Alternatives
Best Brevo Alternatives for Agencies (2026)
By Red Kite Search Agency Created Updated 7 min read
Summary
Brevo is a solid choice, but it does not fit every agency. Mailchimp: Email marketing and automation for small businesses. ActiveCampaign: Marketing automation and CRM with email and SMS. HubSpot: CRM and sales software with a free tier. Prices and ratings below were checked in October 2026.
What are the best Brevo alternatives for agencies in 2026?
Brevo is low-cost and flexible, but automation starts on Standard, Professional is a big jump, and security detail was not captured.
We compared each option with Brevo on price, automation, and public ratings, so you can see what you would gain and give up by switching. Estimate your send volume first.
The three alternatives below are the usual comparisons: a familiar email tool, an automation platform, and a CRM.
The shortlist is Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot. The table puts them next to Brevo.
| Tool | Editorial score | Review-site ratings | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brevo | 4.2 / 5 | G2 4.5 | Free plan. Starter $8.08, Standard $16.17 and Professional $449.08 a month on annual billing ($9, $18 and $499 monthly); Enterprise from $2,499 a month. | Small to enterprise teams |
| Mailchimp | 4.1 / 5 | G2 4.4 | Free for 250 contacts. Essentials $13, Standard $20 and Premium $350 a month at the smallest contact tier (500 contacts, 10,000 for Premium); prices rise with contacts. | Small teams to mid-size |
| ActiveCampaign | 4.3 / 5 | G2 4.4 | 14-day free trial. Starter $15, Plus $49, Pro $79 and Enterprise $145 a month on annual billing at 1,000 contacts. | Small to enterprise teams |
| HubSpot | 4.4 / 5 | G2 4.4 | Free tools for up to 2 users. Sales Hub Starter $7 and Professional $90 per seat per month on annual billing ($20 and $100 monthly); Enterprise starts at $150 per seat. | Small teams to enterprises |
Why do agencies look for Brevo alternatives?
Agencies usually look beyond Brevo for more integrations, deeper automation, or published security certifications.
Others want a CRM with email built in.
Common limitations of Brevo
- Professional costs $449.08 a month on annual billing and Enterprise starts at $2,499 a month.
- Starter has basic reporting and no marketing automation.
- Security certifications and hosting regions were not captured (the security page returned an error).
- Only Professional lists phone support, and a mobile app was not stated.
Is Mailchimp a good Brevo alternative for agencies?
Mailchimp has more integrations, a free plan, and SOC 2 evidence. It costs more as contacts grow.
Mailchimp is an email marketing platform with campaigns, automation flows, pop-up forms, templates and more than 300 integrations. It sells Free, Essentials, Standard and Premium plans priced by contact count, with a 14-day trial on paid plans.
Who it suits: Agencies that run newsletters and simple automation for small-business clients and want a familiar, easy tool.
Mailchimp pros
- A free plan for up to 250 contacts and 500 sends a month.
- Entry paid plans from $13 a month for 500 contacts, with 24/7 email and chat support.
- More than 300 integrations and 100+ pre-built templates.
- SOC 2 reports, ISO 27001 and 2FA; enterprise SSO on Premium.
Mailchimp cons
- Prices scale with contacts and the stated figures are for the smallest tier.
- Free has no automation, and Essentials limits flows to 4 steps.
- Premium costs $350 a month from 10,000 contacts.
- Data is hosted in US data centers, and client accounts for agencies were not stated.
Is ActiveCampaign a good Brevo alternative for agencies?
ActiveCampaign offers deep automation, a CRM, and SOC 2 evidence. It is priced by contacts.
ActiveCampaign combines email marketing, multi-step automation, a built-in CRM, landing pages and SMS (as an add-on) with more than 1,000 integrations and 950 automation recipes. It sells Starter, Plus, Pro and Enterprise plans priced by contact tier, each with a 14-day trial.
Who it suits: Agencies that build detailed automation and lifecycle journeys for clients and want a CRM alongside email.
ActiveCampaign pros
- Plans from $15 a month on annual billing at 1,000 contacts, with a 14-day trial.
- More than 1,000 integrations and 950+ automation recipes.
- Unlimited automation actions from Plus, plus landing pages and a CRM.
- MFA on every account, SSO, and a SOC 2 report through its Trust Center.
ActiveCampaign cons
- Prices shown are annual at 1,000 contacts; monthly prices were not shown.
- Starter limits automations to 5 actions and includes only 1 user.
- SMS and pipelines are paid add-ons.
- Client accounts for agencies and data hosting regions were not stated.
Is HubSpot a good Brevo alternative for agencies?
HubSpot has a free tier, SOC 2 Type 2 evidence, and a large marketplace. It is a broader platform.
HubSpot Smart CRM and Sales Hub combine contact management, deal pipelines, sequences, forecasting and AI agents on one platform, with a free tier and Starter, Professional and Enterprise plans priced per seat. It has more than 2,000 app marketplace integrations and a Solutions Partner Program for agencies.
