Brevo (ex. Sendinblue) vs Mailchimp: Choosing the best tool for your business

If your business relies on email marketing, you need a powerful tool to help you create, manage, automate, and track your email campaigns. But with a range of options on the market, choosing the best tool for your business can feel daunting. 

To give you a hand, we compare two options—Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) and Mailchimp. While Mailchimp has been around since 2001, Brevo is a newer player but popular nonetheless. We take you through their features, pricing, pros, and cons to help you consider your options and choose the best for your business’s needs and budget.

Brevo and Mailchimp are two prominent players in the world of email marketing and automation, each with its own set of unique strengths tailored to meet specific user needs.

Brevo is known for its robust set of features in email marketing. It offers a comprehensive email marketing platform that includes not only email campaigns but also SMS marketing, marketing automation, and transactional emails. On the other hand, Mailchimp offers a complete suite of marketing tools, including email marketing, automation, social media management, and e-commerce integration.

Now, let's dive into the Brevo vs. Mailchimp comparison to help you make an informed decision when selecting the right email marketing platform for your business.

Brevo and Mailchimp are two robust email marketing tools that help businesses of all sizes manage email campaigns. However, one of their main differences is the features they offer beyond email marketing. Brevo provides a marketing platform for email, SMS, and WhatsApp campaigns. It also has a free CRM with all its plans for identifying, tracking, and managing leads. In addition, it offers personalized chat tools to connect with customers and transactional emails. You can subscribe to these products separately to create your own digital marketing platform stack. 

Mailchimp is primarily an email marketing platform. Its email marketing plans offer additional digital marketing channels and tools including SMS marketing, social media, posts, ads, surveys, landing pages, and a website builder. Mailchimp’s popular landing page builder is also available with all its plans. Compared to Mailchimp, Brevo’s landing page builder is only available with its more expensive subscriptions. Ultimately, Brevo and Mailchimp cater to different digital marketing needs with their respective features. 

The tools’ pricing structures are another point of differentiation. Mailchimp’s plans are priced according to the number of contacts. For example, the platform allows up to 500 contacts on its free plan, 500 on its Essentials plan ($13/month), 1,500 on its Standard plan ($26.50/month), etc. In comparison, Brevo offers unlimited contacts with all of its plans, even its free one. However, this plan limits the number of emails you can send daily to 300. There is no daily send limit on Brevo’s paid plans, whereas all of Mailchimp’s plans—including its free one—have a monthly email send limit. All of Brevo’s plans include transactional emails like email reminders and delivery confirmations. Mailchimp offers transactional emails as an add-on with its Standard and Premium plans. 

• Affordability: Brevo is known for its cost-effective pricing, making it an excellent choice for startups and small businesses with limited budgets.
• Ease of use: Brevo features a user-friendly interface and a drag-and-drop email builder, making it accessible even for users with minimal design or technical skills. 
• Marketing automation: Brevo provides marketing automation tools that allow you to set up workflows and automate email responses based on user behavior, helping you nurture leads and engage customers more effectively.
• Transactional email support: Brevo supports transactional emails, enabling businesses to send order confirmations, password reset emails, and other transactional messages automatically to their users.
• Detailed analytics: Brevo offers comprehensive analytics and reporting tools. Users can track email campaign performance, monitor open and click-through rates, and gain insights into audience behavior.

• Limited advanced features: While Brevo covers the basics of email marketing and automation well, it may lack some advanced features and customization options that larger businesses and marketing professionals might require.
• Template variety: Although Brevo provides email templates, the variety may not be as extensive as some other email marketing platforms. 
• Learning curve for automation: Setting up complex marketing automation workflows in Brevo might have a learning curve for users who are new to automation concepts.
• List management: Some users have reported challenges with list management and segmentation, particularly when dealing with large contact lists.
• Customer support: While Brevo does offer customer support, the level of support and response times may vary, and some users have reported issues with the quality of support provided.

• User-friendly interface: Mailchimp is known for its intuitive and user-friendly interface, making it easy for beginners to create and send email campaigns without a steep learning curve.
• Comprehensive marketing suite: Mailchimp offers a wide range of marketing tools beyond email marketing, including social media management, ad campaigns, landing page creation, and postcards.
• Automation features: Mailchimp provides robust marketing automation capabilities, allowing you to set up complex workflows, segment your audience, and send personalized content based on user behavior.
• Integration options: Mailchimp integrates with numerous third-party applications and e-commerce platforms, like Shopify, Typeform and Mixpanel.
• Templates and design tools: Mailchimp offers a vast library of professionally designed email templates, along with a user-friendly drag-and-drop email builder.

