Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is a comprehensive marketing platform offering email campaigns, SMS, WhatsApp, live chat, CRM, and automation in a single affordable package. With more than 500,000 active users, it is one of the most popular marketing platforms in Europe and a strong alternative to Mailchimp for teams that need SMS and multi-channel marketing beyond email.
Product Overview
Brevo's core advantage is its multi-channel breadth at a price that most SMBs can afford. Unlike Mailchimp which focuses on email, Brevo includes transactional email via API, SMS campaigns, WhatsApp Business messaging, push notifications, and a built-in CRM — all managed from one dashboard. Its pricing model charges by email volume rather than contact count, making it significantly cheaper for teams with large lists but moderate sending frequency.
Key Features
- Email Marketing: Drag-and-drop email builder with A/B testing, personalisation, and segmentation — for campaigns and automations.
- SMS & WhatsApp Campaigns: Send SMS and WhatsApp Business messages alongside email — with the same segmentation and automation triggers.
- Marketing Automation: Visual automation builder for welcome series, abandoned cart, lead nurture, and transactional trigger workflows.
- Transactional Email API: High-deliverability SMTP and API for sending product notifications, password resets, and order confirmations.
- Built-In CRM: Basic contact management and deal pipeline — useful for SMBs that don't need a dedicated CRM yet.
Best For
SMBs and mid-market teams in Europe and beyond that need multi-channel marketing (email + SMS + WhatsApp) at an accessible price — particularly those with large contact lists who want volume-based pricing.
Pricing
Free plan (300 emails/day). Starter from $9/month; Business from $18/month; Enterprise custom. Priced by monthly email volume — not contact count.
Key Integrations
Shopify, WooCommerce, Salesforce, HubSpot, WordPress, Zapier, Magento, PrestaShop
Pros
- Multi-channel (email + SMS + WhatsApp) in one affordable platform
- Volume-based pricing saves money for large lists with moderate frequency
- Transactional email API included — no separate SendGrid needed
- GDPR-compliant with EU data hosting options
Cons
- Automation builder less powerful than ActiveCampaign or Marketo
- CRM is basic — not a replacement for a dedicated tool
- Deliverability historically behind SendGrid/Postmark for transactional
