Brevo, formerly known as Sendinblue, positions itself as an affordable all-in-one marketing platform. With email marketing, SMS, CRM, and automation included even in lower tiers, it's an attractive option for budget-conscious businesses. This review examines whether Brevo delivers enough value to compete with more established platforms.
Brevo at a Glance
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Formerly | Sendinblue (rebranded 2023) |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Headquarters | Paris, France |
| Best For | Small businesses, transactional + marketing |
| Starting Price | Free; Paid from $25/mo |
| Key Strength | Affordable multi-channel marketing |
The Sendinblue to Brevo Transition
In May 2023, Sendinblue rebranded to Brevo, reflecting an expanded focus beyond email. The platform now includes:
- Email marketing
- SMS marketing
- WhatsApp campaigns
- Live chat
- Chatbots
- CRM
- Marketing automation
- Transactional email
This all-in-one approach at competitive prices is Brevo's primary value proposition.
Key Features Analysis
Email Marketing
Email Builder:
- Drag-and-drop editor
- Responsive templates
- HTML editing
- Dynamic content blocks
- Product blocks for e-commerce
Template Library: Brevo offers 60+ templates across categories. While not as extensive as Mailchimp, they're professional and mobile-responsive.
Personalization:
- Merge tags for basic personalization
- Conditional content
- Dynamic product recommendations (limited)
- Send time optimization
Overall Quality: Email creation is straightforward if not exceptional. The editor works well for most needs but lacks the polish of premium platforms.
Marketing Automation
Workflow Builder:
- Visual automation builder
- Triggered workflows
- Multi-step sequences
- Conditional branching
Pre-Built Workflows:
- Welcome series
- Abandoned cart
- Birthday emails
- Anniversary emails
- Re-engagement
Automation Capabilities: Brevo's automation is adequate for common use cases but less sophisticated than ActiveCampaign or Klaviyo. Complex multi-branch workflows can feel clunky.
SMS Marketing
SMS is included in Brevo's platform (credits priced separately).
SMS Features:
- Campaign SMS
- Automated SMS
- Two-way messaging
- Link shortening
- Personalization
- Compliance tools
SMS Pricing: Pay-per-message pricing varies by country (US ~$0.013/SMS).
Transactional Email
Brevo's transactional email API is a genuine strength.
Transactional Features:
- SMTP relay
- REST API
- Webhooks
- Event tracking
- Template management
- Dedicated IP options
Use Cases:
- Order confirmations
- Password resets
- Account notifications
- Shipping updates
For businesses needing both marketing and transactional email, Brevo's unified platform offers real value.
CRM
Brevo includes basic CRM functionality.
CRM Features:
- Contact management
- Deal pipeline
- Task management
- Notes and activities
- Contact attributes
CRM Quality: It's a basic CRM—useful for simple sales tracking but not a replacement for Salesforce, HubSpot, or Pipedrive.
Live Chat and Chatbots
Chat Features:
- Website live chat widget
- Chat automation/chatbots
- Team inbox
- Mobile app
This adds value for businesses wanting to consolidate tools, though dedicated chat platforms offer more.
Pricing Analysis
Brevo's pricing is based on email volume, not contacts—a significant difference from many competitors.
Free Plan
- Unlimited contacts
- 300 emails/day
- Brevo branding
- Basic features
Starter ($25/month)
- 20,000 emails/month
- No daily limit
- Basic analytics
- Email support
Business ($65/month)
- 20,000 emails/month
- Marketing automation
- A/B testing
- Send time optimization
- Advanced statistics
- Phone support
Enterprise (Custom)
- High volume
- Advanced integrations
- Dedicated account manager
- Priority support
- Custom solutions
Email Volume Pricing
| Monthly Emails | Starter | Business |
|---|---|---|
| 20,000 | $25 | $65 |
| 40,000 | $35 | $75 |
| 60,000 | $49 | $89 |
| 100,000 | $69 | $129 |
Value Analysis
Unlimited Contacts: Unlike Mailchimp or Klaviyo, Brevo doesn't charge for contacts—only email volume. For businesses with large lists and moderate sending frequency, this creates significant savings.
Volume-Based Pricing: If you email your list multiple times per week, costs rise. But for monthly newsletters or moderate sending, Brevo is very affordable.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Excellent Value: For the price, Brevo includes an impressive feature set. Small businesses get email, SMS, automation, CRM, and chat affordably.
Unlimited Contacts: Pay for emails sent, not contacts stored. This benefits businesses with larger lists.
Transactional Email Included: Marketing and transactional in one platform simplifies operations and billing.
Multi-Channel: Email, SMS, WhatsApp, and chat in one place—genuine convenience.
