Brevo vs Campaign Monitor 2026
Short answer: Brevo wins on price, multi-channel depth, and GDPR infrastructure; Campaign Monitor wins on design quality and agency brand management. The overall scores are 4.2 vs 3.6, and the value gap is the widest of any criterion. Campaign Monitor Premier runs $171/mo for 500 contacts after Marigold's 2025 rebrand, while Brevo covers unlimited contacts from $9/mo.
The context nobody else published: in November 2025, Marigold sold its enterprise division (Sailthru, Cheetah Digital) to Zeta Global for $325M. Campaign Monitor was retained for the SMB segment, but prices jumped sharply at the same time. If you last compared these two tools more than a year ago, the cost math has changed significantly.
Pay-per-email, EU data hosting, multi-channel, free plan forever.
Try Brevo for free →Read the full Brevo review →Best-in-class design tools and agency brand management. No free plan.
Try Campaign Monitor for free →Read the full Campaign Monitor review →Who wins for you
EU data residency (France, Germany, Belgium), auto-included DPA, ISO 27001, SMS and WhatsApp native.
Try Brevo for free →Best-in-class white-label sub-accounts, lockable template sections, clean multi-brand dashboard for 40 to 50 clients.
Try Campaign Monitor for free →Unlimited contacts on all plans; Starter at $9/mo for 5,000 emails; permanent free plan with no time limit.
Try Brevo for free →120+ polished responsive templates, clean drag-and-drop builder, simple Journey Designer for basic welcome sequences.
Try Campaign Monitor for free →Brevo vs Campaign Monitor at a glance
Every cell below is grounded in official pricing and documentation as of June 2026. Read the billing model row first: it explains most of the price gap.
| Brevo | Campaign Monitor | Edge | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billing modelThe single biggest structural difference | Per email sent. Contacts stored free on all plans. | Per contact stored. Send cap on Lite (~5x contacts/month). | Brevo |
| Starting paid price | $9/mo (5,000 emails, unlimited contacts) | $13/mo (500 contacts, 2,500 send cap on Lite) | Brevo |
| Free permanent tier | Yes: 300 emails/day, unlimited contacts, no time limit | No: 30-day trial only (500 contacts, 500 sends); sandbox: 5 subscribers | Brevo |
| Automation depth | 35 trigger types, 13 actions, multi-condition branching, lead scoring, cross-channel | Journey Designer: 8 trigger types, 2 actions (email + delay), no lead scoring | Brevo |
| Multi-channel | Email + SMS + WhatsApp + push notifications + Facebook Ads + chat | Email + SMS (add-on) only | Brevo |
| Native integrations | 150+ native; 750+ via iPaaS | 100+ native; 9,000+ via Zapier | — |
| AI features | Aura AI: predictive lead scoring, AI content generator, AI segmentation, send-time optimisation (Standard+ plans) | AI Email Booster (subject lines), AI Writer, send-time optimisation (Premier only) | Brevo |
| EU / GDPR hosting | EU-native: servers in France, Germany, Belgium; ISO 27001; DPA auto-included | No dedicated EU hosting; Australian origin, now US Marigold-owned | Brevo |
| Email deliverabilityCampaign Monitor has a slight Gmail edge; Brevo stronger on Outlook | 89.1% overall (June 2025); 72.1% Gmail inbox rate | 85 to 92% inbox placement; 99% server delivery rate | — |
| Agency / multi-brand | Basic sub-accounts | White-label sub-accounts, lockable template sections, 40 to 50 client management | Campaign Monitor |
| Support channels | Email (all paid); chat + phone (upper tiers); support in 6 languages | Email only Mon-Fri (Lite/Essentials); phone on Premier ($171+/mo) only; no live chat | Brevo |
| Ideal user | EU SMBs, e-commerce, multi-channel marketing, growing lists | Design-focused teams, agencies, small stable lists, newsletter publishers | — |
Prices checked June 2026 on brevo.com, campaignmonitor.com, sender.net and sendx.io.
Criterion by criterion, head to head
The same five criteria scored on each tool's individual review page. Equal scores still get a clear pick.
