Brevo vs Mailchimp: E-commerce Marketing Platform Comparison
Compare Brevo and Mailchimp for Shopify marketing. Analyze features, pricing, and capabilities to find the best email marketing solution for your e-commerce store.
Mailchimp is one of the most recognized email marketing platforms, while Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) has emerged as a powerful alternative with better pricing and multi-channel capabilities. This comparison helps you understand which platform better serves your e-commerce marketing needs, and how Tajo makes Brevo the optimal choice for Shopify stores.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Brevo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| E-commerce Focus | Via integrations | General purpose |
| Email Marketing | ✓ Full-featured | ✓ Full-featured |
| SMS Marketing | ✓ Global (200+ countries) | US only, limited |
| WhatsApp Marketing | ✓ Full support | ✗ None |
| Shopify Integration | ✓ Via Tajo | ✓ App |
| Loyalty Programs | ✓ Via Tajo | ✗ None |
| Pricing Model | Per-email | Per-contact |
| Best For | Growing e-commerce | General business |
Platform Overview
Brevo (Formerly Sendinblue)
Brevo is a comprehensive marketing platform offering email, SMS, WhatsApp, and marketing automation. It’s designed for businesses that want powerful multi-channel marketing without paying premium prices.
Strengths:
- Per-email pricing (unlimited contacts)
- Full WhatsApp Business API
- Global SMS coverage (200+ countries)
- Excellent transactional email handling
- Cost-effective at scale
Mailchimp
Mailchimp is a general-purpose marketing platform serving businesses of all types. While it offers Shopify integration and e-commerce features, it’s designed for broader use cases beyond e-commerce.
Strengths:
- User-friendly interface
- Large template library
- Website builder included
- Social media posting
- Established brand reputation
Feature Comparison
Email Marketing
Brevo:
- Drag-and-drop builder
- Dynamic content blocks
- Advanced personalization
- Transactional emails included
- A/B testing
- 99%+ deliverability
- Unlimited contacts on all plans
Mailchimp:
- Intuitive email builder
- Creative assistant (AI)
- A/B testing
- Content optimizer
- Good deliverability
- Large template library
- Contact limits on all plans
Verdict: Both are capable. Mailchimp is slightly more user-friendly; Brevo offers better value with unlimited contacts and included transactional emails.
SMS Marketing
Brevo:
- Full SMS marketing suite
- Available in 200+ countries
- Automated SMS workflows
- Two-way conversations
- MMS support
- Integrated with email automations
- Competitive pricing
Mailchimp:
- US-only SMS
- Basic SMS campaigns
- Limited automation
- No two-way messaging
- Additional cost
- Separate from email flows
Verdict: Brevo wins significantly on SMS capabilities, especially for international businesses.
WhatsApp Marketing
Brevo:
- WhatsApp Business API
- Automated workflows
- Rich media support
- Interactive messages
- Two-way conversations
- Order notifications
- Integrated with other channels
Mailchimp:
- No WhatsApp support
- Would need third-party tool
- No native integration
Verdict: Brevo offers full WhatsApp capabilities; Mailchimp has none. This is critical for businesses serving markets where WhatsApp is dominant.
E-commerce Integration
Brevo (Native):
- Basic Shopify integration
- Contact sync
- Purchase event tracking
- Limited automation triggers
Brevo + Tajo:
- Deep Shopify integration
- Real-time data sync
- Full order history
- Product catalog sync
- Customer behavior tracking
- Abandoned cart recovery
- Purchase-based segmentation
- Built-in loyalty programs
Mailchimp:
- Shopify app integration
- Product recommendations
- Order notifications
- Abandoned cart emails
- Purchase data
- Revenue tracking
Verdict: Brevo + Tajo provides deeper Shopify integration with added loyalty functionality. Mailchimp’s integration is functional but surface-level.
Automation Capabilities
Brevo:
- Visual workflow builder
- Multi-channel automations (Email + SMS + WhatsApp)
- Event-triggered flows
- Conditional branching
- A/B testing in automations
- Transactional triggers
Mailchimp:
- Customer journeys (paid plans only)
- Pre-built automations
- Limited free automation
- Email-only automations
- Basic triggers
- Less flexibility on lower tiers
Verdict: Brevo offers more powerful multi-channel automation accessible on all plans. Mailchimp limits automation features significantly on lower tiers.
Loyalty Programs
Brevo + Tajo:
- Built-in loyalty system
- Points and rewards
- Tier-based programs
- Integrated with marketing
- No additional cost
- Automated loyalty communications
Mailchimp:
- No native loyalty features
- Requires third-party integration
- Additional subscription costs
- Separate management
Verdict: Brevo with Tajo includes loyalty natively; Mailchimp requires additional tools and costs.
