Overview

EmailOctopus and Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) are both affordable email marketing options, but with fundamentally different pricing models. EmailOctopus charges by contacts with unlimited emails. Brevo charges by email volume with unlimited contacts.

Pricing Model Comparison

This is the key decision point. EmailOctopus costs $36/month for 10k contacts with unlimited sends. Brevo costs $9/month for 5k emails, $25 for 20k, $66 for 100k. If you email your list frequently, EmailOctopus is cheaper. If you send sporadically, Brevo might win.

Feature Breadth

Brevo is more than email marketing. It includes basic CRM, SMS marketing, live chat, and transactional email. EmailOctopus focuses purely on email marketing. If you want an all-in-one platform, Brevo offers more. If you just need email, EmailOctopus is cleaner.

Transactional Email

Brevo handles both marketing and transactional email. Password resets, order confirmations, and marketing campaigns can all go through one platform. EmailOctopus is marketing-only. You'd need a separate service for transactional email.

Automation Capabilities

Brevo has more sophisticated automation with more triggers and conditions. EmailOctopus automation is basic but works for simple drip campaigns. For complex multi-step workflows, Brevo is more capable.

Free Plans

EmailOctopus offers 2,500 contacts with 10,000 emails/month free. Brevo offers unlimited contacts but only 300 emails/day (about 9,000/month). Choose EmailOctopus for list size, Brevo for contact flexibility.

For SaaS Companies

Neither platform is built for SaaS. Both lack native Stripe integration and behavioral event tracking. For SaaS companies, consider Sequenzy which offers SaaS-specific features at a competitive price.

Making the Choice

Choose EmailOctopus for simple, high-frequency email marketing at a predictable price. Choose Brevo for an all-in-one platform with SMS and CRM, or if you send emails infrequently. For SaaS, consider Sequenzy.

Understanding the Pricing Models

The fundamental difference between these platforms comes down to what you pay for. EmailOctopus charges based on your subscriber count with unlimited sending — ideal if you email your list multiple times per week. Brevo charges based on email volume with unlimited contacts — ideal if you have a large list but send infrequently.

To put this in practical terms: a weekly newsletter to 10,000 subscribers costs roughly 40,000 emails per month. On EmailOctopus, that is $36/month flat. On Brevo, you would need the $25/month plan for 20,000 emails (insufficient) or $49/month for 60,000 emails. Conversely, if you have 50,000 contacts but only send once a month, Brevo could cost as little as $49/month while EmailOctopus would charge significantly more.

Multi-Channel Marketing Capabilities

Brevo's multi-channel approach is a genuine differentiator. You can coordinate email campaigns with SMS follow-ups, WhatsApp messages, and live chat interactions all from one dashboard. This unified view of customer communications is valuable for businesses that operate across multiple channels.

EmailOctopus is email-only by design. If your marketing strategy revolves entirely around email newsletters and campaigns, this focus is actually an advantage — fewer distractions and a cleaner interface. But if you need to reach customers via text messages or want a chat widget on your website, you will need additional tools alongside EmailOctopus.

Deliverability and Sender Reputation

Both platforms maintain solid email deliverability, but they approach it differently. Brevo has extensive infrastructure from its years as Sendinblue and manages dedicated IP addresses for higher-tier customers. EmailOctopus was originally built on Amazon SES, which provides reliable delivery infrastructure at scale.

For most senders with clean lists and good sending practices, deliverability will be comparable on either platform. The bigger factor in deliverability is typically your own sending behavior — list hygiene, engagement rates, and content quality — rather than the platform itself. Consider using an email validator before importing large lists to either platform.

Integration Ecosystem Differences

Brevo offers broader native integrations, including Shopify, WordPress, and various CRM platforms. Its API is well-documented and supports both marketing and transactional use cases. EmailOctopus has a smaller integration ecosystem but covers the basics — WordPress, Shopify, and Zapier for connecting to other tools.

For businesses that rely heavily on integrations to connect their marketing stack, Brevo provides more out-of-the-box options. EmailOctopus users may need to lean on Zapier more frequently to connect with third-party tools, which adds both cost and complexity to the workflow.