In the fast-moving world of digital marketing, choosing an email platform is a critical decision for any business that wants to maximise its return on investment. In 2025, Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) and Mailchimp dominate the market with robust offerings suited to both small operations and ambitious mid-sized companies. Yet the central question remains: how do you pick the solution best matched to your budget without sacrificing essential features? This duel between two email marketing giants reflects today’s strategies, the technological innovations built around artificial intelligence, and the very specific expectations of users looking for efficiency, simplicity and cost control.
The differences between these platforms are not only about pricing or interface, but also about their functional DNA. While Mailchimp long appealed with a rich palette of features for complex campaigns, Brevo now stands out with an accessible, competitive approach particularly suited to European SMEs. On top of that comes the constant evolution of automation, contact management and message personalisation — capabilities that are now indispensable for an effective marketing strategy in 2025.
This detailed comparison highlights the strengths and limits of each solution, with special emphasis on how well they fit different budget constraints. We will look at pricing, advanced automation features, ease of use and third-party integrations. Whether you are a first-time entrepreneur, a marketing manager or a digital agency, a fine understanding of these nuances will help you make an informed choice to power your email campaigns without stretching your finances.
Detailed cost comparison: what do Brevo and Mailchimp really cost in 2025?
In 2025, price is still often the deciding factor when selecting an email marketing platform. Mailchimp and Brevo use similar pricing models based on the number of contacts and email volume sent, but with notable differences that can shape a company’s annual budget.
Brevo offers a generous free plan allowing up to 300 emails per day, an asset for low-volume startups. Paid plans start at around €25 per month for 20,000 emails, with pricing that scales based on both email volume and stored contacts. Brevo stands out for cost transparency and often provides better optimisation for European users, avoiding surprises tied to taxes or currency conversion.
Mailchimp also offers a free option, limited to 500 contacts and 1,000 emails per month, which can quickly become restrictive as campaigns grow. Its paid plans start at around €13 per month but ramp up fast once subscriber lists exceed 10,000 contacts. Mailchimp bundles more advanced features from its early tiers, but the total cost can climb significantly depending on the options enabled.
| Feature | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 300 emails/day, unlimited contacts | 1,000 emails/month, 500 contacts |
| Entry plan price | ≈ €25/month for 20,000 emails | ≈ €13/month for 500 contacts |
| Contact limit | Flexible depending on plan | Limited, expensive beyond 10,000 contacts |
| Included features | Automation, SMS marketing (plan-dependent) | Advanced automation, detailed reporting |
| Average annual total cost | Can be more economical depending on volume | Strong on features, but more expensive |
The ability to absorb volume spikes is also key. For an SME anticipating rapid list growth, a Mailchimp plan can quickly become a budget bottleneck, whereas Brevo offers a more flexible structure. Precisely analysing your volume and sending frequency remains essential to optimise the choice.
- Assess real sending volume to avoid over-billing.
- Account for the number of stored contacts to anticipate cost changes.
- Favour pricing transparency for better budget management.
- Consider the add-on options bundled into each plan.
Sample budget simulation for an SME with 8,000 contacts and 15,000 monthly emails
Imagine an SME sending 15,000 emails per month to 8,000 contacts:
| Criteria | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Standard plan cost | About €40 / month | About €60 / month |
| Main features | Automation, SMS (optional), advanced segmentation | Advanced automation, in-depth analytics |
| Financial advantages | Better cost/feature ratio | More expensive but more built-in tools |
This kind of simulation clearly shows that the choice of provider must factor in expected growth and essential features, while keeping the full-year total cost under control.
Key features: which email marketing tool offers the best value in 2025?
Beyond cost, functional power is essential to refine an email strategy. In 2025, Brevo and Mailchimp compete by offering tools that push past the traditional limits of email marketing.
Brevo bets on an intuitive interface paired with a rich set of automations: dynamic segmentation, scheduled sending, landing pages and SMS marketing. It aligns particularly well with European GDPR-compliant usage.
Mailchimp keeps its premium positioning with advanced features such as multivariate A/B testing, AI-generated recommendations, and omnichannel integrations (social networks, CRM, e-commerce). Its analytics suite is one of the most complete on the market, with intuitive, detailed dashboards.
