by Alkan Balkaya · Last updated: 2026-06-16

Brevo (Sendinblue) vs Mailsoftly: Full 2026 Comparison

Brevo bills by email volume with unlimited contacts, while Mailsoftly bills by contacts stored with generous send allowances. Brevo suits large lists you rarely email or need SMS and WhatsApp channels. Mailsoftly suits frequent email senders who want AI content tools and predictable, contact-based costs. Mailsoftly offers a free plan with 500 contacts and 2,000 emails per month, paid plans from $39 per month billed annually, plus free hands-on migration.

If you are searching for “Sendinblue vs Mailsoftly,” note that Sendinblue rebranded to Brevo in 2023. The product is the same, the pricing model is the same, and the platform still charges based on email volume rather than contacts. That single distinction matters more than any feature list when you are projecting costs for the next twelve months.

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Quick context: Mailsoftly offers transparent pricing, free hands-on migration, and human support. 500 contacts and 2,000 emails per month, no credit card.
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Brevo and Mailsoftly solve the same core problem but charge for it in structurally different ways. Brevo meters by the number of emails you send. Mailsoftly meters by the number of contacts you store. This single difference cascades through every budget decision you make, especially as your list grows or your sending frequency changes. Our email platform comparison hub covers how Mailsoftly stacks up against every major competitor, but this post focuses specifically on where Brevo excels, where Mailsoftly excels, and who should pick each.

This is not a neutral review. I am the founder of Mailsoftly, and I will be transparent about where Brevo has genuine advantages. My goal is to help you make the right decision, even if that means choosing the other platform.

Brevo vs Mailsoftly: Which Should You Choose?

Choose Brevo if you need multiple channels (email, SMS, WhatsApp, transactional) in one dashboard or have a large list you rarely email. Choose Mailsoftly if email is your main channel, you send often, and you want AI content tools with predictable, contact-based pricing. The table below summarizes the trade-off at a glance.

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Does Brevo Charge Per Email or Per Contact?

Brevo charges per email sent, not per contact. Mailsoftly does the opposite, charging by contacts stored with each tier including a proportional send allowance. Brevo inherited Sendinblue’s volume-based billing, so you can hold unlimited contacts for free and only pay as your monthly sending volume rises.

Neither model is universally better. Each one rewards a different usage pattern and punishes a different kind of growth. Understanding which pattern matches your business is the single most important factor in this decision.

The practical impact: a company with 10,000 contacts that sends two newsletters per month uses roughly 20,000 emails. On Brevo, that costs $19/mo on the Starter plan. On Mailsoftly, 10,000 contacts falls between the Basic (5,000 contacts at $39/mo annual) and Business (15,000 contacts at $79/mo annual) tiers, so you would select the Business plan at $79/mo. Brevo wins on raw cost here.

Now flip the scenario. A company with 5,000 contacts that runs daily automated sequences, weekly newsletters, and re-engagement flows might send 35,000 emails per month. On Brevo, that requires the 40,000-volume Starter plan at $29/mo. On Mailsoftly, 5,000 contacts sits on the Basic plan at $39/mo with a 40,000 email per month allowance. Close to parity, but with Mailsoftly you get AI content tools included and no Brevo branding to worry about.

How Much Do Brevo and Mailsoftly Cost?

Because Brevo and Mailsoftly use different billing axes, a direct table can be misleading. Instead, here are the actual numbers for each platform at their stated tiers (as of 2026-04-15). You can confirm the volume tiers on Brevo’s volume-based pricing page, which lists the same email-send thresholds.

The comparison reveals a clear pattern. Brevo wins on entry price for light senders with large, dormant lists. Mailsoftly wins on value for active senders who need predictable costs tied to audience size rather than campaign volume. For a detailed breakdown of how Mailsoftly’s pricing plans scale with your business, the pricing page lays out every tier and what is included.

What Features Do Brevo and Mailsoftly Offer?

Brevo offers a wider multi-channel suite (email, SMS, WhatsApp, transactional, CRM), while Mailsoftly offers a deeper email-only toolset with stronger AI assistance. The two have taken divergent product paths, so the right pick depends on whether you value breadth or depth. Here is where each platform delivers more value.

Brevo’s feature set is wider. Mailsoftly’s email-specific feature set is deeper. If you need SMS, WhatsApp, and transactional email in one dashboard, Brevo is the obvious choice. If you need a focused email marketing tool with strong AI content assistance and clean contact management, Mailsoftly delivers more on that specific axis.

Does Mailsoftly Have SMS and WhatsApp Like Brevo?

No. Mailsoftly is email-only, while Brevo offers built-in SMS and WhatsApp. This is where Brevo has a clear advantage. The platform was built from the ground up to unify email, SMS, and WhatsApp into a single automation workflow. You can trigger an SMS follow-up when an email goes unopened, or send a WhatsApp confirmation after a purchase, all from the same automation builder.

SMS messages on Brevo are billed per message at rates that vary by country. WhatsApp campaigns follow a similar per-message model. These costs are separate from your email plan, which means your total Brevo bill can be significantly higher than the email plan price if you use these channels heavily. Still, the convenience of managing everything in one platform is real.

Mailsoftly does not offer SMS or WhatsApp. This is a deliberate product decision, not a gap we have not gotten around to filling. Keeping the platform focused on email allows us to invest engineering resources in AI content tools, deliverability optimization, and the core sending experience rather than spreading across channels where we would be a mediocre second option to dedicated SMS providers.

Which Platform Has Better AI Features?

Mailsoftly leads on AI depth for email, while Brevo’s AI is lighter and built to support its multi-channel suite. Both platforms have integrated AI into their workflows, but the utility differs. Brevo offers AI-generated subject lines and basic content suggestions within its email editor. These work well enough for getting past a blank screen, but they function more like templates than intelligent assistance.

