Pick Brevo if your main goal is to grow a mailing list on a tight budget. Pick Mailchimp if you want polished templates, a familiar brand, and do not mind paying sooner. Brevo’s free plan includes unlimited contacts and 300 emails per day, which is a big deal for list building [source: Brevo].
TLDR: Brevo is better for beginners who want more room to collect subscribers without panic. Mailchimp is easier to love at first, but its contact limits can bite. For example, a food blogger with 1,200 subscribers could store them all in Brevo’s free plan, then send daily recipe tips to 300 people at a time. In Mailchimp, that same blogger may hit plan limits much sooner and need to upgrade.
Quick Winner
If this were a bake-off, Mailchimp would bring the pretty cupcakes. Brevo would bring a giant tray of sandwiches and say, “Everyone eats.”
For building an email subscriber list, Brevo wins on value. It lets you collect lots of contacts for free. That is huge when your list is growing but your wallet is still hiding under the couch.
Mailchimp wins on polish. Its templates look nice. Its editor feels friendly. Its brand is famous for a reason.
Still, list building is not about looking fancy on day one. It is about getting emails, sending welcome messages, and not crying over pricing pages.
What Matters Most for a Sign-Up List?
A sign-up tool should do a few simple things well.
- Create forms fast. No one wants a 45-minute form project.
- Store subscribers safely. Names, emails, consent, and tags matter.
- Send a welcome email. New subscribers should hear from you right away.
- Segment people. Buyers, readers, leads, and fans are not the same.
- Fit your budget. Growth should feel exciting, not expensive.
Both Mailchimp and Brevo can do these jobs. They just feel very different while doing them.
Mailchimp: The Friendly Yellow Giant
Mailchimp is popular. Many people know the name before they even know what email marketing is. It has clean templates, good form options, and a simple email builder.
For a beginner, that is nice. You can create a signup form, place it on your site, and send a welcome email without needing a tech translator.
Mailchimp is strong at:
- Email design. Templates look sharp with little effort.
- Brand trust. Clients often recognize it.
- Basic automation. Welcome emails are easy to set up.
- Reports. You can see opens, clicks, and growth.
But here is the annoying part. Mailchimp pricing can feel like a tiny treadmill. You add contacts. You feel good. Then plans and limits start waving at you.
Honestly, it feels like Mailchimp is made for people who already know their list will earn money soon. If you are still testing your idea, that can feel risky.
Brevo: The Practical List Builder
Brevo used to be called Sendinblue. The new name is shorter. The tool is still very practical.
Brevo is great for people who want to collect subscribers without counting every contact like a nervous squirrel. Its free plan is generous for contact storage. That helps when you are building from zero.
Brevo is strong at:
- Unlimited contacts on the free plan. Great for list growth.
- Email and SMS options. Handy as your marketing grows.
- Simple segmentation. Tag people by interest or action.
- Transactional email tools. Useful for stores and apps.
The catch is the daily sending cap. Free users can send 300 emails per day. For many small lists, that is fine. For a launch day blast, it can be a pain.
If you have 1,500 subscribers, you may need to send over several days, or upgrade. That is not a disaster. But it is worth knowing before your big “surprise sale” turns into a slow drip.
Form Building: Which One Feels Easier?
Mailchimp feels smoother for making pretty signup forms. You get embedded forms, landing pages, pop-ups, and hosted signup pages. The interface is friendly enough.
But some settings sit in odd places. It drives me a little nuts that finding a small audience or form setting can take 20 seconds longer than it should. Not horrible. Just irritating.
Brevo feels more plain, but it gets the job done. You can build forms, assign lists, add fields, and set up confirmation emails. The design options are fine, not magical.
If you care most about looks, Mailchimp wins here. If you care most about storing more subscribers for less money, Brevo wins.
Welcome Emails and Automation
A mailing list without a welcome email is like a party with no snacks. Rude.
Both tools let you send a welcome email after someone joins your list. This is where you say hello, deliver a lead magnet, or share your best content.
Mailchimp makes basic automations easy. It is good for creators, coaches, shops, and newsletters. You can build simple journeys, like:
- Person signs up.
- They get a welcome email.
- Two days later, they get a helpful tip.
- Five days later, they get an offer.
Brevo also supports automation. It may look less cute, but it can be powerful. It is especially good if you want email, SMS, and transactional messages in one place.
Pricing: Where Things Get Real
This is the part most people skip. Then they regret it.
Mailchimp usually charges based on contacts and features. As your list grows, your bill can grow too. That is normal for email tools, but it can sneak up fast.
Brevo focuses more on email send volume. You can keep many contacts, then pay when you need to send more emails. That feels better for early list building.
Here is a simple example:
- Scenario: You run a small fitness blog.
- Month 1: You collect 180 emails from a free meal plan.
- Month 4: You hit 1,100 subscribers.
- Month 6: You send a weekly newsletter to everyone.
With Brevo, storing those contacts is less scary at first. With Mailchimp, you may feel the upgrade pressure earlier. If your list earns money, no problem. If not, ouch.
Analytics: Who Shows Better Numbers?
Both tools show the basics.
- Open rate. How many people opened your email.
- Click rate. How many clicked a link.
- Unsubscribes. Who left the party.
- Bounces. Emails that did not arrive.
Mailchimp’s reports look a bit friendlier. Brevo’s reports are clear, but less shiny.
For most beginners, this does not matter much. You mainly need to know three things:
- Are people signing up?
- Are they opening emails?
- Are they clicking your links?
If yes, keep going. If no, fix your offer, subject lines, or signup form.
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose Mailchimp if:
- You want nicer templates right away.
- You value a very familiar tool.
- You have a small list and a clear plan to earn from it.
- You want simple newsletters with strong design.
Choose Brevo if:
- You want to collect many contacts on a low budget.
- You do not need fancy designs.
- You like email plus SMS options.
- You expect your list to grow before it earns money.
The Simple Verdict
Brevo is the better pick for building an email subscriber list from scratch. It gives you more breathing room. You can grow your list without checking your contact count every five minutes.
Mailchimp is better for style and ease. It feels more polished. It is a good choice if your list is small, your emails need to look great, and your budget can handle growth.
If you are starting a blog, local business, side project, or creator brand, try Brevo first. If you feel limited by the design tools, test Mailchimp later.
The best tool is the one that helps you publish, collect emails, and send often. Fancy buttons are nice. A growing list is nicer.