Brevo vs Mailchimp: which fits your business in 2026?
Contact-based vs volume-based pricing - the math flips depending on your list shape.
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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
| Brevo | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 4.25/5 | 3.88/5 |
| Starting price | $9/mo | $13/mo |
| Pricing basis | per month, 5,000 emails (unlimited contacts) | per month, 500 contacts, billed monthly |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Trial | 0 days | 0 days |
| Integrations | 150+ | 300+ |
| Best for | Businesses with big contact lists that send few emails - pricing by volume, not list size | Beginners who want the most familiar brand and a quick start |
| Try Brevo → | Try Mailchimp → |
Winner by use case
- Tightest budget: Brevo — entry plan is $4/mo cheaper ($48/year at entry tier).
- Fastest to learn: Mailchimp (4.6/5 ease of use).
- Most capability: Brevo (4.2/5 feature depth).
- Best value overall: Brevo (4.6/5 value score).
Feature matrix
| Brevo | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Trial days | 0 | 0 |
| AI features | 3 | 4 |
| Integrations | 150+ | 300+ |
| Ease of use | 4.3/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Feature depth | 4.2/5 | 3.9/5 |
| Value for money | 4.6/5 | 3.4/5 |
| Support | 3.9/5 | 3.6/5 |
What would YOU pay?
Entry-tier estimate; full version in the cost calculator.
Pricing, side by side
Brevo
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | Free / custom |
| Starter | $9/mo |
| Business | $18/mo |
Verified 2026-06-12
Mailchimp
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Free | Free / custom |
| Essentials | $13/mo |
| Standard | $20/mo |
Verified 2026-06-12
Strengths and weaknesses
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
Mailchimp
- Easiest onboarding in the category
- Huge template and integration ecosystem
- Strong brand trust with clients
- Good free entry point
- Charges for unsubscribed and non-subscribed contacts
- Automation weaker than ActiveCampaign at same price
- Price rises sharply with list growth
- Support limited on lower tiers
Our verdict
The deciding factor here is a single question: is your contact list big but your send volume small?
Mailchimp prices by contacts stored. Brevo prices by emails sent, with unlimited contacts on every plan including free. A 20,000-contact list that receives one campaign a month costs serious money on Mailchimp and almost nothing on Brevo. Reverse the shape — small list, heavy sending — and Mailchimp's model can come out ahead.
Brevo also brings channels Mailchimp doesn't: native SMS and WhatsApp campaigns, plus a transactional email API that developers normally pay a separate service for. Mailchimp counters with a more polished campaign editor and a far larger template and integration ecosystem.
Choose Brevo if you have a large list, send selectively, or want WhatsApp/SMS in the same tool. Choose Mailchimp if you send frequently to a small list and value editor polish over channel breadth.
FAQ
Is Brevo cheaper than Mailchimp?
Yes. Brevo starts at $9/mo versus $13/mo for Mailchimp (per month, 5,000 emails (unlimited contacts)). Over a year that is a $48 difference at entry tier.
Which is easier to use, Brevo or Mailchimp?
Based on our scoring, Mailchimp is easier to get started with (ease-of-use 4.6/5 vs 4.3/5).
Which has more features, Brevo or Mailchimp?
Brevo scores higher on feature depth (4.2/5). Key differentiators: Volume-based pricing (unlimited contacts on all plans); Transactional email API included; SMS and WhatsApp campaigns.
Full reviews: Brevo review · Mailchimp review