Brevo vs MailerLite: Which is better in 2026?
Which costs less depends on your list size and how often you mail it.
Tested hands-on: 3 tests on a MacBook Pro (M1 Pro), October 30, 2026. How we tested
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Quick answer
- Choose Brevo if: You want to keep a large contact list without paying for every contact.
- Choose MailerLite if: You want landing pages, a website and automations in a plan priced by the size of your list.
- Price at a glance: Brevo: Free plan; paid from $9/mo · MailerLite: Free plan; paid from $12/mo
At a glance
 Brevo |  MailerLite | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Paid plans | From $9/mo | From $12/mo |
| Our tests | Won 0 of 32 ties | Won 1 of 32 ties |
| Best for | Small businesses and online stores that want email, SMS and transactional email in one account from $9 a month, especially those with a large list and modest monthly sending. | Small businesses, solo creators and nonprofits that want email, automations, a simple website and paid newsletters in one tool at a lower monthly price. |
Brevo, called Sendinblue until 2023, and MailerLite are email marketing platforms for small businesses with paid plans from $9 and $12 a month, but they charge for different things. Brevo prices its plans by the number of emails you send each month, and on Starter and Standard the tier you pick also caps how many contacts you can store. MailerLite prices by active subscribers, and its Comfort plan lets you send ten times your subscriber tier each month. This comparison puts their plans and US list prices side by side at four list sizes, then covers eight core features: free tier, automations, landing pages, paid newsletters, segmentation, referral program, API and deliverability tools.
Pricing
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly (12-month total) |
|---|---|---|
| Brevo | ||
| FreeUp to 100,000 contacts; 300 emails/day; 1 user; Brevo branding on emails | Free Free plan | |
| StarterFrom $9/month for 5,000 emails and up to 500 contacts ($97 billed yearly); price rises with email volume, up to 100,000/month; 1 user | $9/mo | $97/yr ($8.08/mo) |
| StandardFrom $18/month for 5,000 emails and up to 500 contacts ($194 billed yearly); up to 500,000 emails/month; up to 3 users with add-on | $18/mo | $194/yr ($16.17/mo) |
| ProfessionalFrom $499/month for 150,000 emails and up to 2 million contacts ($5,389 billed yearly); up to 10 million emails/month; 10 seats (more with add-on) | $499/mo | $5,389/yr ($449.08/mo) |
| EnterpriseCustom sending volume; unlimited contacts and users; 1 dedicated IP and SAML SSO included; contact sales | Custom | |
| MailerLite | ||
| FreeUp to 250 active subscribers; 2,500 emails/month; 2 user seats | Free Free plan | |
| ComfortFrom $12/month for 500 subscribers ($10.80/month billed yearly); emails = 10x subscriber tier; 3 seats | $12/mo | $129.60/yr ($10.80/mo) |
| PowerFrom $25/month for 500 subscribers ($22.50/month billed yearly); unlimited emails (fair use) and seats | $25/mo | $270/yr ($22.50/mo) |
| Enterprise200K+ subscribers; custom sending volume; priced by active subscribers and add-ons | Custom | |
Prices checked on .
