ActiveCampaign vs Brevo: which fits your business in 2026?
Premium automation against pay-per-send economics - which pricing model fits your funnel?
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Editor's pick
Brevo — Pay for emails sent, not contacts stored. Score 4.2/5, free plan available.
At a glance
| ActiveCampaign | Brevo | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 4.2/5 | 4.25/5 |
| Starting price | $15/mo | $9/mo |
| Pricing basis | per month, 1,000 contacts, billed annually | per month, 5,000 emails (unlimited contacts) |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Trial | 14 days | 0 days |
| Integrations | 900+ | 150+ |
| Best for | Small businesses that need deep automation workflows and sales follow-up in one tool | Businesses with big contact lists that send few emails - pricing by volume, not list size |
| Try ActiveCampaign → | Try Brevo → |
Winner by use case
- Tightest budget: Brevo — entry plan is $6/mo cheaper ($72/year at entry tier).
- Fastest to learn: Brevo (4.3/5 ease of use).
- Most capability: ActiveCampaign (4.7/5 feature depth).
- Best value overall: Brevo (4.6/5 value score).
Feature matrix
| ActiveCampaign | Brevo | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ✕ | ✓ |
| Trial days | 14 | 0 |
| AI features | 4 | 3 |
| Integrations | 900+ | 150+ |
| Ease of use | 3.8/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Feature depth | 4.7/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Value for money | 4.1/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Support | 4.2/5 | 3.9/5 |
What would YOU pay?
Entry-tier estimate; full version in the cost calculator.
Pricing, side by side
ActiveCampaign
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Starter | $15/mo |
| Plus | $49/mo |
| Pro | $79/mo |
Verified 2026-06-12
Brevo
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | Free / custom |
| Starter | $9/mo |
| Business | $18/mo |
Verified 2026-06-12
Strengths and weaknesses
ActiveCampaign
- Best-in-class automation depth for the price
- CRM included - no separate sales tool needed
- Excellent deliverability track record
- 900+ integrations
- Learning curve steeper than simple newsletter tools
- No free plan
- Price climbs fast as contact list grows
- Reporting UI feels dated
Brevo
- Unlimited contacts on every plan including free
- WhatsApp campaigns native - rare among rivals
- Generous free plan (300 emails/day)
- Transactional API included
- Daily send cap on free plan
- Automation limited below Business plan
- Email editor less flexible than competitors
- Brand awareness lower since Sendinblue rename
Our verdict
The interesting fight here is between two pricing philosophies, with an automation gap in the middle.
Brevo's volume-based pricing (unlimited contacts, pay for sends) makes it the rational pick for businesses with big, quiet lists — and its free plan with 300 emails/day is a genuine production tier, not a demo. Add native SMS and WhatsApp and Brevo covers channels ActiveCampaign needs add-ons for.
ActiveCampaign justifies its contact-based pricing with the strongest automation builder in this weight class. Lead scoring, site tracking, deep CRM handoff — when follow-up sequences are your revenue engine, the difference is measurable. Brevo's automation works, but it's a subset.
Choose Brevo if your list is large, your sending is selective, or WhatsApp matters in your market. Choose ActiveCampaign if automated follow-up is the core of how you convert — the extra cost is the engine, not the badge.
FAQ
Is Brevo cheaper than ActiveCampaign?
Yes. Brevo starts at $9/mo versus $15/mo for ActiveCampaign (per month, 5,000 emails (unlimited contacts)). Over a year that is a $72 difference at entry tier.
Does ActiveCampaign have a free plan?
No. ActiveCampaign offers a 14-day trial instead. Brevo does have a free plan, which makes it easier to test long-term before paying.
Which is easier to use, ActiveCampaign or Brevo?
Based on our scoring, Brevo is easier to get started with (ease-of-use 4.3/5 vs 3.8/5).
Which has more features, ActiveCampaign or Brevo?
ActiveCampaign scores higher on feature depth (4.7/5). Key differentiators: Visual automation builder with 900+ recipes; Built-in sales CRM with deal pipelines; Site and event tracking.
Full reviews: ActiveCampaign review · Brevo review