How to Migrate from Mailchimp to Brevo (Sendinblue)
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) appeals to Mailchimp users who want to consolidate marketing and transactional email under one platform without paying for two services. Brevo's pricing model — based on emails sent rather than subscriber count — is significantly cheaper for businesses with large contact lists but moderate send frequency. Brevo also includes SMS marketing, WhatsApp campaigns, and a built-in CRM at no extra cost, which Mailchimp charges separately for.
What Transfers?
Method: CSV export/import
Export from Mailchimp, import into Brevo contacts. Brevo supports field mapping during import.
Rebuild using Brevo's drag-and-drop editor. Brevo has a template gallery to start from.
Recreate in Brevo's automation workflow builder. Brevo supports similar trigger types.
Create new subscription forms in Brevo and update embed codes on your website.
Historical campaign analytics remain in Mailchimp. Export reports before closing.
Method: CSV column mapping
Mailchimp tags can be imported as Brevo contact attributes or list assignments.
Step-by-Step Migration Guide
- 1
Export contacts from Mailchimp
Go to Audience > All contacts > Export Audience. Download the full CSV with all fields including tags, groups, and subscription dates.
- 2
Create contact lists in Brevo
Before importing, create lists in Brevo that correspond to your Mailchimp audiences and segments. This makes organization easier during import.
- 3
Import contacts into Brevo
Go to Contacts > Import contacts > Upload a file. Map CSV columns to Brevo contact attributes. Assign contacts to the appropriate lists.
- 4
Set up transactional email (if needed)
Brevo combines marketing and transactional email. If you use both, configure your transactional API keys and SMTP settings. This is a feature Mailchimp charges extra for.
- 5
Rebuild email templates
Use Brevo's drag-and-drop editor or HTML editor to recreate your email designs. Brevo includes responsive templates you can customize.
- 6
Recreate automations
Build automation workflows in Brevo. Map Mailchimp journeys to Brevo's automation triggers — Brevo supports contact activity, website events, and date-based triggers.
- 7
Authenticate domain and test
Add Brevo's DKIM, SPF, and DMARC records to your domain DNS. Send test emails to verify deliverability and formatting before going live.
Watch Out For
Brevo prices by emails sent per day, not by subscriber count. This is different from Mailchimp's model. Calculate your daily send volume to pick the right plan.
Brevo's free plan allows 300 emails per day with unlimited contacts. If you send newsletters to a large list, you'll exceed this quickly and need a paid plan.
Some Brevo automation features require the Business plan. Check which automation capabilities you need before choosing your plan level.
Ready to switch to Brevo (Sendinblue)?
Start with Brevo (Sendinblue)'s free plan and import your contacts.
What You Get with Brevo (Sendinblue)
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