Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) vs MailerLite: which should you choose?
Quick answer: Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is built for send-volume pricing, while MailerLite suits budget-conscious senders. For most users Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is the stronger default, but MailerLite can be the better fit depending on your budget and use case.
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) and MailerLite 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) | MailerLite | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | All-in-One Marketing | Email Marketing |
| What it's known for | Email + SMS + CRM platform priced by send volume rather than contacts, strong for transactional email. | Clean, affordable email marketing with drag-and-drop editor, automations, landing pages and websites. |
| Pricing | Free up to 300 emails/day; Starter from ~$9/mo; Business and Enterprise tiers, volume-based. | Free up to 1,000 subscribers; Growing Business and Advanced paid tiers scaling with subscribers. |
| Best audience | Businesses with large contact lists but moderate send volume, and developers needing transactional + marketing email together. | Budget-conscious beginners, bloggers and small businesses wanting simple automation and landing pages cheaply. |
| Best for | Send-volume pricing, Transactional + marketing email, SMS campaigns | Budget-conscious senders, Beginners, Simple automations + landing pages |
| Entry price | Free | Free |
| Biggest strength | Pricing by send volume is cheap for large lists with moderate sending. | Among the cheapest credible tools with a clean, modern UX. |
| Main caveat | 300 emails/day cap on free plan with Brevo branding. | Free tier dropped to 500 subscribers / 12,000 emails per month with branding. |
Features compared
Where they really diverge is in the day-to-day feature set:
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
MailerLite key features
- Clean drag-and-drop email editor with unlimited monthly emails on paid plans
- Automation workflows with multiple triggers (more on Advanced)
- Landing pages, signup forms and a website builder
- AI writing assistant and custom HTML editor (Advanced)
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 |
MailerLite plans
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | up to 500 subscribers, 12,000 emails/mo, MailerLite branding |
| Growing Business | from $10/mo (500 subs) | unlimited emails, 3 users, removes branding |
| Advanced | from $20/mo (500 subs) | unlimited users, custom HTML, AI assistant, live chat, more triggers |
| Enterprise | custom | for 100k+ subscribers |
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 MailerLite wins
The value pick: a genuinely pleasant interface and core features at one of the lowest price points in the category.
- Among the cheapest credible tools with a clean, modern UX.
- Free plan and low-cost paid tiers good for beginners.
That makes it the stronger pick for budget-conscious beginners, bloggers and small businesses wanting simple automation and landing pages cheaply.
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 MailerLite if you fit its core audience — budget-conscious beginners, bloggers and small businesses wanting simple automation and landing pages cheaply.
FAQ
Is Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) better than MailerLite?
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is the stronger default for most users, but MailerLite can be the better fit depending on your budget and use case.
What is the main difference between Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) and MailerLite?
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. MailerLite is the value pick: a genuinely pleasant interface and core features at one of the lowest price points in the category.
Which is cheaper, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) or MailerLite?
Both Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) and MailerLite 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 MailerLite: