Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) starts at free and scales to approximately $18/month for 20,000 emails, then $65/month for 100,000 emails as of 2026. Those numbers look attractive compared to competitors charging $50+ for far fewer sends. But here’s what matters more than the pricing tiers: what you’re actually getting for that money, and whether you’ll hit unexpected costs as you grow.
I’ve run Brevo for a client’s e-commerce newsletter and a SaaS drip campaign. The platform delivers solid email marketing without the bloat of enterprise tools. It’s not the cheapest option available, but it earns its keep in ways that pure-play email senders don’t.
What You’re Paying For Beyond Email Sends
Brevo bundles SMS marketing, landing pages, and a capable CRM into the same platform. Most businesses don’t use all of these features immediately, but they’re included in your monthly cost. If you’re only sending newsletters, you’re subsidizing tools you don’t touch. If you need SMS confirmations for appointments or want to track lead interactions in one place, you’re getting significantly more value than the email-only price suggests.
The automation builder is where Brevo separates itself from cheaper alternatives. You can set up conditional workflows based on opens, clicks, or CRM data without jumping to a $200/month tier. I built a seven-step onboarding sequence with branch logic for trial users who didn’t activate within 48 hours. That kind of segmentation typically lives behind a paywall at competitors.
Where Brevo Costs More Than You’d Expect
Contact limits aren’t the issue — Brevo charges based on emails sent, not contacts stored. But if you need to remove their branding from emails, you’ll pay $65/month minimum regardless of send volume. The free and starter tiers ($9/month for 5,000 emails) stamp “Sent with Brevo” at the bottom of every message. For B2B companies or anyone with brand standards, that’s a non-starter.
Advanced reporting requires the $18/month plan or higher. If you need heat maps, A/B test analytics beyond open rates, or detailed engagement scoring, factor that tier into your budget from day one. The free plan gives you basic metrics, but you can’t optimize campaigns effectively without the deeper data.
| Feature | Brevo ($18/mo) | Mailchimp (Standard, $20/mo) | ConvertKit ($25/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email sends/month | 20,000 | 6,000 | Unlimited |
| Marketing automation | Included | Included | Included |
| SMS marketing | Included (pay per send) | Add-on fee | Not available |
| CRM included | Yes | No | No |
| Remove branding | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Who Gets the Most Value
Brevo makes the most sense for businesses that send high volumes without needing a dedicated CRM subscription. If you’re an online course creator sending 50,000 emails monthly, you’ll pay around $97 at Brevo versus $350+ at Mailchimp for the same volume. The gap widens as you scale.
The platform also works well for service businesses that want SMS appointment reminders alongside email campaigns. You’re paying for one tool instead of stitching together separate providers. That consolidation saves money and reduces the number of logins your team juggles.
Where Brevo falls short: if you need robust e-commerce integrations or sophisticated landing page builders, you’ll find the features functional but limited. Shopify users get better analytics and segmentation from dedicated e-commerce platforms like Klaviyo. Content creators who rely on landing pages as lead magnets will outgrow Brevo’s builder quickly.
The verdict: Brevo justifies its mid-tier pricing if you send more than 10,000 emails monthly and value having SMS and basic CRM in the same subscription. For pure newsletter sending under 5,000 contacts, cheaper options like Buttondown or MailerLite deliver equal quality. For high-volume senders who don’t need e-commerce-specific features, Brevo’s pricing advantage becomes significant enough to overlook its limitations.
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Key takeaways
- Brevo charges by emails sent, not contacts stored, making it cheaper for high-volume senders with large but less-engaged lists
- Removing Brevo branding requires the $65/month plan minimum, regardless of how few emails you send
- The built-in CRM and SMS marketing justify the price if you actually use them — otherwise you’re subsidizing unused features
StackSmall – August 2026