Brevo bills on emails sent; Mailchimp bills on contacts stored. That single structural difference decides which is cheaper for you, and headline prices don’t reveal it. A large list mailed rarely favours Mailchimp’s model less than you’d expect — and a small list mailed often favours Brevo. Both captured in USD on 4 August 2026.
Both vendors’ pricing pages were captured on 4 August 2026 in the USD view. Neither product was tested hands-on. This comparison contains no performance benchmarks, no deliverability figures, and declares no overall winner — only what each vendor publishes. Both pages default to non-USD currency depending on region; figures here were taken after explicitly forcing USD.
The Difference That Actually Decides It
Almost every comparison of these two lines up plan prices side by side. That comparison is close to meaningless, because the two platforms are not selling the same unit.
Mailchimp charges for contacts stored. Its tiers run from 0–500 contacts up to 1,000,000+, and your monthly send allowance is a multiple of your contact count — 10× on Essentials, 12× on Standard, 15× on Premium.
Brevo charges for emails sent. Starter begins from 5,000 emails per month, Professional from 150,000. How many contacts sit in your list is not the billing input.
So the question isn’t “which is cheaper.” It’s what shape is your list, and how often do you mail it? A 20,000-contact list emailed once a quarter is expensive to store on Mailchimp and cheap to send on Brevo. A 500-contact list emailed daily is the reverse.
Free Plans Compared
The free tiers make the difference concrete. Mailchimp’s caps contacts and sending; Brevo’s caps only sending.
| Brevo Free | Mailchimp Free | |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts | Not capped on pricing page | Under 500 |
| Sending | 300 emails/day | 500/month (max 250/day) |
| Approx. monthly sends | ~9,000 | 500 |
| Automation | Not included | Not included |
| Credit card required | No | No |
| Behaviour at limit | Not specified | Sending is paused |
Paid Pricing Compared
Both captured in USD on 4 August 2026. Mailchimp figures are at the 0–500 contact tier. Mailchimp’s ongoing rate is the fair basis for comparison — its advertised prices are 50% discounts lasting 12 months.
| Brevo | Mailchimp (ongoing) | |
|---|---|---|
| Billing unit | Emails sent | Contacts stored |
| Entry paid | $9/mo (Starter, from 5,000 emails) | $8.02/mo (Essentials) |
| Automation tier | $18/mo (Standard, unlimited workflows) | $11.98/mo (Standard, up to 200 flows) |
| Top published tier | $499/mo (Professional, from 150,000 emails) | $239.69/mo (Premium) |
| Discount structure | 10% for annual billing (standing) | 50% off for first 12 months |
| Remove branding | $10.80/mo add-on | Included on paid |
| SMS | From Starter | Not on this pricing page |
| Integrations | Not stated | 300+ all tiers |
Who Should Pick Brevo
Large lists mailed occasionally. Dormant contacts cost nothing under send-based billing. This is the clearest structural win.
Anyone needing SMS or WhatsApp alongside email. SMS is available from Starter; Professional adds WhatsApp, popups and push. Mailchimp’s pricing page does not present these as included capabilities.
Buyers who want automation cheaply. Brevo puts unlimited multi-step workflows at $18/month. Mailchimp’s comparable tier, Standard, is $11.98/month ongoing — cheaper — but Essentials at $8.02 caps automation at 4 flow steps, and Free has none at all.
Anyone who dislikes introductory pricing. Brevo’s discount is 10% for annual billing, a standing offer. Mailchimp’s is 50% off for 12 months, after which the price roughly doubles.
Who Should Pick Mailchimp
Small lists mailed frequently. At 500 contacts on Standard you get 6,000 emails a month for $11.98 ongoing. Sending that volume on Brevo lands you above Starter’s 5,000-email floor.
Teams needing seats and roles. Mailchimp publishes a clear ladder — 1 to unlimited seats, 2 to 5 roles by tier. Brevo’s pricing page details 10 seats at Professional but is less explicit below that.
Anyone wanting a wide integration directory. Mailchimp states 300+ integrations included on every tier, including Free. Brevo’s pricing page states no integration count.
Buyers optimising the first year. With the 50% discount, Essentials at $4.01 and Standard at $5.99 undercut Brevo’s $9 Starter — provided you plan for the step up at renewal.
Where Brevo Costs More Than It Looks
One detail the headline price hides: removing the “Sent with Brevo” footer is a $10.80/month add-on. On the $9/month Starter plan, unbranded email therefore more than doubles the cost.
Mailchimp includes branding removal on all paid tiers. On its Free plan branding cannot be removed either — but Mailchimp’s free tier is restrictive enough on sending that most users move to paid quickly regardless.
Brevo vs Mailchimp FAQ
Is Brevo cheaper than Mailchimp?
It depends on the shape of your list. Brevo bills on emails sent and Mailchimp on contacts stored, so neither is universally cheaper. Brevo Starter is $9/month from 5,000 emails; Mailchimp Essentials is $8.02/month ongoing at 0–500 contacts. A large list mailed rarely favours Brevo; a small list mailed often favours Mailchimp.
What is the difference between Brevo and Mailchimp pricing?
Mailchimp charges by contact count, with send allowance as a multiple of contacts — 10× on Essentials, 12× on Standard, 15× on Premium. Brevo charges by emails sent, starting from 5,000 per month on Starter. The billing unit differs, so plan prices are not directly comparable.
Which has the better free plan, Brevo or Mailchimp?
Brevo’s free plan allows 300 emails per day with no credit card required. Mailchimp’s allows under 500 contacts but caps sending at 500 emails per month, or 250 per day, and includes no automation. For regular sending, Brevo’s free tier is materially more generous.
Does Brevo or Mailchimp include SMS?
Brevo includes SMS from its Starter plan, with credits sold separately, and adds WhatsApp at Professional. Mailchimp’s marketing pricing page does not present SMS or WhatsApp as included capabilities.
Is Mailchimp’s advertised price the real price?
Not ongoing. At the time of writing all Mailchimp paid tiers were discounted 50% for the first 12 months — $4.01 Essentials, $5.99 Standard, $119.84 Premium. Ongoing rates are $8.02, $11.98 and $239.69 respectively. Brevo’s 10% annual discount is a standing offer rather than a time-limited introduction.
Which is better for a small business, Brevo or Mailchimp?
Neither is universally better and we have not tested either. On published figures, work from your list size and sending frequency: large list mailed infrequently points to Brevo, small list mailed often points to Mailchimp.
Verdict
We are not declaring a winner. We have not used either product, so any claim about which is better to work with day to day would be invented.
Choose Brevo if your list is large relative to how often you mail it, you want SMS or WhatsApp in the same tool, or you prefer standing pricing to introductory discounts.
Choose Mailchimp if your list is small and you mail it often, you need seat and role structure, you want the widest integration directory, or you’re optimising for a cheap first year.
The trap to avoid is comparing $9 against $8.02 as though they measure the same thing. One buys 5,000 sends; the other buys 500 stored contacts and a 10× send multiplier. Work out your own list size and monthly send volume first — the pricing question answers itself after that.
Full Reviews
For the complete breakdown of each platform, see our Brevo review and Mailchimp review, or the best email marketing software guide for how both sit against the rest.
Disclosure
RightToolHQ has no active affiliate relationship with Brevo or Mailchimp at the time of writing, and this page contains no affiliate links. If that changes, this notice will be updated and any affiliate link clearly disclosed. See our editorial policy and affiliate disclosure.