Brevo vs Mailchimp in 2026 after running real campaigns on both, where each one actually wins

ran both for clients over two years. not a feature sheet, just where each earned its keep.

Mailchimp wins on polish. the editor is the friendliest in the category, templates look good out of the box, a non-marketer can send something decent unaided. you pay for that, and the price scales aggressively as your list grows. that’s the catch everyone eventually hits.

Brevo wins on price at volume and the SMS/transactional side. if you send a lot, or you want email plus SMS plus transactional under one roof, the math is friendlier. the editor is less slick and the UI gets cluttered, but it does more for less.

honest read: small and value your time over money and want it to look good, Mailchimp. real volume or you care about transactional too and don’t mind a busier interface, Brevo.

neither fixes bad list hygiene or weak copy, which is where most “this tool isn’t working” complaints actually come from.

did the Mailchimp price scaling chase you off like it does most people?