Mailchimp vs Brevo
By Sebastiaan Smits ·
Published October 8, 2026 · Updated October 8, 2026
Mailchimp is the familiar editor with the longest integration list, billed by audience size and owned by Intuit. Brevo bills mainly on how many emails you send and adds transactional email and SMS to the same account. A large list mailed rarely suits Brevo; a business that wants email to plug into many other tools suits Mailchimp.
Side by side
 Mailchimp |  Brevo | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The familiar email platform, now part of Intuit | Send-volume pricing with transactional email and SMS built in |
| Best for | Businesses wanting the widest integrations | Large lists mailed occasionally |
| Headquarters | United States | France |
| Pricing model | Per contact tier / month | Usage-based |
| Pricing | Limited free plan, then Essentials, Standard and Premium priced by audience contacts; overages apply above the plan limit. | Free plan with a daily sending cap, then paid plans priced mainly by monthly email volume; SMS and WhatsApp credits bought separately. |
| Free option | Free plan | Free plan |
| Place in our email marketing software ranking | #4 of 13 | #2 of 13 |
| Website | mailchimp.com | brevo.com |
Both are reviewed in full in Best Email Marketing Software in 2026. Position in that ranking can be paid for; the wording of a review or of this comparison cannot. Placement disclosure.
Which one to choose
Choose Mailchimp if
your marketers already know the editor, you want the widest choice of integrations, and your list is small enough that contact-based billing stays modest.
Mailchimp, #4 in the ranking · Visit Mailchimp →
Choose Brevo if
you hold a large list that you mail a few times a month, you also need receipts and password resets sent through an API, or you prefer a French vendor that hosts in the EU.
Brevo, #2 in the ranking · Visit Brevo →
Where they differ
How the bill is calculated
Mailchimp prices by audience contacts, and its pricing page says overages above a plan's limit are billed automatically. Our category notes add that unsubscribed contacts count until archived. Brevo prices mainly on emails sent, so fifty thousand contacts mailed twice a month cost far less there than on a contact-billed tool. We could not load Brevo's pricing page this session and give no Brevo figures.
Edge: Brevo
Free plan
Mailchimp's free plan is capped at 250 contacts, 500 sends a month and 250 a day, with one seat and one audience, and it includes no automation. Brevo also has a free plan with a daily sending cap, but we could not verify the exact cap or its limits. On the figures we could check, Mailchimp's is small.
Edge: even
Automation depth
Mailchimp Essentials limits flows to 4 steps, and Standard allows up to 200 flows. Brevo includes automation workflows and a built-in sales CRM according to our category notes, though advanced reporting and landing pages depend on higher plans. We could not confirm step limits on Brevo's tiers.
Edge: even
Transactional email and SMS
Brevo sends transactional email through SMTP and API from the same account as campaigns and adds SMS and WhatsApp, bought as separate credits. Mailchimp lists SMS marketing among its features, but our notes do not show an equivalent transactional API in the core plans. For a store or app that sends system mail, Brevo covers more in one place.
Edge: Brevo
Integrations and handover
Mailchimp has the largest integration catalog in the category and an editor most marketers have used, which eases hiring and handover. Brevo's editor is serviceable but clumsier, and its navigation feels crowded after the spread into CRM, chat and loyalty features. Intuit ownership also ties Mailchimp to QuickBooks.
Edge: Mailchimp
Where the data sits
Brevo is a French company that hosts customer data in the EU. Mailchimp is owned by Intuit and is based in Atlanta. We did not verify either vendor's data-processing terms this session, so a buyer with residency rules should read both.
Edge: Brevo
Tally: Mailchimp 1, Brevo 3, even 2.
When neither fits
Neither fits a creator who wants referral features or a small list mailed several times a week. Contact-based tools such as MailerLite and Kit cost less there and are built for newsletters.
See MailerLite and Kit among the 13 products in Best Email Marketing Software in 2026.
Questions and answers
Does Mailchimp or Brevo have a free plan?
Both do. Mailchimp's free plan is limited to 250 contacts, 500 sends a month and 250 a day, with one seat and no automation. Brevo's free plan carries a daily sending cap, which we could not confirm on its pricing page this session.
Which is cheaper for a large list?
Usually Brevo, if the list is mailed occasionally, because it bills mainly on emails sent and Mailchimp bills on contacts. For a small list mailed several times a week the order can reverse. We could not load Brevo's current prices, so run your own volumes through its calculator.
Can Brevo send transactional email as well as newsletters?
Yes. Our category notes describe transactional email through SMTP and API in the same account as campaigns, plus SMS and WhatsApp credits bought separately.
Does Mailchimp charge for unsubscribed contacts?
Our category notes say audience contacts are counted, unsubscribed ones included, until archived. Mailchimp's pricing page did not state this, so check your account's contact count before a renewal.
Sources
Prices, plan limits and product facts on this page were checked against the vendors' own pages on October 8, 2026. Vendors change both without notice, so treat the figures as of that date.
- Mailchimp marketing pricing page: Free plan limits, Essentials 4-step automation cap, Standard flow limit and overage billing; prices were displayed in EUR