Brevo vs Mailchimp Comparison 2026
Brevo prices by how many emails go out, which is the cheaper shape for a big list mailed rarely, free to start and $9 a month on Starter. Mailchimp prices by contacts held instead, so a large dormant list costs the same as one mailed daily, starting at $20 a month for Standard at 500 contacts after a 14-day trial. Mailchimp's real case is not price, it is that whatever store, booking tool or CRM you already run almost certainly already connects to it.
Email, SMS and automation on one free plan
Email marketing with the longest integration list
At a glance
- Brevo starts cheaper, at $9.
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
Brevo | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $9 | From $20 |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial (they differ) | None | 14 days |
| API |
Brevo
Email, SMS and automation on one free plan
Brevo, formerly Sendinblue, prices by messages sent rather than by contacts stored, which is the cheaper shape for anybody with a big list they mail rarely. Email, SMS and WhatsApp sit in one place. The editor and templates are plainer than the newsletter-first tools.
Our note
This is the one to pick when the list is big and quiet. If you mail weekly, the send-based pricing stops being a saving and a newsletter-first tool will serve the writing better.
Only on this side
- Works with WhatsApp
Mailchimp
Email marketing with the longest integration list
Mailchimp is the default nobody gets fired for picking, and the reason is that whatever else you run already connects to it. The editor and the reporting are fine rather than good. Its pricing counts contacts rather than sends, so a large list you mail once a month costs the same as one you mail daily, which is the wrong shape for most creators.
Why people weigh these two
- Mailchimp instead of Brevo
- Mailchimp covers the same job with the longest integration list; it keeps a free tier but paid starts at $20 against Brevo's $9.
- Brevo instead of Mailchimp
- Brevo adds SMS sending alongside email on the same free plan, useful for anyone who wants both channels without a second subscription.
Which one should you pick
Pick Mailchimp if email needs to talk to a shop, a booking tool and a CRM that were all chosen before the newsletter existed, since the integration list is the actual product being bought. It costs more to start, $20 a month against Brevo's $9, and its own listing calls contact-based pricing the wrong shape for most creators.
Pick Brevo if the list is large and mailed occasionally, or if SMS and WhatsApp need to sit alongside email in one account. It is less than half Mailchimp's starting price, and pricing by sends rather than contacts means a big, quiet list is not punished for existing.
Common questions
- Which one is cheaper?
- Brevo, clearly, at $9 a month against Mailchimp's $20 for Standard at 500 contacts. Mailchimp also prices by contacts held rather than emails sent, so a large list costs the same whether it is mailed daily or rarely, which its own listing calls the wrong shape for most creators.
- Why would anyone pick Mailchimp if it costs more?
- Integrations. Whatever shop, form or course platform is already in use almost certainly has a Mailchimp connector, which is the actual reason its own listing gives for choosing it. Brevo does not make the same claim about integration breadth.
- Which suits a big list that only gets mailed occasionally?
- Brevo. Its pricing follows how many emails are sent rather than how many contacts are stored, so a large, quiet list costs less than it would under Mailchimp's contact-based plans.
- Does either one have a free plan?
- Both do. Brevo's needs no card and works on a daily send limit. Mailchimp's free plan covers a small list before a 14-day trial leads into the paid Standard tier at $20 a month.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.