Features compared
| Feature | Brevo | MailerLite |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier size | Yes · Up to 100,000 contacts; 300 emails/day; 1 user; Brevo branding | Yes · 250 subscribers, 2,500 emails/month |
| Automations | Yes · Free and Starter: up to 2,000 unique contacts in active automations; Standard and up: unlimited | Yes · Free: 3 active, 5 steps; Comfort: 50 active; Power: unlimited; paid plans up to 100 steps |
| Landing pages | Yes · Standard: 1; Professional: 10 (50 more per add-on, up to 110); Enterprise: custom; none on Free or Starter | Yes · Free: 1; Comfort: 10; Power: unlimited |
| Paid newsletters | No · No paid newsletter subscriptions; Brevo Payments (payment links, euros only) is available only to users in France | Yes · Comfort and Power plans; not on Free |
| Segmentation | Yes · Advanced segmentation on all plans; AI segmentation and contact scoring on Professional and Enterprise | Yes · Unlimited dynamic segments and groups on all plans |
| Referral program | Partial · No newsletter referral program; Brevo Loyalty gives customers shareable referral links, Enterprise plan only (an add-on priced by sales) | No · No built-in; integrates with referral tools such as GrowSurf |
| API | Yes · REST API, SMTP relay and outbound webhooks on all plans, including Free; MCP server for AI assistants | Yes · Full on paid plans; limited on Free (no sending) |
| Deliverability tools | Yes · Domain authentication (DKIM, DMARC); dedicated IP add-on on Professional, 1 included on Enterprise; deliverability specialist 3 h/year on Professional and Enterprise | Yes · Domain authentication (DKIM, SPF); MailerCheck verifier from a sister company, paid separately; dedicated IP add-on on Enterprise |
How we tested
We gave Brevo and MailerLite the same 3 tasks on the same MacBook Pro (M1 Pro). Each test below lists the task, how we judged it, both results and screenshots; select a screenshot to see it at full size.
- Device
- MacBook Pro (M1 Pro) · macOS 26.6.2 · Chrome 156
- Tested
- October 30, 2026
- Plans used
- Brevo: Free · MailerLite: Free
- App versions
- Brevo: Email campaign editor (web), drag-and-drop, Default template, Forms > Sign-up form (web), Full page/embedded, Automations (web), Create from scratch · MailerLite: Email campaign editor (web), drag-and-drop, Start from scratch, Embedded form builder (web), Forms > Embedded forms, Automations (web), Start from scratch
| Test | Brevo | MailerLite | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build one newsletter issue from a fixed brief (timed) | Pass0.51 min | Pass0.35 min | MailerLiteby Time to build the email |
| Create a signup form with email and first-name fields | Pass | Pass | Tie |
| Build a two-email welcome automation on the free plan | Pass4 of 4 | Pass4 of 4 | Tie |
| Tests won | 0 | 1 | 2 ties |
Test 1: Build one newsletter issue from a fixed brief (timed)
The task
In each tool's drag-and-drop email editor, start a new email campaign and build one issue of Fernhill Notes, the newsletter of Fernhill Goods (FICTIONAL): a logo area, the headline "Refills are back", three short sections, one button "Shop refills" linking to https://example.com/refills and a footer line.
How we judged it
Pass: every element of the brief, looking finished in the preview, within 20 minutes.
Partial: one element missing or out of place, or more than 20 minutes.
Fail: two or more elements missing.
The time runs from opening the editor until the last element is in place.
Brevo
Pass 0.51 min
In the Default template: headline replaced, 3 product images and a title deleted, the three sections typed into its text block, the button renamed and linked, the footer line added.
MailerLite: Winner
Pass 0.35 min
In the Start from scratch email: hero title and text replaced by the headline and three sections (one re-centred), hero image off, button renamed and linked, footer line added; logo block left empty.
Run by the assistant in the owner's Chrome, signed in: one scripted pass per tool on a route found in an untimed rehearsal, also used in the tool's other newsletter comparisons. Opening the editor and looks between parts are not timed; fixed waits and checks are: Brevo 16 waits (26 s), 19 checks; MailerLite 14 waits (16 s), 13 checks, after 1 void attempt (a check read hidden text). Brevo's 10 s of extra waits are more than the 9.3 s gap, so the times count steps more than speed. Brevo's template lost 3 images and a title; MailerLite's kept a menu and an empty logo block, blank in the preview.
Test 2: Create a signup form with email and first-name fields
The task
In each tool, create a signup form that adds people to a new, empty list or group named "TEST Fernhill", with two fields (email and first name), the button "Subscribe" and the thank-you message "Thanks! Check your inbox.", and open its preview.
