Last updated: October 2026 | Pricing and ratings checked on October 28, 2026 | 9 min read
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is one of the biggest email marketing platforms in Europe, with more than 600,000 customers. It stands out for one reason above all: it charges by emails sent rather than contacts, so you can store a large list without your bill growing.
In this review we look at what Brevo does well, where it falls short, and what it really costs in 2026, using the prices on its pricing page at 5,000, 20,000 and 100,000 emails a month.
Short verdict: Brevo is great value if you have a big list and send occasionally, and it puts email, SMS, WhatsApp and transactional email in one account. The free plan’s 300-a-day cap is tight, real automation needs Standard, and WhatsApp, popups and phone support need the $499 Professional plan.
Quick Answer: Brevo is worth it if you have a large contact list and send a few campaigns a month, because it charges by emails sent, not contacts. The free plan sends up to 300 emails a day. Starter costs $9/month and Standard $18/month for 5,000 emails, and Professional starts at $499/month. Unlimited automation workflows need Standard.
Table of Contents
Brevo at a Glance
| Brevo | |
|---|---|
| Best for | Large lists that email occasionally; email + SMS |
| Owner | Brevo SAS, Paris (formerly Sendinblue) |
| Free plan | 300 emails/day; up to 100,000 contacts |
| Starter | From $9/month (5,000 emails) |
| Standard | From $18/month (5,000 emails) |
| Professional | From $499/month (150,000 emails) |
| Pricing model | By emails sent, not contacts |
| Automation | Unlimited workflows from Standard |
| Our verdict | Strong value for big lists; key features sit on higher plans |
Brevo Pricing in 2026
Brevo has five plans: Free, Starter, Standard, Professional and Enterprise. Paid plans are priced by how many emails you send each month. On monthly billing:
| Emails per month | Starter | Standard | Professional |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000 | $9 | $18 | — |
| 20,000 | about $32 | about $69 | — |
| 100,000 | about $82 | about $139 | — |
| 150,000 | — | — | From $499 |
What each plan includes:
- Free: 300 emails a day, up to 100,000 contacts, 1 user, Brevo branding on emails, basic reports, and up to 2,000 contacts in active automations.
- Starter: removes Brevo branding, adds advanced segmentation, forms and the AI content generator. 1 user.
- Standard: adds unlimited automation workflows, A/B testing, advanced reporting, send-time optimisation and a landing page. Up to 3 users.
- Professional: adds WhatsApp, popups, web push, 10 users, 10 landing pages, contact scoring and phone support.
- Enterprise: custom pricing, dedicated IP, SSO and multi-account management.
Yearly billing saves 10%. Prices above 5,000 emails come from Brevo’s published volume tiers and can vary slightly by region, so confirm on its pricing page. On Starter and Standard, the number of contacts you can store depends on your email tier at the low end (500 contacts at 5,000 emails, 2,500 at 15,000).
Sidenote: Brevo’s nonprofit discount is 15% off Enterprise only, so most small nonprofits won’t qualify. See our Mailchimp alternatives for nonprofits for tools with broader discounts.
What Brevo Does Well
Pricing by emails sent
Because you pay for sends rather than contacts, a business with 20,000 contacts that emails twice a month can pay far less than on a contact-based tool. That makes Brevo a strong fit for big, occasionally used lists.
Email, SMS and WhatsApp in one place
SMS is available from Starter (credits bought separately), and WhatsApp campaigns come with Professional. Reminders, confirmations and promotions can run across channels from one account.
Transactional email included
Every plan includes Brevo’s transactional email API, SMTP relay and webhooks, so order confirmations and password resets can run alongside campaigns. Compare it with other options in our list of the best transactional email services.
A generous free plan for storage
The free plan stores up to 100,000 contacts. You’re limited on sends, not on list size.
Where Brevo Falls Short
The free plan’s daily cap
Free accounts can send 300 emails a day. That’s enough for testing or a tiny newsletter, but a 1,000-person campaign takes four days.
Real automation needs Standard
Unlimited automation workflows, A/B testing and send-time optimisation start on Standard. Starter is mostly for simple campaigns.
Big features jump to $499
WhatsApp, popups, web push, extra seats and phone support sit on Professional, which starts at $499/month. There’s a big gap between Standard and Professional.
