Klaviyo vs Brevo (2026)
A head-to-head on price, free access, and staying power. Both live and price-verified as of Sep 8, 2026.
The verdict, first
Klaviyo
- if it is built for Small and midsize direct-to-consumer ecommerce brands that want email and SMS automation driven by their store's own order and behavioral data (Shopify and similar platforms), and that matches your job.
- if you specifically want Deep native integration with ecommerce platforms feeds a customer-data layer that powers segmentation and behavior-triggered flows (abandoned-cart, browse-abandonment, back-in-stock), rather than treating email as a channel separate from store data.
Brevo
- if it is built for Small and mid-sized businesses that want email, SMS, WhatsApp, CRM, and live chat in one platform, particularly those holding large contact lists but sending at moderate volume, and that matches your job.
- if you specifically want Prices by the number of emails sent rather than by contacts stored, so contact lists remain unlimited across plans.
- if it starts cheaper, at $9/mo against $20/mo.
What each one is
Klaviyo
What sets it apart Deep native integration with ecommerce platforms feeds a customer-data layer that powers segmentation and behavior-triggered flows (abandoned-cart, browse-abandonment, back-in-stock), rather than treating email as a channel separate from store data
Best for Small and midsize direct-to-consumer ecommerce brands that want email and SMS automation driven by their store's own order and behavioral data (Shopify and similar platforms) · Pricing model Free tier: up to 250 active profiles, 500 email sends, and 150 SMS/mobile message credits per month. Paid plans scale by active-profile count; email plans start around $20/mo (per third-party coverage) and Email + SMS plans add roughly $15/mo per tier, with SMS billed through separate message credits. Klaviyo moved to active-profile-based billing in 2025.
A marketing automation platform built for ecommerce, Klaviyo pulls order, catalog, and behavioral data from a connected store and turns it into segments and automated message flows across email, SMS, WhatsApp, and mobile push. Its distinguishing trait is how closely it binds to store data: native integrations with Shopify and similar platforms feed a customer-data layer that triggers sequences such as abandoned-cart, browse-abandonment, and back-in-stock alerts. A free tier covers up to 250 active profiles and 500 monthly email sends, after which pricing scales by active-profile count, with SMS charged through separate message credits. The core users are small and midsize direct-to-consumer brands, though newer AI agents for campaign building and customer service extend it toward larger merchants.
Sources Klaviyo homepage (product positioning, channels, AI agents, integrations) · Klaviyo pricing page · Klaviyo on Shopify App Store · Klaviyo - Wikipedia
Brevo
What sets it apart Prices by the number of emails sent rather than by contacts stored, so contact lists remain unlimited across plans
Best for Small and mid-sized businesses that want email, SMS, WhatsApp, CRM, and live chat in one platform, particularly those holding large contact lists but sending at moderate volume · Pricing model Freemium. Free plan allows 300 emails/day with unlimited contacts; paid Marketing plans start at $9/mo (Starter) and scale by monthly email volume sent. SMS and WhatsApp are billed separately via prepaid credits.
Brevo, formerly Sendinblue, combines email and SMS campaigns, WhatsApp messaging, a built-in CRM, live chat, and transactional email in one platform, with AI-assisted copy and subject-line suggestions and per-contact send-time optimization layered on top. Its commercial model differs from most rivals in that paid plans meter the number of emails sent rather than the number of contacts stored, so contact lists stay unlimited across tiers; the free plan allows 300 emails per day and paid plans start at $9 per month. The fit is small and mid-sized businesses that want multichannel marketing from a single tool, and it suits teams holding large lists but sending at moderate volume.
Sources Brevo homepage (vendor) · Brevo pricing page (vendor) · Omnisend - Brevo Review 2026 · SMTPedia - Brevo Pricing 2026
Side by side
| Metric | Klaviyo | Brevo |
|---|---|---|
| From $/mo | $20 | $9 |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Founded | 2012 | 2012 |
| Best for | solo & SMB | solo & SMB |
| Status | Live | Live |
ALL FIGURES = LOWEST PAID MONTHLY PLAN · STATUS & PRICE VERIFIED SEP 8, 2026
Where they differ
Price
Brevo is the cheaper entry at $9/mo, versus $20/mo for Klaviyo. Both prices are the lowest paid monthly plan, verified Sep 8, 2026.
Free access
Both Klaviyo and Brevo offer a permanent free tier - you can trial either at no cost. A permanent free tier lowers the risk of committing before you have validated the fit.
Track record
Klaviyo has been operating since 2012; Brevo since 2012. For a tool you build a business process on, a longer survival record matters.
Questions of record
Klaviyo or Brevo - which is better in 2026?
Is Klaviyo cheaper than Brevo?
Does Klaviyo or Brevo have a free tier?
Are Klaviyo and Brevo still maintained?
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