Brevo is best if you want email marketing, CRM, SMS, WhatsApp, and automation in one tidy tool without paying more just because your contact list grew. It used to be called Sendinblue. Now it is Brevo. The company says its platform includes email campaigns, SMS, WhatsApp, landing pages, meetings, live chat, sales pipelines, and automation [source: Brevo].
TLDR: Brevo is usually better for small teams that want email plus CRM at a lower cost. Mailchimp is great for polished email design and beginner-friendly campaigns, but its CRM tools feel lighter. Example: if a small store has 5,000 contacts and sends 20,000 emails per month, Brevo may feel calmer because pricing is often tied more to email volume, while Mailchimp often focuses on contact count. Pick Brevo if sales follow-up matters. Pick Mailchimp if newsletters are the main job.
So, what is Brevo?
Brevo is a marketing and sales platform. Simple as that.
It helps you send emails. It stores contacts. It tracks leads. It runs automations. It can also send SMS and WhatsApp messages. That makes it more than a basic newsletter tool.
Think of Brevo as a small business command center. Your email list sits there. Your sales leads sit there. Your customer chats can sit there too. You can see who opened an email, clicked a button, booked a meeting, or moved closer to buying.
That is the big idea. Less tool hopping. Fewer tabs. Fewer “where did that lead go?” moments.
Honestly, it feels like many tools make you pay extra just to connect the dots. Brevo tries to keep those dots in one place.
Brevo vs Mailchimp: the simple version
Mailchimp is famous for email marketing. It is friendly. It has nice templates. It is easy to start. If you want to send a pretty newsletter, Mailchimp is very comfortable.
Brevo is more of a mixed tool. It does email marketing too. But it also puts more focus on CRM, sales follow-ups, and multichannel messages.
Here is the quick vibe check:
- Brevo: better for email plus CRM plus automation.
- Mailchimp: better for simple newsletters and slick email design.
- Brevo: strong if you send lots of emails to many contacts.
- Mailchimp: strong if you want a smooth beginner setup.
- Brevo: more sales-team friendly.
- Mailchimp: more creator and ecommerce-newsletter friendly.
Email marketing: who wins?
Both tools can send campaigns. Both have templates. Both let you segment contacts. Both can run automated email sequences.
Mailchimp is easier at first. The editor feels clear. Templates look sharp. A beginner can build a decent email fast.
Brevo is also simple, but it can feel more packed. That is not always bad. It just means there are more buttons because the tool does more jobs.
For newsletters, product updates, and basic promos, Mailchimp is lovely. For behavior-based campaigns, lead scoring, and follow-up chains, Brevo starts to shine.
Example time.
A yoga studio wants to send one weekly email. Mailchimp is fine.
A plumber wants to send quote follow-ups, appointment reminders, review requests, and SMS nudges. Brevo makes more sense.
CRM: this is where Brevo gets serious
CRM means customer relationship management. Fancy phrase. Simple job.
It helps you track people before and after they buy.
Brevo includes sales pipelines. You can move deals from “new lead” to “contacted” to “won.” You can assign tasks. You can add notes. You can see past emails and activity.
Mailchimp has contact profiles and audience tools. They are useful. But they are not the same as a full sales pipeline. If your team needs to chase leads, Brevo feels more natural.
It drives me crazy that some email tools call a contact list a CRM. A contact record is not a sales process. Brevo gets closer to the real thing.
Pricing: watch the contact count
This is where people get surprised.
Mailchimp pricing often depends on how many contacts you store. So your bill can rise as your list grows, even if many people barely engage.
Brevo often focuses more on email volume. That can be nicer for businesses with big lists but modest sending needs. Brevo’s free plan has been known for allowing unlimited contacts with a daily email send limit, while Mailchimp’s free plan is commonly more limited by contacts and monthly sends [source: Brevo pricing].
Plans change. Always check the current pricing pages before you move your list.
Still, the basic pattern matters.
- Have many contacts? Brevo may cost less.
- Have a tiny list? Mailchimp may be enough.
- Send often? Compare monthly email limits.
- Need sales tools? Add CRM cost into the math.
Automation: both good, but different
Automation is the magic robot helper.
It sends messages when people do things. Someone signs up. They get a welcome email. Someone clicks a pricing link. They get a follow-up. Someone leaves a cart. They get a reminder.
Mailchimp automation is clean and friendly. It is good for welcome flows, abandoned carts, and customer journeys.
Brevo automation can feel more business-focused. You can mix email, SMS, contact updates, and CRM tasks. That is handy for service businesses and sales teams.
Here is a sample Brevo flow:
- A visitor downloads a price guide.
- Brevo adds them as a lead.
- It sends a welcome email.
- If they click, a sales task is created.
- If they do not respond, an SMS goes out two days later.
That is not just marketing. That is follow-up with teeth.
Design and templates
Mailchimp wins for polish. Its templates are bright, clean, and easy to adjust. The brand has spent years making email design feel less scary.
Brevo has solid templates too. They work well. They are not ugly. But Mailchimp still feels more fun for design-first users.
If your main goal is a gorgeous monthly newsletter, Mailchimp may make you happier.
If your main goal is sales action, Brevo’s design tools are enough.
Deliverability and reporting
Both platforms care about deliverability. That means getting emails into inboxes, not spam folders.
No tool can promise perfect inbox placement. Your list quality matters. Your subject lines matter. Your sending habits matter. Buying shady lists is still a bad idea. Please do not do that.
Both Brevo and Mailchimp show useful reports. You can track opens, clicks, unsubscribes, bounces, and campaign results.
Mailchimp reports are very beginner-friendly.
Brevo reports are practical and tied nicely to sales activity.
Who should choose Brevo?
Choose Brevo if you want one tool for marketing and sales.
It is a strong fit for:
- Local service businesses.
- B2B teams.
- Agencies.
- Online stores that use SMS or WhatsApp.
- Companies with large contact lists.
- Teams that need pipelines and sales tasks.
Brevo is also good if you hate paying more just because your database grew. Nobody enjoys that invoice jump.
Who should choose Mailchimp?
Choose Mailchimp if email design and ease matter most.
It is a strong fit for:
- Bloggers.
- Creators.
- Small shops with simple newsletters.
- Beginners who want a gentle start.
- Teams that do not need a full sales pipeline.
Mailchimp is popular for a reason. It takes the fear out of email campaigns. You can open it, pick a template, write a message, and send.
The final pick
Brevo is the better choice for email marketing plus CRM. It gives you more room to manage leads, automate follow-ups, and contact people across more channels.
Mailchimp is the better choice for simple email marketing. It is smooth, friendly, and great for attractive newsletters.
Here is the cleanest rule:
- Need sales tracking? Pick Brevo.
- Need beautiful newsletters fast? Pick Mailchimp.
- Need SMS and WhatsApp too? Pick Brevo.
- Need the easiest first campaign? Pick Mailchimp.
If your business is growing and every lead matters, Brevo is hard to ignore. If you just want to send cheerful emails without fuss, Mailchimp still does that very well.