Seats are limited
Starter includes 1 user and Standard up to 3, with extra seats at $12/month each.
Deliverability
Brevo handles authentication for its shared sending infrastructure, and Enterprise adds a dedicated IP. Professional includes three hours a year with a deliverability specialist. Brevo’s results still depend on your list and your domain setup. Gmail and Yahoo now require bulk senders to authenticate with SPF, DKIM and DMARC, keep spam complaints low and offer one-click unsubscribe. See Google’s sender guidelines, Yahoo’s best practices and RFC 8058 on one-click unsubscribe. Set up DMARC for your domain (dmarc.org) and track your reputation in Google Postmaster Tools.
Brevo Pros and Cons
✅Brevo Pros:
- Pricing by emails sent, so large lists stay affordable
- Email, SMS, WhatsApp and transactional email in one account
- Free plan stores up to 100,000 contacts
- Unlimited automation workflows on Standard
- 10% off with yearly billing
❌Brevo Cons:
- Free plan limited to 300 emails a day
- Automation and A/B testing need Standard
- WhatsApp, popups and phone support need Professional ($499/month)
- Only 1–3 users on Starter and Standard
- Nonprofit discount on Enterprise only
💰Pricing: Free (300 emails/day); Starter from $9/month; Standard from $18/month; Professional from $499/month; 10% off yearly.
Who Brevo Is Best For
- Businesses with large lists that send a few campaigns a month.
- Teams that want email, SMS and transactional email from one vendor.
- Ecommerce and SaaS teams that need order and account emails alongside campaigns.
It’s a weaker fit for frequent senders with small lists, where contact-based tools can be cheaper, and for teams that need WhatsApp or phone support without paying $499 a month. Our guide to cheap email marketing compares lower-cost options.
How Brevo Compares
- Brevo vs Mailchimp: Mailchimp charges by contacts and has more integrations.
- Brevo vs MailerLite: MailerLite has a simpler editor and charges by subscribers.
- SendGrid vs Mailchimp: for teams weighing an email API against a marketing platform.
- SMTP relay services: other providers for transactional sending.
See our full list of Brevo alternatives. You can also compare our Mailchimp review and Zoho Campaigns review.
Every campaign, on any tool, needs an unsubscribe link and a physical address under the CAN-SPAM Act.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brevo worth it in 2026?
Brevo is worth it if you have a large list and send occasionally, or want email, SMS and transactional email together. If you send often to a small list, contact-based tools can be cheaper.
How much does Brevo cost?
Starter costs $9/month and Standard $18/month for 5,000 emails. Professional starts at $499/month, and Enterprise is custom. Yearly billing saves 10%.
Is Brevo free?
Yes. Brevo’s free plan sends up to 300 emails a day and stores up to 100,000 contacts, with Brevo branding on your emails.
Is Brevo the same as Sendinblue?
Yes. Sendinblue rebranded as Brevo in 2023. The product and company are the same.
Does Brevo charge for contacts?
Brevo mainly charges by emails sent. On Starter and Standard, the lowest email tiers also cap stored contacts (for example, 500 contacts at 5,000 emails).
What are the best Brevo alternatives?
MailerLite, Mailchimp and GetResponse are common alternatives. See our Brevo alternatives guide.
Final Verdict
Brevo is a strong, flexible platform, and its send-based pricing makes it one of the cheapest ways to keep a large list. The trade-offs are the 300-a-day free cap, automation that needs Standard, and a big price jump to Professional for WhatsApp and phone support. Choose it if you send occasionally to a big list or want email and SMS together.
Looking for a Simpler Alternative?
If you send regularly to a growing list and want automation without a $499 jump, Mailercloud may suit you better. Mailercloud is free for 1,000 contacts and 12,000 emails a month. Premium costs $10/month for 5,000 contacts with unlimited sends, 25 advanced automations, A/B testing and AI subject lines.
Unlimited sends from $10/month — try Mailercloud free
★★★★★ 4.5 on G2 · 4.7 on Capterra · 4.4 on Trustpilot · Trusted by 35,000+ businesses
Free for 1,000 contacts · No credit card · $10/month for 5,000
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