Mailchimp and Brevo charge for different things. Mailchimp charges by how many contacts you store; Brevo charges by how many emails you send. Brevo Free stores up to 100,000 contacts and sends 300 emails a day, with automations. Mailchimp Free stops at 250 contacts and 500 emails a month, with no automation flows. If you have a big list and email it rarely, Brevo is far cheaper. If you email a small list often, the gap is smaller.
- You want 300+ integrations and a well-known tool
- You email your whole list several times a month (Essentials includes 10 times your contacts in sends)
- You don't want a daily sending cap on your plan
Plain link.
- You have a big list but don't email it often (Free stores up to 100,000 contacts)
- You want automations without paying (Free covers up to 2,000 contacts in automations)
- You want the lower paid price: $9 vs $13 a month at 500 contacts
Plain link.
Key facts side by side
Source: Mailchimp pricing, Brevo pricing, checked 2026-10-21 · Bars show size only. Paid prices are Mailchimp Essentials and Brevo Starter.
Free plans compared
| Mailchimp Free | Brevo Free | |
|---|---|---|
| Contacts | 250 | Up to 100,000 |
| Emails | 500 a month, 250 a day | 300 a day (campaigns and transactional) |
| Automations | None (preview only) | Yes, up to 2,000 contacts |
| Branding | Mailchimp referral badge | "Sent with Brevo" logo |
| Big campaigns | Over 250 contacts, all sending is on hold | Sends 300 a day; you resend the rest yourself |
| Free footer address | No | No |
Sources: Mailchimp pricing plans, Mailchimp email footers, Brevo Free plan limits, Brevo pricing.
Prices as your list grows
Monthly billing, USD. Brevo prices its plans by monthly emails, so this table shows the cheapest Brevo Starter tier that covers each number of contacts.
| Contacts | Mailchimp Essentials | Mailchimp sends a month | Brevo Starter | Brevo sends a month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500 | $13 | 5,000 | $9 | 5,000 |
| 1,500 | $26.50 | 15,000 | $17 | 10,000 |
| 2,500 | $45 | 25,000 | $25 | 15,000 |
| 5,000 | $75 | 50,000 | $32 | 20,000 |
| 10,000 | $110 | 100,000 | $32 | 20,000 |
Source: mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing · www.brevo.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-21. Prices change; the vendor's page is the final word.
Brevo's 20,000-email tier includes up to 500,000 contacts. Brevo yearly billing is 10% less (Starter $8.08 a month at 5,000 emails). Mailchimp Standard is $20, $45, $60, $100 and $135 at the same sizes.
At 5,000 or 10,000 contacts, Brevo's $32 tier lets you send 20,000 emails a month: that's 4 emails per contact at 5,000, or 2 at 10,000. If you email everyone weekly, you need a bigger Brevo tier: 50,000 emails cost $56 a month on Starter.
Catches on each side
- Mailchimp: unsubscribed contacts count. You pay for every stored contact, subscribed or not (your contacts).
- Mailchimp: the trial needs a card (Mailchimp pricing).
- Mailchimp: no refunds on a downgrade (compare plans FAQ).
- Brevo: unsubscribed contacts count too. Blocklisted contacts count toward your contact total (blocklisted contacts).
- Brevo: hitting the contact limit upgrades you. On the first three tiers, reaching your contact limit moves you to the next tier (Brevo pricing plans).
- Brevo: free accounts need a login. Brevo deletes a Free account if nobody logs in for 4 months (Brevo Free plan limits).
- Brevo: refunds are rare, limited to a technical error by Brevo or an account that can't send from shared IPs (refund policy).
- Both: no free footer address. Plan on your own postal address or a P.O. box (Mailchimp address ideas, FTC CAN-SPAM guide).
Verdict
Pick Mailchimp if you email your whole list often and want its integrations. Its sends grow with your contacts (10 times on Essentials), so frequent senders don't need to buy extra email volume.
Pick Brevo if you have a large list you email now and then, or you want automations on a free plan. At 5,000 contacts, Brevo Starter costs $32 a month against Mailchimp's $75, as long as 20,000 emails a month is enough.
Full reviews: Mailchimp review and Brevo review.
FAQ
Is Brevo cheaper than Mailchimp?
Usually. At 500 contacts Brevo Starter is $9 a month and Mailchimp Essentials $13. At 5,000 contacts Brevo is $32 for 20,000 emails a month and Mailchimp $75 for 50,000 (monthly billing, checked 2026-10-21).
Which free plan is better?
Brevo Free stores far more contacts (up to 100,000) and includes automations, but caps you at 300 emails a day. Mailchimp Free stops at 250 contacts and 500 emails a month.
Do unsubscribed contacts count on either?
Yes, on both. Mailchimp counts all stored contacts, and Brevo counts blocklisted contacts toward your total.
What changed
- 2026-10-21: Written from Mailchimp's and Brevo's official pricing and help pages.
Sources
All accessed 2026-10-21 (America/New_York).
- Mailchimp pricing, trial terms and FAQ: https://mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing/
- Mailchimp compare plans: https://mailchimp.com/pricing/marketing/compare-plans/
- Mailchimp, "About Mailchimp Pricing Plans": https://mailchimp.com/help/about-mailchimp-pricing-plans/
- Mailchimp, "About Your Contacts": https://mailchimp.com/help/about-your-contacts/
- Mailchimp, "About Email Footers": https://mailchimp.com/help/about-campaign-footers/
- Mailchimp, "Alternative Physical Address Ideas": https://mailchimp.com/help/alternative-physical-address-ideas/
- Brevo pricing and "Customize your plan" calculator: https://www.brevo.com/pricing/
- Brevo, "About Brevo's pricing plans": https://help.brevo.com/hc/en-us/articles/208589409-About-Brevo-s-pricing-plans
- Brevo, "What are the limits of the Free plan?": https://help.brevo.com/hc/en-us/articles/208580669-FAQs-What-are-the-limits-of-the-Free-plan
- Brevo, "What are the different types of blocklisted contacts?": https://help.brevo.com/hc/en-us/articles/209458705-FAQs-What-are-the-different-types-of-blocklisted-contacts
- Brevo, "Do you have a refund policy?": https://help.brevo.com/hc/en-us/articles/209298665-Do-you-have-a-refund-policy
- FTC, "CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business": https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/resources/can-spam-act-compliance-guide-business