Every founder, marketer, and “I’ll just do it myself” side hustler eventually comes face-to-face with the great question of the internet age: which email marketing platform should I use? There are dozens of contenders, from the “industry staples” like Mailchimp to the sleek e-commerce darlings like Klaviyo, and everyone claims to have the most features, the best deliverability, and the easiest setup. The reality is that most of them are just fine, some are a little overpriced, and a few are genuinely great. Enter Brevo, the platform formerly know as Sendinblue, which might not shout the loudest in marketing circles but quietly delivers a better deal on most of the things that actually matter.
What You Actually Need From an Email Marketing Platform
Before comparing logos, let’s talk about what you’re really buying when you sign up for an email marketing tool. At minimum, you need solid deliverability (your emails should land in inboxes, not spam folders), a simple campaign builder, automation workflows that don’t make you cry, and pricing that doesn’t punish you for actually growing your list. Beyond that, extras like SMS marketing, transactional emails, and advanced segmentation can be nice, but most businesses don’t need enterprise-grade bells and whistles to send a weekly newsletter.

Mailchimp vs Brevo: The Old Guard vs the Challenger
Mailchimp is the Coca-Cola of email marketing. Everyone knows the name, and everyone’s probably tried it at least once. It’s fine, it works, but it’s also expensive and a little clunky once you start doing more than just sending a basic campaign. Automations are limited unless you pay more, reporting feels dated, and the free plan that used to be generous has been stripped down over time.
Brevo, on the other hand, flips the model. Instead of charging you based on how many subscribers you have (which feels like being fined for success), Brevo charges based on how many emails you actually send. That’s a huge deal for growing businesses, because you can have a large list without immediately jumping into premium pricing tiers. Deliverability is solid, the automation workflows are flexible, and the UI feels refreshingly straightforward compared to Mailchimp’s endless menu clicking.
Klaviyo vs Brevo: E-commerce Muscle vs All-Rounder Value
Klaviyo is the go to platform if youre running a Shopify store and want advanced revenue-driven automations. The integrations with e-commerce platforms are excellent, and the segmentation is powerful enough to target customers who abandoned their cart at 2:37am on a Tuesday while browsing for socks. The downside is the price, which can spiral into hundreds of dollars per month as your list grows, and unless you’re an online store, much of its power is overkill.
Brevo doesn’t beat Klaviyo on pure e-commerce features, but it holds its own with solid integrations, competitive automation, and pricing that won’t make you regret every new subscriber. If you’re not running a giant Shopify empire, Brevo is the more sensible choice for most small and mid-sized businesses.

Other Players in the Game
ConvertKit: Great for creators, simple and clean, but automation is limited compared to Brevo. Pricing also jumps quickly as your list grows.
ActiveCampaign: Powerful automation but has a steep learning curve. Many small businesses end up paying for features they never use.
MailerLite: Budget friendly and simple, but not as robust in terms of deliverability and integrations.
Each of these tools has its place, but Brevo tends to hit the sweet spot of affordability, ease of use, and capability.
Pros and Cons of Brevo
Pros:
- Pricing based on emails sent, not list size, which is far more cost-effective for growing businesses.
- Easy-to-use builder with no steep learning curve.
- Solid deliverability across industries.
- Includes SMS, transactional email, and even CRM features in the same platform.
- Transparent pricing with no “surprise” upgrades required.
Cons:
- Not as trendy or widely marketed, so you won’t see as many YouTubers gushing about it.
- Slightly less polished integrations for e-commerce compared to Klaviyo.
- Advanced reporting could be more detailed.
The Verdict: Why Brevo Wins Overall
If you’re running a mid-sized Shopify store doing millions in revenue, Klaviyo might be worth the cost. If you just need a basic newsletter for your YouTube subscribers, ConvertKit might feel cleaner. If you’re nostalgic or love overpaying, Mailchimp is waiting with open arms. But if you want the best balance of affordability, reliability, and features that actually matter, Brevo comes out on top. It’s the platform that doesn’t penalize you for growth, handles automations with ease, and quietly does its job without creating headaches.
So if you’re choosing an email marketing tool in 2025, Brevo is the one I’d recommend for most businesses. And yes, that’s coming from someone who has tested them all, sworn at half of them, and paid far too much to Mailchimp in the past.