01 Round 1: first campaign live.
Brevo edges this at 4.5 vs 4.3, and the gap is narrower than the score suggests. Campaign Monitor wins the absolute first-login experience: the drag-and-drop builder is clean, columns snap intuitively, and new users regularly report having a campaign live within 20 minutes. The interface does not require any technical background and the template library covers most newsletter formats without heavy customisation.
Brevo's onboarding guides SPF/DKIM authentication in under 10 minutes, and the automation canvas is Zapier-like and genuinely visual. In our tests, a product launch campaign with dynamic content blocks was built in 20 minutes. The ceiling difference shows fast: Brevo's 35-trigger automation canvas gives growing teams a tool that scales with them, while Campaign Monitor's Journey Designer tops out at 8 triggers with no multi-condition branching. Teams that stay simple never feel the ceiling; teams that grow beyond basic sequences hit it quickly.
The honest bémol for Brevo: the interface can feel slightly denser once you explore automation, and community reviews flag that the error cause in workflows is sometimes hard to pinpoint. Campaign Monitor's cleaner one-task-at-a-time UX earns its 4.3 for teams whose workflow stays design-driven.
Choose Brevo if your team will grow into automation, segmentation and multi-channel over time.
Choose Campaign Monitor if simplicity and design quality are the priority and automation stays basic.
02 Round 2: where the bill actually lands.
This is the sharpest score gap in the comparison: Brevo 4.5, Campaign Monitor 2.6. The root cause is the 2025 Marigold pricing rebrand. Campaign Monitor renamed Basic to Lite and Unlimited to Essentials, and increased prices significantly. Premier is now $171/mo for 500 contacts, and Essentials at $31/mo for that same 500-contact list is described as more than double the old Unlimited plan price.
The math is stark. Sending 40,000 emails per month to a 10,000-contact list: Brevo Standard costs $35/mo; Campaign Monitor Essentials costs $182/mo. Annual difference: $1,764. For a growing e-commerce store, that is a real budget decision. Brevo's pay-per-send model means a business with 50,000 contacts sending 20,000 emails per month pays around $62/mo on Starter; Campaign Monitor at 50,000 contacts on Essentials runs $383+ per month.
Campaign Monitor has no permanent free plan. Brevo offers 300 emails per day forever, with unlimited contacts. The only scenario where Campaign Monitor Lite at $13/mo competes on value is a very static list under 500 contacts sending infrequently, where the contact-count billing stays minimal. Outside that narrow window, Brevo wins every cost comparison by a significant margin.
Choose Brevo at almost every list size: the pay-per-email model saves hundreds per year once your list grows.
Choose Campaign Monitor only if your list is under 500 contacts, stable, and you send infrequently.
03 Round 3: raw capability and AI depth.
Brevo takes this 4.0 to 3.8 on the strength of its multi-channel breadth and AI suite. The platform covers email, SMS, WhatsApp, push notifications, Facebook Ads, transactional email, landing pages, and a basic CRM from a single interface. The Aura AI suite launched in 2025 adds predictive lead scoring, AI content generation, AI-assisted segmentation, and an AI Data Analyst on Professional tier. Campaign Monitor's AI is narrower: AI Email Booster handles subject line suggestions and basic copy generation on Premier only; send-time optimisation is also locked behind Premier.
Campaign Monitor's genuine strengths in this round deserve honest credit. The email builder and template library are class-leading: 120+ mobile-optimised templates that consistently look better than Brevo's output, and a drag-and-drop editor with real-time mobile preview. The agency multi-brand management with white-label sub-accounts and lockable template sections is a real differentiator that Brevo's basic sub-accounts do not match. For teams whose entire job is sending polished, on-brand newsletters, Campaign Monitor's design tools earn their score.
Neither platform supports AMP or interactive emails. Brevo's automation ceiling (35 triggers, cross-channel logic) vs Campaign Monitor's Journey Designer (8 triggers, email + delay only) decides the feature winner for any team beyond basic newsletter use.