- Advanced segmentation based on customer behaviour and interests
- Ready-to-use and custom marketing automation
- Intuitive newsletter creation with flexible templates
- Built-in CRM features (especially on Mailchimp)
- Multichannel management including SMS and push notifications (strong on Brevo)
Another differentiator is how easily email marketing can be integrated with other business tools. Brevo offers a strengthened ecosystem with simplified APIs and smooth synchronisation with several popular platforms.
| Feature | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced segmentation | Yes, dynamic and behavioural | Yes, very advanced |
| Automation | Many possible actions | Advanced automation, built-in AI |
| SMS marketing | Integrated (plan-dependent) | Limited and costly option |
| Landing pages | Easy and built-in creation | Available, more complex |
| Analytics & reporting | Complete but simpler | Very detailed and customisable |
Marketing teams will therefore need to set their priorities between a smooth interface and very complete — sometimes slightly more technical — tools before making a decision.
Ease of use and fast onboarding: Brevo and Mailchimp under the microscope
Time is a precious resource for marketing managers. Simplicity and a quick learning curve are often a major selection criterion, especially when launching or migrating to a new email platform.
Brevo stands out with ergonomics designed for small and mid-sized businesses: a clear dashboard, an intuitive drag-and-drop editor and easily customisable templates. The learning curve is gentle, which helps teams get up to speed quickly.
Mailchimp, despite its premium status, keeps a readable but broader interface, which can disorient beginners. Its many options and integrations sometimes require a longer adjustment period. On the other hand, experienced users will appreciate the wealth of features available after just a few hours of use.
- Brevo: simplicity, gradual approach, good for beginners or SMEs
- Mailchimp: power, but a steeper learning curve
- Visual editor: drag & drop on both, more templates on Mailchimp
- Documentation and support: solid on both, but Mailchimp offers more advanced educational content
- Easy native integrations for CRMs and e-commerce
These distinctions matter when you want to limit the training burden and save operational time. For an agency or a seasoned marketing team, Mailchimp remains a sound choice. For a solo entrepreneur or an SME seeking fluidity, Brevo offers a more suitable path.
Automation and artificial intelligence: how Brevo and Mailchimp are reshaping email marketing
When it comes to the future of email marketing, automation combined with artificial intelligence is front and centre. In 2025, both platforms are making impressive progress, with their differentiation often coming down to the sophistication and personalisation on offer.
Mailchimp has for several years integrated AI modules that predict the best time to send a campaign, or automatically suggest personalised content. These features leverage massive data sets to fine-tune strategies in real time, which translates into a significant improvement in open and conversion rates.
Brevo has followed this trend by developing its own, more accessible algorithms, enabling dynamic segmentation based on recent user behaviour and adapting campaigns to past performance. Brevo also stands out with automation scenarios that are simple to configure, making personalised customer journeys easy even without advanced expertise.
- Mailchimp: advanced AI, personalised recommendations, behavioural prediction
- Brevo: intuitive automation, real-time segmentation, custom scenarios
- Send-time optimisation based on behavioural analysis
- Email personalisation with dynamic content (product, location, etc.)
- Automated A/B testing with smart suggestions
For a company ready to fully exploit these innovations, Mailchimp offers greater capability. However, for an SME or an organisation seeking simplicity and efficiency, Brevo strikes a good balance between sophistication and ease of use.
| Automation & AI | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Automated scenarios | Simple to configure | Complex and modular |
| AI technologies | Dynamic but basic | Predictive and advanced recommendations |
| Dynamic personalisation | Yes, behavioural | Yes, rich and contextual |
| Smart A/B testing | Yes | Yes, multivariate |
| Real-time optimisation | Yes | Yes |
Integrations and compatibility: what synergies with your business tools?
In an increasingly connected marketing strategy, an email platform’s ability to integrate easily with other business tools is a real key point. It boosts efficiency during multichannel campaigns and ensures smooth management of contacts and data.
Mailchimp is known for its rich and varied catalogue of integrations: CRMs, e-commerce platforms (Shopify, WooCommerce), social networks, project management apps and much more. This wealth opens up huge possibilities for building automated workflows across systems.
Brevo has strengthened this area with a robust API and a growing list of native connectors, notably to major European CRMs and e-commerce software, while offering native SMS marketing management, which is less common with Mailchimp.
