Beehiiv vs Brevo: Which Is Better in 2026?
Beehiiv is a newsletter platform, not a general email marketing tool. Brevo, formerly Sendinblue, combines email campaigns with SMS, WhatsApp, transactional email and a light CRM. Beehiiv’s strength is growing and monetizing a newsletter as a business in itself; Brevo’s is multi-channel messaging and transactional email on a budget.
01Pricing
Beehiiv: paid plans start at $49/mo for 1,000 subscribers. Brevo: paid plans start at $8.08/mo for 5,000 emails per month. Both price by the size of your list or sending volume, so the entry prices above only hold for a small audience; check each vendor’s calculator at your list size. Beehiiv has a free plan (up to 2,500 subscribers). Brevo has a free plan (300 emails a day).
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Limits | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | Up to 2,500 subscribers; 1 publication; 1 team seat; 1 guest author | |
| Lite | $49 | n/a | 1,000 subscribers at this price; Up to 100,000 subscribers; 3 publications; 2 team seats | Paid subscriptions, 0% take rate; Ad monetization; Automations; Audience polls |
| Pro | $95 | n/a | 1,000 subscribers at this price; Up to 250,000 subscribers; 10 publications; 10 team seats | Remove beehiiv branding; Webinars and coaching; Advanced analytics; Webhooks |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Custom subscriber and publication limits; Unlimited team seats | SSO/SAML; Dedicated IPs; Customer success manager; Concierge onboarding |
| Plan | Billed annually | Billed monthly | Limits | Adds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 300 emails per day | |
| Starter | $8.08 | $9 | From 5,000 emails per month | Drag & drop email editor; AI content generator; Advanced segmentation; Forms |
| Standard | $16.17 | $18 | 1 landing page included | Marketing automation; A/B testing; Advanced email reporting; AI send time optimization |
| Professional | $449.08 | $499 | From 150,000 emails per month; 10 seats included | WhatsApp, popups, mobile & web push; Contact scoring; Advanced ecommerce features; AI segmentation |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Multi-account management; Custom objects; Dedicated IP; SSO & SAML |
Prices are per month on annual billing. † marks prices taken from the vendor’s documentation or page data instead of its visible pricing page. Beehiiv pricing and Brevo pricing have the full detail.
02The Two Tools
Beehiiv
Beehiiv is a newsletter platform, not a general email marketing tool. It bundles a website, a referral program, recommendations between newsletters, an ad network and paid subscriptions, all aimed at publishers who want to grow and earn from a list. Automation and ecommerce features are minimal because that is not what it is for.
- Best at
- Growing and monetizing a newsletter as a business in itself.
- Falls short
- It is not suited to stores or sales-driven marketing, and the paid plans cost more than basic email tools.
Brevo
Brevo, formerly Sendinblue, combines email campaigns with SMS, WhatsApp, transactional email and a light CRM. Its pricing is based on how many emails you send, not on how many contacts you store, which favors large lists that are mailed occasionally. The free plan caps daily sends instead of list size.
- Best at
- Multi-channel messaging and transactional email on a budget.
- Falls short
- Templates and reporting are plainer than Mailchimp’s, and the free plan’s daily cap limits how many people you can reach at once.
03Which Fits Your Situation
| If you are | Better fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Small Business | Brevo | Pricing by emails sent keeps the cost low for a large list mailed occasionally. |
| Ecommerce | Brevo | Transactional email and SMS in the same account as campaigns. |
| Startups | Brevo | One low-cost account for marketing email, transactional email and SMS. |
| Creators | Beehiiv | The strongest option when the newsletter itself is the business. |
| Agencies | Brevo | Low client costs for campaigns plus transactional email and SMS. |
04Verdict
Choose Beehiiv if you publish a newsletter and want growth and monetization tools built in. Choose Brevo if you have a large list you mail occasionally, or need SMS and transactional email in the same account.
05FAQ
Is Beehiiv or Brevo cheaper?
Beehiiv starts at $49/mo and Brevo at $8.08/mo. Both rise with the size of your list. Prices are per month on annual billing.
Do Beehiiv and Brevo have free plans?
Beehiiv has a free plan (up to 2,500 subscribers). Brevo has a free plan (300 emails a day).
Which is easier to learn, Beehiiv or Brevo?
Beehiiv is quick to set up; Brevo is moderately involved to set up. Templates and reporting are plainer than Mailchimp’s, and the free plan’s daily cap limits how many people you can reach at once.
Which is better for small business, Beehiiv or Brevo?
Brevo. Pricing by emails sent keeps the cost low for a large list mailed occasionally.