How we judged it
Pass: both fields, the button text and the thank-you message, with a preview that works, on the free plan.
Partial: it works, but the first-name field or the thank-you message needs a workaround or a setting you had to look up.
Fail: the form cannot be made on the free plan, or the preview does not work.
Brevo
Pass
Full page/embedded form for the TEST Fernhill list: Email plus FIRSTNAME from the attribute list, button changed to Subscribe, success message set; the preview opened the hosted form.
MailerLite
Pass
Embedded form for the TEST Fernhill group: Add field gave Name, relabelled First name; Subscribe was already the button; thank-you Thanks! / Check your inbox.; the preview worked.
Not timed. Both forms keep the default style and add sign-ups to a new, empty TEST Fernhill list (Brevo) or group (MailerLite); neither was submitted, shared or embedded, but each has a hosted link once saved. Brevo: the Attribute field dragged in came as SMS and was set to FIRSTNAME, its label left as Brevo's; its default double opt-in made it ask for a confirmation template (the only one was picked); the thank-you shows only after a submit, so its setting is shown. MailerLite: Add field adds Name, relabelled First name; double opt-in is on by default. Also used against Mailchimp.
Test 3: Build a two-email welcome automation on the free plan
The task
In each tool, set up a welcome series for people added to the "TEST Fernhill" list or group from the signup form test: email 1 "Welcome to Fernhill Notes" right away, then a 2-day wait, then email 2 "Our most-read refill tip". Use the tool's own automation builder on its free plan, and leave the automation switched off.
How we judged it
The automation has four parts: the trigger, email 1, the 2-day wait and email 2.
Pass: all four parts set up on the free plan.
Partial: only some parts can be built on the free plan, or it needs a workaround.
Fail: the free plan cannot build any of it, or asks you to upgrade before you can start.
Brevo
Pass 4 of 4
Contact added to list TEST Fernhill, Send an email 'Welcome to Fernhill Notes', Wait 2 days, Send an email 'Our most-read refill tip'; saved inactive, no upgrade prompt.
MailerLite
Pass 4 of 4
Joins group(s) TEST Fernhill, Email 1 'Welcome to Fernhill Notes', Wait 2 day(s), Email 2 'Our most-read refill tip', each with a green check; not activated, no upgrade prompt.
Not timed. Both accounts were on the Free plan with no trial shown, and no contacts were added. Each automation was built from scratch: a trigger on the TEST Fernhill list or group from the form test, email 1, a 2-day delay and email 2, both in the tool's simple editor (MailerLite's keep the editor's default footer); then it was left inactive. Neither tool asked for an upgrade (MailerLite marks only its A/B test step Premium). Brevo's list trigger counts only contacts added after it is switched on. MailerLite's run is the same one used in its Kit comparison.
Our verdict
Which costs less depends on your list size and how often you mail it.
Brevo charges for sends. Its Free plan stores up to 100,000 contacts but sends only 300 emails a day, with Brevo branding. On Starter and Standard the tier you buy also caps stored contacts: 500 at 5,000 emails a month, 1,500 at 10,000, 2,500 at 15,000 and up to 500,000 from 20,000. So a 20,000-contact list mailed once a month costs $32 on Starter or $69 on Standard, against $159 on MailerLite Comfort. Every Brevo plan includes transactional email through its API and SMTP relay, plus free sales tools, and SMS runs on prepaid credits.
MailerLite charges for active subscribers, and Comfort lets you send ten times your subscriber tier each month. At 1,000 subscribers Comfort costs $19 a month, with 3 seats, 50 automations and 10 landing pages. Brevo needs its 10,000-email tier for that list: $17 on Starter, which has one user and no landing pages, or $35 on Standard. Paid newsletters, digital products, bookings and websites are built in.
Pick Brevo for a large list you mail now and then, or for store and app email. Pick MailerLite for a regular newsletter with landing pages and paid content.
