Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) vs Mailchimp: which should you choose?
Quick answer: Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is built for send-volume pricing, while Mailchimp suits brand-name familiarity. For most users Mailchimp is the stronger default, but Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) can be the better fit depending on your budget and use case.
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) and Mailchimp look similar on the surface; the differences show up in practice. Below we compare them on pricing, strengths and the use cases each one fits, then give a clear verdict.
Side-by-side
| Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) | Mailchimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All-in-One Marketing | All-in-One Marketing |
| What it's known for | Email + SMS + CRM platform priced by send volume rather than contacts, strong for transactional email. | Best-known email marketing brand with audience tools, automations and an all-in-one marketing suite. |
| Pricing | Free up to 300 emails/day; Starter from ~$9/mo; Business and Enterprise tiers, volume-based. | Free up to ~500 contacts; Essentials, Standard and Premium tiers scaling with contacts. |
| Best audience | Businesses with large contact lists but moderate send volume, and developers needing transactional + marketing email together. | Brand-conscious beginners and small businesses who want a familiar, polished tool and aren't price-optimizing. |
| Best for | Send-volume pricing, Transactional + marketing email, SMS campaigns | Brand-name familiarity, Small businesses starting out, Agencies (via Mailchimp & Co) |
| Entry price | Free | Free |
| Biggest strength | Pricing by send volume is cheap for large lists with moderate sending. | Best-known brand with polished UI and huge integration ecosystem. |
| Main caveat | 300 emails/day cap on free plan with Brevo branding. | Free plan cut to 250 contacts / 500 sends per month in January 2026. |
Features compared
Beyond the spec sheet, these are the capabilities that define each tool:
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) key features
- Volume-based pricing keyed to emails sent, not contacts stored
- Email + SMS + WhatsApp campaigns in one platform
- Strong transactional email (SMTP relay, RESTful API, webhooks)
- Built-in CRM and shared inbox/conversations
Mailchimp key features
- Audience management with tags, groups and segmentation
- Email builder with templates and Creative Assistant
- Customer journey/automation builder (Standard+)
- Landing pages, forms, and basic websites
Pricing tiers side by side
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) plans
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 300 emails/day, unlimited contacts, Brevo branding |
| Starter | from ~$9-25/mo | from 20,000 emails/mo, removes daily limit |
| Business | from ~$65/mo | marketing automation, A/B testing, advanced stats |
| Enterprise | custom (from ~$10k/yr) | sub-accounts, SSO, dedicated support |
Mailchimp plans
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | up to 250 contacts, 500 sends/mo, 250 daily limit (cut Jan 2026) |
| Essentials | from $13/mo (500 contacts) | up to 50k contacts; sends 10x contact limit |
| Standard | from $20/mo (500 contacts) | customer journeys, send-time optimization; sends 12x |
| Premium | from $350/mo (10,000 contacts) | unlimited users, phone support, advanced segmentation |
Tiers compiled from the vendors' published plans and independent reviews; prices are approximate and change often, so confirm current figures (and your region's taxes) on each vendor's site.
Strengths compared
Where Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) wins
Charges by emails sent rather than contacts, making it unusually cheap for big lists that send infrequently, with serious transactional capability.
- Pricing by send volume is cheap for large lists with moderate sending.
- One of the best transactional email options bundled with marketing.
That makes it the stronger pick for businesses with large contact lists but moderate send volume, and developers needing transactional + marketing email together.
Where Mailchimp wins
The household-name email tool: easiest to recognize and start with, though no longer the value leader.
- Best-known brand with polished UI and huge integration ecosystem.
- Good for beginners getting started quickly.
That makes it the stronger pick for brand-conscious beginners and small businesses who want a familiar, polished tool and aren't price-optimizing.
Verdict: choose by fit
Both are good at the job, so let your priorities decide.
- Choose Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) if you fit its core audience — businesses with large contact lists but moderate send volume, and developers needing transactional + marketing email together.
- Choose Mailchimp if you fit its core audience — brand-conscious beginners and small businesses who want a familiar, polished tool and aren't price-optimizing.
FAQ
Is Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) better than Mailchimp?
Mailchimp is the stronger default for most users, but Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) can be the better fit depending on your budget and use case.
What is the main difference between Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) and Mailchimp?
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is charges by emails sent rather than contacts, making it unusually cheap for big lists that send infrequently, with serious transactional capability. Mailchimp is the household-name email tool: easiest to recognize and start with, though no longer the value leader.
Which is cheaper, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) or Mailchimp?
Both Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) and Mailchimp offer a free tier, so the real comparison is the paid plans above — pick based on the storage, features and limits you actually need.
Sources
Facts above are drawn from these independent reviews and the vendors' own pages for Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) and Mailchimp: