Brevo vs Mailchimp 2026: Pay per Send or Pay per Contact?
Quick verdict: Mailchimp is our overall pick for Brevo vs Mailchimp.
The two free plans reward opposite list shapes: Brevo lets you store a large contact base and send 300 emails a day free, while Mailchimp's free plan caps you at 250 contacts and 500 sends a month. Paid entry is $9/mo for Brevo's Starter against $13/mo for Mailchimp's Essentials.
| Tool | Rating | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brevo Best free | 3.8/5 | Free $9/mo | Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) mixes email, SMS and CRM in one platform with a genuinely frie… |
| Mailchimp Best overall Best for teams | 4.0/5 | Free $13/mo | Mailchimp is a veteran email marketing platform with automation, landing pages and a basic… |
Bottom line: Brevo bills your sending; Mailchimp bills your address book - and the right answer depends on which one is bigger. Brevo's Starter at $9/mo buys 5,000 emails per month regardless of stored contacts, with annual billing dropping it to $8.08, and the free plan (300 emails a day, no credit card) is the rare one built for a large list you email occasionally; automation and A/B testing unlock at Standard $18/mo. Watch its add-ons: removing the Brevo logo is $10.80/mo on Starter. Mailchimp's Essentials starts at $13/mo for up to 500 contacts and climbs with list size, counting unsubscribed and cleaned contacts too - the number that grows silently as your list churns; its free plan is now 250 contacts with 500 sends, and multi-step automation needs Standard. Mailchimp's counterweights are real: template depth, a 300+ integration ecosystem and the smoothest drag-and-drop editor in the category, reflected in a 4.0 rating and 5/5 stability score against Brevo's 3.8 and 4/5. Brevo answers with breadth Mailchimp prices separately - transactional email, SMS credit and a built-in CRM on one login, plus a localized product (score 4/5, including a Chinese-language UI on its free plan vs Mailchimp's English-first tooling). Buy Brevo with a big, quiet list; buy Mailchimp with a small, active one that lives inside an ecommerce stack.
Pricing and details
Brevo · 3.8/5
Free plan available · $9/mo
Starter $9/mo (5,000 emails/mo), yearly -10% promo $8.08/mo; Standard $18 adds automation + A/B; free plan 300 emails/day, no credit card; remove-logo add-on $10.80/mo
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) mixes email, SMS and CRM in one platform with a genuinely friendly free tier.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Best dimension: Core features at 4/5 — backed by verification against the official site & pricing.
- Second strong point: Ease of use at 4/5.
- Pricing: free tier, paid from $9/mo — Starter (5k emails/mo); yearly ~10% off; free plan 300 emails/day
- Positioning: Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) mixes email, SMS and CRM in one platform with a genuinely friendly free tier.
Cons
- Weakest dimension: Collaboration at 3/5.
- Weigh the documentation quality for self-serve onboarding before committing.
Pricing verified 2026-09-05
Mailchimp · 4.0/5
Free plan available · $13/mo
Essentials (500 contacts); price scales with contacts, headline rates are first-12-month promos (post-promo price unpublished); free = 250 contacts, 500 sends/mo; 14-day trial (re-checked 2026-09-09 via 2026 roundups: Standard from $20/mo at 500 contacts; unsubscribed contacts keep counting toward the contact tier — list hygiene is a billing obligation)
Mailchimp is a veteran email marketing platform with automation, landing pages and a basic CRM.
Score breakdown
Pros
- Best dimension: Stability at 5/5 — backed by verification against the official site & pricing.
- Second strong point: Core features at 4/5.
- Pricing: free tier, paid from $13/mo — Essentials (500 contacts); price scales with contacts; no annual discount; free = 250 contacts
- Positioning: Mailchimp is a veteran email marketing platform with automation, landing pages and a basic CRM.
Cons
- Weakest dimension: Core features at 4/5.
- Weigh localization coverage outside core markets before committing.
Pricing verified 2026-09-09
Frequently asked questions
Which is better overall, Brevo or Mailchimp?
Mailchimp is our overall pick (4.0/5 vs 3.8/5). The two free plans reward opposite list shapes: Brevo lets you store a large contact base and send 300 emails a day free, while Mailchimp's free plan caps you at 250 contacts and 500 sends a month. Paid entry is $9/mo for Brevo's Starter against $13/mo for Mailchimp's Essentials.
Do Brevo and Mailchimp offer free plans?
Brevo and Mailchimp have a free tier. Brevo paid plans start at $9/mo; Mailchimp paid plans start at $13/mo.
What does Mailchimp cost?
$13/mo — Essentials (500 contacts); price scales with contacts, headline rates are first-12-month promos (post-promo price unpublished); free = 250 contacts, 500 sends/mo; 14-day trial (re-checked 2026-09-09 via 2026 roundups: Standard from $20/mo at 500 contacts; unsubscribed contacts keep counting toward the contact tier — list hygiene is a billing obligation). Prices were last verified on 2026-09-09.