MandrillvsBrevo

Mandrill vs Brevo

Mailchimp transactional add-on vs unified multi-channel platform

TL;DR

Mandrill requires Mailchimp for transactional email. Brevo includes transactional email natively alongside marketing, SMS, and WhatsApp — starting free. Brevo wins on independence, multi-channel, and value. Mandrill wins on Mailchimp integration.

Key Differences

The main things that set these tools apart

Platform Completeness
Brevo wins

Brevo includes transactional email, marketing, SMS, WhatsApp, CRM, and live chat. Mandrill is transactional-only and needs Mailchimp for marketing. Brevo is dramatically more complete.

Price
Brevo wins

Brevo at $25/month vs Mandrill at ~$40/month (including Mailchimp). Brevo is cheaper and includes more features. The value gap is significant.

Independence
Brevo wins

Brevo is independent with a permanent free tier. Mandrill requires Mailchimp. For teams not on Mailchimp, Brevo is the obvious choice.

Mailchimp Integration
Mandrill wins

Mandrill syncs seamlessly with Mailchimp templates and analytics. This is its only real advantage — and it only matters for existing Mailchimp users.

Pricing Comparison

At 50,000 emails/month

Mandrill
$30+/month

2 blocks (50k emails) + Mailchimp Standard ($20+/mo). Total ~$40+/mo.

Visit Mandrill
Brevo
$25/month

Business plan. Marketing + transactional, automation, unlimited contacts.

Visit Brevo
Sequenzy

The SaaS alternative

$49/month

10k subscribers, unlimited emails, transactional + marketing, Stripe integration.

Feature Comparison

Side-by-side feature breakdown

Feature
Mandrill
Brevo
Sequenzy
Transactional Email
Transactional API
REST + SMTP
REST + SMTP
REST + SMTP
Marketing Email
Via Mailchimp (separate)
Built-in
Built-in
SMS
Built-in
WhatsApp
Built-in
Platform
Standalone
No (requires Mailchimp)
Free Tier
500 emails one-time
300 emails/day forever
100 subscribers
CRM
Built-in
Stripe-based
Live Chat
Built-in
Value
Price at 50k emails
~$40+/mo
$25/mo
$49/mo
Unlimited Contacts
No (Mailchimp contact limits)
Subscriber-based
Pricing Model
Block + subscription
Email volume
Subscriber-based
Dedicated IPs
$29.95/mo
Enterprise plan
Enterprise

Best For

When to choose each tool

Choose Mandrill if you...
  • Mailchimp power users wanting transactional email
Choose Brevo if you...
  • Teams wanting transactional + marketing + SMS in one platform
  • Companies wanting affordable multi-channel marketing
  • Businesses wanting a free starting point
Choose Sequenzy if you...
  • SaaS founders needing Stripe-integrated email
  • Teams wanting AI-generated sequences with transactional

When to Consider Sequenzy Instead

SaaS-Specific

Neither Mandrill nor Brevo is built for SaaS. Sequenzy adds Stripe integration and subscription automation to transactional + marketing email.

Try Sequenzy Free

Overview

Mandrill and Brevo take different approaches to email. Mandrill is a transactional add-on for Mailchimp. Brevo is a complete multi-channel platform with transactional built in. For our take on each, see our Mandrill comparison and Brevo comparison.

Brevo's Unified Advantage

Brevo includes transactional email, marketing campaigns, SMS, WhatsApp, CRM, and live chat — all in one platform starting free. Mandrill only does transactional and requires Mailchimp for everything else.

The Value Comparison

Brevo at $25/month replaces both Mailchimp ($20/month) and Mandrill ($10+/month). One platform, lower cost, more features. Unless you're deeply invested in Mailchimp's ecosystem, Brevo is better value.

The Sequenzy Alternative

For SaaS founders wanting transactional email and marketing campaigns with Stripe integration, Sequenzy offers SaaS-specific features at $49/month.

Frequently Asked Questions

Not sure which to pick?

If you're a SaaS founder who needs Stripe integration and unified email, try Sequenzy free. No credit card required.

Start Free TrialSee All Features

Related Comparisons

Mandrill vs SendGrid

Compare these two popular email tools

Mandrill vs Postmark

Compare these two popular email tools

Brevo vs SendGrid

Compare these two popular email tools

Sequenzy - Complete Pricing Guide

Pricing Model

Sequenzy uses subscriber-based pricing. You only pay for subscribers active in sequences (automations). Inactive subscribers are free to store.

All Pricing Tiers

  • 0-100 subscribers: Free (Free annually) - 3k emails/month
  • 101-1,000 subscribers: $19/month ($205/year annually) - 15k emails/month
  • 1,001-5,000 subscribers: $29/month ($313/year annually) - 60k emails/month
  • 5,001-10,000 subscribers: $49/month ($529/year annually) - 120k emails/month
  • 10,001-25,000 subscribers: $99/month ($1069/year annually) - 300k emails/month
  • 25,001-50,000 subscribers: $199/month ($2149/year annually) - 600k emails/month
  • 50,001-100,000 subscribers: $349/month ($3769/year annually) - 1.2M emails/month
  • 100,000+ subscribers: Custom pricing (Custom annually) - Unlimited emails/month

Yearly billing: All plans offer a 10% discount when billed annually.

Free Plan Features (2,500 emails/month)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Paid Plan Features (1,000 - 100,000 subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations (Stripe, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy)
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Enterprise Plan Features (100,000+ subscribers)

  • Visual automation builder
  • Transactional email API
  • Reply tracking & team inbox
  • Goal tracking & revenue attribution
  • Dynamic segments
  • Payment integrations
  • Full REST API access
  • Custom sending domain

Important Pricing Notes

  • You only pay for subscribers who are active in automations/sequences
  • Storing inactive subscribers is free
  • No hidden fees - all features included in the price
  • No credit card required for free tier

Contact

  • Pricing Page: https://sequenzy.com/pricing
  • Sales: hello@sequenzy.com