Brevo vs Mailchimp: Which Is Better in 2026?
Brevo outperforms Mailchimp for budget-focused e-commerce marketing automation Brevo wins
Brevo delivers superior value for growing online retailers. Its $9 entry point includes unlimited contacts, native multi-channel support (SMS, WhatsApp, push), and full automation workflowsΓÇöfeatures Mailchimp reserves for higher tiers. Mailchimp's contact-based pricing model escalates quickly, making it expensive for scaling businesses. Choose Brevo if you prioritize affordability and e-commerce automation depth.
Verdict Scores — How we score →
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| A/B & Multivariate Testing | Yes A/B testing for subject lines and content available on Standard plan and above; not included on Free or Starter. | Yes A/B testing on Essentials+; multivariate testing (up to 8 variants) on Premium only; send-time optimization on Standard+. |
| AI-Powered Features | Yes AI content generator (subject lines and body copy) on all paid plans; AI send-time optimization on Standard+; AI segmentation on Professional+. | Yes Intuit Assist (generative AI) for email copy and campaign creation on Standard and Premium; send-time optimization on Standard+; predictive demographics on paid. |
| Audience Segmentation & Personalization | Yes Advanced segmentation using demographics, website activity, campaign engagement, and custom events; dynamic lists that auto-update on all paid plans. | Yes Behavioral targeting on Standard+; predictive segmentation (purchase behavior forecasting) on Standard and Premium; dynamic content blocks on Standard+. |
| Contact & List Management | Yes Unlimited contacts on all plans; list-based architecture with import via CSV or API; duplicate management and suppression lists supported. | Yes Audience-based architecture (up to 1 audience on Free, 3 on Essentials, 5 on Standard, unlimited on Premium); CSV import and 300+ integrations; tags and segments. |
| Deliverability & Spam Tools | Yes 99% delivery rate claimed; DKIM/SPF/DMARC authentication; Deliverability Specialist support on Professional (3 hrs/year); dedicated IP on Enterprise only. | Yes >99% delivery rate; DKIM/SPF/DMARC guidance; inbox placement testing via third-party; no built-in dedicated warm-up tools on standard plans. |
| E-Commerce & CRM Integrations | Yes Native Shopify and WooCommerce integrations; abandoned cart automations; 150+ integrations; AI product recommendations on Professional+; built-in CRM. | Yes Native Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace Commerce integrations; purchase-triggered automations; revenue attribution per campaign on Standard+; built-in Marketing CRM. |
| Email Builder & Templates | Yes Drag-and-drop builder plus HTML editor; responsive industry-specific templates included on all plans including Free. | Yes Drag-and-drop builder plus custom-coded HTML editor; 100+ pre-built industry templates on paid plans; branded templates with auto-apply colors/logo on Standard+. |
| Landing Pages & Signup Forms | Yes 1 landing page included on Standard; more on Professional+; signup forms (embedded, popup) available on all plans including Free. | Yes Native landing page builder on all paid plans; customizable popup forms on all plans; custom domain support for landing pages on paid plans. |
| Marketing Automation & Workflows | Yes Visual workflow builder with multi-step drip sequences; unlimited workflows on Standard+; Free plan supports up to 2,000 contacts in automation. | Yes Automation Flows with up to 4 steps on Essentials; up to 200 steps with branching on Standard and Premium; pre-built flow templates available on all paid plans. |
| Multi-Channel Campaigns (SMS, Push, Social) | Yes SMS and WhatsApp campaigns native (credits sold separately); web/mobile push on Professional+; no native social posting integration. | Yes SMS marketing available as credit-based add-on to paid US plans only; retargeting ads (Google, Facebook, Instagram) on paid plans; no native push notifications. |
| Reporting & Analytics | Yes Basic open/click reporting on Starter; advanced click heatmaps, geography, device reports, and AI send-time analytics on Standard+. | Yes Open, click, and unsubscribe reporting on all plans; engagement heatmaps and custom reports on Standard+; revenue attribution on Standard+ via ecommerce integrations. |
| Transactional Email & API Sending | Yes Native transactional email via SMTP relay and RESTful API on all plans; unlimited log retention; inbound parsing; 99% delivery rate. | Yes Mailchimp Transactional (formerly Mandrill) is a paid add-on starting at $20/block (25,000 emails); requires Essentials+ plan; separate from marketing plan. |
Highlighted rows indicate features where the tools differ.
Pros & Cons
Based on G2 reviews. Source: our review methodology.
Brevo
Mailchimp
Pricing
Brevo
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Free |
| Starter | $9/mo | $8/mo |
| Growth | $18/mo | $16/mo |
| Pro | $499/mo | $449/mo |
| Enterprise | Custom | — |
Mailchimp
| Plan | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Free |
| Starter | $13/mo | $13/mo |
| Growth | $20/mo | $20/mo |
| Pro | $350/mo | $350/mo |
Ratings & Reviews
Who Should Choose Which?
