Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) Review – My Verdict for 2025

Brevo is one of the best all-in-one marketing platforms for ecommerce, combining email, SMS, automation, and transactional messaging under one roof.

Whether you're running a small store or scaling fast, Brevo offers affordable tools to help you increase sales and retain customers — without the steep learning curve or bloated pricing of other platforms.

We’ve used Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) to send the Ecommerce-Platforms.com newsletter for the last 10 years, and it continues to be our go-to choice for ecommerce email marketing. It’s reliable, affordable, and flexible — everything you want when you’re running a store or managing a growing list.

We also recommend Brevo to our ecommerce clients who need multichannel tools (email, SMS, automation, CRM) without the high costs or steep learning curve of other platforms.

In this review, I’ll walk you through Brevo’s pricing, automation tools, ecommerce features, and where it shines (and falls short), so you can see whether it’s a fit for your store.

Brevo – Best Budget Email & SMS Platform for Ecommerce (2025) 🏆

Category	Details
Platform	Brevo
Best For	Multichannel marketing on a budget
Rating	⭐ Excellent — 4.6 out of 5
Ideal For	Small brands, lifecycle marketing, affordable multichannel campaigns
Free Plan	✅ Available (300 emails/day)
Paid Plans	💰 From $25/month (based on email volume, not contact count)

Pros	Cons
✅ All-in-one platform: Email, SMS, WhatsApp, CRM	❌ Limited template variety
✅ No list-size penalty — pay per email volume	❌ Basic analytics compared to Klaviyo
✅ Simple automation setup with prebuilt ecommerce flows	❌ No real-time collaboration in the campaign builder
✅ Strong deliverability rates	❌ CRM is too simple for B2B or sales-heavy brands
✅ Easy setup for Shopify & WooCommerce	❌ SMS/WhatsApp costs can escalate with volume

Key Takeaways 🔍

• Brevo gives you email, SMS, WhatsApp, and CRM tools in one platform
• It’s a great pick for small to mid-size ecommerce brands
• Automation is easy to set up and works across multiple channels
• Brevo’s pricing starts at $25/month, with generous email volume
• You get strong Shopify and WooCommerce integration
• Brevo lacks deep analytics and advanced ecommerce-specific reporting

Brevo: In a Nutshell

Need a fast summary before diving in? Here’s what stood out most after using Brevo on an actual ecommerce store:

What I Like

✔️ Brevo lets you send both marketing and transactional emails from the same dashboard
✔️ It’s incredibly cost-effective, especially compared to Klaviyo or Mailchimp
✔️ The automation builder is easy and visual, no coding needed
✔️ You can run SMS and WhatsApp campaigns natively
✔️ Great email deliverability — my campaigns hit inboxes consistently

What I Dislike

❌ Smaller template library means more design work up front
❌ Reporting isn’t as detailed — I had to rely on GA4 for deeper data
❌ CRM lacks advanced features like forecasting or deal tracking
❌ Support isn’t 24/7 and response times vary
❌ Advanced segmentation is solid, but not predictive like Klaviyo

Email Builder: Easy, Functional, But Limited in Design Options

I’ve used enough email tools to know when one gets the basics right, and Brevo’s email builder does. I was able to build full campaigns for product launches and promos in under 30 minutes — no developer or designer needed.

The drag-and-drop interface is clean. It doesn't lag, and it gives you just enough freedom to get creative without making things overly complicated.

What I Liked

Brevo’s builder nails the essentials:

• Mobile-friendly templates: Every email I sent looked great on mobile and desktop without extra formatting.
• Dynamic product blocks: These saved me serious time. Brevo pulls in live product info and images from my store.
• Custom branding: I could match emails to my store’s color palette, font styles, and overall look.
• Reusable content blocks: I saved my header and footer blocks and reused them across campaigns — simple but effective.

What’s Still Missing

It’s solid, but not perfect:

• Template library is small: You only get a handful of prebuilt ecommerce options. I had to tweak most of them heavily.
• No real-time collaboration: This becomes noticeable when working with a team. You can’t co-edit or comment like you can in other platforms.
• Layout flexibility is limited: You can’t go too wild with column customization or advanced design features.

