Choosing between Brevo and Mailchimp can determine whether your email marketing drives real results or falls flat.

Both platforms dominate the email marketing space, but they serve different types of businesses. One excels at simplicity and beginner-friendliness. The other offers advanced features that power users crave.

Here’s how they actually stack up.

TL;DR

Mailchimp wins for: Beginners, ecommerce stores, and businesses prioritizing ease of use

Brevo wins for: Advanced marketers, businesses needing multi-channel campaigns, and those wanting deeper automation

Now let me break down exactly why.

Email Deliverability: What the Data Shows

Email deliverability separates good platforms from great ones. Both Brevo and Mailchimp maintain strong sender reputations, but their approaches differ significantly.

Mailchimp’s Deliverability Approach

Mailchimp has spent nearly 20 years building relationships with internet service providers. Their deliverability strategy focuses on:

• Reputation protection: Aggressive monitoring that pauses accounts with poor engagement
• Authentication standards: Automatic SPF, DKIM, and DMARC setup
• List hygiene: Built-in tools to remove inactive subscribers
• Compliance features: GDPR and CAN-SPAM compliance built-in

Industry reports consistently rank Mailchimp among the top performers for inbox placement rates.

Brevo’s Deliverability Infrastructure

Brevo leverages a different technical approach:

• Dedicated IP pools: Better control over sending reputation
• Geographic routing: Optimized delivery paths by region
• Advanced authentication: Enhanced security protocols as standard
• Real-time monitoring: Immediate alerts for deliverability issues

Independent deliverability studies often show Brevo performing slightly better in inbox placement, particularly for international sending.

Edge: Brevo (slightly better technical infrastructure)

User Interface and Learning Curve

Mailchimp: Designed for Non-Marketers

Mailchimp’s interface philosophy centers on simplicity:

• Onboarding flow: Guided setup walks you through every step
• Campaign creation: Visual drag-and-drop editor with smart suggestions
• Menu structure: Intuitive navigation that mirrors user workflows
• Help system: Contextual tips and extensive knowledge base

The downside emerges when you need advanced features. Complex automation requires diving into multiple sub-menus.

Brevo: Built for Marketing Professionals

Brevo prioritizes functionality over hand-holding:

• Information density: Dashboard surfaces key metrics immediately
• Feature access: Advanced tools available from main navigation
• Customization: Extensive options for personalizing the interface
• Workflow logic: Menu structure follows marketing campaign logic

New users often report feeling overwhelmed initially, but power users appreciate the direct access to advanced features.

Winner: Mailchimp (for most users)

Template Design and Customization

Mailchimp’s Design Philosophy

Mailchimp offers over 100 professionally designed templates:

• Industry variety: Templates tailored to specific business types
• Mobile optimization: All templates automatically adjust for mobile devices
• Brand integration: Smart brand kit applies your colors and fonts consistently
• Customization balance: Good flexibility without overwhelming options

Brevo’s Design Approach

Brevo provides fewer templates but more design control:

• Template selection: Around 70 templates across various categories
• HTML access: Full code editing for developers and designers
• Design flexibility: Granular control over every design element
• Responsive design: Manual optimization available for pixel-perfect results

Winner: Mailchimp (better out-of-the-box experience)

Automation and Workflow Capabilities

Mailchimp’s Customer Journey Builder

Mailchimp’s automation system emphasizes visual clarity:

• Workflow builder: Clean drag-and-drop interface for creating sequences
• Trigger options: Comprehensive list of behavioral and date-based triggers
• Pre-built automations: Ready-to-use workflows for common scenarios
• A/B testing: Split testing built into automation flows

Complex conditional logic becomes challenging as workflows grow more sophisticated.

Brevo’s Advanced Automation Engine

Brevo’s automation system handles complexity better:

• Unlimited branches: Complex conditional logic with multiple paths
• Trigger variety: Extensive list including website behavior and custom events
• Multi-channel flows: Email, SMS, and chat automation in single workflows
• API integration: Custom triggers and actions via webhooks and API calls

The trade-off is increased complexity that requires more marketing automation expertise.

