Mailchimp is a popular email marketing service offering a more polished interface, advanced templates, and a broader range of integrations. It’s ideal for creators, agencies, and eCommerce brands.

Key Features:

• Advanced Email Templates 

• Mailchimp provides a wide variety of pre-designed and customizable email templates. These templates are optimized for mobile and desktop, helping your emails look professional across all devices. You can drag and drop elements, making it easy to build campaigns without needing to code.

• A/B Testing 

• With built-in A/B testing, Mailchimp lets you test subject lines, content, send times, and more. This helps you find out what performs best with your audience to improve open and click rates. The data-driven insights give you a clear path to optimize future campaigns.

• Social Media and Ad Integrations

• Mailchimp connects directly with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google Ads. You can create and manage ad campaigns or retarget users all from one place. This integration supports a more unified and efficient marketing strategy.

• Landing Page Builder

• Mailchimp includes a simple landing page builder that allows you to create standalone pages for promotions, events, or lead generation. These pages can be customized with your brand’s look and feel. It’s a great way to boost conversions without needing a full website.

• Basic CRM Features

• Mailchimp offers basic CRM functionality to help you organize audience data and segment your contacts. While not as robust as dedicated CRMs, it still lets you track customer interactions and tag contacts for personalized campaigns. It’s a helpful addition for small businesses managing their own marketing.

• eCommerce Tracking

• Mailchimp’s eCommerce tracking features let you monitor purchase behavior and product performance. You can set up automated product recommendations and abandoned cart emails to boost sales. It integrates with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce for seamless data syncing.

Mailchimp provides a smooth user experience and high-quality visuals. Its tools are well-suited for brands with an emphasis on design and integration.

One of the biggest factors in this showdown is cost.

Brevo is much more affordable for businesses that send large volumes of email or want access to automation and SMS without moving to expensive tiers.

Brevo

Brevo offers full automation access at all plan levels:

Custom workflows

Brevo allows users to create fully customizable workflows to match their marketing strategies. You can automate welcome sequences, re-engagement flows, abandoned cart reminders, and more. Each step in the workflow can be tailored to user behavior, time delays, or specific campaign actions.

Conditional logic

With conditional logic, Brevo enables dynamic decision-making in automation flows. Marketers can set “if/then” rules to adapt the journey based on user actions like opening an email, clicking a link, or skipping a message. This ensures that subscribers receive relevant content based on their interactions.

Lead scoring

Brevo’s lead scoring feature lets you assign point values to subscriber actions to track engagement and interest. These scores help prioritize high-quality leads for sales teams or trigger specific nurturing sequences. It’s a powerful tool for aligning marketing automation with sales goals.

Email triggers based on behavior or events

Brevo allows email sequences to be triggered by real-time user behavior, such as signing up, making a purchase, or browsing specific product pages. This enables timely, personalized communication that improves engagement. You can also trigger messages based on custom events pulled from your website or app via API.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp reserves advanced automation features for its higher-tier plans:

Customer journey builder

Mailchimp’s customer journey builder offers a visual interface for designing automation sequences. You can drag and drop steps, delays, and conditions to guide subscribers through tailored email flows. It’s intuitive but only available on Standard and Premium plans, limiting access for basic users.

Behavior-based workflows

Mailchimp supports workflows based on user behavior, like email opens, purchases, and website visits. However, the complexity and number of triggers you can use are restricted on lower-tier plans. To fully customize workflows, users must upgrade to a higher plan.

Predicted demographics and purchase likelihood

Mailchimp uses predictive analytics to estimate subscriber demographics and purchasing behavior. These features can help target campaigns more effectively, but they’re locked behind Premium-level pricing. While useful, they may not be accessible or cost-effective for smaller businesses.

If automation is a core requirement, Brevo delivers more for less.

Brevo offers unlimited contact storage at no additional cost, regardless of the size of your list. As a result, businesses can scale their contact database freely without being constrained by pricing tiers. Additionally, users can build custom segments and apply tags, making it easier to organize contacts and run targeted campaigns.

In contrast, Mailchimp’s pricing model is based on total contact count—including unsubscribed and inactive users unless they are manually removed. Consequently, this can lead to inflated costs if list hygiene is not actively maintained. For growing businesses, this structure often results in higher monthly expenses compared to flat-rate alternatives.

Therefore, for companies managing large, segmented lists or running frequent targeted campaigns, Brevo presents a more cost-effective and flexible solution. Its unlimited contact model encourages list growth without penalty. Ultimately, this makes Brevo a stronger choice for marketers who prioritize segmentation, scalability, and budget control.

Brevo

• Email – Brevo offers powerful email marketing tools, including automation, segmentation, and customizable templates. Users can send campaigns, transactional emails, and autoresponders directly from the platform. Its drag-and-drop builder and performance analytics make it ideal for both beginners and advanced users.
• SMS – Brevo allows marketers to send SMS campaigns to engage audiences directly on their phones. It supports personalized messaging and scheduling, making it great for time-sensitive offers or alerts. Integration with workflows allows SMS to complement email automation effectively.
• WhatsApp – Brevo supports WhatsApp campaigns, which is ideal for reaching users on a globally popular messaging app. Marketers can send updates, reminders, and promotional content with rich media options. This adds a modern, conversational channel to customer engagement.
• Transactional emails – Brevo includes transactional email capabilities for order confirmations, password resets, and real-time notifications. These are sent via SMTP or API and are fully customizable. Reliable delivery and analytics make it a strong choice for eCommerce and SaaS businesses.