• Pricing: While Mailchimp does offer a free plan, pricing can become relatively expensive as your subscriber list grows or if you require advanced features. 
• Limited A/B testing: A/B testing is available only in the paid plans, which may limit experimentation for users on the free plan.
• Delivery and deliverability: Some users have reported issues with email deliverability, where emails sent through Mailchimp occasionally end up in spam folders. 
• Limited template customization: While Mailchimp offers many templates, customization options might be somewhat limited for users who want to create highly unique and branded emails.
• Complexity of advanced features: While Mailchimp is beginner-friendly, its more advanced features, such as complex automation workflows, may require a learning curve for users who are new to email marketing automation.

When comparing Brevo and Mailchimp, Brevo distinguishes itself with its affordability and user-friendly interface, making it an attractive choice for businesses with budget constraints and those seeking ease of use in their email marketing efforts. Brevo's pricing structure, including a free plan and reasonable paid options, makes it an accessible choice for startups and small businesses looking to kickstart their email campaigns without a significant financial commitment.

One of Brevo's standout features is its marketing automation capabilities, allowing users to set up workflows and automate email responses based on user behavior. This feature is particularly valuable for businesses aiming to engage customers through personalized and targeted email content.

While both Brevo and Mailchimp excel in email marketing, the choice between the two depends on your specific business needs. Brevo is a cost-effective option with a focus on simplicity and marketing automation, ideal for budget-conscious startups. On the other hand, Mailchimp offers a comprehensive suite of marketing tools for businesses looking to expand their marketing efforts across various channels.

Determining whether Brevo is better than Mailchimp hinges largely on specific business requirements. Brevo stands out with its versatile capabilities, including the ability to send transactional emails and SMS messages. This versatility is particularly advantageous for e-commerce businesses aiming to provide order confirmations and notifications via SMS.

Moreover, Brevo offers exceptional design flexibility, empowering users to create visually appealing emails. Its advanced automation workflow is another highlight, enabling seamless marketing automation for lead nurturing and customer engagement.

In summary, the choice between Brevo and Mailchimp depends on the specific needs of a business, with Brevo offering versatility and automation, while Mailchimp emphasizes usability and data-driven insights.

Brevo finds its forte in seamless multi-channel marketing integration. Its standout feature lies in robust email marketing capabilities complemented by SMS messaging, a combination that proves especially valuable in today's digital landscape where reaching customers through multiple channels is essential for engagement.

Furthermore, Brevo caters to businesses that prioritize automation in their marketing strategies. Its advanced automation workflow empowers users to tailor transactions, follow-ups, and even lead scoring, ensuring that the right message reaches the right audience at the right time. This level of customization enhances customer engagement and aids businesses in effectively harnessing and managing their customer base, fostering long-term relationships and growth.

The question of whether Brevo can effectively replace Mailchimp is contingent on several factors. Brevo indeed shares core features with Mailchimp, such as email marketing, landing page creation, and automation capabilities. Yet, it differentiates itself by offering distinctive add-ons like CRM integration and SMS marketing, which can enhance customer relationship management and extend the reach of marketing campaigns.

Whether Brevo can serve as a viable Mailchimp alternative hinges on a company's individual requirements and financial considerations. For businesses seeking a more comprehensive solution with a focus on customer relationship management and multi-channel communication, Brevo may offer a compelling option worth exploring. Ultimately, the choice between the two should align with specific objectives and budgetary constraints.

In the realm of pricing, Brevo often emerges as the more budget-friendly option compared to Mailchimp. The distinction is evident in several aspects. Firstly, Brevo extends a free plan, providing an accessible entry point for businesses with tight budgets. Furthermore, its paid plans initiate at a lower price threshold than Mailchimp's counterparts, presenting a cost-effective solution for startups and small enterprises.

A noteworthy difference lies in the pricing structure. Brevo's pricing revolves around the number of emails sent, offering flexibility for businesses with fluctuating email volume. In contrast, Mailchimp calculates costs based on the number of contacts, which can lead to higher expenses for companies with expansive contact lists. In essence, Brevo's pricing model aligns with cost-conscious businesses seeking affordability without sacrificing essential email marketing features.

Brevo comes with its own set of advantages, but it's important to explore other email marketing software options that may align more closely with your specific needs.

Some noteworthy alternatives to Brevo in the email marketing arena include Mailchimp, Constant Contact, ConvertKit, and HubSpot Email Marketing.

The choice of email marketing software hinges on your business's unique requirements, priorities, and personal preferences. However, if you seek a tool renowned for its core email marketing features, attention to detail, and user-friendly interface, Brevo may be the ideal choice for you.

Mailchimp stands out with its comprehensive suite of digital marketing tools and all-in-one approach. Mailchimp offers not only email marketing but also a wide range of additional features, including social media management, ad campaigns, landing page creation, and postcard campaigns. This makes it a versatile choice for businesses looking to streamline their entire marketing strategy within one platform.

