Mailchimp used to be the obvious choice for email marketing. Then Intuit bought them in 2021, and prices have been climbing ever since while the free plan keeps shrinking. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) charges by emails sent instead of contacts which makes it dramatically cheaper for most businesses. We ran both for 6 months.
Pricing: Where Brevo Wins Big
The key difference: Mailchimp charges by contacts, Brevo charges by emails sent. This means Brevo lets you have unlimited contacts on every plan you only pay for the volume of emails you actually send.
| Contacts | Brevo | Mailchimp Standard | You Save |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | Free | Free (limited) | |
| 2,500 | $25/mo (20K emails) | $45/mo | 44% |
| 5,000 | $25/mo (20K emails) | $75/mo | 67% |
| 10,000 | $25/mo (20K emails) | $110/mo | 77% |
| 25,000 | $35/mo (40K emails) | $270/mo | 87% |
| 50,000 | $49/mo (60K emails) | $350/mo | 86% |
Why This Matters
If you have 10,000 contacts but only send 2 newsletters per month (20,000 emails), Brevo costs $25/mo. Mailchimp charges $110/mo for the same list even if you send zero emails. The bigger your list, the more you save with Brevo.
Feature Comparison
Email Editor
Automation Builder
Landing Pages
CRM Built-In
SMS Marketing
Transactional Email
Free Plan Generosity
Third-Party Integrations
Reporting & Analytics
Ease of Use
Where Brevo Wins
- Built-in CRM Brevo includes a full CRM with deal pipelines, contact management, and sales automation. Mailchimp has basic audience management but nothing close to a real CRM.
- SMS marketing Send SMS campaigns alongside email from the same platform. Mailchimp added SMS in 2023 but it is limited and US-only.
- Transactional email Brevo handles both marketing and transactional emails (order confirmations, password resets). Mailchimp requires a separate product (Mandrill) at extra cost.
- Unlimited contacts Every Brevo plan, including free, allows unlimited contacts. Mailchimp free caps at 500.
Where Mailchimp Wins
- Integration ecosystem 300+ integrations vs Brevo 60+. If you use niche tools, Mailchimp probably connects to them.
- Email editor polish Mailchimp drag-and-drop editor is slightly more refined and has more templates.
- Brand recognition More people know Mailchimp, which means more tutorials, community support, and developer resources.
- Advanced analytics Mailchimp reporting is more detailed with predictive demographics and purchase likelihood scoring.
Deliverability Test Results
We sent identical campaigns to a 5,000-person test list from both platforms over 6 months. Results:
Brevo Inbox Rate
93%
Spam: 4.2% | Missing: 2.8%
Mailchimp Inbox Rate
91.2%
Spam: 5.5% | Missing: 3.3%
Brevo edges out Mailchimp by 1.8% on inbox placement. Both are solid, but Brevo strict account approval process (they manually review new accounts) helps maintain higher shared IP reputation.
A note on these numbers
The 1.8% gap is within normal variance don't pick a platform based on this alone. Your own list hygiene, authentication setup (SPF/DKIM/DMARC), and content quality matter way more than which platform you're on. We have a separate guide on deliverability if you want to dig in.
Who Should Choose Which
Large list, tight budget?
Choose Brevo unlimited contacts means your cost stays flat as your list grows.
Need SMS + email + CRM in one tool?
Choose Brevo it is the only platform that combines all three at this price point.
Send transactional + marketing emails?
Choose Brevo one platform for both. Mailchimp charges extra for transactional via Mandrill.
Rely on many third-party integrations?
Choose Mailchimp 300+ integrations vs Brevo 60+. Check if your tools connect before switching.
Need advanced analytics and reporting?
Choose Mailchimp deeper reporting with predictive insights and audience demographics.
Brevo
Unlimited contacts on every plan
Mailchimp
300+ third-party integrations
FAQ
Is Brevo really free??
Can I migrate from Mailchimp to Brevo??
Which has better deliverability??
Does Brevo work with Shopify??
Why did Sendinblue change its name to Brevo??
Is Mailchimp still worth it in 2026??
So Which One?
For most businesses, Brevo is the better deal. Unlimited contacts, built-in CRM, SMS, and transactional email at 40-86% less than Mailchimp. The only real reason to stick with Mailchimp is if you depend on specific integrations that Brevo doesn't have.
Starting fresh? Go Brevo. Already on Mailchimp and watching your bill creep up? Migration takes an afternoon and the savings kick in immediately.