Quick Feature Comparison

Feature	Brevo	Klaviyo	Mailchimp
Drag-and-drop editor	✅	✅	✅
Template variety	❌ Limited	✅ Moderate	✅ Extensive
Ecommerce blocks	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ Few
Dynamic content	✅ Supported	✅ Advanced	❌ Limited

Verdict: Brevo’s email builder is user-friendly and reliable. It doesn’t give you full design freedom like Klaviyo or Mailchimp, but for quick-turn ecommerce campaigns, it’s more than enough.

Automation Workflows: Surprisingly Powerful

Honestly, I didn’t expect Brevo to compete with the likes of Klaviyo or ActiveCampaign when it came to automations. But after setting up multiple sequences, I was impressed.

The visual builder is clean, drag-and-drop, and doesn’t require a single line of code. I set up four core automations that any ecommerce brand should run.

Automations I Built:

• Cart abandonment sequence: Kicked in after someone left without checking out.
• Post-purchase flow: Sent thank-you emails and a review request 5 days later.
• Winback campaign: Re-engaged people who hadn’t bought in 60 days.
• Welcome discount series: Sent a 10% off code to new subscribers and guided them to bestsellers.

Available Triggers and Conditions:

Brevo’s triggers cover a lot of ground:

• Customer opens or clicks on an email
• Visits a certain page (with tracker script)
• Places an order or adds to cart
• Time delays (wait X hours or days)
• Changes to a contact property (like tagging)

Cart Abandonment Example:

Here’s the exact flow I used:

1. Trigger: Cart abandoned for more than 1 hour
2. Action: Send email #1 – reminder with cart contents
3. Wait: 24 hours
4. Condition: Purchased?
   • Yes – End
   • No – Send email #2 with a 10% coupon
5. Optional: Send SMS follow-up on Day 2 if still no purchase

Verdict: Brevo’s automation tools are more capable than I expected. If your ecommerce strategy relies on lifecycle emails (and it should), this platform gives you everything you need to make it happen fast.

Transactional Emails: Built for Ecommerce

Transactional emails aren’t sexy, but they’re essential — and Brevo handles them better than most.

I used it to send order confirmations, shipping updates, and account creation emails — all automated and branded. Unlike Mailchimp, which makes you jump through multiple steps to set this up, Brevo supports transactional emails natively.

What I Found Useful:

• Lightning-fast delivery: My order confirmation emails landed within seconds.
• Full delivery logs: I could check exactly when each email was sent, opened, or bounced.
• Brand-friendly templates: I didn’t have to settle for ugly plain-text receipts.
• Legal compliance: Brevo automatically takes care of GDPR and CAN-SPAM best practices.

You can hook it up via SMTP or API, and there’s full documentation to help get it running without too much effort.

Verdict: If you want transactional emails to feel like part of your brand — not an afterthought — Brevo makes that possible. One of the strongest reasons to use it over Mailchimp.

SMS and WhatsApp Marketing: Useful, But Watch the Spend

I tested Brevo’s SMS campaigns during two key promos — a weekend flash sale and a Black Friday warm-up. It’s easy to set up, especially if you already have phone numbers in your list.

Where It Worked:

• Flash sales: I saw 93% open rates and a 17% CTR. People respond fast to texts.
• Abandoned carts: Short reminders with links worked well — especially if paired with email.
• Order alerts: Customers appreciated instant shipping confirmations via SMS.

WhatsApp is also available, but the setup’s a bit more involved. You need Meta Business verification, template approval, and some technical setup.

Cost Breakdown:

Channel	Avg. Cost (US)	Notes
SMS	$0.03 per message	Can add up quickly
WhatsApp	Varies by template	Meta approval required

Verdict: SMS works — no question. But without careful budgeting, you’ll burn through credits fast. Use it for high-impact messages only, or you’ll feel the cost.

CRM and Contact Management: Basic but Helpful

I didn’t plan to use Brevo’s CRM much, but once I got deeper into segmentation, it actually helped quite a bit.

