Brevo vs Mailchimp: which email marketing platform should you choose?
Quick Answer: Brevo offers unlimited contacts with volume-based pricing and includes transactional email on all paid plans; it favors teams with large lists and moderate send volume. Mailchimp has a broader template library, stronger e-commerce integrations (with ShopSync and Shopify), and a more polished reporting UI; it favors SMB marketers with smaller lists but frequent sends.
Brevo vs Mailchimp
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) and Mailchimp are two of the most widely used SMB email marketing platforms. The right choice depends on contact list size, send frequency, and whether transactional email is needed alongside marketing.
Pricing Model
Brevo
- Bills on emails sent, not contact count
- Free: 300 emails/day, unlimited contacts
- Starter: $9/month for 5,000 emails
- Business: $18/month for 5,000 emails + automations at scale
Mailchimp
- Bills on contact count
- Free: 500 contacts, 1,000 sends/month
- Essentials: $13/month for 500 contacts
- Standard: $20/month for 500 contacts
- Premium: $350/month for 10,000 contacts
Features
| Feature | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 300 emails/day, unlimited contacts | 500 contacts, 1,000 sends |
| Transactional email | Included | Separate Mandrill add-on |
| SMS | Included | Limited availability |
| Marketing automation | All paid plans | Standard and above |
| A/B testing | Business plan | Standard and above |
| Landing pages | Paid plans | All plans |
| CRM | Included | Add-on (Mailchimp CRM) |
| Template library | 70+ templates | 130+ templates |
E-commerce
- Brevo: Direct integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop
- Mailchimp: Shopify reintegrated in 2023 after 2019 fallout; stronger product recommendations
Automation
Both offer visual automation builders:
- Brevo: Pre-built automations for welcome series, abandoned cart, anniversary
- Mailchimp: Customer Journey builder with multi-step flows
When Brevo Wins
- Large contact list with moderate send volume
- Need transactional email included
- Budget-conscious teams
- SMS alongside email
When Mailchimp Wins
- Small list with frequent sends
- Heavy use of templates and design tools
- Shopify or e-commerce with product recommendations
- Broader integrations ecosystem
Migration
Both platforms support CSV import and export. Migration effort is minimal for contacts; campaigns and automations require rebuilding.
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