beehiiv vs Brevo (Sendinblue)
beehiiv is a newsletter platform while Brevo (Sendinblue) is a all-in-one marketing platform. Brevo (Sendinblue) has been around since 2012, giving it a 9-year head start over beehiiv (founded 2021). beehiiv starts at $49/mo, while Brevo (Sendinblue) starts at $9/mo. Their pricing is not measured the same way, so we don't rank them on price. Both offer free plans to get started. Brevo (Sendinblue) has the edge with SMS marketing.
Quick Verdict
beehiiv wins on deliverability.
Brevo (Sendinblue) wins on integrations.
Best for most users: beehiiv (newsletter creators).
beehiiv
The newsletter platform built for growth
beehiiv was built by the team behind Morning Brew's growth to 4 million subscribers. It's specifically designed for newsletter businesses with built-in monetization through ad networks, paid subscriptions, and referral programs. The highest affiliate commission in the space at up to 60%.
Brevo (Sendinblue)
The most approachable CRM suite
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) stands out with its unique pricing model based on email volume rather than subscriber count. This makes it particularly attractive for businesses with large contact lists but moderate email frequency. It also includes CRM, SMS, and transactional email capabilities.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | beehiiv | Brevo (Sendinblue) |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Starting Price | $49/mo | $9/mo |
| Free Plan | 2,500 subscribers | Up to 100,000 contacts, 300 emails/day |
| Founded | 2021 | 2012 |
| Email Templates | 20 | 60 |
| Integrations | 40 | 60 |
| Deliverability Rate | 98% | 96.5% |
| Marketing Automation | Yes | Yes |
| A/B Testing | Yes | Yes |
| Landing Pages | Yes | Yes |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | Yes | Yes |
| SMS Marketing | No | Yes |
| Ecommerce Features | Yes | Yes |
| API Access | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Language | No | Yes |
| Web Push Notifications | No | Yes |
| Live Chat | No | Yes |
| Advanced Analytics | Yes | Yes |
beehiiv: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Purpose-built for newsletter businesses
- + Built-in ad network for monetization
- + Referral program to grow subscribers
- + Paid subscription support
- + Founded by ex-Morning Brew team
Cons
- − Limited to newsletter use case
- − Fewer templates than established tools
- − Smaller integration ecosystem
- − No SMS marketing
- − Relatively new platform (2021)
Brevo (Sendinblue): Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Unique pricing model based on emails sent, not contacts
- + Free plan allows unlimited contacts
- + Built-in SMS, WhatsApp, and live chat
- + Transactional email support
- + Strong API for developers
Cons
- − Free plan limited to 300 emails per day
- − Fewer email templates than competitors
- − Interface can feel cluttered
- − Automation is less intuitive than specialized tools
- − Some features feel underdeveloped
The Verdict
beehiiv and Brevo (Sendinblue) are closely matched — both score within 0.0 points of each other in our overall rating. Your decision should come down to specific needs rather than overall quality. On deliverability, beehiiv reports 98% compared to 96.5% for Brevo (Sendinblue) — a meaningful difference if inbox placement is critical for your campaigns.
| Criterion | Weight | beehiiv | Brevo (Sendinblue) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $49/mo | $9/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 98% Winner | 96.5% |
| Rating | 25% | 4.5/5 | 4.5/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 40 | 60 Winner |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes |
Weights determine how much each criterion counts toward the final score. See full methodology
Choose beehiiv if…
- + You're a newsletter creators
- + You're a media companies
- + Purpose-built for newsletter businesses
Choose Brevo (Sendinblue) if…
- + You need SMS marketing
- + You're a small businesses
- + You're a ecommerce