Brevo is cheaper for most use cases — it charges by emails sent (not contacts), includes transactional email on all plans, and offers SMS/WhatsApp alongside email. SendGrid has a better API, stronger developer ecosystem, and Marketing Campaigns visual builder. For transactional-focused: both work, but Postmark is better than either. For all-in-one on a budget: Brevo wins. For developer API quality: SendGrid wins.
SendGrid vs Brevo: Full Platform vs Budget All-in-One (2026)
Pricing (March 2026)
| Feature | Brevo Starter ($9/mo) | SendGrid Essentials ($19.95/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Emails/month | 5,000 | 50,000 |
| Contacts | Unlimited | Varies by tier |
| Transactional | Included | Included |
| Free tier | 300/day | Removed (March 2025) |
| Dedicated IP | Business plan+ | Pro plan ($89.95/mo+) |
| SMS | Built-in | No |
| Visual builder | Basic | Good (Marketing Campaigns) |
Brevo is cheaper at every comparable tier and includes more features at the base level.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | SendGrid | Brevo |
|---|---|---|
| API quality | Excellent (v3 REST) | Good |
| SMTP relay | Yes | Yes |
| Marketing campaigns | Yes (visual builder) | Yes (simpler) |
| Transactional | Yes (shared infra) | Yes (included all plans) |
| Contact management | Yes | Yes (unlimited) |
| Automation | Basic (Marketing) | Good (Business plan) |
| SMS | No | Yes |
| No | Yes | |
| Chat | No | Yes |
| CRM | No | Basic (included) |
| Dedicated IP | Pro plan required | Business plan+ |
| Subuser management | Yes (Pro) | No |
| Developer SDKs | Comprehensive | Good |
| Integrations | 1000+ | 60+ |
The Verdict
Choose SendGrid if:
- Developer-first team needing excellent API
- Need Marketing Campaigns visual builder
- In the Twilio ecosystem
- Need subuser management (agency/multi-brand)
- Integrations library breadth matters
Choose Brevo if:
- Budget is primary concern
- Need transactional + marketing in one platform
- Want SMS/WhatsApp alongside email
- Large contact list with moderate sending frequency
- Need free tier to start
Choose Postmark instead if:
- Transactional deliverability is critical
- Speed matters (10s median vs 30-60s)
Choose Mailgun instead if:
- Need SMTP relay for GoHighLevel
- Need flexible per-domain credential management
Read our full SendGrid review and Brevo review for in-depth analysis.
Practitioner note: Since SendGrid removed its free tier in March 2025, Brevo became the default recommendation for startups and small businesses. Free transactional + marketing + SMS is hard to beat. SendGrid is still the better developer platform, but for non-developer teams, Brevo delivers more value at every price point.
If you need help choosing, schedule a consultation.
Sources
v1.0 · March 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How does pricing compare?
Brevo charges by emails sent (unlimited contacts). SendGrid charges by plan tier with contact limits. At 50K emails/month with 10K contacts: Brevo ~$29/month vs SendGrid Essentials $34.95/month. At 100K with 25K contacts: Brevo ~$65 vs SendGrid Pro $89.95. Brevo is 15-35% cheaper and doesn't penalize large contact lists.
Which includes transactional email?
Brevo includes transactional (SMTP/API) on all plans — even free. SendGrid handles transactional via its API/SMTP, but on shared infrastructure with marketing. Brevo's all-in-one approach is more convenient; SendGrid's API quality is slightly higher.
Which has a better free tier?
Brevo: 300 emails/day (unlimited contacts). SendGrid: removed free tier March 2025 (60-day trial only). Brevo wins decisively on free tier.
Which has better marketing tools?
SendGrid's Marketing Campaigns has a better visual builder and more advanced segmentation. Brevo's marketing tools are adequate but less polished. For developer teams: SendGrid. For marketing teams on a budget: Brevo.
Which has better deliverability?
Comparable when properly configured. SendGrid has longer ISP relationships (since 2009). Brevo has been investing in deliverability infrastructure. Both support dedicated IPs and custom authentication. The differences are marginal for most senders.
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