Mailchimp

• Email – Mailchimp’s core strength lies in its polished email campaign tools, with excellent design flexibility and automation options. It includes features like A/B testing, dynamic content, and audience segmentation. However, access to advanced features often requires upgrading to higher plans.
• Social media ads – Mailchimp allows users to create and manage ads for Facebook and Instagram directly from the platform. This provides a way to retarget email contacts or reach new audiences. Ad creation is integrated into the campaign workflow for streamlined execution.
• Postcards – Mailchimp uniquely offers physical postcard mailing services to reach offline customers. You can design, personalize, and mail branded postcards to your subscribers or prospects. While it’s a niche feature, it adds an extra touchpoint in multichannel marketing.

Brevo’s native support for SMS and transactional emails makes it more comprehensive for direct response marketers. Mailchimp integrates with ad platforms, focusing on brand exposure and omnichannel reach.

Mailchimp

Mailchimp offers visually rich dashboards that make data easy to interpret at a glance. Features like click maps and revenue tracking are especially useful for eCommerce businesses using native integrations. A/B testing reports allow marketers to optimize subject lines, content, and timing for better engagement.

Brevo

Brevo provides essential metrics such as opens, clicks, and bounce rates without unnecessary clutter. It includes automation performance tracking, heat maps, and engagement data by segment, helping teams make informed decisions. While less visually polished, Brevo’s analytics are practical and focused on actionable insights.

Mailchimp is ideal for users who rely heavily on eCommerce data and advanced reporting visuals. Brevo, on the other hand, delivers clean, effective analytics for teams prioritizing performance over design. Both platforms support data-driven marketing, but the choice depends on your reporting needs.

eCommerce Integrations

Mailchimp

Mailchimp integrates seamlessly with major eCommerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, Squarespace, and BigCommerce. It also supports Stripe, enabling businesses to track customer spending and link email campaigns to sales data. The drag-and-drop compatibility and deep native integrations make it ideal for online retailers seeking a smooth setup.

Brevo

Brevo supports essential eCommerce platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, and Magento. While its native integration list is slightly shorter, users can expand functionality through robust API access or Zapier. This gives developers and tech-savvy marketers the flexibility to build custom workflows tied to eCommerce systems.

Mailchimp is better suited for users who want instant, plug-and-play compatibility with top eCommerce tools. Brevo’s integration strength lies in its API and Zapier support, which allows for scalable, tailored solutions. If you prefer a ready-to-go ecosystem, Mailchimp may be the better choice; if customization is key, Brevo delivers.

Pros and Cons

Brevo Pros

Unlimited contacts

Brevo allows unlimited contact storage across all plans, which is ideal for growing businesses. You don’t get penalized for having large or inactive lists. This makes cost management easier as your database scales.

Affordable automation access

Marketing automation is available even on Brevo’s free and lower-tier plans. Users can create advanced workflows, triggers, and sequences without paying extra. This is especially beneficial for startups and small teams.

Multichannel (SMS, WhatsApp)

Brevo supports multiple communication channels including SMS and WhatsApp. These channels can be integrated into automated workflows for a unified messaging strategy. It provides more flexibility in reaching your audience.

Built-in CRM 

Brevo includes a simple CRM that lets you manage contacts, track deals, and sync with marketing workflows. This eliminates the need for third-party CRM tools for basic relationship management. It’s a great value add for small businesses.

Brevo Cons

Basic template options

Brevo’s email template selection is limited compared to Mailchimp’s. While functional, it lacks design variety and advanced customization. Users with a strong focus on branding may find it restrictive.

Fewer eCommerce integrations

Brevo integrates with major platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce, but lacks some native integrations available in Mailchimp. This could require using Zapier or custom APIs for full functionality. eCommerce-heavy businesses may need extra setup time.

Mailchimp Pros

Superior template design

Mailchimp offers a wide range of professionally designed templates. Its drag-and-drop editor is more refined and flexible, offering deeper customization. This gives brands greater creative control over their emails.

Deep integrations

Mailchimp connects with hundreds of tools, including major eCommerce, analytics, and CMS platforms. These plug-and-play integrations simplify workflows and data sync. It’s a major advantage for complex marketing stacks.

Strong eCommerce features

Mailchimp provides features like product recommendations, purchase-based segmentation, and cart abandonment emails. It’s tightly integrated with platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce. These tools help drive more conversions from store visitors.

Mailchimp Cons

High cost for growing lists

Mailchimp’s pricing is based on the number of contacts, including inactive or unsubscribed ones unless removed manually. As your list grows, so does the cost—often rapidly. This can make it less budget-friendly for scaling operations.

Automation limited on lower plans

Advanced automation features like customer journeys and predictive targeting are only available on higher-tier plans. This limits what smaller businesses can do without upgrading. Basic automation is there, but more sophisticated tools come at a price.

Brevo wins on pricing, automation, and multichannel support. It’s the better choice for small to mid-sized businesses that need scalability without breaking the bank.

Mailchimp stands out for eCommerce brands and marketers who prioritize design, analytics, and platform integrations, but it comes with higher costs and feature limitations on entry-level plans.

If you’re still unsure which platform fits your strategy, let the experts guide you. At Digital Vibes Agency, we help brands set up, manage, and optimize their email marketing — whether you’re on Brevo, Mailchimp, or another platform.

Our team helps you build automation flows, increase deliverability, and design email templates that drive results.

Contact Digital Vibes Agency today and take your email marketing to the next level — without wasting time or budget.