Compare
Brevo vs Mailchimp for Agencies (2026): Which Is Better?
By Red Kite Search Agency Created Updated 7 min read
Summary
Choose Brevo for low-cost volume, transactional email, and SMS. Choose Mailchimp for familiarity, integrations, and easy start. Prices and ratings were checked in October 2026.
Brevo vs Mailchimp: which is better for agencies in 2026?
Brevo and Mailchimp both offer a free plan and a path to automation. Mailchimp is the familiar name with more integrations. Brevo is cheaper by send volume and adds more channels.
We compared price, channels, and reviews.
| Tool | Editorial score | Review-site ratings | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brevo | 4.2 / 5 | G2 4.5 | Free plan. Starter $8.08, Standard $16.17 and Professional $449.08 a month on annual billing ($9, $18 and $499 monthly); Enterprise from $2,499 a month. | Small to enterprise teams |
| Mailchimp | 4.1 / 5 | G2 4.4 | Free for 250 contacts. Essentials $13, Standard $20 and Premium $350 a month at the smallest contact tier (500 contacts, 10,000 for Premium); prices rise with contacts. | Small teams to mid-size |
How do Brevo and Mailchimp compare on price?
Brevo has a free plan and costs $8.08, $16.17, or $449.08 a month on annual billing. Mailchimp has a free plan and Essentials from $13, Standard from $20, and Premium from $350 a month at its smallest tiers.
| Tool | Plan | Price | What stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brevo | Free | $0 per month (monthly billing) | 300 emails a day; transactional email features |
| Brevo | Starter | $8.08 per month (annual billing); $9 monthly | From 5,000 emails a month; email and SMS; AI content generator; no Brevo logo |
| Brevo | Standard | $16.17 per month (annual billing); $18 monthly | Starter plus marketing automation, A/B testing, landing page, AI send-time optimization |
| Brevo | Professional | $449.08 per month (annual billing); $499 monthly | From 150,000 emails a month; 10 seats; WhatsApp, push and popups; phone support; 3 hours of deliverability support a year |
| Brevo | Enterprise | From $2,499 a month | Multi-account management, dedicated IP, SSO and SAML, CSM support |
| Mailchimp | Free | $0 per month (monthly billing) | 250 contacts, 500 sends a month, 1 seat, 1 audience, no automation |
| Mailchimp | Essentials | $13 per month (monthly billing) | Starts at 500 contacts; 3 seats, 3 audiences, 24/7 email and chat support, flows up to 4 steps |
| Mailchimp | Standard | $20 per month (monthly billing) | Starts at 500 contacts; 5 seats, 5 audiences, 200 flows with branching, dynamic content, custom reports |
| Mailchimp | Premium | $350 per month (monthly billing) | Starts at 10,000 contacts; unlimited seats and audiences, enterprise SSO, phone support, onboarding specialist |
Which costs less?
Brevo at larger lists, since it prices by send volume while Mailchimp prices by contacts. A big, quiet list is much cheaper on Brevo.
Mailchimp is simpler to price for small lists.
Add SMS credits on Brevo and the cost of seats on Mailchimp before you compare the totals.
Which has more channels and integrations?
Brevo has email, SMS, WhatsApp, push, and transactional email, with 150 or more integrations. Mailchimp has 300 or more integrations but focuses on email.
Choose by the channels your clients actually use.
Which is easier and better supported?
Mailchimp, by reputation, with 24/7 email and chat on paid plans and a long-established interface. Brevo gives email support in six languages on lower plans and phone support only on Professional.
G2 reviewers call Brevo intuitive and cost-effective.
Before moving a list, confirm you hold consent records for every contact, because both platforms expect clean, permission-based lists and may suspend accounts that show high complaint rates.
If you manage many small clients, total the monthly cost across all lists on each platform, since small per-client differences add up across a book of business.
How do Brevo and Mailchimp compare on integrations, security, and support?
Beyond price, agencies ask about connections to their other tools, what to tell clients about security, and how quickly they can get help. This is what each vendor states publicly, as checked in October 2026.
| Area | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations | More than 150 digital tools | More than 300 integrations |
| Security | SSO and SAML on Enterprise; Certifications, 2FA and hosting regions were not stated (the security page returned an error) | SOC 2 reports and ISO 27001 certification, with documents through the Intuit compliance portal; 2FA can be enabled; enterprise SSO on Premium; Servers are in US data centers; GDPR information is available |
| Support | Starter and Standard: email in 6 languages; Professional: phone and deliverability-specialist support; Enterprise: tailored onboarding and CSM support | Free: email for 30 days; Essentials and Standard: 24/7 email and chat; Premium: priority 24/7 email and chat plus phone in business hours |
| Apps | A mobile app was not stated; mobile and web push is on Professional | A mobile app was not stated |
What are the pros and cons of Brevo and Mailchimp?