Choose Brevo for multi-channel depth, AI features and automation beyond welcome sequences.
Choose Campaign Monitor for newsletter design quality and managing multiple client brands cleanly.
04 Round 4: who answers when it breaks.
Brevo takes this 4.0 to 3.2 on the basis of support accessibility across plan tiers. Email support on all paid Brevo plans, chat and phone on upper tiers, and multilingual support in 6 languages including French and Spanish. The knowledge base covers 200+ articles with detailed deliverability guidance. Three test tickets submitted during our review returned detailed responses within 18 to 36 hours.
Campaign Monitor's structural gap is the lock on live channels. Email support only on Lite and Essentials, Monday to Friday. Phone support exists exclusively on Premier ($171+/mo). No live chat on any plan. For a team on Essentials with a time-sensitive send, an email ticket queue is the only path to help. The documented consequence is real: a 10-year user had all account data permanently deleted due to inactivity with no direct email warning, and email-only support proved entirely inadequate for recovery. That is a structural data-loss risk, not a one-off.
The honest bémol for Brevo: community reviews include accounts of phone calls going unanswered, automated email responses, and isolated cases of account suspension without clear resolution. Support quality on the Starter and Standard tiers depends heavily on ticket volume at any given time. Campaign Monitor's named agents earn genuine praise in multiple Trustpilot reviews for standard queries, when the channel is accessible.
Choose Brevo if accessible multi-channel support across tiers matters to your team.
Choose Campaign Monitor on Premier if phone escalation for occasional critical issues is your priority.
05 Round 5: catalog reach vs API depth.
Brevo edges this 4.0 to 3.9 on the strength of its e-commerce integration quality and REST API depth. Brevo lists 150+ native integrations with WooCommerce, Shopify, WordPress, BigCommerce, and Salesforce via Zapier. The WooCommerce plugin installs in 10 minutes with bidirectional sync, cart abandonment triggers, and post-purchase sequences. REST API includes SDKs in PHP, Node.js, Python, and Ruby. Zapier and Make connections extend to 5,000+ additional tools.
Campaign Monitor lists 100+ native integrations, but its Salesforce connector has documented reliability complaints from multiple Capterra users. The Shopify and WooCommerce integrations stop at contact and campaign sync: no native cart abandonment, no browse abandonment triggers. The iPaaS ecosystem is broader (Zapier's 9,000+ apps, plus Make, Zoho Flow, Integrately), but relying on Zapier for mission-critical sync adds latency and a dependency cost layer. For CRM-adjacent workflows with HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho CRM, and Dynamics 365, Campaign Monitor's native connectors do cover the key platforms.
The honest summary: at this level of the comparison, both tools are solid. The Brevo advantage in this round is primarily about e-commerce integration quality and API documentation rather than raw connector count.
Choose Brevo for e-commerce automation depth and developers who need a clean, well-documented API.
Choose Campaign Monitor for CRM-adjacent workflows where Zapier and the native HubSpot connector are sufficient.
The real cost, plan by plan
Two billing models that do not map onto each other. Brevo charges by emails sent; Campaign Monitor charges by contacts stored. We run the cost math at three list sizes with assumptions stated.
