Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is one of the better options for small businesses that want email, SMS, and basic CRM without paying for a complex tool. Setup is straightforward and the free plan is generous. This guide covers everything from account creation to your first campaign.
Total setup time: 1-2 hours. Difficulty: Easy. You do not need any technical background to follow this guide.
Brevo at a glance
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Starting price | $9/mo (Starter) |
| Free plan | Yes |
| Free trial | Free plan (300 emails/day) |
| Setup time | 1-2 hours |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Best for | Small businesses and teams wanting email + SMS in one place |
How to set up Brevo in 6 steps
Go to brevo.com and sign up. The free plan allows 300 emails per day with no contact limit, which is enough to get started. Enter your name, email, and company details. Brevo may ask you to verify your phone number or confirm your use case before fully activating your account.
Go to Settings > Senders & IP > Domains and add your domain. Brevo will give you DKIM and DMARC records to add to your DNS. Log in to your domain registrar and add the TXT records provided. Once added, click Verify in Brevo. If you only have a free email address (Gmail, etc.), you can start with that, but a custom domain address is strongly recommended for professional sending.
Go to Contacts > Import Contacts. Upload your CSV and map the columns to Brevo fields. You can create a new list during import or add contacts to an existing one. Brevo also lets you add custom attributes (extra fields) if your CSV has data beyond the standard fields. After import, check the import report for any errors or duplicates.
Go to Contacts > Forms and create a new form. Design it using the form builder, set which list new subscribers go to, and configure the confirmation email (double opt-in is enabled by default -- keep it on). Copy the embed code and add it to your website, or share the hosted form URL directly.
Go to Automation > Create a workflow. Choose a trigger -- 'Contact is added to a list' works well for a welcome sequence. Add a Send email action, then a Wait step, then another email. Brevo's workflow builder is visual and intuitive. You can add conditions to branch the workflow based on whether a contact opened an email or clicked a link.
Go to Campaigns > Email Campaigns > Create a campaign. Choose a template from the library or start with the drag-and-drop editor. Set your subject line, preview text, and from address. Select your recipient list, send a test to yourself, then schedule or send. The campaign report will be available shortly after sending.
Tips before you start
- Brevo prices by email volume, not contact count -- so you can store unlimited contacts on the free plan.
- Set up transactional email through Brevo's SMTP if you also need to send order confirmations or password resets.
- The Brevo mobile app lets you monitor campaign stats on the go.
Next steps
Once your account is set up, focus on building your first automation before sending any broadcast campaigns. A working welcome sequence ensures every new subscriber gets a consistent first experience. After that, review your migration guide if you are moving contacts from another platform, and use the recommendations quiz to confirm Brevo is the right long-term fit.