- Mailchimp: 300+ native integrations, strong e-commerce presence
- Brevo: flexible API, growing CRM and e-commerce integrations
- Advanced use: contact sync and cross-platform segmentation
- Multichannel automation with SMS (Brevo) and social networks (Mailchimp)
- Plugins and connectors to simplify list management
| Integration aspect | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Number of native integrations | 50+, mainly European | 300+, international |
| API & customisation | Complete REST API | Advanced API, powerful webhooks |
| SMS marketing support | Yes, built in | Limited, often a paid add-on |
| E-commerce | Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop | Shopify, Magento, WooCommerce |
| Social networks | A few integrations | Extensive integrations (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) |
Security and GDPR compliance: an essential criterion in 2025
In the strict European regulatory context, GDPR compliance (General Data Protection Regulation) is non-negotiable for businesses. The choice of an email platform must guarantee the security and confidentiality of contact data, on pain of heavy penalties and a loss of customer trust.
Brevo stands out as a preferred choice for European companies thanks to its localised hosting, reinforced data-protection measures and full GDPR compliance. The interface includes tools that make it easy to manage subscriber consent and preferences, ensuring greater respect for individual rights.
Mailchimp, though popular internationally, has at times been criticised for practices seen as less strict in handling European data. Despite several recent improvements, its non-EU hosting and partnerships should be evaluated case by case depending on the sensitivity of the data processed.
- Brevo: European hosting and built-in compliance
- Mailchimp: GDPR compliance ensured but non-EU hosting
- Built-in consent management tools
- Data encryption and reinforced security
- Regular audits and security certifications
| Security criteria | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Data hosting | European Union | United States (with safeguards) |
| Consent & opt-in management | Native tools | Dedicated features |
| Security certifications | ISO 27001, GDPR | GDPR, SOC 2 |
| Data encryption | Yes, complete | Yes, standard |
| Support and audits | Regular EU audits | Multiple US audits |
Customer support and learning resources to master your email tool
Customer service and the availability of learning resources strongly influence the user experience and the success of marketing campaigns. Every minute lost to complicated settings or a poor understanding of the tools can carry a real cost.
Mailchimp has built a very complete help centre with tutorials, webinars, forums and technical support across several channels. Its premium offering provides personalised guidance and advanced strategic advice, ideal for businesses with a substantial budget.
Brevo offers multilingual support with a strong European presence. Its FAQ system is rich, and the platform provides practical guides and an active community. Direct support is available via chat, email and phone depending on the plan, which perfectly covers the needs of SMEs.
- Detailed, up-to-date documentation on both platforms
- Regular online training and webinars for Mailchimp
- Brevo favours closeness with multilingual support
- Active user communities to share tips and solutions
- Technical support accessible according to plan level
Example of Brevo customer support
For an SME adopting Brevo in 2025, a dedicated consultant may be offered on higher plans to help set up automated campaigns and optimise contact lists. This service, combined with tutorials, ensures a fast ramp-up even without an in-house marketing team.
Real-world feedback and concrete use cases
Beyond the technical data, spontaneous user testimonials illustrate the real benefits and limits of each platform.
A mid-sized digital agency specialising in retail reports that Mailchimp helped them increase their open rate by 30% thanks to advanced analytics and behavioural segmentation features. However, the high cost is a drawback when managing several clients with small databases.
Conversely, a French SME specialising in online sales notes that Brevo — thanks to its intuitive interface and adapted pricing — allowed them to launch powerful campaigns without multiplying costs. Easy integration with their CRM also greatly simplified their day-to-day operations.
- Mailchimp: ideal for very data- and advanced-marketing-oriented organisations
- Brevo: better choice for SMEs needing simplicity and good value for money
- The importance of guidance and training in success
- Use cases that adapt to sector and company size
- Testing the platform beforehand is recommended to tailor the choice
Practical FAQ on choosing between Brevo and Mailchimp
- Which tool should I choose if my budget is very limited?
Brevo offers more capacity on its free plan and its paid tiers are often more economical for low volumes. - Which is best for heavy CRM integration?
Mailchimp offers a wider range of integrations and a more advanced API, ideal for complex setups. - Is GDPR compliance better with one of them?
Brevo, with its servers in Europe, offers more natural and reassuring compliance with European regulations. - Which platform offers the best customer support?
Mailchimp has more online resources and premium options; Brevo offers more localised, multilingual support. - Can you use SMS marketing with these platforms?
Brevo natively includes this feature; Mailchimp offers a more limited and often more expensive option.
