Brevo is cheaper at every tier and charges by emails sent (not contacts), making it dramatically better value for businesses with large lists who send infrequently. Mailchimp is better if you need social media tools, deeper integrations, or the specific Mailchimp ecosystem. For pure email marketing value, Brevo wins. For all-in-one marketing platform, Mailchimp has more features.
Mailchimp vs Brevo: Budget Email Marketing Compared (2026)
The Pricing Difference
This comparison comes down to billing model:
Brevo charges by emails sent. You can have 100K contacts and pay nothing for storing them. You only pay when you send.
Mailchimp charges by contacts. 100K contacts = $605/month regardless of how many emails you send. Plus, Mailchimp charges for unsubscribed contacts on some plans.
For businesses with large lists who send 2-4 campaigns per month, this pricing difference is massive.
Pricing (March 2026)
| Scenario | Brevo | Mailchimp Standard |
|---|---|---|
| 500 contacts, 2K emails/mo | Free ($0) | $20/mo |
| 5K contacts, 20K emails/mo | Starter $18/mo | $50/mo |
| 10K contacts, 40K emails/mo | Starter $29/mo | $100/mo |
| 25K contacts, 100K emails/mo | Business $65/mo | $259/mo |
| 50K contacts, 200K emails/mo | Custom | $350+/mo |
Brevo is 40-80% cheaper at most tiers.
Note: Brevo restructured pricing in October 2025, removing some features from the Starter plan. Verify current inclusions on their pricing page.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Billing Model | By emails sent | By contacts |
| Automation | All paid plans | Standard+ |
| Transactional Email | Included (SMTP/API) | Separate product (Mandrill) |
| SMS Marketing | Built-in | Limited |
| Landing Pages | Starter+ (removed Oct 2025 changes — verify) | All plans |
| Social Media Tools | No | Yes |
| CRM | Basic built-in | Basic |
| Email Builder | Good | Good |
| A/B Testing | Yes | Yes |
| Send Time Optimization | Yes (Pro) | Standard+ |
| WhatsApp Marketing | Yes | No |
| Chat | Built-in | No |
| Free Tier | 300/day, unlimited contacts | 250 contacts, 500 sends |
The Verdict
Choose Brevo if:
- You have a large contact list relative to your sending volume
- Budget is your primary concern
- You need transactional email included (not a separate product)
- You want SMS and WhatsApp alongside email
- The free tier's 300/day capacity works for your volume
Choose Mailchimp if:
- You need social media posting tools
- You want the broadest third-party integration ecosystem
- You're already embedded in Mailchimp's ecosystem
- You prefer Mailchimp's specific UI and template library
- You need more strong landing page tools
Choose neither if:
- You need advanced automation → ActiveCampaign ($15/mo)
- You want the cheapest simple email → MailerLite ($10/mo)
- You run ecommerce → Klaviyo or Omnisend
Read our full Mailchimp review and Brevo review for in-depth analysis of each platform.
Practitioner note: For pure cost efficiency, Brevo wins hands down. A client with 25K contacts sending bi-weekly campaigns was paying Mailchimp $170/month. On Brevo, the same sends cost $29/month. That's $1,692/year saved with comparable deliverability.
Practitioner note: Brevo's included transactional email (SMTP/API) is a genuine differentiator. Most ESPs charge extra for transactional (Mailchimp requires Mandrill, a separate product). If you need both marketing and transactional, Brevo's all-in-one approach saves money and complexity.
If you're evaluating ESPs and want a vendor-neutral recommendation, schedule a consultation.
Sources
v1.0 · March 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How does pricing compare?
Brevo charges by emails sent: Starter $9/month for 5K emails, unlimited contacts. Mailchimp charges by contacts: Standard $20/month for 500 contacts. For a business with 10K contacts sending 20K emails/month: Brevo ~$18/month vs Mailchimp ~$100/month. Brevo is 5x cheaper in this scenario.
Which has better deliverability?
Comparable. Both maintain their shared IP pools and offer dedicated IPs on higher plans. Brevo's dedicated IP starts at lower volume thresholds. Mailchimp has a longer ISP track record. Neither is significantly better for deliverability.
Which has better automation?
Brevo's automation is good and available on all paid plans. Mailchimp gates advanced automation behind Standard ($20/mo) and Premium ($350/mo) tiers. For automation on a budget, Brevo gives you more at lower cost.
Does Brevo include transactional email?
Yes — Brevo includes transactional email (SMTP/API) on all plans. Mailchimp's transactional email (Mandrill) is a separate product with additional cost. Brevo's all-in-one approach is more economical.
Which has a better free plan?
Brevo: 300 emails/day (~9K/month), unlimited contacts. Mailchimp: 250 contacts, 500 emails/month. Brevo's free tier is dramatically more useful.
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