GDPR-Friendly: European company with strong data protection practices, ideal for EU businesses.
Cons
Automation Limitations: While functional, automation lacks the sophistication of ActiveCampaign or Klaviyo.
Fewer Integrations: Integration library is smaller than Mailchimp or HubSpot.
Interface Polish: The user interface feels less refined than premium competitors.
Limited Advanced Features: Predictive analytics, advanced personalization, and sophisticated segmentation are limited.
Support Varies: Free and Starter tiers get slower support; phone support requires Business tier.
Who Should Use Brevo
Ideal Users
Budget-Conscious Small Businesses: Brevo offers genuine value for businesses watching expenses. If $100+/month for email marketing is prohibitive, Brevo delivers core functionality affordably.
Businesses Needing Transactional + Marketing: If you need order confirmations, password resets, AND marketing campaigns, Brevo handles both in one platform at one price.
European Businesses: Brevo's French origins and GDPR focus make it particularly suitable for EU companies.
Simple Marketing Needs: For newsletters, basic automation, and occasional campaigns, Brevo is sufficient without paying for advanced features you won't use.
Multi-Channel Consolidation: If you're paying separately for email, SMS, and chat tools, Brevo's bundled approach may save money.
Who Should Look Elsewhere
E-commerce Businesses: Klaviyo or Omnisend offer far superior e-commerce integration and automation.
Automation-Heavy Operations: For sophisticated workflows, ActiveCampaign is significantly more capable.
Enterprise Needs: Large organizations needing advanced features, integrations, and support should consider HubSpot or Salesforce.
Developers Prioritizing API: SendGrid or Mailgun offer better developer experience for API-first needs.
Brevo vs. Alternatives
Brevo vs. Mailchimp
| Factor | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Email volume | Contact count |
| Free Tier | 300/day unlimited contacts | 500 contacts, 1K/mo |
| Automation | Basic | Moderate |
| Templates | 60+ | 100+ |
| Integrations | Fewer | More |
| Best For | Budget users | Ease of use |
Choose Brevo for larger lists with moderate sending. Choose Mailchimp for ease of use and integrations.
Brevo vs. Mailerlite
| Factor | Brevo | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Email volume | Contact count |
| Free Tier | 300/day | 1,000 contacts |
| Multi-Channel | Yes (SMS, chat) | Email focused |
| CRM | Included | Not included |
| Ease of Use | Good | Excellent |
Choose Brevo for multi-channel and transactional needs. Choose MailerLite for simplest interface and pure email.
Brevo vs. ActiveCampaign
| Factor | Brevo | ActiveCampaign |
|---|---|---|
| Automation | Basic | Advanced |
| CRM | Basic | Integrated |
| Price (10K contacts) | ~$25-65/mo | ~$139/mo |
| Learning Curve | Lower | Steeper |
Choose Brevo for affordability and simpler needs. Choose ActiveCampaign for sophisticated automation.
Getting Started with Brevo
Setup Process
- Create Account: Free signup, no credit card
- Verify Domain: Add DNS records for authentication
- Import Contacts: CSV or integrations
- Create First Campaign: Use templates or custom
- Set Up Automation: Start with welcome series
Quick Wins
Welcome Automation: Set up a basic welcome series for new subscribers.
Email Authentication: Configure SPF and DKIM immediately for deliverability.
Contact Import: Before importing, verify your list with email verification to start clean.
Best Practices
Maintain List Quality: Use BillionVerify to:
- Verify at signup
- Clean before import
- Regular bulk verification
Segment Your List: Don't blast everyone. Create segments based on engagement and interests.
Start Simple: Begin with basic campaigns and automation. Add complexity as you learn.
Conclusion
Brevo offers remarkable value for budget-conscious businesses. The combination of email, SMS, CRM, and transactional email at its price point is genuinely competitive. For small businesses with straightforward needs, it's an excellent choice.
However, don't expect the polish and sophistication of premium platforms. E-commerce businesses, automation-focused marketers, and enterprises will find better solutions elsewhere.
Key Takeaways:
Best for Budget: Brevo's value proposition is price—it delivers a lot for the cost.
Volume-Based Pricing: Pay for emails sent, not contacts stored—great for large lists with moderate sending.
Multi-Channel Value: Email, SMS, chat, and transactional in one platform simplifies operations.
Automation Limitations: For sophisticated workflows, look to ActiveCampaign or Klaviyo.
Good Starting Point: Brevo works well for businesses starting email marketing who may upgrade later.
List Quality Matters: Maintain clean data with email verification for best deliverability.
For businesses wanting affordable email marketing without sacrificing core functionality, Brevo deserves serious consideration. Ensure your lists are clean with BillionVerify to maximize deliverability on Brevo's platform.
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