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Brevo Review

Last Updated: July 2026

Brevo Review 2026: Is It Worth It?

Brevo prices by emails sent, not contacts stored — a different model from most platforms in our best email marketing software guide. Here's an honest look at its features, pricing, automation, SMS marketing, and where it fits.

Email + SMS + WhatsApp
Brevo email and SMS marketing platform interface

What is Brevo?

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is an all-in-one marketing platform that combines email, SMS, WhatsApp, live chat, and a built-in CRM. Its biggest structural difference from most competitors is pricing: Brevo charges based on how many emails you send each month, not how many contacts you store. Every paid plan includes unlimited contacts.

That model can work in your favor if you have a large list but email infrequently — you're not penalized for list size the way you are on MailerLite or Moosend. If you send often, though, it can work against you. We break down exactly when Brevo's pricing wins and when it doesn't in the pricing section below.

Who is Brevo best for?

  • Businesses with a large contact list but infrequent sending
  • Teams wanting email, SMS, WhatsApp, and CRM under one login
  • Developers who need reliable transactional email via API/SMTP
  • Budget-conscious teams who want a genuinely free forever plan

Key Features of Brevo

Brevo packs a lot into one platform. Here's what stands out beyond basic email sending.

Drag-and-Drop Email Editor

Build campaigns with a straightforward drag-and-drop editor and a library of responsive templates. An AI content generator can also draft subject lines and body copy for you.

Marketing Automation

Build unlimited multi-step automated workflows — but only from the Standard plan up. There's no automation on the Free or Starter plans, which is a real gap compared to competitors.

SMS & WhatsApp Marketing

SMS is available on every plan, including Free, using pay-as-you-go credits billed separately by country. WhatsApp campaigns are reserved for the Professional and Enterprise plans.

Landing Pages

Landing pages arrive on the Standard plan, with one page included and more available as an add-on on higher tiers. Free and Starter users don't get this feature.

Built-in CRM & Sales Tools

A basic sales CRM is included free for up to 2,000 contacts, with paid Sales Essentials/Advanced add-ons for pipelines and deeper reporting — unusual for an email-first platform.

Transactional Email API

Every plan, including Free, includes transactional email via API and SMTP relay with unlimited log retention — handy if developers need password resets and order confirmations alongside marketing email.

Brevo Automation: What You Actually Get

Automation is where Brevo's plan structure matters most. Free and Starter plan users get zero visual automation builder access — you're limited to single campaigns and basic autoresponders. Automation workflows (welcome series, abandoned cart, re-engagement, behavior-based triggers) only unlock on the Standard plan, alongside A/B testing and web/event tracking to fire messages off on-site behavior.

This is a meaningful difference from MailerLite, which includes automation on its free plan. If automation is a must-have from day one, factor the $18/month Standard plan into your real starting cost, not Brevo's advertised free tier.

SMS Marketing on Brevo

SMS is genuinely available on every plan, including Free — a real advantage over platforms that gate texting behind a top tier. It works on a prepaid, pay-as-you-go credit system: one credit equals one message sent, credits don't expire, and pricing varies by destination country.

The catch is that SMS credits are always a separate purchase from your subscription, so a campaign mixing email and SMS lands on two different cost lines. WhatsApp campaigns are more restricted — they're only unlocked as an add-on on the Professional plan ($499/month) or Enterprise, with the first 1,000 WhatsApp messages per month free once enabled.

Landing Pages on Brevo

Brevo's landing page builder is a no-code, drag-and-drop tool for standalone campaign pages — useful for lead magnets or product launches without pulling in a developer. It's included starting on the Standard plan, with one page included; additional pages are available as paid add-ons on the Business/Professional tiers.

If landing pages need to be part of your free or entry-level plan, MailerLite includes them at a lower price point — see our cheapest email marketing software comparison for the full picture across platforms.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Unlimited contacts on every paid plan

    You're never charged more just for growing your list — only for how much you send.

  • True multichannel platform

    Email, SMS, WhatsApp, live chat, and a basic CRM in one login — fewer tools to stitch together.

  • Genuinely free forever plan

    No credit card required and no forced trial expiration, unlike Moosend's 30-day-trial-only model.

