Brevo vs Mailchimp: Which Email Marketing Platform Gives You More for Less?
When it comes to email marketing, two names dominate every discussion: Brevo and Mailchimp. Both promise simple email marketing, reliable automation, and sleek campaign performance — but the key difference lies in value and flexibility.
Published by RenoEasy Marketing Edge
Introduction
As marketing budgets tighten, businesses aren’t just looking for tools — they want platforms that deliver real ROI without inflated pricing. That’s exactly where Brevo begins to outshine Mailchimp. At RenoEasy Marketing Edge, we ran a full comparison between these two leading tools across pricing, automation, usability, integrations, and scalability — and here’s what we discovered.
Quick Overview
| Category | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2012 | 2001 |
| Free Plan | ✅ Yes (300 emails/day) | ⚠️ Yes (500 contacts only) |
| Pricing Model | Per email | Per contact |
| Automation | ✅ Advanced + AI | ⚠️ Limited in basic plan |
| CRM | ✅ Built-in | ❌ Add-on required |
| SMS/WhatsApp | ✅ Available | ❌ Not supported |
| Deliverability | ✅ 99% verified | ✅ 98% verified |
| Best For | SMBs, agencies, automation-driven marketers | Beginners, newsletter creators |
“Mailchimp is good for simple campaigns. Brevo is built for intelligent, scalable marketing.”
1. Pricing Comparison — Real Value for Money
Let’s start with what truly matters — cost efficiency.
Brevo Pricing
| Plan | Monthly Price | Emails/Month | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 300/day | Email marketing, forms, CRM |
| Starter | $8.08 | 5,000 | Drag & drop builder, AI content |
| Business | $16.17 | 5,000 | Automation, A/B testing, analytics |
| Brevo Plus | $449.08 | 150,000 | Dedicated IP, multi-user access |
| Enterprise | Custom | 1M+ | Advanced integrations, VIP support |
Mailchimp Pricing
| Plan | Monthly Price | Contacts | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 500 contacts | Basic templates, 1 audience |
| Essentials | $13 | 500 contacts | Email scheduling, basic analytics |
| Standard | $20 | 500 contacts | Automation, predictive segmentation |
| Premium | $350 | 10,000+ contacts | Priority support, advanced segmentation |
Mailchimp charges per contact — not per email. That means if you have 10,000 subscribers, even if you send one campaign a month, your cost grows exponentially. Brevo, on the other hand, charges only for the number of emails you send, not how many people are on your list. It’s a fair, transparent, performance-based model that small and mid-sized businesses love.
Winner: Brevo
2. Email Builder & Templates
Both platforms offer sleek drag-and-drop editors, but Brevo takes a practical approach.
| Feature | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Drag & Drop Editor | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| AI Content Generator | ✅ Included | ⚠️ Limited |
| Responsive Templates | ✅ 70+ options | ✅ 100+ |
| Dynamic Personalization | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Brand Kit | ✅ Custom themes | ✅ Yes |
| Collaboration Tools | ✅ Real-time | ⚠️ Limited |
“Mailchimp looks slightly flashier, but Brevo’s editor feels cleaner and faster — especially when building automated campaigns.”
Winner: Brevo (for speed and integrated AI content).
3. Automation and Segmentation
This is where Brevo clearly separates itself. Mailchimp offers basic “if-this-then-that” automation, but Brevo delivers behavior-based, multi-channel journeys that rival enterprise tools.
| Feature | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Automation Triggers | ✅ Behavior, website, CRM | ⚠️ Email-only triggers |
| Visual Builder | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Lead Scoring | ✅ Included | ❌ No |
| Multi-step Automation | ✅ Unlimited | ⚠️ Limited by plan |
| Cross-channel Triggers | ✅ Email, SMS, WhatsApp | ❌ Email only |
| AI Timing Optimization | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
In Brevo, you can trigger a WhatsApp reminder if a user doesn’t open an email within 24 hours — a feature Mailchimp simply doesn’t offer.
Winner: Brevo
4. CRM & Customer Data
Brevo offers a built-in CRM integrated directly into your campaigns, allowing you to track deals, sales, and customer interactions. Mailchimp, while it offers “audiences,” doesn’t function as a full CRM — it’s more of a contact list with tagging.
| Feature | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| CRM Dashboard | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Task Management | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Pipeline View | ✅ Included | ❌ No |
| Custom Fields | ✅ Unlimited | ⚠️ Limited |
| Integrations | ✅ 100+ | ✅ 300+ |
“Mailchimp collects contacts. Brevo manages relationships.”
Winner: Brevo
5. Deliverability and Trust
Both are highly reputable ESPs, but Brevo’s European infrastructure and ISO 27001 certification make it especially appealing for compliance-conscious businesses.
| Metric | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Deliverability Rate | 99% | 98% |
| GDPR Compliant | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| ISO Certified | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Data Storage | EU, US, Singapore | US only |
Brevo’s transparent privacy policy and global server presence inspire confidence among international users.
Winner: Brevo
6. Integrations and Ecosystem
Mailchimp integrates with over 300 platforms — Shopify, WooCommerce, and Zapier among them. Brevo’s integrations are fewer (100+), but expanding rapidly, focusing on quality over quantity. However, Brevo connects directly with WordPress, WooCommerce, Shopify, Salesforce, Pabbly, and Notion, covering all essential workflows.
If you need massive app connections, Mailchimp wins. But for practical use, Brevo offers all the essential integrations that most marketers need daily.
Winner: Tie (Mailchimp for volume, Brevo for efficiency)
7. Customer Support
Brevo’s support is known for fast replies and live chat even on lower-tier plans. Mailchimp, on the other hand, restricts live chat to paid tiers and prioritizes Premium users only.
| Support Type | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Email Support | ✅ All plans | ✅ All plans |
| Live Chat | ✅ All paid plans | ⚠️ Premium only |
| Phone Support | ✅ Business+ | ⚠️ Premium only |
| Knowledge Base | ✅ Excellent | ✅ Excellent |
Winner: Brevo
8. AI, Analytics & Reporting
AI isn’t optional anymore — it’s essential. Brevo’s built-in AI content generator and AI send-time optimization use machine learning to help businesses send smarter campaigns. Mailchimp also offers predictive analytics, but they’re locked behind its higher tiers.
Winner: Brevo
RenoEasy’s Honest Verdict
| Factor | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ |
| Automation | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ |
| CRM | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐ |
| Ease of Use | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Deliverability | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| AI Tools | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐ |
| Trust Factor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Overall Rating | 4.7/5 | 3.6/5 |
“Mailchimp built the email marketing trend. Brevo perfected it — adding automation, CRM, and AI at a fraction of the price.”
Winner: Brevo (Clear Advantage)
Conclusion
Both Brevo and Mailchimp are capable tools. If you’re just sending pretty newsletters, Mailchimp will do the job. But if you’re serious about growing your brand, automating your sales, and saving budget, Brevo is the better long-term investment.
“Mailchimp is a designer’s tool. Brevo is a business builder’s platform.” — RenoEasy Marketing Edge.