Mailsoftly’s AI engine goes further. It generates full email drafts calibrated to your audience segments, scores subject lines against historical performance patterns, and provides send-time recommendations based on engagement data. The AI does not just help you write faster; it helps you write better emails that reach inboxes at the right moment.

For teams that rely on email as their primary marketing channel, Mailsoftly’s AI tooling translates directly into time saved and performance gained. Independent research on email marketing returns consistently ranks email among the highest-ROI channels, which is exactly why investing in smarter email content pays off. For teams that use email as one channel among many, Brevo’s lighter AI integration may be sufficient since the real value is in the multi-channel orchestration.

Which Is Easier to Use, Brevo or Mailsoftly?

Mailsoftly is easier to learn because it focuses on one workflow, while Brevo is more powerful but busier. Brevo’s interface reflects its breadth. The dashboard includes sections for email, SMS, WhatsApp, chat, CRM, and transactional email. For new users, this can feel overwhelming. The email builder itself is solid, with a drag-and-drop editor that handles most design needs, but finding specific settings often requires navigating through multiple menu layers.

Mailsoftly takes a more streamlined approach. The interface is built around the email workflow: contacts, campaigns, automations, and reports. There is less to learn because there are fewer product surfaces to navigate. Most users complete their first campaign within fifteen minutes of signing up. The trade-off is that Mailsoftly cannot serve as your all-in-one marketing hub the way Brevo aims to.

Who Should Use Brevo and Who Should Use Mailsoftly?

Use Brevo for multi-channel needs or a large list you email infrequently. Use Mailsoftly when email is your primary channel and you send often to an engaged audience. After years of watching how different businesses use each type of platform, the patterns are clear. The right choice depends on three variables: your channel mix, your sending pattern, and your team size.

There is also a middle ground. Some businesses start with Brevo for its low entry pricing, then switch to Mailsoftly as their sending frequency increases and volume-based costs escalate. Others start with Mailsoftly for email and add a dedicated SMS provider later when they actually need that channel. Neither path is wrong.

How Do You Switch from Brevo (Sendinblue) to Mailsoftly?

Switching is straightforward: export your contacts to CSV, import them into Mailsoftly, and recreate your templates in the drag-and-drop builder. Mailsoftly supports CSV imports from any platform, and contact fields map cleanly. Your email templates will need to be rebuilt, but the editor makes this faster than it sounds, and our team handles hands-on migration for free.

The most common trigger for switching is cost escalation. Brevo’s volume-based model becomes expensive once you pass the 40,000 emails per month threshold, especially if your list is under 15,000 contacts. At that intersection, Mailsoftly’s Business plan at $79/mo annual provides 150,000 emails per month, which is roughly three to four times the volume you would get on Brevo’s $69/mo Starter tier.

The other common trigger is branding. Brevo includes its logo on emails sent from the free plan, and removing it costs $10.80/mo extra. Mailsoftly’s free plan includes no branding. When you migrate, both platforms keep you compliant with the unsubscribe and sender-identification rules required by the CAN-SPAM Act, so your switch will not put deliverability at risk. For businesses that care about brand presentation, the no-branding free plan alone can justify the switch.

For the broader landscape, see our full comparison of the best email marketing services covering every major platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which platform is cheaper for a business that emails its list frequently?

For frequent senders, Mailsoftly’s contact-based model is more predictable. A company with 5,000 contacts sending 35,000 emails monthly pays $39 per month on Mailsoftly’s Basic plan, which allows 40,000 emails, close to Brevo’s $29 Starter tier. Mailsoftly also includes AI content tools and removes any platform branding, so costs stay tied to audience size rather than campaign volume.

Is Sendinblue the same as Brevo?

Yes. Sendinblue rebranded to Brevo in May 2023. The product, pricing model, and feature set remained the same. If you had a Sendinblue account, it automatically became a Brevo account. All existing URLs, API endpoints, and integrations were maintained through the transition.

Can I use Brevo for free?

Brevo offers a free plan that allows 300 emails per day with unlimited contacts. The free plan includes Brevo branding on all emails. Removing the branding costs $10.80/mo. Mailsoftly’s free plan offers 500 contacts with 2,000 emails per month and includes no branding.

Does Brevo charge per contact or per email?

Brevo charges per email sent, not per contact stored. You can have unlimited contacts in your account on any plan, including the free tier. This is the opposite of most email marketing platforms, which charge based on contact list size. Mailsoftly charges by contacts stored, with each tier including a defined number of monthly sends.

Which platform is better for growing businesses?

It depends on your sending volume. If you have a large list but only send a few campaigns per month, Brevo’s volume pricing keeps costs low. If you send frequently to a smaller, engaged list and want AI tools to improve your content, Mailsoftly provides better value. Both platforms offer free plans that let you test before committing.

Can Mailsoftly replace Brevo for transactional emails?

No. Mailsoftly is a marketing email platform and does not offer a transactional email API. If you need to send order confirmations, password resets, or other triggered transactional messages, Brevo is a strong option, or you can pair Mailsoftly for marketing with a dedicated transactional service like Amazon SES or Postmark.

Is Brevo or Mailsoftly cheaper?

It depends on your sending pattern. Brevo is cheaper when you store a large list but send infrequently, because you only pay for emails sent. Mailsoftly is cheaper and more predictable when you send often to a defined audience, because cost is tied to contact count rather than the number of campaigns you run each month.

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Alkan Balkaya

Founder & CEO at Mailsoftly

Alkan is the founder and CEO of Mailsoftly, building email marketing tools for businesses of all sizes. He writes about email marketing strategy, deliverability, and the future of marketing automation.