You won’t find deep pipelines, AI-driven lead scoring, or advanced sales tools here. But for ecommerce, the CRM works great as a contact hub and segmentation tool.

What You Can Do:

• Add notes to contacts (great for VIP or wholesale buyers)
• Assign deals if you run B2B alongside DTC
• Track email and SMS history per contact
• Tag and segment based on almost any custom property

Best Segmentation Options I Used:

• Last purchase date
• Average order value
• Product category purchased
• Email engagement over time

Verdict: It’s not a Salesforce replacement — but if you’ve never had a CRM and want better targeting, this is more than enough to get started.

Brevo Templates: Clean, Mobile-Friendly, But Limited in Variety

One of the first things I looked at when setting up Brevo was the template library — because let’s be honest, no one wants to build every email from scratch.

Brevo gives you access to a small but clean collection of pre-built templates. Most are fully responsive and ecommerce-friendly, but you’ll quickly notice the selection isn’t massive.

I used a couple of their ecommerce templates as starting points for product announcements, restock alerts, and holiday sales, but ended up customizing quite a bit.

What I Liked:

• Mobile-ready: All templates scale perfectly on phones and tablets without needing adjustments.
• Drag-and-drop editing: You can easily add new blocks, reorder sections, or remove parts without breaking the layout.
• Saved blocks: You can save custom headers, product rows, or footers for use in future emails.
• Ecommerce-ready sections: Many templates come with product grids, discount callouts, and CTA buttons baked in.

What’s Missing:

• Limited volume: There are maybe a dozen good ecommerce-focused templates. After a few campaigns, it starts to feel repetitive.
• No built-in category filters: Unlike Mailchimp or Stripo, you can’t sort by industry or campaign type.
• Basic design options: Don’t expect flashy animations or advanced layout presets. Everything is clean but simple.

Use Case Fit:

Template Type	Available in Brevo?	Notes
Product Promotion	✅ Yes	A few solid options, easy to customize
Newsletter / Updates	✅ Yes	Clean designs, basic layouts
Abandoned Cart	✅ Yes	Better to build using automation + blocks
Holiday Campaigns	❌ Limited	Few seasonal designs — needs customization
Welcome / Onboarding	✅ Yes	Available through automation templates

Verdict: Brevo’s templates are solid, clean, and mobile-friendly — but don’t expect a huge gallery. If you’re comfortable editing layouts and adding your own branding, they’ll work fine. If you want variety and pre-designed inspiration, you might find the selection too limited.

Reporting and Analytics: Could Be Better

Analytics is probably Brevo’s weakest area. It gives you the basic numbers — which are fine for surface-level tracking — but you won’t get deep ecommerce analytics without third-party tools.

What You Get:

• Open and click rates for each email
• Bounce and unsubscribe rates
• Revenue attribution (if integrated with Shopify)
• Link heatmaps to see what got clicks

What’s Missing:

• Funnel or customer journey tracking
• Lifetime value reports
• Channel comparison (email vs. SMS vs. WhatsApp)
• A/B test results breakdowns

I ended up using Google Analytics with UTM tags for serious data, but that’s a workaround.

Verdict: Good for tracking basic performance. If you’re data-driven and want robust analytics, you’ll need to supplement it.

Customer Support and Resources: Decent, But Not Instant

Support wasn’t a huge issue for me, but I did have a couple of questions during setup. Brevo has both email support and live chat, though neither is 24/7.

My Experience:

• Email support usually replied within 4–6 hours
• Live chat was available during EU/US business hours
• Help docs covered most of the basics, but some articles were a little outdated
• The community forum wasn’t that helpful — most threads went unanswered

They also have onboarding guides and tutorials, which are solid if you’re setting things up for the first time.

Verdict: Support is reliable but not super fast. You’ll get answers eventually, but don’t expect round-the-clock hand-holding.

Brevo Alternatives: What Else I’ve Tried (and How They Stack Up)

Over the years, I’ve tested almost every major email marketing platform out there — either for our own campaigns or for clients. While Brevo is my go-to for ecommerce on a budget, it’s not the only option worth considering.

