Mailchimp vs Brevo in 2027: Pricing, Features & Differences
Mailchimp and Brevo look similar on the surface, but they charge for email in different ways. Mailchimp bills by contacts and caps sends; Brevo bills mainly by emails sent and includes transactional email on every plan. That difference decides which is cheaper for you. Here is the comparison using each vendor’s own pricing page.
Mailchimp vs Brevo: quick answer
- Choose Brevo if you have a large list you email occasionally, you need transactional email (order confirmations, password resets), or you want the lowest entry price.
- Choose Mailchimp if you want a familiar interface, a very large integration library (300+ on its pricing page) and plan tiers that bundle onboarding and support.
For most small senders, Brevo is cheaper. For teams that already use Mailchimp’s ecosystem, the switching effort may outweigh the saving. Read our Mailchimp pricing guide first to understand its bands.
Side-by-side comparison
| Mailchimp | Brevo | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 500 sends a month, 1 seat, 1 audience, no automation flows | Free forever; up to 300 emails a day after account approval |
| Entry paid plan | Essentials from $8.86/mo at up to 500 contacts | Starter from $9/mo for 5,000 emails |
| Mid plan | Standard from $13.27/mo at up to 500 contacts, up to 200 flows | Standard from $18/mo (monthly billing), unlimited multi-step automation, A/B testing |
| Top plan | Premium from about $265/mo, unlimited seats and audiences | Professional from $499/mo, from 150,000 emails, 10 seats |
| Pricing basis | Contacts in bands, plus send limits | Emails sent per month |
| Transactional email | Separate product | Included on all plans (API, SMTP) |
| Integrations | 300+ listed | Major CMS and ecommerce platforms (see Brevo’s integrations page) |
| Annual discount | 50% off Standard for 12 months (promotion) | 10% off yearly billing |
Sources: vendor pricing pages, 6 November 2026, US dollars.
Which is cheaper? Cost at 1K, 10K and 50K contacts
| List size | Mailchimp Standard | Brevo Starter (assumes 4 sends a month) | Brevo Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 contacts | $29.99/mo | $9/mo (4,000 emails) | From $18/mo |
| 10,000 contacts | $87.67/mo | $46/mo (40,000 emails) | Check slider |
| 50,000 contacts | $265.33/mo | About $82 at 100,000 emails; above that, Professional from $499 | Check slider |
Mailchimp regular rates. Brevo monthly-billing rates from its plan builder on 6 November 2026. Starter lacks automation, so compare Mailchimp Standard with Brevo Standard for like-for-like features and confirm the Brevo Standard price at your volume.
The pattern is clear. If you email a large list a few times a month, Brevo’s volume-based pricing is usually cheaper. If you email a small list very frequently, the gap narrows because Brevo’s price follows sends, not subscribers. Compare more tools in our email marketing pricing comparison.
Features that decide it
Automation
Mailchimp’s Essentials plan allows up to four flow steps; Standard and Premium allow up to 200 flows. Brevo’s Standard plan includes unlimited multi-step automation, A/B testing and AI send-time optimisation. The cheaper Brevo Starter plan does not include automation.
Transactional email
Brevo includes transactional email on all plans, which is useful if one platform should send both marketing and system emails. Mailchimp treats transactional email as a separate product.
Support and onboarding
Mailchimp Standard includes 24/7 email and chat support and one onboarding session; Premium adds phone and priority support. Brevo’s Professional plan adds phone support and deliverability specialist help (three hours a year included), while lower plans rely on email support.
Free plans
Brevo’s free plan has no expiry and a daily send limit. Mailchimp’s free plan caps monthly sends at 500 and excludes automation flows. See the best free email marketing software.
Who should choose which
Large, infrequently emailed lists
Volume-based pricing can be cheaper than contact bands.
Marketing plus transactional email
One platform for newsletters and system emails.
Teams that value familiarity and integrations
A well-known interface with 300+ integrations.
Businesses that want bundled onboarding
Standard and Premium include onboarding sessions.
Mailchimp vs Brevo: Annual Cost Scenarios
These two tools bill on different meters, so a fair comparison needs scenarios. Mailchimp prices by contact band. Brevo’s Starter plan prices by emails sent per month. The table assumes a list that you email four times a month, using prices recorded on 6 November 2026 (Brevo on monthly billing).
| Scenario | Mailchimp Standard / month | Brevo Starter / month | Annual difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,000 contacts, ~4,000 sends | $29.99 | $9 (5K tier) | about $252 less on Brevo |
| 5,000 contacts, ~20,000 sends | $66.91 | $32 | about $419 less on Brevo |
| 10,000 contacts, ~40,000 sends | $87.67 | $46 | about $497 less on Brevo |
Brevo Starter does not include automation. Brevo Standard, which adds automation, A/B testing and send-time optimisation, starts at $18; we could not verify its price at higher volumes, so the real gap for automation users is smaller than shown.
The honest read: for pure campaign sending, Brevo is clearly cheaper. For automation, compare Mailchimp Standard against Brevo Standard, and verify Brevo’s volume price on its live slider before deciding.
Where the Real Differences Show Up
Three differences matter more than the pricing model.
- Automation tiers. Mailchimp Essentials allows up to four flow steps and Standard up to 200 flows. Brevo moves automation into its Standard plan.
- Channels. Brevo bundles transactional email on all plans and offers WhatsApp, popups and push on Professional. Mailchimp’s strength is its 300+ integrations.