| Brevo | Campaign Monitor | Edge | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brevo FreeBrevo is the only platform with a permanent free tier in this comparison | $0: 300 emails/day (~9,000/mo), unlimited contacts, basic automation | No free plan: 30-day trial (500 contacts, 500 sends); sandbox: 5 subscribers | Brevo |
| Entry paid tier | Brevo Starter: $9/mo (5,000 emails/mo, unlimited contacts) | Campaign Monitor Lite: $13/mo (500 contacts, ~2,500 sends/mo cap) | Brevo |
| Mid tier | Brevo Standard: $18/mo (5,000 emails); $35/mo (40,000 emails); unlimited contacts | Campaign Monitor Essentials: $31/mo (500 contacts); $182/mo (10,000 contacts) | Brevo |
| Upper tierBrevo Professional unlocks AI and phone support; CM Premier is contact-count priced | Brevo Professional: $499/mo (150,000+ emails, 10 seats, Aura AI, phone support) | Campaign Monitor Premier: $171/mo (500 contacts); $300/mo (10,000 contacts) | Brevo |
| 500 contacts · 1 send/mo (500 emails)Small nonprofit monthly newsletter stays free on Brevo | Brevo Free: $0 | Campaign Monitor Lite: $13/mo (annual: $11.70/mo) | Brevo |
| 2,500 contacts · 2 sends/mo (5,000 emails)Annual saving with Brevo logo removal ($19.80/mo effective): $650/year vs CM Essentials | Brevo Starter: $9/mo | Campaign Monitor Essentials: $74/mo | Brevo |
| 10,000 contacts · 4 sends/mo (40,000 emails)Annual saving: $1,764. Sources: sender.net and sendx.io, checked 2026-06-11 | Brevo Standard: $35/mo | Campaign Monitor Essentials: $182/mo | Brevo |
| Hidden cost alert (Brevo)Both tools have add-on costs worth factoring into the real monthly bill | Brevo logo removal on Starter: +$10.80/mo. Effective brand-clean Starter: $19.80/mo, not $9. | Website builder add-on: +$10/mo on Lite and Essentials; included on Premier. | — |
Prices checked June 2026. Annual billing saves 10% on both platforms. Campaign Monitor nonprofit discount: 15% on any plan on request.
Pick by scenario
Choose Brevo if…
- Your contact list is large or growing fast: Brevo charges by emails sent, not contacts stored, saving hundreds per year at 10,000+ contacts
- You need EU/GDPR-native infrastructure: servers in France, Germany, and Belgium, ISO 27001, and an auto-included DPA on every account
- You want multi-channel marketing from a single platform: email, SMS, WhatsApp, push notifications, and Facebook Ads all natively integrated
- Your team is French or Spanish-speaking: Brevo supports 6 languages including FR and ES, and offers EUR-native pricing without FX conversion
- You need automation with real depth: 35 trigger types, cross-channel logic, lead scoring, and the Aura AI suite from Standard tier
Choose Campaign Monitor if…
- You run an agency managing 10 to 50+ client brands: white-label sub-accounts with lockable template sections and multi-brand dashboards are best in class
- Design quality is non-negotiable: 120+ polished mobile-optimised templates and a clean drag-and-drop builder consistently beat Brevo on design output
- Your workflow is simple, stable and design-driven: basic welcome sequences and branded newsletters to lists under 2,500 contacts are where Campaign Monitor earns its cost
- You need transactional email from verified domains alongside your campaign email without a separate integration
- You value a clean minimal interface: non-technical team members get productive in a single session with essentially no training required
Frequently asked questions
Is Brevo free to use?
Yes. Brevo has a permanent free plan with no credit card required and no time limit: up to 300 emails per day (roughly 9,000 per month) with unlimited contacts. Basic automation and transactional email are included at no cost. Campaign Monitor has no free plan: only a 30-day trial (500 contacts, 500 sends) and a sandbox capped at 5 test subscribers.How much cheaper is Brevo than Campaign Monitor at 10,000 contacts?
Significantly cheaper at scale. Sending 40,000 emails per month to 10,000 contacts: Brevo Standard costs $35/mo (billed per email sent); Campaign Monitor Essentials costs $182/mo (billed per contact stored). Annual saving with Brevo: $1,764. Sources: sender.net and sendx.io, checked 2026-06-11.Brevo vs Campaign Monitor vs Mailchimp: which is best for small businesses?
Brevo wins on price-to-feature ratio: free tier with unlimited contacts, multi-channel (email, SMS, WhatsApp), and pay-per-email pricing. Mailchimp wins on template variety and integrations breadth. Campaign Monitor wins on design quality and agency features. For a cost-conscious SMB under 10,000 contacts sending regularly, Brevo Standard at $18 to $35/mo beats Mailchimp ($100/mo for 10,000 contacts) and Campaign Monitor Essentials ($182/mo for 10,000 contacts).Is Brevo GDPR compliant and does it store data in the EU?
Yes. Brevo is one of the few email platforms with EU-native data residency: servers in France, Germany, and Belgium (GCP Brussels). It holds ISO 27001 certification, includes a Data Processing Agreement automatically with every account, supports double opt-in, one-click erasure, and data export. It was founded in Paris in 2012 and GDPR compliance is built into its architecture. Campaign Monitor has no dedicated EU hosting: it originated in Australia and is now US Marigold-owned.Can you migrate from Campaign Monitor to Brevo and how hard is it?
The migration is technically straightforward. Export your lists from Campaign Monitor as CSV, then import to Brevo via the contact importer, which processes 15,000 contacts in under 2 minutes. Automation workflows need rebuilding: Campaign Monitor's Journey Designer maps roughly to Brevo's canvas, but Brevo offers 35 trigger types vs Campaign Monitor's 8, so migrations often upgrade the workflow logic too. Allow 2 to 4 weeks for sender-reputation warming on the new domain.Is Campaign Monitor free for nonprofits?
No free plan, but nonprofits receive a 15% discount on any plan on request, plus a 10% annual billing discount. At 500 contacts on Essentials with both discounts: roughly $23.69/mo. Brevo's free tier covers most small nonprofits sending monthly newsletters under 9,000/month at no cost; Starter at $9/mo covers up to 5,000 sends.What is the cheapest email marketing tool for a 50,000 contact list?
Brevo is significantly cheaper at that list size because it charges per email sent, not per contact stored. Sending one monthly newsletter to 50,000 contacts (50,000 emails/month), Brevo Standard costs approximately $92/mo. Campaign Monitor Essentials for 50,000 contacts is in the $300 to $500+ range based on the pricing scale. ActiveCampaign and Klaviyo are also contact-count priced and similarly expensive at that list size.Does Brevo work for transactional emails like order confirmations?
Yes. Brevo includes SMTP relay and transactional email on all plans including the free tier (300/day). The developer API supports dynamic content, attachments, webhooks, and real-time event tracking. In our test, Brevo configured for WooCommerce SMTP in under 15 minutes, with 98%+ inbox rate on transactional sends. Campaign Monitor also handles transactional email from verified domains on all plans.Brevo vs Campaign Monitor for e-commerce: which is better?
Brevo for e-commerce automation depth. Brevo natively connects WooCommerce and Shopify with bidirectional sync, cart abandonment triggers, and post-purchase sequences. In our test, a client's cart abandonment workflow recovered 12% of abandoned carts. Campaign Monitor connects to Shopify and WooCommerce but only at the contact and campaign level: no native cart abandonment or browse abandonment triggers. For e-commerce where email revenue depends on behavioural flows, Brevo is the correct pick.What happened to Campaign Monitor after the Marigold and Zeta Global deal?
In November 2025, Marigold sold its enterprise business (Sailthru, Cheetah Digital, Selligent, Liveclicker) to Zeta Global for $325M. Campaign Monitor, Emma, and Vuture were explicitly retained by Marigold for the SMB segment. Alongside this, Marigold rebranded Campaign Monitor's plan names in 2025 (Basic to Lite; Unlimited to Essentials) and increased prices significantly: Essentials is now $31/mo for 500 contacts, described as more than double the old Unlimited plan price. Sources: SEC Form 8-K (Zeta Global, November 2025); sendx.io, checked 2026-06-11.
Test both, then decide
Brevo has a free plan with no time limit. Campaign Monitor offers a 30-day free trial. The fastest way to know is to rebuild one real campaign on each.
Best for EU teams, growing lists, multi-channel marketing and cost-sensitive buyers. Permanent free plan, or from $9/mo.
Try Brevo for free →Read the full Brevo review →Best for design-focused teams, agencies managing multiple client brands, and simple newsletter workflows. 30-day free trial.
Try Campaign Monitor for free →Read the full Campaign Monitor review →Affiliate links: if you sign up through them, you support our independent hands-on tests at no extra cost to you. Both tools are scored using the same methodology and weak spots are disclosed on each.
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