Mailchimp vs Brevo in 2026: Contact-Based vs Volume-Based Pricing
This comparison comes down to one fundamental question: should you pay per contact (Mailchimp) or per email sent (Brevo)? For businesses with large lists who send 2-4 times per month, Brevo can save 50-70%. For daily senders with small lists, the gap narrows.
The Pricing Model Difference
Mailchimp: Pay Per Contact
You pay based on your total audience size, even if you email only a fraction of them. Unsubscribed contacts still count.
10,000 contacts, 4 emails/mo
$135/mo
Brevo: Pay Per Send
You pay based on email volume. Store unlimited contacts for free. Only pay when you send.
10,000 contacts, 4 emails/mo = 40,000 sends
$65/mo
Cost by Send Frequency
At 10,000 contacts, here is what each platform costs depending on how often you email:
| Send Frequency | Monthly Sends | Mailchimp Std | Brevo | Savings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1x/month | 10,000 | $135 | $18 | 87% |
| 2x/month | 20,000 | $135 | $35 | 74% |
| 4x/month | 40,000 | $135 | $65 | 52% |
| 8x/month | 80,000 | $135 | $129 | 4% |
| Daily | 300,000 | $135 | $169 | -25% |
Brevo is dramatically cheaper for low-to-moderate senders. At daily sending frequency, Mailchimp becomes cheaper because its price is fixed regardless of volume.
Free Plan Comparison
Mailchimp Free
- 250 contacts
- 500 sends/month
- No automation
- 30-day support only
Brevo Free
- Unlimited contacts
- 300 sends/day (~9,000/mo)
- Automation included
- Transactional email included
When Mailchimp Wins
- Better templates. Best-in-class drag-and-drop editor.
- Better deliverability. Consistently top 3 in tests.
- More integrations. 300+ native integrations.
- High-frequency senders. Fixed pricing per contact benefits daily senders.
When Brevo Wins
- Large lists, moderate sending. 50-70% savings at 2-4 emails/month.
- Transactional email. Included free vs $20/block on Mailchimp.
- SMS marketing. Included in plan vs paid add-on.
- CRM. Built-in CRM at no extra cost.
- Unlimited contacts. No penalty for large, segmented lists.