Brevo’s free plan lets you send unlimited emails to 300 contacts. That’s not a trial — it’s genuinely free, forever. Most competitors cap you at 500 or 1,000 emails per month before charging. Brevo’s approach is different, and for certain small businesses, that difference is worth understanding before you pick a platform.
I’m going to walk through what Brevo actually costs when you scale up, where it delivers more than you’d expect at each tier, and who should look elsewhere despite the attractive entry point.
Pricing That Starts Free and Stays Reasonable
The free plan includes email campaigns, a drag-and-drop editor, basic segmentation, and reporting. You can’t remove Brevo branding, and you’re capped at 300 daily emails — but for a new business building its list, that’s months of runway with zero spend.
When you outgrow free, the Starter plan begins around $25 per month for 5,000 contacts with no daily send limit. That’s roughly half what you’d pay at Mailchimp or Constant Contact for the same contact count. The Business plan, starting around $65 per month, adds marketing automation, A/B testing, send-time optimization, and phone support.
Where Brevo separates itself: SMS and WhatsApp messaging are billed separately by volume, not bundled into tier pricing. If you don’t use SMS, you’re not subsidizing features you ignore. If you do, you pay per message sent — starting around $0.04 per SMS in the U.S. That’s transparent, predictable, and often cheaper than platforms that bundle SMS into higher-tier plans you may not need yet.
What You Actually Get for the Money
Brevo’s automation builder is visual and capable. On the Business plan, you can trigger sequences based on email opens, link clicks, page visits, or CRM activity. I’ve set up abandoned cart flows, post-purchase upsells, and re-engagement campaigns without touching code or hiring a specialist.
The transactional email API is included at every paid tier. If you’re sending order confirmations, password resets, or shipping notifications, you’re not paying extra or juggling a second provider. Deliverability has been solid in my experience — inbox placement comparable to more expensive platforms, and the IP reputation monitoring is accessible even on mid-tier plans.
One underrated feature: the built-in CRM. It’s not Salesforce, but for a service business or early-stage e-commerce shop, it’s enough to track deals, log interactions, and segment contacts without paying for a separate CRM subscription. That’s $30 to $50 per month saved if you’re currently using HubSpot CRM’s free tier and considering an upgrade elsewhere.
Where Brevo Falls Short
Template selection is limited compared to Mailchimp or Klaviyo. The designs are clean but generic. If your brand relies on visually complex emails, you’ll spend more time in the custom HTML editor.
Reporting is straightforward but not deep. You get open rates, click rates, and conversion tracking, but advanced attribution or revenue-per-email metrics require integrations or manual tracking. E-commerce brands used to Klaviyo’s analytics will notice the gap.
Support on the Starter plan is email-only, and response times can stretch to 24 hours. The Business plan adds phone support, but if you need hand-holding during setup, you may hit friction early on.
Comparison: Brevo vs. Typical Competitors
| Feature | Brevo (Business) | Mailchimp (Standard) | Constant Contact (Plus) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price (5,000 contacts) | ~$65/month | ~$100/month | ~$95/month |
| Marketing Automation | Yes | Limited | Yes |
| Transactional Email | Included | Separate plan | Not offered |
| SMS Messaging | Pay per use | Add-on cost | Add-on cost |
| CRM Included | Yes | No | No |
Who Should Pay for Brevo
Brevo makes the most sense if you’re sending transactional and marketing emails from the same platform, if you want SMS without committing to a high-tier plan, or if you’re replacing both an email tool and a basic CRM. The cost savings compound when you’re consolidating tools.
It’s also ideal for businesses that send high volumes relative to list size — consultants with small lists who send weekly, agencies managing multiple clients under one account, or SaaS companies with lots of transactional sends.
Skip Brevo if you’re deeply invested in advanced e-commerce analytics, need a large template library out of the box, or require integrations with niche platforms. Klaviyo or ActiveCampaign will serve you better despite the higher cost.
[CTA: Try Brevo]
Brevo isn’t the flashiest email platform, but it’s one of the few that delivers automation, CRM, and transactional email at a price that doesn’t assume you’re already making six figures. For most small businesses, that’s exactly the kind of boring value proposition that actually matters.
Key takeaways
- Brevo’s free plan allows unlimited emails to 300 contacts with no time limit, and paid plans start around $25/month for 5,000 contacts
- Transactional email and a basic CRM are included at every paid tier, potentially replacing two separate subscriptions
- Best for high-volume senders or businesses consolidating email and CRM; skip it if you need advanced e-commerce reporting or extensive template libraries
StackSmall – July 2026