Brevo
Affordable multi-channel marketing platform (formerly Sendinblue) with email, SMS, WhatsApp, and chat -- pricing based on email volume rather than contacts, making it one of the best values in the category.
Budget-conscious businesses and startups that need multi-channel marketing with email, SMS, and WhatsApp at affordable volume-based pricing
Our Verdict
Affordable multi-channel marketing platform (formerly Sendinblue) with email, SMS, WhatsApp, and chat -- pricing based on email volume rather than contacts, making it one of the best values in the category.
Rating Breakdown
Why Trust This Review
Our team has spent 40+ hours hands-on testing Brevo across real-world scenarios. We follow a rigorous methodology with weighted scoring criteria. Our reviews are editorially independent and never influenced by affiliate partnerships.
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Pros & Cons
Pros
- Volume-based pricing instead of contact-based makes it dramatically cheaper for large lists
- True multi-channel platform with email, SMS, WhatsApp, and chat built in
- Marketing automation available even on the free plan, which is rare among competitors
- Transactional email API and SMTP relay included for developers and e-commerce
- GDPR-compliant by design as a European company with data stored in the EU
Cons
- Free plan limited to 300 emails per day which restricts larger campaigns
- Removing Brevo branding requires an extra $9-12/month on lower-tier plans
- Automation workflows are less sophisticated than ActiveCampaign for complex branching scenarios
- SMS and WhatsApp credits must be purchased separately as prepaid add-ons
Full Review
Overview
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is a cloud-based marketing and CRM platform founded in 2012 in Paris, France, by Armand Thiberge. With over 500,000 customers across 180 countries and 700+ employees, Brevo has grown into a major player in the email marketing space. The platform rebranded from Sendinblue to Brevo in 2023, reflecting its expanded mission beyond just email to become an all-in-one customer relationship platform. Brevo achieved centaur status ($100M in ARR) in 2022 and maintains a 4.5/5 rating on G2 from 2,000+ reviews.
Key Strengths
Brevos standout feature is its pricing model: you pay based on the number of emails you send, not how many contacts you have. This makes it dramatically more affordable for businesses with large contact lists but moderate sending frequency. The free plan includes 300 emails per day and marketing automation on unlimited contacts. Brevo also offers true multi-channel capabilities including email, SMS, WhatsApp, push notifications, and live chat all within one platform. The marketing automation is available on all plans, even free, which is rare among competitors.
Pricing Analysis
Brevo pricing starts with a free plan (300 emails/day, unlimited contacts). The Starter plan begins at $9/month for 5,000 emails. The Standard (Business) plan starts at $18/month for 5,000 emails and includes landing pages, A/B testing, and multi-user access. The Professional plan starts at $499/month for high-volume senders with 10 users, AI segmentation, and multi-channel support. Removing Brevo branding costs an extra $9-12/month on lower plans. SMS and WhatsApp credits are purchased separately as prepaid credits.
Who Is It Best For?
Brevo is ideal for budget-conscious businesses that need professional email marketing and automation without breaking the bank. It is particularly well-suited for small businesses and startups with large contact lists, businesses needing multi-channel marketing (email + SMS + WhatsApp), and e-commerce stores looking for transactional email alongside marketing campaigns.
The Bottom Line
Brevo offers the best value proposition in email marketing with its volume-based pricing and generous free tier. While it may not match ActiveCampaigns automation depth or HubSpots reporting sophistication, Brevo delivers 80% of the functionality at a fraction of the cost. For businesses watching their budget, Brevo is the smart choice.
Alternatives to Brevo
More about “Brevo”
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Brevo is the rebranded version of Sendinblue. The company changed its name from Sendinblue to Brevo in May 2023 to reflect its expanded product suite beyond just email marketing. All existing Sendinblue accounts were automatically migrated to Brevo, and the platform retains all previous features while continuing to add new ones.
Unlike most email marketing platforms that charge based on the number of contacts in your list, Brevo prices based on the number of emails you send per month. This means you can store unlimited contacts (on the free plan) and only pay for sending volume. This pricing model is significantly cheaper for businesses with large contact lists but moderate sending frequency.
Yes, Brevo supports SMS and WhatsApp marketing alongside email. However, SMS and WhatsApp credits are purchased separately as prepaid credits rather than being included in the base email plan pricing. This multi-channel capability makes Brevo one of the few affordable platforms offering true omnichannel marketing.
Written by
Emily brings 7 years of data-driven marketing expertise, specializing in market analysis, email optimization, and AI-powered marketing tools. She combines quantitative research with practical recommendations, focusing on ROI benchmarks and emerging trends across the SaaS landscape.
Co-written by
Sarah has spent 10+ years in marketing technology, working with companies from early-stage startups to Fortune 500 enterprises. She specializes in evaluating automation platforms, CRM integrations, and lead generation tools. Her reviews focus on real-world business impact and ROI.
Final Verdict
Brevo scores 8.5/10
With a score of 8.5 out of 10, Brevo is a strong performer that delivers great value. It’s particularly well-suited for Budget-conscious businesses and startups that need multi-channel marketing with email, SMS, and WhatsApp at affordable volume-based pricing.