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Brevo and Mailchimp are two of the most widely used email marketing platforms available — but they serve very different needs, and choosing the wrong one could mean paying more than you need to or missing features your business genuinely requires.
In this comparison I’ll break down exactly how Brevo and Mailchimp stack up across every key area — free plans, pricing, features, automation, ease of use, and value for money — so you can make the right decision for your business in 2026.
Brevo vs Mailchimp: Quick Verdict
| Brevo | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Small businesses wanting the most generous free plan | Very small businesses wanting brand recognition and integrations |
| Free plan | ✅ Unlimited contacts, 300 emails/day | ✅ 500 contacts, 1,000 emails/month |
| Paid from | $9/month | $13/month |
| Automation | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| SMS marketing | ✅ | ✅ Paid plans |
| CRM | ✅ Basic | ❌ |
| Deliverability | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Ease of use | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Integrations | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Value for money | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Overall rating | ⭐ 4.8/5 | ⭐ 4.0/5 |
Bottom line: Brevo wins on almost every metric that matters for small businesses — a more generous free plan, stronger automation, SMS marketing, and better value at every paid tier. Mailchimp’s main advantages are its larger integration library and brand recognition. For most small businesses starting or switching in 2026, Brevo is the stronger choice.
Who Is Each Platform Built For?
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is built for small businesses that want a versatile, multi-channel platform covering email, SMS, automation, and CRM — without paying premium prices. It built its reputation on exceptional deliverability and a genuinely useful free plan, and has grown into one of the most complete platforms available at any price point.
Mailchimp is the most recognisable email marketing brand in the world — and for many years was the default choice for small businesses. It offers a free plan, a large integration library, and a familiar interface that many businesses already know. However its pricing has increased significantly in recent years while competitors have overtaken it on features and value.
Free Plan Comparison
This is where the difference between the two platforms is most stark — and most important for small businesses just starting out.
| Free Plan Feature | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Contact limit | Unlimited | 500 |
| Email sends | 300/day (9,000/month) | 1,000/month |
| Automation | ✅ Included | ⚠️ Very basic |
| Landing pages | ✅ Included | ✅ Included |
| SMS marketing | ✅ Included | ❌ |
| Live chat support | ✅ Included | ❌ Removed from free plan |
| Email support | ✅ Included | ⚠️ 30 days only |
| Branding on emails | ✅ Brevo logo | ✅ Mailchimp badge |
| Time limit | None — free forever | None — free forever |
Brevo’s free plan is dramatically more generous than Mailchimp’s. The unlimited contact limit alone is a game-changer — Mailchimp caps you at 500 contacts before forcing an upgrade, while Brevo lets you grow your list indefinitely without paying a penny.
The support difference is also significant — Mailchimp cuts off all support after 30 days on the free plan, leaving you with only a help centre if something goes wrong. Brevo includes email support permanently on the free plan.
Free plan winner: Brevo — by a significant margin.
👉 Try Brevo for free: https://get.brevo.com/943m12izdnt9
Pricing Comparison
Brevo Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | Unlimited contacts, 300 emails/day, automation, landing pages, SMS |
| Starter | $9/month | 5,000 emails/month, no daily limit, remove Brevo branding |
| Business | $18/month | Full automation, A/B testing, advanced reporting, multi-user |
| Enterprise | Custom | Dedicated support, custom volume, SSO |
Mailchimp Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | 500 contacts, 1,000 emails/month, basic templates |
| Essentials | $13/month | 500 contacts, 5,000 emails/month, A/B testing, 24/7 support |
| Standard | $20/month | 500 contacts, 6,000 emails/month, automation, retargeting ads |
| Premium | $350/month | Unlimited contacts, advanced segmentation, multivariate testing |
Pricing by List Size — How They Compare
| Contacts | Brevo (Business) | Mailchimp (Standard) |
|---|---|---|
| 500 | $18/month | $20/month |
| 1,000 | $18/month | $26/month |
| 2,500 | $18/month | $45/month |
| 5,000 | $18/month | $75/month |
| 10,000 | $18/month | $100/month |
| 25,000 | $35/month | $270/month |
This table reveals one of Brevo’s biggest advantages — its Business plan pricing is based on email sends rather than contact count. This means as your list grows, your Brevo bill stays the same (or grows much more slowly) while Mailchimp’s cost scales steeply with every new contact you add.
At 10,000 contacts, Mailchimp costs over five times more than Brevo for comparable features. For a growing small business, this difference is significant.
Pricing winner: Brevo — dramatically cheaper at scale.
