What Brevo is
Email, SMS and marketing automation priced by emails sent, not contacts held.
- Email & SMS — marketing and transactional messages from one place.
- Automation — workflows triggered by behavior.
- Light CRM — track contacts and deals alongside marketing.
- Pay-per-send pricing — billed on volume, with a free monthly allowance.
What makes it stand out
Pricing that rewards a big list. Because Brevo bills on emails sent rather than contacts stored, it's often dramatically cheaper than per-contact tools once your list grows. Add SMS and transactional email in the same platform and it's a pragmatic all-rounder for cost-conscious teams.
Pros & cons
What I like
- Pay-per-send pricing — great for large, lightly-engaged lists
- Email, SMS and transactional in one platform
- A genuine free tier to start
- Light CRM and automation included
- Good value as you scale
Watch-outs
- Daily send limits on the free plan
- Automation is capable but not the deepest on the market
- Editor and templates feel functional more than polished
- Deliverability still depends on your sending hygiene
Who it's for
Best for businesses with a large or growing list who are tired of paying per contact, and anyone who wants email plus SMS in one affordable tool. If you need the most advanced automation or the slickest templates, compare against ActiveCampaign first.
Why switch from Mailchimp
The usual trigger is the bill: Mailchimp charges per contact, so a large but lightly-engaged list gets expensive fast. Brevo charges per email sent instead, which can be dramatically cheaper for the same audience — and it adds SMS and transactional email in the same place. The honest caveat: Brevo's editor and automation are functional rather than the most polished, so if design and depth matter more than cost, weigh that.
How hard is it to switch?
Manageable. Import your contacts by CSV, rebuild your core automation (a welcome series first), and run a test send to check deliverability before you move fully. The clearest win is the comparison itself: put your real list into Brevo's pay-per-send pricing and check the monthly cost against your per-contact bill.
My verdict
A pragmatic, cost-smart choice. Start on the free tier, import a real list, and compare your monthly cost against your current per-contact tool — for many businesses the savings are the whole story. Add SMS only when you'll actually use it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Brevo really cheaper than Mailchimp?
Often yes, especially with a large list, because Brevo bills on emails sent rather than contacts stored. Model your real send volume to be sure.
Does Brevo have a free plan?
Yes — a free tier with a daily send limit, plus paid plans that lift the cap. Check current limits on their site.
Brevo vs Mailchimp?
Brevo's pay-per-send pricing and built-in SMS are its edge; Mailchimp is more polished and broader. If cost on a big list matters most, Brevo usually wins.
Is Brevo good for transactional email?
Yes — it handles both marketing and transactional email, which is convenient if you'd otherwise need a separate service.
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