EmailOctopus vs Sender vs Brevo (Sendinblue)
Startups and bootstrapped businesses looking for maximum value often discover these three as top budget contenders. EmailOctopus keeps things stripped-back and cheap, Sender packs surprising automation into its free tier, and Brevo adds SMS and transactional email to the mix without breaking the bank.
Quick Verdict
Best for most users: Sender — email and sms marketing for small businesses and online stores.
EmailOctopus: Simple email marketing built on Amazon SES
Sender: Email and SMS marketing for small businesses and online stores
Brevo (Sendinblue): Email, SMS and CRM platform priced by email volume
EmailOctopus
Simple email marketing built on Amazon SES
4/5 Free plan · from $10/mo
Sender
Email and SMS marketing for small businesses and online stores
4.6/5 Free plan · from $9/mo
Brevo (Sendinblue)
Email, SMS and CRM platform priced by email volume
4.2/5 Free plan · from $9/mo
Feature Comparison
| Feature | EmailOctopus | Sender | Brevo (Sendinblue) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4/5 | 4.6/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Starting Price | $10/mo | $9/mo | $9/mo |
| Free Plan | 2,500 subscribers, 10,000 emails/month | 2,500 subscribers | Up to 100,000 contacts, 300 emails/day |
| Founded | 2014 | 2012 | 2012 |
| Email Templates | 100 | 50 | 60 |
| Integrations | 1,000 | 50 | 150 |
| Independent Inbox Test | No independent test | No independent test | No independent test |
| Marketing Automation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| A/B Testing | No | Yes | Yes |
| Landing Pages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Segmentation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Drag & Drop Editor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SMS Marketing | No | Yes | Yes |
| Ecommerce Features | No | Yes | Yes |
| API Access | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Language | No | Yes | Yes |
| Web Push Notifications | No | No | Yes |
| Live Chat | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced Analytics | No | No | Yes |
The Verdict
| Criterion | Weight | EmailOctopus | Sender | Brevo (Sendinblue) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | 30% | $10/mo | $9/mo | $9/mo |
| Deliverability | 25% | 3.6/5 | 4.3/5 | 4.1/5 |
| Rating | 25% | 4.0/5 | 4.6/5 | 4.2/5 |
| Integrations | 10% | 1000 | 50 | 150 |
| Free Tier | 10% | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Choose EmailOctopus if…
- + Best for bloggers
- + Best for solopreneurs
- + Generous free plan (2,500 subscribers)
Choose Sender if…
- + Extremely generous free plan (2,500 subs, 15,000 emails)
Choose Brevo (Sendinblue) if…
- + Only option with advanced analytics
- + Best for transactional email
- + Best for developers
EmailOctopus: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Generous free plan (2,500 subscribers)
- + Very affordable Pro plan
- + Simple and clean interface
- + Good deliverability using Amazon SES
- + Easy migration from other platforms
Cons
- − Limited feature set compared to competitors
- − No A/B testing
- − Small template library
- − Basic automation capabilities
- − No ecommerce features
Sender: Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Extremely generous free plan (2,500 subs, 15,000 emails)
- + SMS messaging built in from the $9 Standard plan
- + Very affordable paid plans
- + Ecommerce integrations for abandoned cart
- + No credit card required for free plan
Cons
- − Paid plans cap monthly sends (6,000 emails on Standard at 500 subscribers)
- − The 30% annual discount applies only to the first year for new users
- − Smaller integration ecosystem
- − Less well-known brand
- − Limited advanced features
Brevo (Sendinblue): Pros & Cons
Pros
- + Priced by email volume, with generous contact storage on higher tiers
- + Free plan stores up to 100,000 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