Who it suits: Agencies that want a mainstream CRM for their own sales pipeline, with a free start and room to grow into marketing and service tools.
HubSpot pros
- Free CRM tools for up to two users with no credit card.
- Starter from $7 per seat per month on annual billing.
- More than 2,000 integrations in the app marketplace.
- SOC 2 Type 2 report, GDPR consent tools, 2FA and an EU data center option.
HubSpot cons
- Professional costs $90 per seat per month and requires a one-time $1,500 onboarding fee.
- Enterprise requires a one-time $3,500 onboarding fee.
- Advanced SAML SSO is enterprise tier only.
- Client accounts and multi-account features for agencies were not stated.
What is the quick verdict on each Brevo alternative?
If you only have a minute, this table gives our verdict on each alternative to Brevo, based on the research above.
| Tool | Verdict | Editorial score |
|---|---|---|
| Mailchimp | A familiar, easy email tool with a free plan and 300+ integrations. Prices rise with your contact count, automation and seats are limited on lower plans, servers are US-only, and Mailchimp does not offer client accounts for agencies. | 4.1 / 5 |
| ActiveCampaign | A strong automation platform with a CRM, 1,000+ integrations and SOC 2 evidence. Plans are priced by contacts and shown annually only, user seats are limited on lower plans, and agency client-account features were not stated. | 4.3 / 5 |
| HubSpot | A strong, well-supported CRM with a free tier, SOC 2 Type 2 evidence and a huge integration marketplace. Entry pricing is low but jumps sharply at Professional, which also carries a one-time onboarding fee, and agency-specific client account features were not stated on the pricing page. | 4.4 / 5 |
How much do Brevo and its alternatives cost?
Brevo Starter costs $8.08 a month on annual billing. Mailchimp Essentials starts at $13, ActiveCampaign Starter costs $15 at 1,000 contacts, and HubSpot Sales Hub Starter costs $7 per seat.
| Tool | Pricing summary |
|---|---|
| Brevo | Free plan. Starter $8.08, Standard $16.17 and Professional $449.08 a month on annual billing ($9, $18 and $499 monthly); Enterprise from $2,499 a month. |
| Mailchimp | Free for 250 contacts. Essentials $13, Standard $20 and Premium $350 a month at the smallest contact tier (500 contacts, 10,000 for Premium); prices rise with contacts. |
| ActiveCampaign | 14-day free trial. Starter $15, Plus $49, Pro $79 and Enterprise $145 a month on annual billing at 1,000 contacts. |
| HubSpot | Free tools for up to 2 users. Sales Hub Starter $7 and Professional $90 per seat per month on annual billing ($20 and $100 monthly); Enterprise starts at $150 per seat. |
What do reviewers say about Brevo and its alternatives?
Review-site scores are a useful signal for how happy teams are after the first few months. They are snapshots from October 2026, and review counts differ widely between tools.
| Tool | Source | Rating | Number of reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brevo | G2 | 4.5 / 5 | 2,768 |
| Mailchimp | G2 | 4.4 / 5 | 5,436 |
| ActiveCampaign | G2 | 4.4 / 5 | 14,813 |
| HubSpot | G2 | 4.4 / 5 | 14,365 |
Which Brevo alternative suits which kind of agency?
The right pick depends mostly on team size, how clients interact with the tool, and whether you need money data. This table maps common situations to a recommendation.
| Agency situation | Best pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Simple email | Mailchimp | A familiar tool with 300+ integrations. |
| Automation-heavy clients | ActiveCampaign | Deeper journeys. |
| CRM-led teams | HubSpot | A broader platform. |
How hard is it to switch away from Brevo?
Export contacts and templates from Brevo before you leave. Automation workflows need rebuilding.
Move transactional sending carefully, since it affects live systems.
Warm up the new sender and keep Brevo running until stable.
Before you leave Brevo
- List your campaigns, workflows, and transactional use.
- Check SMS and WhatsApp needs.
- Compare cost at your volume.
- Export contacts.
- Warm up the new sender.
How do you choose the right Brevo alternative?
Decide whether you need published security certifications.
Compare send-based and contact-based pricing.
A quick decision guide
- Choose Mailchimp for integrations and a free plan.
- Choose ActiveCampaign for automation depth.
- Choose HubSpot for a CRM.
- Stay with Brevo for low-cost volume and transactional email.
- Price each at your real list size.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best Brevo alternative?
- Mailchimp for simplicity, ActiveCampaign for automation, and HubSpot for a CRM.
- Why do agencies look beyond Brevo?
- Fewer integrations, thin security detail, and a large jump to Professional.
- Which alternative has more integrations?
- ActiveCampaign and Mailchimp.
- Which alternative has SOC 2 stated?
- Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, and HubSpot.
- Does Brevo have a free plan?
- Yes, up to 300 emails a day.
Sources
Prices, plan limits, and ratings were gathered in October 2026 from:
- Brevo pricing page
- Mailchimp pricing page
- ActiveCampaign pricing page
- HubSpot pricing page