Mailchimp also excels in marketing automation, providing robust capabilities for setting up complex workflows, segmenting audiences, and delivering personalized content based on user behavior. This level of automation is valuable for businesses seeking to enhance customer engagement and conversions.

In summary, while both Mailchimp and Brevo excel in email marketing, the choice between the two depends on your specific business needs. Mailchimp offers a comprehensive, all-in-one marketing solution with advanced features, making it suitable for businesses looking to expand their marketing efforts across various channels. Brevo, on the other hand, is a budget-friendly option with a user-friendly interface, ideal for startups and small businesses seeking simplicity in their email marketing endeavors.

Determining whether Mailchimp outshines Brevo hinges on the precise demands of a business. Mailchimp distinguishes itself through its user-friendly interface, which simplifies the process of crafting campaigns and evaluating their effectiveness. Its robust reporting capabilities provide users with granular insights, empowering data-driven decision-making.

The assessment of whether Mailchimp or Brevo is superior boils down to a company's distinct objectives and priorities. Both platforms offer valuable features, and the choice should align with the unique needs of the business in question.

Mailchimp excels as a versatile email marketing platform, primarily renowned for its user-friendly interface and email campaign features. Its extensive library of easy-to-use templates empowers businesses, especially small to medium-sized enterprises, to create visually appealing and engaging emails effortlessly. For instance, e-commerce businesses can showcase their products through customizable designs, enhancing customer engagement.

Moreover, Mailchimp's strength lies in its robust reporting tools, offering comprehensive analytics on campaign performance. These insights, such as open rates, click-through rates, and subscriber behavior, enable businesses to refine their email marketing strategies effectively. For instance, a retail business can track which products generate the most interest and tailor future campaigns accordingly. In summary, Mailchimp is an excellent choice for businesses aiming to craft effective email campaigns while leveraging data-driven decision-making.

The potential for Mailchimp to replace Brevo largely depends on a business's specific needs and priorities. Mailchimp indeed offers a robust suite of features, encompassing email marketing, automation workflows, and in-depth analytics. However, it's essential to acknowledge its limitations, such as the absence of SMS marketing features, a domain where Brevo excels.

For businesses primarily centered on email marketing, Mailchimp can serve as a viable alternative. For example, an e-commerce store might find Mailchimp's email marketing tools sufficient to engage its customer base effectively. However, businesses seeking a more comprehensive multi-channel marketing approach might continue to value Brevo's inclusion of SMS marketing and other advanced features. Ultimately, the decision should align with the specific objectives and requirements of the business in question.

When considering cost, it becomes evident that Mailchimp generally carries a higher price tag compared to Brevo. The divergence in pricing models is a key factor. Mailchimp's pricing structure hinges on the number of subscribers, which can lead to escalating costs for businesses with substantial contact lists. For instance, an e-commerce store with tens of thousands of subscribers might find Mailchimp's pricing considerably higher.

In contrast, Brevo's pricing is primarily based on the number of emails sent, offering a more predictable and potentially cost-effective model. For businesses, especially startups and small enterprises, that engage in frequent email communication with their subscribers, Brevo's pricing structure can prove to be notably more budget-friendly. This difference in cost consideration can be pivotal when choosing between the two platforms.

Mailchimp undeniably offers a range of features and benefits, but it is also worthwhile to consider other possible options, taking factors like scalability, integration capabilities, required features, and more into consideration.

Some noteworthy alternatives to Mailchimp in the email marketing realm include HubSpot, Brevo, ConvertKit, GetResponse, and Constant Contact.

The choice depends on your business's unique needs, priorities, and any personal preferences you may have. However, if you seek an email marketing tool known for its core features, meticulous attention to detail, and a user-friendly interface, Mailchimp could be the ideal choice for your marketing endeavors.

While both Brevo and Mailchimp offer email marketing services, Mailchimp distinguishes itself with its superior email design functionality, bolstered by an AI-powered design tool. This innovative feature empowers users to craft visually appealing and engaging multichannel email designs with remarkable ease. For instance, Mailchimp's AI can automatically suggest design elements and layout adjustments to enhance engagement, streamlining the creative process.

In contrast, Brevo prioritizes the professional aspects of email creation over design. While it provides robust email marketing tools, its emphasis is on features like marketing automation and transactional emails, making it a strong choice for businesses that prioritize these functionalities over intricate email design.

In summary, Mailchimp's AI-powered email design tool positions it as a top choice for businesses aiming to elevate the visual appeal of their email campaigns, fostering higher engagement rates. Conversely, Brevo excels in different areas, making it a preferred option for those seeking professional and transactional email solutions.

Brevo takes a noticeable lead in the realm of ease of use when compared to Mailchimp. While both platforms have their unique strengths, Brevo stands out with its highly intuitive user interface and streamlined workflow.