You are an e-commerce founder running a Shopify store with 5,000+ contacts and a tight marketing budget. You need abandoned cart recovery, SMS campaigns, and WhatsApp messaging without paying premium prices. Brevo's native integrations with Shopify, built-in SMS/WhatsApp channels, and unlimited contact storage on paid plans make it the clear choice. Your automation workflows scale without contact-based surcharges, and the $18/month Growth plan unlocks A/B testing and advanced analyticsΓÇöa fraction of Mailchimp's equivalent cost.
You are a marketing manager at a B2B SaaS company with 2,000 contacts and a need for sophisticated segmentation and predictive analytics. Mailchimp's behavioral targeting, predictive segmentation (purchase forecasting), and multivariate testing on Premium support complex campaign strategies. However, Mailchimp's audience-based architecture limits you to 5 audiences on Standard and charges per contact tier. If your contact list grows beyond 500, Mailchimp's pricing jumps significantly, whereas Brevo's flat-rate model remains stableΓÇömaking Brevo the better long-term investment even for advanced use cases.
Bottom Line
Brevo is the better choice for businesses prioritizing affordability, unlimited contacts, and native e-commerce automation at scale.
Related Comparisons
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is Brevo better than Mailchimp?
Yes. Brevo is better for most e-commerce businesses. It starts at $9/month with unlimited contacts, while Mailchimp charges $20/month with strict contact limits on lower tiers. Brevo also includes native SMS and WhatsApp channels at no extra cost, whereas Mailchimp charges separately for SMS. For budget-conscious teams managing growing customer lists, Brevo delivers superior value and scalability.
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How do Brevo and Mailchimp pricing differ for growing contact lists?
Brevo charges a flat monthly fee regardless of contact countΓÇöall plans include unlimited contacts. Mailchimp ties pricing to contact volume: its Growth plan ($20/month) caps at 500 contacts, while Brevo's Growth plan ($18/month) supports unlimited contacts. For a business with 5,000 contacts, Mailchimp's Pro plan ($350/month) becomes mandatory, whereas Brevo's Pro plan ($499/month) handles 150,000+ emails monthly with the same unlimited contact structure. Brevo's model eliminates surprise costs as your list grows.
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What are the main feature differences between Brevo and Mailchimp?
Brevo includes native SMS and WhatsApp campaigns on paid plans, while Mailchimp offers SMS only as a credit-based add-on for US customers. Brevo provides unlimited contacts across all tiers; Mailchimp caps contacts per plan (250 on Free, 500 on Starter/Growth, 10,000+ on Pro). Brevo's Free plan supports automation for up to 2,000 contacts; Mailchimp's Free tier has no automation. For A/B testing, Brevo requires the Standard plan ($18/month); Mailchimp starts at Essentials ($13/month). Brevo offers AI segmentation on Professional+ ($499/month), while Mailchimp includes predictive segmentation on Standard ($20/month). Mailchimp's multivariate testing (up to 8 variants) is Premium-only; Brevo does not offer multivariate testing.
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How difficult is it to migrate from Mailchimp to Brevo?
Migration from Mailchimp to Brevo is straightforward. Both platforms support CSV contact imports, and Brevo accepts data from Mailchimp's export format without reformatting. Your email templates will need to be recreated in Brevo's drag-and-drop builderΓÇöMailchimp's custom HTML can be pasted directly into Brevo's HTML editor, saving significant time. Automation workflows must be rebuilt manually, but Brevo's visual workflow builder mirrors Mailchimp's logic, making the process intuitive. Most teams complete migration within 2ΓÇô3 days. Brevo's 150+ integrations mean your connected tools (Shopify, WooCommerce, CRM systems) will reconnect seamlessly once you update API credentials.
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Which tool offers better integrations and customer support for e-commerce teams?
Brevo provides 150+ integrations with native Shopify and WooCommerce support, plus a built-in CRMΓÇöall included on paid plans. Mailchimp offers 300+ integrations but requires higher-tier plans (Standard+) for revenue attribution and advanced ecommerce features. For support, Brevo includes phone support on Professional ($499/mo) with a dedicated deliverability specialist; Mailchimp offers 24/7 email and chat on all paid plans, with phone support only on Pro ($350/mo). Brevo's native SMS and WhatsApp channels eliminate third-party dependencies for omnichannel campaigns, while Mailchimp treats SMS as a separate credit-based add-on. For e-commerce teams needing integrated tools without piecing together multiple services, Brevo's unified platform and native channels deliver faster setup and lower total cost of ownership.