- Support. Mailchimp Standard includes 24/7 email and chat. Brevo Professional adds phone support and a deliverability specialist for three hours a year.
Mailchimp is typically chosen for familiarity and integrations, Brevo for lower sending cost and multichannel breadth. See our Brevo listing for more.
Pick by Situation: Mailchimp or Brevo?
| If you… | Lean toward | Because |
|---|---|---|
| Send large volumes to a modest list | Brevo | Send-based pricing favours this |
| Have a large list you mail rarely | Brevo | You pay for sends, not contacts |
| Rely on many third-party integrations | Mailchimp | 300+ integrations |
| Want a very familiar interface and templates | Mailchimp | Long-established product |
| Need transactional plus marketing in one place | Brevo | Transactional email on all plans |
| Need unlimited seats | Mailchimp Premium | Unlimited seats and audiences |
How to Test Both Before You Commit
Run both on the same slice of your list for two weeks.
- Send the same campaign from each to a matched segment and compare clicks, not opens.
- Build one automation (welcome series) in each and time how long it takes.
- Check how many contacts each platform counts after import.
- Look at the price on each live slider at your current size and at double.
- Test the support response time with a real question.
Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Between Them
- Comparing Brevo Starter to Mailchimp Standard as if they had equal features.
- Ignoring send-based billing when you plan a daily send schedule.
- Forgetting Mailchimp’s band cliffs: $87.67 up to 10,000 contacts, $140.74 above.
- Assuming a free plan will cover real campaigns: Mailchimp’s free plan allows only 500 sends a month, while Brevo’s allows 300 emails a day.
- Skipping domain authentication on the new platform.
For wider context see our email marketing software guide.
Plans Side by Side
| Item | Mailchimp | Brevo |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 500 sends/month, 1 seat, 1 audience, no flows, branding stays | 300 emails per day after approval |
| Entry paid | Essentials $8.86 at ≤500 contacts | Starter $9 for 5,000 emails ($8.08 yearly) |
| Mid | Standard $13.27 at ≤500, $29.99 at 1.5K, $66.91 at 5K | Standard $18 ($16.17 yearly) |
| Upper | Premium from $265.33 | Professional $499 ($449.08 yearly) |
| Support | Email and chat 24/7 on Standard; phone on Premium | Phone and deliverability specialist on Professional |
| Integrations | 300+ | Not captured |
Recorded 6 November 2026.
How the Two Bills Behave Over a Year
Imagine a list that grows from 2,000 to 8,000 contacts across the year, emailed four times a month. On Mailchimp Standard, you move through bands of $44.41, $66.91 and $87.67 and spend roughly $800 over the year on a gradual path. On Brevo Starter, sends grow from 8,000 to 32,000 a month, passing through tiers of about $17 to $39, roughly $330 over the year. The difference is real, but remember that Starter excludes automation. If you add Brevo Standard for automation, the gap narrows, and you should confirm Brevo’s Standard price at your volumes on its live slider before deciding.
Deliverability and Support: What to Ask
- How are shared IPs managed and monitored?
- What authentication steps does onboarding walk you through?
- Is a dedicated IP an option, and at what cost?
- What response times do support channels target on your plan?
- Is onboarding help included (Mailchimp Standard includes one session; Premium four)?
Switching either way is a project; read our Mailchimp alternatives guide for a migration checklist.
Final verdict
Our take: Brevo is the better value for most small senders, especially with a large list and light sending. Mailchimp still makes sense if you want its ecosystem and bundled onboarding. Decide on features per plan, not entry price, and look at more Mailchimp alternatives or Brevo vs MailerLite before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
Is Brevo cheaper than Mailchimp?
Often, especially for large lists that are emailed occasionally, because Brevo prices mainly by emails sent while Mailchimp prices by contact bands. Check both at your own list size and send volume.
Does Brevo have a free plan?
Yes. Brevo’s free plan has no time limit and allows up to 300 emails a day after account approval.
Is Mailchimp better than Brevo?
It depends. Mailchimp has a larger integration library and bundled onboarding; Brevo has volume-based pricing and transactional email on all plans.
Does Brevo include automation?
Automation is included from the Standard plan ($18 a month on monthly billing). The Starter plan does not include marketing automation.
Can I migrate from Mailchimp to Brevo?
Yes. Export your contacts, rebuild your automations and authenticate your sending domain. See our Mailchimp alternatives guide for a migration checklist.
Which is better for ecommerce?
Both can serve stores. Brevo Professional adds AI product recommendations and back-in-stock alerts, while dedicated ecommerce tools like Omnisend and Klaviyo go deeper.
Is Brevo cheaper than Mailchimp?
For pure sending, generally yes, because Brevo’s Starter bills on emails sent. When you need automation you must compare Brevo Standard with Mailchimp Standard, and Brevo’s volume pricing there should be checked on its live slider.
Does Brevo have a free plan?
Yes, up to 300 emails per day after approval, according to the vendor pricing page read on 6 November 2026.
Is Brevo a good Mailchimp alternative?
It is a credible one for cost-sensitive senders and for teams that want email plus transactional and optional multichannel features. Mailchimp keeps the edge on integrations (300+) and familiarity.
Does Mailchimp include a free plan?
Yes, but it is limited to 500 sends a month with no flows and Mailchimp branding.
Still comparing options?
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