Brevo has been designed with user-friendliness as a paramount consideration. Every feature and tool within the platform caters to users who may not have extensive technical expertise. Navigating the platform and setting up email marketing campaigns is a breeze, thanks in part to its guided onboarding process. This guided approach significantly reduces the learning curve, making it a swift-to-master tool that's ideal for entrepreneurs with tight schedules.

On the other hand, Mailchimp also prides itself on its user-friendly interface. While it's undeniably easy to navigate, some users have reported minor challenges with certain aspects of its organization and design, which they find slightly confusing or counterintuitive. Additionally, Mailchimp's workflow can involve more steps in comparison to Brevo, which may be a factor worth considering for businesses looking to streamline their processes and save time.

In essence, Brevo's emphasis on intuitive design and a simplified user experience positions it as a strong choice for those who prioritize ease of use in their email marketing endeavors.

When it comes to integration capabilities, Mailchimp holds a distinct advantage over Brevo. Mailchimp boasts an extensive app directory, providing a broader spectrum of integration possibilities. It effortlessly connects with a plethora of tools and platforms that businesses frequently employ.

Mailchimp's integration roster encompasses over 300 third-party applications, making data synchronization and workflow automation seamless. This expansive array of integrations accommodates the diverse needs of growing businesses, spanning e-commerce platforms such as Shopify to CRM systems like Salesforce.

Conversely, Brevo, while offering significant integration opportunities, doesn't match Mailchimp's breadth. However, Brevo compensates by offering a robust API, facilitating custom integrations tailored to specific software requirements. These custom integration options cater to businesses with unique needs but may necessitate a level of technical expertise to fully harness their potential.

Mailchimp's extensive app directory provides a broader array of out-of-the-box integration options, making it a strong choice for businesses seeking a plug-and-play approach to connecting their preferred tools and platforms. Brevo, on the other hand, shines with its custom integration possibilities, ideal for businesses with niche software requirements, albeit potentially requiring technical expertise for implementation.

When it comes to marketing automation, Brevo takes a notable lead over Mailchimp. Brevo offers robust marketing automation tools that empower users to optimize their marketing efforts effectively. Users can save time by setting up intricate workflows that deliver targeted messages based on customer behavior and actions, enhancing customer engagement and conversion rates.

While Mailchimp does provide some automation features, Brevo's capabilities are more comprehensive, allowing for a higher level of automation in campaigns and workflows. For example, a retail business can create personalized email sequences triggered by specific customer actions, such as abandoned cart reminders or product recommendations, resulting in a more tailored and effective marketing approach.

Brevo's marketing automation prowess makes it a compelling choice for businesses seeking to streamline their marketing efforts and deliver highly personalized content to their audience.

Brevo and Mailchimp indeed excel in the realm of contact management, enabling businesses to efficiently organize and segment their contact lists. Both platforms empower users to categorize their audience based on diverse criteria, facilitating personalized and precisely targeted communication strategies.

However, Mailchimp gains an edge with its predictive segmentation feature. This advanced capability harnesses data insights to identify customers who are likely to make repeat purchases or increase their spending over time. For example, Mailchimp can recognize patterns in customer behavior, such as frequent engagement with email campaigns or consistent product purchases, and then predictively segment this audience for tailored marketing efforts.

While both Brevo and Mailchimp offer robust contact management and segmentation tools, Mailchimp's predictive segmentation feature provides an extra layer of sophistication, aiding businesses in identifying and nurturing high-value customer segments more effectively.

When it comes to the realm of transactional emails, Brevo takes a decisive lead over Mailchimp. Brevo is specifically tailored to ensure the dependable and efficient delivery of transactional emails, such as order confirmations and shipping notifications. For businesses reliant on these critical communication types, Brevo provides a robust and reliable solution.

Mailchimp, in contrast, doesn't explicitly emphasize services for transactional emails within its offerings. This makes Brevo the superior choice for businesses frequently sending such mission-critical messages, ensuring that essential communications reach customers promptly and consistently. In essence, Brevo's specialization in transactional email delivery makes it the preferred option for businesses prioritizing the seamless transmission of these vital messages.

Brevo and Mailchimp are on par when it comes to excelling in the realm of analytics and reporting. Both platforms offer robust features designed to empower users in refining their marketing strategies and achieving better results.

Brevo provides comprehensive insights into campaign performance, allowing users to delve into key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion statistics. This depth of information helps businesses gain a clear understanding of how their campaigns are performing, facilitating data-driven decision-making.

Mailchimp, on the other hand, introduces an additional layer of sophistication with its Content Optimizer tool. This tool provides valuable tips and recommendations to enhance campaign effectiveness based on the best-performing campaigns. For instance, it might suggest optimizing subject lines or refining content to boost engagement.

While Brevo provides in-depth performance insights, Mailchimp's Content Optimizer tool adds a unique dimension by offering actionable suggestions for campaign improvement, ultimately aiding businesses in achieving their marketing goals more effectively.