Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) solves a problem that frustrates a lot of email marketers: the contact-count pricing model. Most tools charge you based on how many contacts you have in your database. Brevo charges based on how many emails you send. If you have a large list but do not email everyone frequently, this can save you significant money.
Beyond the pricing model, Brevo is a genuinely capable platform. It includes email, SMS, WhatsApp campaigns, live chat, and a basic CRM all under one roof. The automation builder is solid. The free plan is one of the most generous available.
This review covers what Brevo does well, where its limits are, and who it makes the most sense for.
Brevo at a glance
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Starting price | Free (unlimited contacts, 300 emails/day), then $9/mo |
| Free plan | Yes (unlimited contacts, 300 emails/day) |
| Pricing model | Per email send, not per contact |
| Email automation | Yes (visual workflow builder) |
| SMS marketing | Yes (included) |
| Built-in CRM | Yes (basic) |
| Landing pages | Yes |
| Transactional email | Yes (included) |
| Best for | Businesses with large lists that send to segments, not full list |
Scores
The pricing model: the main reason to choose Brevo
This is worth understanding clearly. Mailchimp, MailerLite, Moosend, and most other tools charge you based on how many contacts are in your database. If you have 20,000 contacts, you pay for 20,000 contacts regardless of whether you email them all each month.
Brevo charges based on your email send volume. You can store unlimited contacts for free and only pay for what you actually send. The free plan includes 300 emails per day. Paid plans start at $9/mo for 5,000 emails per month, $18/mo for 20,000, and $25/mo for 40,000.
For a business that maintains a large database but segments aggressively, only emailing engaged subscribers or specific customer groups each month. Brevo's model can be dramatically cheaper than contact-count alternatives.
Automation
Brevo's automation builder is visual and supports multiple triggers including email engagement, website visits, form submissions, and transactional events. You can build welcome sequences, abandoned cart flows, re-engagement campaigns, and lead nurture paths. The depth is solid for standard use cases but does not match ActiveCampaign's range of triggers and conditions.
SMS and WhatsApp
Brevo includes SMS marketing and WhatsApp campaigns natively. You can build multi-channel sequences that include email, SMS, and WhatsApp steps in the same automation. For businesses that want to reach customers across multiple channels without managing separate tools, this is a genuine advantage.
CRM
Brevo includes a basic CRM with contact records, deal pipelines, and task management. It is not as deep as HubSpot or ActiveCampaign's CRM, but for a small team that needs basic pipeline visibility alongside their email marketing, it covers the essentials without requiring a separate tool.
Transactional email
Brevo handles transactional email, order confirmations, password resets, shipping notifications, in the same platform as your marketing campaigns. This is included at no extra cost. Mailchimp charges separately for transactional email through Mandrill. If you send significant transactional volume, this alone can justify switching to Brevo.
Ease of use
Brevo's interface is clean but not quite as intuitive as MailerLite. New users typically need a few hours to get oriented. The rebrand from Sendinblue to Brevo is relatively recent and some documentation still references the old name, which can cause minor confusion. Support quality is good on paid plans.
Brevo is right for you if...
- You have a large contact list but only email a portion of it regularly
- You want email and SMS in one platform without a separate integration
- You need transactional email handled by the same tool as your marketing campaigns
- You want unlimited contacts on a free plan with no time limit
- You need a basic CRM alongside your email marketing without paying extra
Brevo is not right for you if...
- You email your full list every week, contact-count tools may be equally priced
- You need deep CRM functionality. HubSpot or ActiveCampaign go further
- You need the most beginner-friendly interface. MailerLite is easier to learn
- You run a Shopify store that needs deep e-commerce automation. Klaviyo is stronger
- You need enterprise-level automation complexity. ActiveCampaign has more depth
The bottom line
Brevo is the best-value tool for businesses with large lists that do not blast their entire database every week. The per-send pricing model is genuinely differentiated, the feature breadth is strong for the price, and the unlimited contacts on the free plan is the most generous offer in the market. If the pricing model fits your sending pattern, it is hard to find a better deal.
Not sure if Brevo fits your situation? Take the Marketing Automation Buyer's Guide quiz for a personalized recommendation.