Winner: Depends on needs – Mailchimp for simplicity, Brevo for advanced workflows

Analytics and Reporting Capabilities

Mailchimp’s Reporting Approach

Mailchimp focuses on making data actionable:

• Visual reports: Clean charts and graphs with industry benchmarks
• Audience insights: Demographic data and engagement patterns
• Revenue attribution: Strong ecommerce tracking and ROI reporting
• Comparative analysis: Campaign performance comparisons over time

Brevo’s Data-Driven Dashboard

Brevo treats reporting as business intelligence:

• Real-time metrics: Live performance data as campaigns run
• Heat map analysis: Visual click tracking and engagement mapping
• Custom dashboards: Build personalized reporting views
• Advanced segmentation: Behavioral analytics for precise targeting

Winner: Brevo (more comprehensive analytics)

Multi-Channel Marketing Features

Mailchimp’s Omnichannel Approach

Mailchimp has expanded beyond email:

• Social media ads: Facebook and Instagram ad creation and management
• Landing pages: Built-in page builder with conversion tracking
• Postcards: Physical direct mail integration
• Website builder: Basic website creation tools

Integration between channels works well but feels somewhat disconnected.

Brevo’s Unified Communication Platform

Brevo positions itself as a complete marketing platform:

• SMS marketing: Native text message campaigns with shared contact lists
• Live chat: Website chat widget with automated responses
• CRM functionality: Built-in customer relationship management
• Transactional emails: Automated system emails with high deliverability

All channels operate from the same contact database with unified reporting.

Winner: Brevo (better multi-channel integration)

Integration and API Capabilities

Mailchimp’s App Marketplace

Mailchimp’s ecosystem includes hundreds of integrations:

• Ecommerce platforms: Deep integration with Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce
• CRM systems: Connections to Salesforce, HubSpot, and others
• Analytics tools: Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel integration
• API access: RESTful API with comprehensive documentation

Brevo’s Technical Flexibility

Brevo offers more technical customization options:

• API-first design: Extensive API coverage for custom integrations
• Webhook support: Real-time data sync with external systems
• SMTP relay: Use Brevo’s infrastructure for transactional emails
• Developer tools: SDKs and detailed technical documentation

Winner: Tie – Mailchimp for pre-built integrations, Brevo for custom development

Customer Support Quality

Mailchimp’s Support Structure

Mailchimp provides tiered support based on plan level:

• Knowledge base: Extensive self-service resources and tutorials
• Email support: Available on most plans with reasonable response times
• Live chat: Available on higher-tier plans
• Phone support: Limited to premium accounts

Brevo’s Support Approach

Brevo offers more consistent support across plans:

• 24/7 email support: Available on all paid plans
• Live chat: Included even on entry-level plans
• Phone support: Available during business hours
• Account management: Dedicated support for larger accounts

Winner: Brevo (more accessible support options)

Which Platform Should You Choose?

Choose Mailchimp If You:

• Are new to email marketing and want an easy learning curve
• Run an ecommerce business with Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce
• Prefer pre-built solutions over custom configurations
• Want strong brand recognition and extensive third-party resources
• Need basic automation without complex conditional logic

Choose Brevo If You:

• Want advanced automation with complex workflows
• Need multi-channel marketing (email + SMS + chat) in one platform
• Require detailed analytics and custom reporting
• Have technical resources for custom integrations
• Plan to scale your marketing sophistication over time

Conclusion

Both platforms excel in their target markets. Mailchimp remains the gold standard for businesses wanting email marketing without complexity. Brevo offers the advanced features that growing businesses eventually need.

For most small businesses starting with email marketing, Mailchimp provides the gentler introduction. For businesses ready to implement sophisticated marketing automation, Brevo delivers more powerful tools.

The best choice depends on where your business stands today and where you plan to take your marketing efforts tomorrow.