Feature by Feature Comparison
Email Marketing
| Feature | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Email templates | 40+ | 100+ |
| Drag-and-drop editor | ✅ | ✅ |
| A/B testing | ✅ Business plan | ✅ Paid plans |
| Send time optimisation | ✅ | ✅ |
| Personalisation | ✅ | ✅ |
| Dynamic content | ✅ | ✅ Paid plans |
| RSS to email | ✅ | ✅ |
| AI email writer | ⚠️ Basic | ✅ Growing |
Mailchimp has a larger template library — 100+ versus Brevo’s 40+. For businesses that rely heavily on pre-designed templates, this is a genuine advantage. However Brevo’s templates are clean and professional, and most businesses find the selection more than adequate.
Winner: Tie — Mailchimp on templates, Brevo on value and features included at each tier.
Marketing Automation
| Feature | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Visual automation builder | ✅ | ✅ Paid plans |
| Welcome sequences | ✅ Free plan | ✅ Paid plans |
| Behaviour-based triggers | ✅ | ✅ Paid plans |
| Abandoned cart | ✅ | ✅ Paid plans |
| Transactional emails | ✅ Included | ⚠️ Add-on cost |
| SMS automation | ✅ | ❌ |
| Lead scoring | ❌ | ❌ |
Brevo includes automation on its free plan — a significant advantage over Mailchimp, which locks automation behind paid tiers. Brevo also includes transactional email sending (order confirmations, password resets) as part of the standard plan, while Mailchimp charges extra for this functionality.
Winner: Brevo — automation included at lower price points and on the free plan.
Multi-Channel Marketing
| Feature | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| SMS marketing | ✅ All plans | ✅ Paid plans (US only) |
| WhatsApp campaigns | ✅ | ❌ |
| Live chat widget | ✅ | ❌ |
| Push notifications | ✅ | ❌ |
| Facebook ads | ❌ | ✅ |
| Instagram ads | ❌ | ✅ |
| Postcards (physical mail) | ❌ | ✅ |
Brevo is the stronger multi-channel platform for digital communication — SMS, WhatsApp, live chat, and push notifications are all included. Mailchimp counters with social media advertising integration and the unique ability to send physical postcards — useful for very specific use cases but not relevant to most small businesses.
Winner: Brevo — stronger digital multi-channel offering. Mailchimp leads on social ad integration.
CRM and Contact Management
| Feature | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Basic CRM | ✅ Included | ❌ |
| Contact profiles | ✅ | ✅ |
| Deal pipeline | ✅ Basic | ❌ |
| Contact activity tracking | ✅ | ✅ |
| Custom fields | ✅ | ✅ |
| Advanced segmentation | ✅ Business plan | ✅ Standard plan |
Brevo includes a basic CRM for managing contacts and deal pipelines — Mailchimp doesn’t offer any CRM functionality. For small businesses that want to track prospect conversations and manage a simple sales pipeline alongside their email marketing, Brevo’s CRM adds genuine value at no extra cost.
Winner: Brevo — CRM included at no extra cost.
Integrations
This is Mailchimp’s strongest area. With 300+ native integrations — including Shopify, WooCommerce, Salesforce, WordPress, and most major business tools — Mailchimp has one of the largest integration libraries in email marketing.
Brevo offers 150+ integrations covering all the major platforms. For most small businesses this is more than sufficient — but if you use a niche tool that only integrates with Mailchimp, this could be a deciding factor.
Winner: Mailchimp — larger integration library.
Deliverability
Brevo has one of the strongest deliverability track records in the industry — built on over a decade as a transactional email provider. Consistently achieving inbox placement rates above 98% in independent testing, Brevo’s deliverability heritage gives it an edge over Mailchimp, which has faced more variability due to the volume and variety of senders on its platform.
Winner: Brevo — marginally stronger deliverability.
Ease of Use
Both platforms are beginner-friendly and accessible to users without a technical background. Mailchimp has a slight edge in familiarity — it’s been around longer and there are more tutorials, YouTube videos, and community resources available. If you get stuck with Mailchimp, there’s a very good chance someone has already answered your question online.
Brevo’s interface is clean and well-organised, though new users occasionally find the dashboard layout takes a little getting used to. The email builder is intuitive and the automation builder is clearly laid out.
Winner: Tie — both are accessible to beginners. Mailchimp has more community resources; Brevo has a cleaner modern interface.
Which Should You Choose?
Do you want the most generous free plan with no contact limit?
→ Brevo. Unlimited contacts, 300 emails/day, automation included — Mailchimp’s free plan doesn’t come close.
Do you have a growing list and want to control costs?
→ Brevo. At 10,000 contacts Brevo costs roughly $18/month versus Mailchimp’s $100/month.
