Brevo vs Mailchimp: Which Email Automation Service is Better?

Overview

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) and Mailchimp are both established email marketing platforms competing for small and medium business customers, but with different value propositions. Brevo positions itself as a more affordable alternative with built-in multichannel capabilities, offering email, SMS, WhatsApp, and even transactional email in a single platform. Its email-based pricing model means you can have unlimited contacts and only pay for what you send, making it attractive for businesses with large lists but moderate send frequency. Brevo also includes basic CRM functionality with deal pipelines and task management.

Mailchimp is the household name in email marketing with broader brand recognition and a more polished user experience. The platform has invested heavily in design quality, resulting in beautiful templates, an intuitive interface, and smooth onboarding that makes it accessible to beginners. Mailchimp charges based on contact count rather than emails sent, and has developed extensive integrations with e-commerce platforms, website builders, and business tools that create a mature ecosystem around the core email functionality.

The choice often comes down to budget priorities, feature requirements, and whether you value affordability and multichannel capabilities or design quality and ecosystem maturity. For budget-conscious businesses needing SMS alongside email, Brevo offers compelling value. For brand-focused businesses prioritizing design quality and familiar tools, Mailchimp remains the safe choice.

Key Differences

Pricing Model

Brevo charges based on emails sent, not contacts stored. You can have unlimited contacts and only pay for what you send. This is advantageous for businesses with large lists but moderate send frequency.

Mailchimp charges based on contacts. The more subscribers you have, the more you pay - regardless of how often you email them. This can get expensive as lists grow.

Multichannel Capabilities

Brevo includes SMS, WhatsApp, and transactional email in the same platform. You manage all channels from one place with unified contact profiles. This consolidation can simplify operations and reduce tool sprawl.

Mailchimp added SMS but treats it as an add-on. WhatsApp isn't available, and transactional email is a separate product (Mandrill). Managing multiple channels requires more coordination.

Built-in CRM

Brevo includes a CRM with deal pipelines, task management, and sales automation. It's not as powerful as dedicated CRMs but provides basic sales functionality without additional cost.

Mailchimp has basic contact management but lacks true CRM features. Businesses needing deal tracking or sales pipelines will need a separate tool.

User Experience

Mailchimp has invested heavily in user experience. The interface is polished, templates are beautiful, and the onboarding is smooth. It's the more refined product overall.

Brevo is functional but less polished. The interface gets the job done but lacks Mailchimp's visual appeal. If user experience is a priority, Mailchimp has the edge.

Email Automation Use Cases

Small Business Marketing Automation

• Welcome Series: Automated onboarding for new subscribers or customers with basic branching based on engagement levels
• Regular Newsletters: Broadcast email campaigns with template design and basic segmentation based on subscriber data
• Promotional Campaigns: Sales, discounts, and product announcements with scheduling and delivery optimization
• Basic Customer Journeys: Straightforward automation for common scenarios like birthdays, anniversaries, and re-engagement
• E-commerce Sequences: Abandoned cart, post-purchase follow-ups, and product recommendations for online stores

Multichannel Marketing (Brevo Excels)

• SMS Campaigns: Text message marketing coordinated with email campaigns for omnichannel engagement
• WhatsApp Marketing: Direct messaging through WhatsApp for international audiences and high-engagement channels
• Transactional Email: Automated transactional emails like password resets, order confirmations, and shipping notifications
• Unified Customer Profiles: Single view of customer interactions across email, SMS, and WhatsApp channels

Who Should Choose What

Choose Brevo if:

• Budget is a primary constraint and you need the lowest starting price
• You have a large email list but send infrequently (email-based pricing benefits you)
• You need SMS and WhatsApp marketing in one unified platform
• Transactional email is part of your requirements and you want it included
• You want basic CRM functionality without paying for additional tools
• You're okay with a less polished interface in exchange for cost savings
• You're doing business internationally and need WhatsApp capabilities

Choose Mailchimp if:

• User experience and design quality matter to your brand
• You want the most polished email templates and drag-and-drop editor
• Brand recognition and ecosystem integrations are valuable to your team
• You prefer a more established, refined product with extensive documentation
• E-commerce features (basic) are needed with Shopify or WooCommerce integration
• You want landing pages, website builder, and social media management included
• You're just getting started with email marketing and want an easy learning curve

Consider Sequenzy for SaaS & Subscription Businesses

For SaaS and subscription businesses, neither Brevo nor Mailchimp is optimized for your specific needs. Sequenzy at $19/mo offers native Stripe integration, MRR tracking, AI workflow generation, and billing-based automation - features specifically designed for subscription businesses that general-purpose platforms lack. If you're selling subscriptions rather than products or services, Sequenzy's specialized capabilities will deliver significantly more value than either Brevo or Mailchimp.