Pricing Comparison
Brevo Pricing
| Plan | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 300 emails/day, unlimited contacts |
| Starter | From $9/mo | 5,000 emails/mo |
| Business | From $18/mo | Advanced features |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom limits |
Pricing based on: Email volume (not contacts)
Mailchimp Pricing
| Plan | Price | Contacts |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 500 contacts, 1,000 emails/mo |
| Essentials | $13/mo | 500 contacts |
| Standard | $20/mo | 500 contacts |
| Premium | $350/mo | 10,000 contacts |
Pricing based on: Number of contacts
Cost Comparison Example
Scenario: 5,000 contacts, 40,000 emails/month
| Platform | Monthly Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brevo | ~$25/mo | Business plan |
| Mailchimp Standard | ~$75/mo | 5,000 contacts |
Annual savings with Brevo: ~$600
The Hidden Costs of Mailchimp
Mailchimp charges based on audience size, including:
- Unsubscribed contacts (until you delete them)
- Non-engaged subscribers
- Duplicate entries
- Archived contacts still count
This can inflate costs significantly compared to Brevo’s email-based pricing model.
The Tajo Advantage for Shopify
While Brevo is powerful, its native Shopify integration has limitations. Tajo solves this by providing:
Enhanced Shopify-Brevo Connection
-
Complete Data Synchronization
- All customers synced to Brevo
- Full order history
- Product catalog integration
- Real-time updates
-
E-commerce Automation Triggers
- Abandoned cart events
- Browse abandonment
- Purchase milestones
- Customer lifecycle events
-
Built-in Loyalty Programs
- Points and rewards
- Tier-based programs
- VIP customer segments
- Automated loyalty emails
-
Unified Customer Profiles
- All Shopify data in Brevo
- Enhanced segmentation
- Better personalization
Brevo + Tajo vs Mailchimp
| Capability | Brevo + Tajo | Mailchimp |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify data sync | ✓ Deep | ✓ Basic |
| WhatsApp marketing | ✓ Full | ✗ None |
| Global SMS | ✓ 200+ countries | US only |
| Loyalty programs | ✓ Built-in | ✗ Need add-on |
| Pricing model | Per-email | Per-contact |
| Unlimited contacts | ✓ | ✗ |
Ease of Use
Brevo
- Learning curve for advanced features
- Powerful once learned
- Comprehensive documentation
- Good customer support
Mailchimp
- Famous for user-friendliness
- Intuitive interface
- Quick setup
- Gentler learning curve
Verdict: Mailchimp is easier to start with. Brevo requires slightly more initial setup but offers more power and flexibility.
When to Choose Each Platform
Choose Brevo + Tajo If:
-
You’re a Shopify store wanting value
- Per-email pricing saves money
- Deep integration via Tajo
-
You need multi-channel marketing
- Email, SMS, and WhatsApp together
- Unified customer experience
-
You want loyalty programs included
- No additional tools needed
- Integrated with marketing
-
You market internationally
- Global SMS coverage
- WhatsApp for international customers
-
You have a large contact list
- Unlimited contacts on all plans
- Don’t pay for inactive subscribers
-
You send transactional emails
- Included in Brevo
- Mailchimp charges extra
Choose Mailchimp If:
-
You’re just starting out
- Easiest learning curve
- Simple to get going
-
You need a website builder
- Included in Mailchimp
- Simple landing pages
-
You run a non-e-commerce business
- More general-purpose
- Not e-commerce specialized
-
You prefer maximum simplicity
- Single platform
- Less technical setup
-
You’re US-focused and don’t need SMS/WhatsApp
- Basic email is sufficient
- Limited multi-channel needs
Feature Limitations Summary
Mailchimp Limitations for E-commerce
- SMS only in US - International merchants limited
- No WhatsApp - Missing key channel for many markets
- No loyalty programs - Need separate tools and costs
- Contact-based pricing - Costs grow with list size
- Limited automation on lower tiers - Need Standard+ for customer journeys
- Generic platform - Not e-commerce focused
- Transactional emails extra - Additional cost and separate product
Brevo Considerations
- Shopify integration - Enhanced by Tajo
- Learning curve - Slightly steeper than Mailchimp
- Interface - Less polished than Mailchimp
- Smaller brand - Less widely recognized
Migration Guide
Moving from Mailchimp to Brevo + Tajo
-
Export your data
- Download contacts from Mailchimp
- Export templates you want to keep
- Document your automation workflows
-
Set up Brevo account
- Import contacts
- Recreate key templates
-
Connect Tajo
- Link Shopify store
- Configure data sync
- Enable customer tracking
-
Rebuild automations
- Welcome series
- Abandoned cart
- Post-purchase flows
-
Set up loyalty program (optional)
- Configure rewards
- Create tiers
- Integrate with automations
-
Run in parallel
- Test new automations
- Gradually migrate campaigns
- Sunset Mailchimp when ready
Conclusion
Mailchimp is a solid general-purpose email platform, but it wasn’t built for e-commerce. Its limitations in SMS, absence of WhatsApp, contact-based pricing, and lack of loyalty features make it less ideal for growing Shopify stores.
Brevo, combined with Tajo, offers a more powerful and cost-effective solution for e-commerce marketing:
- Multi-channel capabilities (Email, SMS, WhatsApp)
- Built-in loyalty programs
- Per-email pricing (unlimited contacts)
- Deep Shopify integration
- Significant cost savings
If you’re serious about e-commerce marketing automation, Brevo + Tajo provides the specialized tools you need at a price that makes sense.
Ready to upgrade from Mailchimp? Start your free trial with Tajo and experience the difference.