Quick Verdict
Brevo — Best for Value & Multi-Channel
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) charges by emails sent, not contacts stored. You get unlimited contacts on all plans, built-in SMS and WhatsApp, transactional email, and a CRM. At 5,000 contacts, Brevo saves you over $1,000/year vs Mailchimp.
Starting at $9/mo (20K emails, unlimited contacts)
Mailchimp — Best for Templates & Integrations
Mailchimp has the most polished template library, the largest integration ecosystem (300+), and AI-powered analytics. But it is 40% more expensive than 2021, charges for unsubscribed contacts, and the free plan is nearly unusable at 500 contacts.
Starting at $13/mo (500 contacts only)
Pricing: Brevo Is 50-70% Cheaper at Scale
The pricing models are fundamentally different. Brevo charges by emails sent with unlimited contacts. Mailchimp charges by contacts stored — including unsubscribed contacts you can never email again.
| Plan Tier | Brevo | Mailchimp | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 300 emails/day, unlimited contacts | 500 contacts, 1,000 sends/mo | Brevo |
| Entry paid | $9/mo (20K sends) | $13/mo (500 contacts) | 31% |
| Mid tier | $18/mo (20K sends) | $20/mo (500 contacts) | 10% |
| 5,000 contacts | ~$25/mo | ~$75/mo | 67% |
| 10,000 contacts | ~$55/mo | ~$135/mo | 59% |
Real-world example: A UK business with 5,000 subscribers sending 20,000 emails/month pays £49/mo on Brevo vs £135/mo on Mailchimp. That is a saving of £1,032/year. For a solopreneur or small team, that is real money.
Save $1,000+/Year with Brevo
Unlimited contacts, SMS, WhatsApp, CRM, and transactional email — all from $9/mo.
Or try GetResponse for even more features →The Billing Model Difference That Costs You Thousands
This is the single most important difference between Brevo and Mailchimp — and most people do not realize it until they get their bill.
Brevo: Pay Per Send
Brevo charges based on how many emails you send per month. You can store unlimited contacts on every plan — free, Starter, Business, and Enterprise.
- - 10,000 contacts but only email 5,000? Pay for 5,000 sends.
- - Unsubscribed contacts? Free to store.
- - Inactive contacts? Free to store.
- - Costs stay flat as your list grows.
Mailchimp: Pay Per Contact Stored
Mailchimp charges based on how many contacts you store — including unsubscribed and archived contacts you can never email again.
- - 10,000 contacts with 3,000 unsubscribed? Pay for all 10,000.
- - Costs increase automatically as list grows.
- - Must manually clean unsubscribed contacts to save.
- - 40% price increase since Intuit acquisition in 2021.
Automation Comparison
Brevo Automation
- - Visual workflow builder with conditional splits
- - Multi-step automations with A/B paths
- - Available on Business plan ($18/mo)
- - Welcome sequences, behavioral triggers, abandoned cart
- - Built-in CRM with deal pipeline
Mailchimp Automation
- - Customer Journey Builder with if/else branching
- - Predictive triggers and send-time optimization
- - Advanced automation on Premium plan ($350/mo)
- - AI-powered segmentation (Intuit Assist)
- - 300+ integrations including deep Shopify sync
Winner: Mailchimp for advanced automation depth. Brevo for automation value — you get multi-step workflows at $18/mo vs Mailchimp's $350/mo for comparable features.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $9/mo | $13/mo |
| Free plan contacts | Unlimited | 500 only |
| Billing model | Per send | Per contact stored |
| SMS marketing | Built-in | US-only add-on |
| Yes | No | |
| Transactional email | All plans | Add-on only |
| Built-in CRM | Yes (full) | Marketing only |
| Template library | Limited | 200+ templates |
| Integrations | 150+ | 300+ |
| AI tools | Basic | Intuit Assist AI |
| GDPR compliance | EU-based, native | EU-US framework |
Pros & Cons
Brevo Pros
- + 50-70% cheaper at scale
- + Unlimited contacts on all plans
- + SMS and WhatsApp built-in
- + Transactional email included
- + Full CRM with deal pipeline
- + EU-based, GDPR native
Brevo Cons
- - Limited template library
- - Email editor less polished
- - Fewer integrations than Mailchimp
- - Basic AI tools
Mailchimp Pros
- + 200+ polished templates
- + 300+ integrations
- + Intuit Assist AI tools
- + Deep Shopify integration
- + Industry benchmarking reports
Mailchimp Cons
- - 40% more expensive since 2021
- - Charges for unsubscribed contacts
- - Free plan nearly unusable (500 contacts)
- - SMS US-only
- - No WhatsApp
- - Transactional email is add-on
Who Should Use What?
Choose Brevo if you:
- - Have a large contact list but do not email every day
- - Want SMS and WhatsApp without add-on costs
- - Need transactional email included
- - Are a UK/EU business needing GDPR compliance
- - Want a built-in CRM alongside email marketing
- - Are tired of Mailchimp's price increases
Choose Mailchimp if you:
- - Need the most polished template library
- - Rely on 300+ third-party integrations
- - Want AI-powered predictive analytics
- - Are a US business needing SMS marketing
- - Already use Intuit products (QuickBooks)
Want Even More Value? Consider GetResponse
GetResponse offers everything Brevo does plus webinars, landing pages, and conversion funnels from $19/mo with unlimited sends.
Try GetResponse Free for 14 DaysFAQ
Is Brevo really cheaper than Mailchimp?+
Yes, significantly. At 5,000 contacts, Brevo costs ~$25/mo vs Mailchimp's ~$75/mo — a 67% saving. At 10,000 contacts, it is ~$55 vs ~$135. The difference comes from Brevo charging per email sent (with unlimited contacts) vs Mailchimp charging per contact stored (including unsubscribed ones). Over a year, most businesses save $500-$1,500 by switching to Brevo.
Is Brevo the same as Sendinblue?+
Yes. Sendinblue rebranded to Brevo in May 2023. The platform, features, and pricing are the same — only the brand name changed. If you see "Sendinblue" in older reviews or comparisons, it refers to the same product now called Brevo.
Can I migrate from Mailchimp to Brevo?+
Yes. Brevo supports one-click Mailchimp import. Export your contacts from Mailchimp as CSV and import directly into Brevo. You will need to rebuild your automation workflows and email templates, but Brevo's workflow builder is straightforward. Expect 1-2 weeks of transition time. Brevo's free plan lets you test everything before committing.
Which has better deliverability?+
Both platforms maintain 95%+ deliverability rates. In my testing, the difference was negligible (under 1%). Deliverability depends more on your authentication setup (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), list quality, and engagement rates than the platform itself. Both Brevo and Mailchimp provide dedicated IPs on higher-tier plans.