Here are the top alternatives to Brevo, along with where each one performs better (or worse).

1. Klaviyo

Best for data-heavy ecommerce brands

Klaviyo is the most popular email tool for Shopify stores — and for good reason. It’s deeply integrated with ecommerce data, has smart segmentation, and powerful automation flows.

What I Like:

• Predictive analytics (like expected next purchase date)
• Super granular segmentation based on customer behavior
• Strong integration with Shopify and WooCommerce
• Great for fast-growing or high-revenue stores

What I Don’t Like:

• Expensive — especially if you’ve got a large list
• Steep learning curve if you’re new to automation
• Slower email builder compared to Brevo

Verdict: If you’re running a 6 or 7-figure store and want every possible ecommerce insight, Klaviyo’s hard to beat. But it’s overkill (and overpriced) for smaller shops.

2. Mailchimp

Best for general email marketing (not ecommerce-first)

Mailchimp is easy to use and widely known. It works for basic newsletters and campaigns, but it lacks ecommerce focus.

What I Like:

• Huge template library
• Easy drag-and-drop builder
• Familiar interface if you’ve used it before

What I Don’t Like:

• Weak ecommerce automation compared to Brevo
• No built-in SMS or WhatsApp
• Transactional emails require Mandrill (extra cost and setup)

Verdict: Fine for basic newsletters or non-store use, but Mailchimp doesn’t go deep enough for serious ecommerce brands. I moved away from it years ago.

3. Omnisend

Best all-in-one alternative with ecommerce focus

Omnisend is probably the closest competitor to Brevo in terms of features and price. It also includes email, SMS, and automation — but with a stronger ecommerce focus baked in.

What I Like:

• Prebuilt ecommerce automations (welcome, cart, winback, etc.)
• SMS included on all plans
• Drag-and-drop email builder is smooth
• Affordable and simple for beginners

What I Don’t Like:

• Reporting isn’t much better than Brevo’s
• Limited CRM functionality
• Fewer third-party integrations

Verdict: Omnisend is a great Brevo alternative if you want a bit more ecommerce automation out of the box. But Brevo wins on price flexibility and multichannel options.

4. ActiveCampaign

Best for advanced automation + CRM needs

ActiveCampaign blends email marketing with CRM and sales automation. It’s super powerful, but it’s more B2B than ecommerce-focused.

What I Like:

• Automation builder is incredibly flexible
• Built-in CRM with pipeline tracking
• Great for multi-step nurture flows

What I Don’t Like:

• Clunky ecommerce integration
• Overkill if you don’t need sales pipelines
• More complex than Brevo or Omnisend

Verdict: Perfect for B2B ecommerce or hybrid brands with sales teams. But if you’re a straightforward Shopify store, it’s more than you need.

Summary Table: Brevo vs Alternatives

Platform	Best For	Strengths	Weaknesses
Brevo	Budget ecommerce marketing	Affordable, all-in-one, multichannel	Basic analytics, limited templates
Klaviyo	Scaling ecommerce brands	Advanced segmentation & ecommerce data	Expensive, steeper learning curve
Mailchimp	Basic newsletters	Templates, familiar UI	Not ecommerce-first, poor automation
Omnisend	Ecommerce beginners	Prebuilt flows, SMS included	Basic reporting, fewer integrations
ActiveCampaign	CRM-heavy or B2B ecommerce	Advanced automation & CRM	Complex setup, not ecommerce-focused

Final Take:

If you need raw ecommerce power and have the budget, go for Klaviyo.
If you’re a solo founder or small team that needs value, flexibility, and ease of use, Brevo still wins for me.

Final Verdict: Is Brevo Good for Ecommerce?

After six months of daily use, here’s my honest take:

Yes — Brevo is one of the best value-for-money platforms out there for ecommerce brands. It’s not the most powerful tool, but it’s incredibly capable, clean, and cost-effective. Especially if you’re scaling and don’t want to overpay for features you don’t need.