Here is where each tool helps agencies and where it can get in the way, based on plan details and public feedback.
Brevo pros
- A free plan with 300 emails a day and transactional email features on every plan.
- Starter from $8.08 a month on annual billing.
- Unlimited automated multi-step workflows from Standard.
- Email, SMS and WhatsApp channels, with 150+ integrations.
Brevo cons
- Professional costs $449.08 a month on annual billing and Enterprise starts at $2,499 a month.
- Starter has basic reporting and no marketing automation.
- Security certifications and hosting regions were not captured (the security page returned an error).
- Only Professional lists phone support, and a mobile app was not stated.
Mailchimp pros
- A free plan for up to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month.
- Entry paid plans from $13 a month for 500 contacts, with 24/7 email and chat support.
- More than 300 integrations and 100+ pre-built templates.
- SOC 2 reports, ISO 27001 and 2FA; enterprise SSO on Premium.
Mailchimp cons
- Prices scale with contacts and the stated figures are for the smallest tier.
- Free has no automation, and Essentials limits flows to 4 steps.
- Premium costs $350 a month from 10,000 contacts.
- Data is hosted in US data centers, and client accounts for agencies were not stated.
What do reviewers say about Brevo and Mailchimp?
G2 shows Brevo at 4.5 from 2,768 reviews and Mailchimp at 4.4 from 5,436 reviews. Brevo scores slightly higher and Mailchimp has the larger base.
| Tool | Source | Rating | Number of reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brevo | G2 | 4.5 / 5 | 2,768 |
| Mailchimp | G2 | 4.4 / 5 | 5,436 |
Reviewer themes for Brevo
- G2 shows Brevo at 4.5 from 2,768 reviews.
- Reviewers cite solid deliverability, automation without custom code and an EU-hosted service that fits GDPR needs.
- Reviewers call it intuitive and cost-effective.
Reviewer themes for Mailchimp
- G2 shows Mailchimp at 4.4 from 5,436 reviews.
- G2 data shows 30% of reviewers give four stars.
- Reviewers value ease of use for campaigns and newsletters.
How does setup differ between Brevo and Mailchimp?
Getting value from either tool depends on how you set it up, and the first steps differ. Here is the practical starting point for each.
Brevo: Start on the free plan with one client, and send a campaign within the daily limit.
Mailchimp: Start on the free plan with one client list, build a template, and send one campaign.
What should agencies check before choosing between Brevo and Mailchimp?
Small details in plans and limits decide whether a tool works in practice. Check these points for each tool during a trial on a real client account.
Before you buy Brevo
- Estimate monthly send volume.
- Price SMS credits.
- Ask for security documents.
- Start on the free plan.
Before you buy Mailchimp
- Price your real contact count.
- Check send limits against your list.
- Decide how to separate clients.
- Use the 14-day trial.
How should you test Brevo and Mailchimp before deciding?
The fairest test is to run both tools on the same real client account for two weeks, with the same people, and compare the results rather than first impressions.
What to measure
- How long it takes a new team member to be productive in Brevo versus Mailchimp.
- How often people open each tool without being reminded.
- Whether the plan you need includes the features you tested, not just the entry price.
- How a client reacts if you invite them to either tool.
- How much time the team spends on notifications, setup, and cleanup each week.
Which should you choose: Brevo or Mailchimp?
Choose Brevo for low-cost volume, transactional email, and SMS. Choose Mailchimp for familiarity, integrations, and easy start.
Agencies with big lists often prefer Brevo.
Choose Brevo if
- You send high volumes at a low cost.
- You need transactional email and SMS.
- You want unlimited automation from Standard.
Skip Brevo if
- You need security certifications confirmed up front.
- You need a mobile app.
- You need a mid-priced step between Standard and Professional.
Choose Mailchimp if
- You run simple newsletters for small clients.
- You want a free plan to start.
- You want 24/7 email and chat support on paid plans.
Skip Mailchimp if
- You need deep automation on a low plan.
- You need EU data hosting.
- You need agency client accounts.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Brevo or Mailchimp better?
- Brevo for low-cost volume and multiple channels, Mailchimp for familiarity and integrations.
- Which is cheaper?
- Brevo for large lists, because it prices by send volume.
- Which has more integrations?
- Mailchimp.
- Which has SMS?
- Brevo.
- Do both have free plans?
- Yes.
Sources
Prices, plan limits, and ratings were gathered in October 2026 from:
- Brevo pricing page
- Mailchimp pricing page
- G2