ActiveCampaign vs Brevo: Which Email Marketing Tool Should You Use in 2026?

A factual comparison of ActiveCampaign and Brevo covering pricing, features, automation depth, and migration steps for small teams choosing between the two.

Updated 2026-09 · 2026

ActiveCampaign

Customer experience automation platform combining email, CRM, and marketing automation

$15month (Starter, billed annually, 1,000 contacts)

Strengths

+Deep, highly customizable automation builder with conditional logic
+Built-in CRM and sales automation (Plus plan and up)
+Extensive third-party integrations (900+ via native + Zapier)

Weaknesses

-Pricing scales fast with contact count, gets expensive quickly
-Steeper learning curve for beginners
-No free plan, only a limited trial

Best for

Growing teams that need complex, multi-step marketing automation and a lightweight CRM in one tool

Brevo

All-in-one marketing platform with email, SMS, chat, and CRM, priced by email volume not contacts

$0month (Free plan, 300 emails/day, unlimited contacts)

Strengths

+Genuine free tier with unlimited contacts
+Pricing based on email volume, not list size, cheaper for large lists
+Built-in SMS and WhatsApp campaigns

Weaknesses

-Automation builder is less advanced than ActiveCampaign's
-CRM features are basic compared to dedicated CRM tools
-Free plan branding and daily send cap limit serious use

Best for

Small teams and startups that want free or low-cost email marketing without paying per contact

Feature Comparison

Feature	ActiveCampaign	Brevo
Free plan	No (14-day trial only)	Yes, 300 emails/day, unlimited contacts
Entry paid price	$15/mo (1,000 contacts)	$9/mo (Starter, 5,000 emails)
Pricing model	By contact count	By email volume (contacts unlimited)
Automation builder	Advanced, visual, conditional branching	Simpler visual workflows, fewer conditions
Built-in CRM	Yes (Plus plan and up)	Yes (basic, included on all plans)
SMS marketing	Add-on, extra cost	Included, pay-as-you-go credits
Landing pages	Yes	Yes
A/B testing	Yes, advanced (multivariate on higher tiers)	Yes, basic split testing
Transactional email API	Yes (separate product)	Yes, included
Native integrations	900+	~150
Predictive sending / AI	Yes (higher tiers)	Limited AI features
Support on free/entry plan	Email only on trial	Email support on free plan

The Verdict

ActiveCampaign wins on automation depth and CRM sophistication, but you pay for it as your contact list grows. Brevo is the better default for small teams because it's genuinely free to start and prices by email volume instead of contact count, which is far cheaper at scale. Switch to Brevo if your automations are moderately simple and cost matters more than advanced branching logic; stay on ActiveCampaign if you rely heavily on complex multi-step automations or its built-in sales CRM.

How to switch from ActiveCampaign to Brevo

1In ActiveCampaign, go to Contacts > select all > click Export to download your full contact list as a CSV, including custom fields and tags
2Document your existing automations manually (screenshots or written flowcharts) since ActiveCampaign has no bulk automation export feature
3Create a Brevo account and import the CSV under Contacts > Import, mapping custom fields and tags to Brevo's contact attributes
4Rebuild your key automations in Brevo's Automation workflow builder, starting with welcome sequences and abandoned cart flows
5Reconnect integrations (Shopify, WordPress, Zapier) in Brevo and test each one with a sample event before going live
6Run both platforms in parallel for one send cycle to confirm deliverability and automation triggers match, then cancel ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign vs Brevo: common questions

How do I export my data from ActiveCampaign before switching?+

Go to Contacts, select all, and use the 'Export' button to download a CSV of your contact list with custom fields. You'll need to separately export automations, forms, and campaign templates manually since ActiveCampaign doesn't offer a bulk automation export — screenshot or document your workflow logic before deleting anything.

What features will I lose moving from ActiveCampaign to Brevo?+

You'll lose ActiveCampaign's advanced conditional automation branching, predictive sending, and its more mature built-in CRM/sales pipeline features. Brevo's automation builder covers common triggers (opens, clicks, purchases) but can't replicate deeply nested if/else logic across many steps.

Is Brevo's free plan actually enough for a small team?+

If you send under 300 emails per day and don't need advanced automation, yes — the free plan includes unlimited contacts and a landing page builder. Once you outgrow the daily send limit or need to remove Brevo branding, you'll move to the Starter plan at $9/month for 5,000 emails.

Will my Zapier and other integrations still work after switching?+

Brevo has a Zapier integration and native connectors for tools like WordPress, Shopify, and WooCommerce, but not the full 900+ library ActiveCampaign offers. Check each integration you depend on individually — some niche ActiveCampaign integrations may not have a Brevo equivalent yet.

Will switching to Brevo actually save money long-term?+

Yes, especially if your list is large but you don't send frequently — Brevo charges by email volume, not contact count, so a 20,000-contact list that emails twice a month costs far less than ActiveCampaign's contact-based tiers. If you send daily to a large list, run the numbers first since high-volume Brevo plans can close the gap.