ActiveCampaign vs Brevo
Founder & Editor, The Best Network
ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign scores 4.7/5 in its BestSends review vs 4.3/5 for Brevo. ActiveCampaign offers deeper automation; Brevo bills by emails sent and costs less for large lists mailed occasionally.
(Disclosure: I've done a paid partnership with Brevo.)
Brevo prices by volume, with worked examples: Brevo review.
Full ActiveCampaign pricing and add-on costs: ActiveCampaign review.
| Category | ActiveCampaign | Brevo |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.7/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Free plan | ||
| Paid from | $15/mo billed annually · 1,000 contactsWhat changes the bill: New accounts are billed for unsubscribed contacts; Sending is capped at a multiple of your contact count (10–15× by plan)Checked November 1, 2026 | $9/mo · 5,000 emails/moWhat changes the bill: Each email tier caps stored contacts (500 at 5,000 emails)Checked November 1, 2026 |
ActiveCampaign
Pros
- Deep automation builder with branching, goals and site-tracking triggers
- CRM pipelines available as an add-on
- Site tracking and abandoned cart on every plan
- 1,000+ integrations
Cons
- No free plan, only a 14-day trial
- Steeper learning curve than simpler tools like MailerLite or Mailchimp
- Pricing gets expensive as your contact list grows past 10K
Brevo
Pros
- Free plan supports up to 300 sends per day
- Marketing and transactional email in one platform
- SMS is available with separately purchased credits
- Transactional SMTP, API and webhooks are documented
Cons
- Interface can feel cluttered across so many channels
- Automation builder less intuitive than rivals
- Limited template library
FAQ
Which is rated higher, ActiveCampaign or Brevo?
ActiveCampaign scores 4.7/5 in its BestSends review and Brevo 4.3/5. Scores are editorial and research-based; BestSends does not run hands-on or inbox-placement tests.
Do ActiveCampaign and Brevo have free plans?
ActiveCampaign: no free plan (14-day free trial, no credit card required). Brevo: Up to 300 emails/day, 100,000 stored contacts, and 2,000 automation contacts.
How much do ActiveCampaign and Brevo cost?
ActiveCampaign starts at From $15/mo billed annually (checked November 1, 2026). Brevo starts at From $9/mo (5,000 emails) (checked November 1, 2026). Confirm on each vendor's pricing page before you buy.