Do you want SMS and WhatsApp alongside email?
→ Brevo. Mailchimp’s SMS is only available in the US.
Do you need the widest integration library?
→ Mailchimp. Its 300+ integrations cover more tools than Brevo.
Do you need social media advertising integration?
→ Mailchimp. Facebook and Instagram ad management is built in.
Are you already using Mailchimp and considering switching?
→ Brevo. The switch is straightforward — export your Mailchimp list as CSV and import to Brevo in minutes. Most businesses that switch report meaningful cost savings immediately.
How to Switch from Mailchimp to Brevo
Switching is much simpler than most people expect:
- Export your Mailchimp list — Audience → All Contacts → Export. You’ll receive a CSV file
- Sign up to Brevo free — no credit card required
- Import your contacts — upload the CSV file. Takes under 5 minutes
- Recreate your key automations — welcome sequence, abandoned cart, nurture flows
- Update your sign-up forms — replace Mailchimp forms on your website with Brevo forms
- Send a test campaign — verify everything works before fully switching
- Cancel Mailchimp — once you’re happy everything is running on Brevo
Brevo vs Mailchimp: Use Cases
Choose Brevo if you are:
- A small business wanting the most generous free plan available
- A growing business that wants to control email marketing costs as your list scales
- A business wanting SMS and WhatsApp alongside email from one platform
- An e-commerce business wanting transactional emails included without extra cost
- Anyone currently paying Mailchimp prices and wanting better value
Choose Mailchimp if you are:
- A business with a very small list (under 500) that specifically needs Mailchimp’s integrations
- A business running Facebook and Instagram ad campaigns directly from your email platform
- A business using a niche tool that only integrates with Mailchimp
- Someone already deeply familiar with Mailchimp who doesn’t want to switch
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brevo better than Mailchimp?
For most small businesses in 2026, yes — Brevo offers a more generous free plan, stronger automation at lower price points, SMS marketing, a basic CRM, and dramatically lower costs as your list grows. Mailchimp’s main advantages are its larger integration library and social media advertising tools. If neither of those is a priority for your business, Brevo is the stronger choice.
Is Brevo cheaper than Mailchimp?
Yes — significantly so, especially as your list grows. Brevo’s Business plan starts at $18/month regardless of contact count (up to a threshold). Mailchimp’s equivalent plan scales steeply with contacts — at 10,000 contacts Mailchimp costs around $100/month versus Brevo’s $18/month. The difference becomes even more pronounced at larger list sizes.
Does Brevo have a free plan?
Yes — Brevo’s free plan is one of the most generous available. It includes unlimited contacts (versus Mailchimp’s 500), 300 emails per day, automation, landing pages, SMS marketing, and email support — all at no cost and with no time limit. No credit card is required to sign up.
Can I switch from Mailchimp to Brevo easily?
Yes — switching is straightforward. Export your contact list from Mailchimp as a CSV file and import it to Brevo in minutes. Your automations and templates will need to be recreated, but the contact migration itself is quick and simple. Brevo’s support team can assist if needed.
Which has better deliverability — Brevo or Mailchimp?
Brevo has a marginally stronger deliverability track record — built on over a decade as a transactional email provider with deep relationships with major inbox providers. Both platforms are strong performers, but Brevo’s consistent 98%+ inbox placement rates in independent testing give it a slight edge over Mailchimp.
Does Brevo have SMS marketing?
Yes — Brevo includes SMS marketing on all plans including the free plan. This allows you to send text message campaigns alongside your email marketing from a single platform. Mailchimp also offers SMS but it’s only available in the US on paid plans — making Brevo the stronger choice for UK and international businesses wanting SMS capability.
Final Verdict
Brevo wins this comparison for most small businesses — and it’s not particularly close. A more generous free plan, stronger automation, SMS marketing, a basic CRM, better deliverability, and dramatically lower costs as your list grows make it the superior choice for the vast majority of small business owners comparing the two platforms in 2026.
Mailchimp still has a place — its larger integration library and social media advertising tools are genuine advantages for specific businesses. But for small businesses starting fresh, switching from an expensive platform, or simply wanting the best value for their email marketing budget, Brevo is the clear winner.
The best part? Brevo’s free plan has no contact limit and no time limit — so there’s no financial risk in trying it and seeing for yourself.
👉 Try Brevo for free (unlimited contacts): https://get.brevo.com/943m12izdnt9
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Last updated: August 2026
Disclosure: Some links in this article are affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may earn a commission. This doesn’t affect my recommendations — I only feature tools I genuinely believe are worth using.