Brevo vs ConvertKit 2026: Which One Should You Actually Use?

I’ve spent the last three months testing both Brevo and ConvertKit for different projects. And honestly? The “best” platform depends entirely on what you’re trying to accomplish. Let me break down everything so you can make an informed decision without wasting weeks on trial and error like I did.

Quick Overview: What Makes Each Platform Different

Brevo started as Sendinblue, primarily focusing on transactional emails and SMS marketing. Over the years, they’ve evolved into a full marketing suite with CRM, automation, landing pages, and more. Their sweet spot is businesses that need multiple communication channels without paying for separate tools.

ConvertKit was built specifically for creators—bloggers, YouTubers, podcasters, course creators. Everything about their interface assumes you’re building an audience around content. Their focus is narrower but deeper in that niche.

Pricing: Where Your Wallet Feels the Difference

Let’s talk money because this is where Brevo pulls ahead significantly for most users.

Brevo’s free plan includes 300 emails per day with unlimited contacts. Their paid plans start at $25/month for 20,000 emails. You’re paying based on email volume, not subscriber count. This is massive if you have a large list but don’t email them constantly.

ConvertKit’s free plan caps you at 1,000 subscribers with limited features. Once you hit that limit, you’re looking at $29/month for up to 1,000 subscribers, jumping to $49/month for 3,000 subscribers. As your list grows, costs climb rapidly—10,000 subscribers runs $119/month.

For someone with 5,000 subscribers sending weekly newsletters, Brevo costs roughly $25/month while ConvertKit costs around $79/month. That’s a $54 monthly difference that adds up fast.

Email Builder and Design

ConvertKit intentionally keeps their email templates minimal. Their philosophy is that plain-text-looking emails perform better because they feel personal. There’s some truth to this—overly designed emails can feel corporate. But if you need beautiful product showcases or visually rich newsletters, you’ll feel constrained.

Brevo gives you more design flexibility with their drag-and-drop builder. You can create everything from simple text emails to elaborate product catalogs with multiple columns, images, and buttons. The templates are modern and mobile-responsive out of the box.

Winner depends on your needs. Creators who want emails to feel like personal letters should lean ConvertKit. Businesses needing polished, branded communications should consider Brevo.

Automation Capabilities

Both platforms offer visual automation builders, but the approaches differ.

ConvertKit’s automations feel intuitive for content-based sequences. Setting up a welcome series, tagging subscribers based on link clicks, or creating evergreen course launches is straightforward. The “if this, then that” logic is easy to understand even if you’ve never built automations before.

Brevo offers more sophisticated automation options including multi-channel workflows. You can combine email, SMS, WhatsApp, and web push notifications in a single automation. Want to email someone, wait two days, send an SMS if they haven’t opened the email, then trigger a retargeting ad? Brevo handles that complexity.

For pure email marketing, ConvertKit’s simplicity wins. For omnichannel marketing, Brevo is the clear choice.

Landing Pages and Forms

ConvertKit’s landing pages are surprisingly good for a tool that primarily focuses on email. Their templates are clean, convert well, and require zero design skills to customize. You can have a professional-looking opt-in page live in 15 minutes.

Brevo’s landing page builder is more powerful but has a steeper learning curve. You get more customization options, but you might spend more time tweaking layouts. Their forms integrate seamlessly with their CRM, which is nice if you’re using the full ecosystem.

CRM and Contact Management

This is where Brevo significantly outperforms ConvertKit. Brevo includes a built-in CRM that tracks contact interactions across all channels, stores custom attributes, manages deals and pipelines, and integrates with their transactional email service.

ConvertKit’s contact management is basic—primarily tags and segments. There’s no deal tracking, no pipeline management, no sales features. If you need CRM functionality, you’ll pay for a separate tool like Pipedrive or HubSpot on top of your ConvertKit subscription.

Deliverability: Do Your Emails Actually Arrive?

Both platforms maintain solid deliverability reputations. In my testing, inbox placement rates were comparable—around 95-97% for well-maintained lists.

ConvertKit offers double opt-in by default and strictly enforces anti-spam policies, which helps maintain their shared IP reputation. Brevo gives you dedicated IP options on higher tiers, beneficial for high-volume senders who want complete control over their sending reputation.

Who Should Choose Which?

Go with Brevo if you need SMS marketing alongside email, want an included CRM without extra costs, have a larger list and want to save on monthly fees, plan to use transactional emails like order confirmations or password resets, or need WhatsApp marketing integration.

Choose ConvertKit if you’re a content creator with straightforward needs, want the simplest possible interface, prefer plain-text-style emails, love tag-based subscriber organization, or create courses or digital products as your primary offering.

My Personal Take

For most small businesses and marketers watching their budget, Brevo offers better value. You get more features for less money, and their platform has matured tremendously over the past few years.

ConvertKit excels in one specific scenario: pure content creators who want to focus 100% on email without distractions. If that’s you, the creator-focused design philosophy is worth the premium.

Either way, both platforms offer free tiers—start with whichever matches your immediate needs and upgrade as your business grows.