Choose Brevo if
You want to keep a large contact list without paying for every contact. Brevo's Free plan stores up to 100,000 contacts, and from the 20,000-email tier Starter and Standard store up to 500,000, so a big list you mail now and then stays cheap: Starter costs $32 a month at that tier. It also fits if you send transactional email through an API or SMTP relay, want SMS campaigns on prepaid credits, or would use free sales tools such as a deal pipeline and live chat.
Choose MailerLite if
You want landing pages, a website and automations in a plan priced by the size of your list. MailerLite's Free plan covers 250 subscribers with 3 active automations, 1 landing page and 1 website, and Comfort, from $12 a month for 500 subscribers, adds 10 landing pages, 50 automations, 3 seats and paid newsletters. It also suits creators who sell digital products or bookings, nonprofits, which get 30% off paid plans, and anyone who wants account data stored in the European Union.
Frequently asked questions
Is Brevo cheaper than MailerLite?
It depends on your list size and how often you send. Monthly list prices when each contact gets four emails a month: at 1,000 contacts, Brevo Starter costs $17 and Standard $35, against $19 for MailerLite Comfort; at 2,500, $25 and $49 against $33; at 5,000, $32 and $69 against $49; at 10,000, $46 and $89 against $89. A Brevo tier has to cover both your sends and your contacts (500 contacts at 5,000 emails, 1,500 at 10,000, 2,500 at 15,000, up to 500,000 from 20,000), so a small list can need a bigger tier than its sending does. MailerLite counts only active subscribers. Both take 10% off for yearly billing. Prices are in US dollars and start at $9 for Brevo Starter, $18 for Standard and $12 for MailerLite Comfort.
How do the Brevo and MailerLite free plans compare?
Brevo's Free plan stores up to 100,000 contacts but sends at most 300 emails a day, for 1 user, with Brevo branding on every email. A campaign to more than 300 contacts reaches 300 on the day, and you resend it to the rest with the Requeue option, 300 a day. Automations accept up to 2,000 contacts and the API and transactional email are included, but there are no landing pages. MailerLite's Free plan covers 250 subscribers and 2,500 emails a month for 2 user seats, with 3 active automations of up to 5 steps, 1 landing page and 1 website; its API access is limited and cannot send. A free MailerLite account stops sending once it passes 250 active subscribers.
Which one handles transactional email and SMS?
Brevo does both from one account. Transactional email goes out through its REST API or SMTP relay on every plan, Free included, and a plan's email credits cover marketing and transactional emails alike. SMS campaigns are paid for with prepaid credits. MailerLite's plan comparison lists transactional emails as "Try MailerSend": transactional email and SMS come as separate MailerSend plans, shown on their own MailerLite pricing page, not inside the email marketing plans. MailerLite's Free plan also has limited API access with no sending.
Can I sell paid newsletters with Brevo or MailerLite?
With MailerLite, yes: paid newsletter subscriptions come with Comfort and Power, not Free, and every plan can sell digital products and bookings. Brevo has no paid newsletter subscriptions; its Payments feature creates payment links in euros and is available only to users in France. Neither has a built-in newsletter referral program. MailerLite connects to referral tools such as GrowSurf, and Brevo's customer referral links are part of Brevo Loyalty, an Enterprise-only add-on priced by sales.
How do Brevo's contact limits work?
On Brevo's Starter and Standard plans, the monthly email tier you buy also sets how many contacts you can store: up to 500 at 5,000 emails, 1,500 at 10,000, 2,500 at 15,000 and 500,000 from 20,000 emails a month. Passing the limit moves the account to the next, pricier tier automatically. The Free plan stores up to 100,000 contacts and Professional up to 2 million. MailerLite bills by active subscribers instead, so unsubscribed and bounced addresses do not count; Comfort's monthly sending allowance is ten times its subscriber tier, and Power has unlimited emails under fair use.
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