Brevo (Sendinblue) vs Mailchimp

Updated 2026 — Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and scores.

Quick Verdict

Choose Brevo if you have a large contact database but moderate sending volume — its unlimited contacts on all plans (even free) is a massive cost advantage over Mailchimp, which charges $350/mo for 10,000+ contacts. Brevo's built-in CRM and multi-channel messaging (SMS, WhatsApp) also eliminate the need for additional tools. Choose Mailchimp if you need the widest integration ecosystem (300+ apps) or if your team is already comfortable with its interface. Brevo scores 7.5/10 versus Mailchimp's 7.2/10 overall, with the biggest advantage being value for money (8.5 vs 5.5).

Brevo (Sendinblue)

7.5/10
Great
Ease of Use7
Value for Money8.5
Support6.5
Features8
Scalability7.5
Integrations7

Mailchimp

7.2/10
Good
Ease of Use7
Value for Money5.5
Support5.5
Features8
Scalability8.5
Integrations9

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) and Mailchimp are both mainstream email marketing platforms, but their pricing models and strengths diverge significantly. Mailchimp charges based on subscriber count, while Brevo charges based on email volume with unlimited contacts on every plan — including the free tier. This fundamental difference makes Brevo dramatically cheaper for businesses with large contact lists who send infrequently. Brevo also includes built-in CRM, SMS, and WhatsApp marketing that Mailchimp charges extra for.

Feature Comparison

FeatureBrevo (Sendinblue)Mailchimp
Email Templates
40+ templates
100+ templates
Drag and Drop Editor
Automation Workflows
On Business+
Customer journey builder
A/B Testing
On Business+
Multivariate on Premium
Advanced Segmentation
Predictive on Standard+
Landing Pages
On Business+
Signup Forms
Analytics and Reporting
Built-in CRM
Built-in CRM
~
Audience dashboard
SMS Marketing
SMS and WhatsApp
US only
Transactional Emails
Built-in SMTP
Mandrill add-on
API Access
Free Plan Available
300 emails/day
250 contacts, 500 sends/month
Ecommerce Integration
Shopify, PrestaShop
300+ integrations
Webinar Hosting
Full support~ Limited Not available

Pricing Comparison

Brevo (Sendinblue) Pricing

FreeFree
StarterPopular$9/mo
$1/mo billed annually
Business$18/mo
$1/mo billed annually

Mailchimp Pricing

FreeFree
EssentialsPopular$13/mo
Standard$20/mo
Premium$350/mo

Best Use Cases

European businesses should strongly consider Brevo for its GDPR-first design and EU-based data hosting. Ecommerce stores sending transactional emails benefit from Brevo's built-in SMTP server, while Mailchimp requires the separate Mandrill add-on. Businesses that communicate via SMS and WhatsApp can consolidate everything in Brevo instead of paying for separate tools. Nonprofits and membership organizations with large but infrequently-emailed lists save significantly with Brevo's volume-based pricing versus Mailchimp's per-subscriber model.

FAQ

Is Brevo really free for unlimited contacts?
Yes. Brevo's free plan allows unlimited contacts with a limit of 300 emails per day. Mailchimp's free plan caps you at 500 contacts and 1,000 emails per month.
Which is better for transactional emails?
Brevo. It includes a built-in SMTP server for transactional emails on all plans. Mailchimp requires you to purchase Mandrill as a separate add-on service.
Has Brevo's reliability improved since the Sendinblue rebrand?
The platform itself has not changed — the rebrand to Brevo in 2023 was purely a name change. The underlying infrastructure, deliverability, and features remained the same.

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