for welcome, abandoned cart, and re-engagement campaigns
Cons
  • Pricing jumps sharply with list growth — 10K contacts costs $110/mo on Standard
  • Automation logic is less powerful than ActiveCampaign or Klaviyo at comparable price
  • Landing page builder produces basic, template-constrained pages without custom code access

Who Is It For?

Brevo is best for
  • Businesses with large lists who send infrequently (volume pricing advantage)
  • Multi-channel marketers combining email, SMS, and WhatsApp campaigns
  • SaaS developers needing transactional email via SMTP or API
  • Teams wanting CRM and email marketing without separate subscriptions
Read full Brevo review →
Mailchimp is best for
  • Small businesses starting with email marketing
  • Creators building newsletter audiences
  • Ecommerce stores with abandoned cart automation
  • Marketers needing beginner-friendly email campaigns
Read full Mailchimp review →

Which Tool Should You Choose?

Choose Brevo if…
  • Businesses with large lists who send infrequently (volume pricing advantage)
  • Multi-channel marketers combining email, SMS, and WhatsApp campaigns
  • SaaS developers needing transactional email via SMTP or API
  • Teams wanting CRM and email marketing without separate subscriptions
Choose Mailchimp if…
  • Small businesses starting with email marketing
  • Creators building newsletter audiences
  • Ecommerce stores with abandoned cart automation
  • Marketers needing beginner-friendly email campaigns

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Brevo better than Mailchimp? +
Brevo scores 4.4/5 vs Mailchimp's 4.3/5 in our editorial ratings, making it the higher-rated option overall. Brevo is especially strong for Businesses with large lists who send infrequently (volume pricing advantage).
Which is cheaper, Brevo or Mailchimp? +
Both tools offer free access. Brevo is freemium. Paid plans start from Free / $25/mo. Mailchimp is freemium. Paid plans start from Free / $13/mo.
What is the main difference between Brevo and Mailchimp? +
Brevo is a multichannel CRM suite previously known as Sendinblue. Mailchimp is a popular email marketing and automation platform for small businesses. The key distinction is focus: Brevo is best suited for Businesses with large lists who send infrequently (volume pricing advantage), while Mailchimp works better for Small businesses starting with email marketing.

Verdict

Recommended choice
Brevo

Based on our editorial ratings, Brevo scores higher (4.4/5 vs 4.3/5). Brevo is particularly well-suited for Businesses with large lists who send infrequently (volume pricing advantage). That said, Mailchimp remains a strong choice if small businesses starting with email marketing is your priority.

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