  • Strong transactional email/API support

    SMTP relay and REST API with unlimited log retention on every plan, including Free.

  • Predictable pricing for infrequent senders

    A large list that's emailed once or twice a month can cost less on Brevo than on contact-based platforms.

Cons

  • No automation until Standard ($18/mo)

    Free and Starter users get no visual automation builder at all.

  • No landing pages until Standard

    Free and Starter plans don't include the landing page builder at all.

  • Logo removal costs extra on Starter

    Removing the "Sent with Brevo" footer on the Starter plan requires a separate paid add-on.

  • Big jump to Professional

    Professional starts at $499/month — a steep leap from Standard for teams that outgrow it.

  • Send-based pricing can cost more for frequent senders

    Daily or weekly senders with large lists can end up paying more than on a contact-based platform.

Think Brevo's pricing model fits you?

Get started free today—no credit card required. Upgrade only when you need automation or landing pages.

Try Brevo Free

Brevo Pricing

Brevo prices by monthly email volume, not contact count, and every paid plan includes unlimited contacts. Figures below reflect entry-level tiers as of July 2026 — always confirm current pricing on Brevo's site before purchasing.

Free

Forever free, no credit card

$0 /month
  • 300 emails per day
  • Up to 100,000 contacts stored
  • Transactional email API/SMTP
  • No automation or landing pages
Start Free
Most Popular

Standard

Automation, A/B testing, landing pages

$18 /month (from, 5,000 emails)
  • Unlimited contacts
  • Marketing automation
  • 1 landing page included
  • A/B testing, advanced reporting
Start Free Trial

Professional

For high-volume, multichannel teams

$499+ /month (from, 150,000 emails)
  • WhatsApp, popups, mobile/web push
  • 10 user seats included
  • AI segmentation & contact scoring
  • Phone support
Explore Brevo

Enterprise plans (custom pricing, unlimited contacts, dedicated IP, SSO) are available for companies with 1M+ contacts — contact Brevo sales for a quote.

Best Use Cases for Brevo

Good Fit

  • Large contact lists that are emailed only occasionally
  • Teams that want email + SMS + WhatsApp + CRM together
  • Developers needing transactional email via API/SMTP
  • Startups that want a real free plan while validating an idea

Look Elsewhere If

  • You send daily or weekly to a large list on a tight budget
  • You need automation from day one without paying for Standard
  • You want deep, Shopify-native ecommerce automation (see our best email marketing software guide for Klaviyo)
  • You want the simplest possible free plan with automation included, like MailerLite

Brevo vs Competitors

See how Brevo's send-based pricing stacks up against contact-based platforms. For the full picture across every budget tier, check our cheapest email marketing software comparison and our best free email marketing tools guide.

Feature Brevo MailerLite Moosend
Pricing model By emails sent By contacts By contacts
Free plan Trial only
Automation on entry plan
SMS marketing
WhatsApp marketing
Built-in CRM
Entry paid price $9/mo (Starter) $12/mo (Comfort) $9/mo (Pro)

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Brevo answered.

Final Verdict: Is Brevo Worth It?

It depends on how often you send. Brevo is a genuinely strong pick if you have a large contact list you email occasionally, or if you want email, SMS, WhatsApp, and a basic CRM under one roof. It ranks among the multichannel options in our best email marketing software guide.

Where it falls short is automation and landing pages gated behind the $18/month Standard plan — competitors like MailerLite include both lower down. If you send frequently to a large list, run the numbers against a contact-based platform before committing; our cheapest email marketing software comparison can help.

For infrequent senders, developers who need transactional email, or teams that want SMS and WhatsApp in the same platform as email, Brevo is worth a serious look.

Bottom line: Start with Brevo's free plan to test the interface and transactional email, then decide if the Standard plan's automation and landing pages are worth $18/month for your sending pattern.

See if Brevo fits your sending pattern

Sign up free, no credit card required, and test the editor, transactional API, and SMS credits before committing to a paid plan.

No credit card required. Free plan available.

Ready to try Brevo?

Start free with 300 emails a day. No credit card required, upgrade only when you need automation or landing pages.

Try Brevo Free

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