Brevo Review: What You Get at Every Price Tier
Brevo (rebranded from Sendinblue in 2023) prices by monthly email volume instead of contact count — a real structural difference that can make it meaningfully cheaper for large, less-frequently-emailed lists. Here's what's actually included.
TL;DR: Brevo's send-based pricing (rather than contact-based) is its defining feature — if you have a large list you don't email constantly, it can cost noticeably less than Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign at the same list size. It also bundles SMS, WhatsApp, and a sales CRM module into its higher tiers.
Quick verdict
- Have a large contact list but don't email it constantly — send-based pricing rewards that pattern
- Want SMS, WhatsApp, and basic sales-CRM features bundled in alongside email
- Want a genuinely unlimited-contacts free plan, capped only by daily send volume
- Email a smaller list very frequently — contact-based pricing (Kit) may work out cheaper for you
- Want the deepest CRM-style automation and attribution — ActiveCampaign goes further there
- Need extensive third-party template marketplaces — Mailchimp's ecosystem is larger
What is Brevo?
Brevo (rebranded from Sendinblue in 2023) is a marketing platform built around email, SMS, and WhatsApp messaging, with a sales CRM module ("Sales Essentials") bundled into its paid tiers. Its defining structural choice is pricing by monthly email send volume rather than contact-list size, which flips the usual math on cost as your list grows.
Plans and pricing
| Plan | Price (starting tier) | Email volume | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | Up to 300 emails/day | Unlimited contacts, basic reporting, forms |
| Starter | From $20/month | From 5,000 emails/month | Advanced segmentation, no Brevo branding |
| Standard | $48/month | Higher volume tiers available | Marketing automation, A/B testing, send-time optimization |
| Professional | $99/month | From 150,000 emails/month | WhatsApp/SMS, 10 seats, AI segmentation, phone support |
Figures verified directly on Brevo's official pricing page in September 2026. Unlike every other tool in this category, Brevo's core pricing driver is monthly email volume, not contact-list size — its free plan allows unlimited contacts, capped only at 300 emails per day. Annual billing saves roughly 10% on paid tiers. Enterprise pricing is custom and not covered here.
Key features
- Pricing based on monthly email volume rather than contact count — unusual in this category
- Bundled SMS and WhatsApp messaging channels on higher tiers
- A basic sales CRM module ("Sales Essentials") included from the Starter plan up
- AI-assisted content generation, segmentation, and send-time optimization
- Marketing automation and A/B testing from the Standard plan up
- An official affiliate program via PartnerStack with a 90-day cookie window
Pros and cons
Pros
- Send-based pricing can be meaningfully cheaper for large, infrequently-emailed lists
- Genuinely unlimited contacts on the free plan, not just a small fixed cap
- SMS, WhatsApp, and a basic sales CRM bundled in rather than sold as separate products
Cons
- Send-based pricing can cost more than contact-based tools if you email a smaller list very often
- Less automation depth than ActiveCampaign for complex, branching workflows
- Its affiliate program requires an existing website with real traffic to be accepted, unlike some competitors
Frequently asked questions
Is Brevo the same company as Sendinblue?
Yes — Sendinblue rebranded to Brevo in 2023. It's the same platform and company under a new name.
Why does Brevo price by email volume instead of contacts?
It's a deliberate positioning choice: businesses with large but infrequently-emailed lists (e-commerce stores with big customer databases, for example) can end up paying much less than they would on a contact-based platform like Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign.
Does Brevo have an affiliate program?
Yes — an official one managed via PartnerStack, with a 90-day cookie window and fixed-reward commissions disclosed only after you apply. Applicants need an active website with real traffic, among other requirements. We have applied but not yet been approved — see the disclosure below.
Our take
Brevo's send-based pricing is the real story here — it rewards a specific usage pattern (a large list, emailed less often) that contact-based tools penalize. Compare it directly against ActiveCampaign if you're weighing automation depth against value pricing, or see the full email marketing category guide for how all five tools compare.
Sources: pricing verified directly on brevo.com/pricing; affiliate terms verified on brevo.com/partners/affiliates, September 2026.