startbuddi vs Brevo: an honest comparison

Brevo is a marketing platform for email, SMS and WhatsApp priced by email volume, with a free plan and separate sales plans for its CRM. startbuddi suits small businesses that want campaigns next to their contacts, inbox and invoices, while Brevo suits teams that want high sending volumes and a free plan to start.

We make startbuddi, so we're biased. We've tried to be fair: we list where Brevo is stronger, every fact about Brevo links to its source, and anything we couldn't confirm on their own site is marked "not published". Checked in September 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.

startbuddi

startbuddi is best for

Small businesses that want email, SMS and WhatsApp next to their contacts and invoices

Brevo

Brevo is best for

Businesses that want email and SMS priced by send volume, with a free plan

At a glance

Best for

startbuddiSmall businesses that want email, SMS and WhatsApp next to their contacts and invoices

BrevoBusinesses that want email and SMS priced by send volume, with a free plan

Free plan

startbuddiYes, the Free plan

BrevoYes, Free

First paid plan

startbuddiStarter, $29 a month

BrevoStarter, $9 USD per month, billed monthly ($96.96 per year billed yearly); from 5,000 emails per month

Checked

startbuddiPrice book, October 2026

BrevoSeptember 2026

Where each one is stronger

The short version. Brevo first, because it does some things better than we do.

Brevo is stronger at

Free plan that sendsBrevo's Free plan sends up to 300 emails a day once your account is approved; startbuddi's Marketing hub is not on its Free plan.

Per-contact send timeStandard includes AI send time optimisation, sending when each contact is most likely to engage; startbuddi's Smart send picks one hour for the whole list.

High volumeProfessional starts from 150,000 emails a month with 10 seats, contact scoring and deliverability specialist support.

More channels on top plansProfessional adds WhatsApp, popups and mobile and web push.

startbuddi is stronger at

Customers, inbox and invoices in one placecampaign replies land in the customer inbox, and segments can use deals, bookings and paid or unpaid invoices.

WhatsApp from StarterWhatsApp template campaigns are part of the Marketing hub from the Starter plan, with replies in the shared inbox.

SMS through African providerssend on built-in SMS or connect your own Termii or Africa's Talking account, with STOP replies handled for you.

Chip across the email flowChip writes the email, builds an audience from plain words and reviews the email before it goes out.

One campaign plannergroup the email, WhatsApp campaign, social posts, landing page and form for a launch, with revenue from paid invoices.

Feature by feature

Each Brevo value links to where we found it. Anything their site doesn't state is marked "not published".

Show differences only

startbuddi and Brevo, feature by feature
Feature	startbuddi	Brevo
Send email campaigns for freeFree plan has no Marketing hub; every paid plan has a 30-day trial	No	Yes, up to 300 emails a daySource (opens in a new tab)
Drag-and-drop email builder	Yes	YesSource (opens in a new tab)
AI writes your emailsChip writes the subject, copy and call to action	Yes	YesSource (opens in a new tab)
A/B testingThe better version is picked by opens or clicks, not conversions	Subject, content or sender	Standard plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Send-time helpSmart send picks your list's best hour; no per-recipient time zone	Smart send	AI, Standard plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Automated follow-up sequencesEmail, SMS and WhatsApp steps in one flow	Starter plan and up	Standard plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
SMS campaignsTermii, Africa's Talking, Twilio or Brevo; not on Free	Built in, or your own provider	Credits sold separatelySource (opens in a new tab)
WhatsApp campaignsChip auto-replies need the Growth plan	Starter plan and up	Professional plan and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Landing pagesBuilt in Publish	Yes	Standard: 1 page includedSource (opens in a new tab)
Deal pipeline (CRM)Contacts, deals and inbox share the same records	Yes	Separate Sales plansSource (opens in a new tab)

What each one looks like

Real screens, captured by us or taken from the official press kit, each dated.

startbuddi: Email campaigns — **startbuddi** · Email campaigns. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.

startbuddi: Email templates — **startbuddi** · Email templates. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.

startbuddi: Automations — **startbuddi** · Automations. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.

Brevo's own screens are on Brevo's website. We don't show another company's product without a dated capture from a trial or its press kit.

Pricing side by side

List prices as each company publishes them. We never convert currencies.

See startbuddi pricing

startbuddi

FreeFree
Starter$29 a month
Growth$79 a month
Scale$199 a month

Prices in US dollars, billed monthly. From our pricing page, updated 3 Oct 2026.

Brevo

FreeFree up to 300 emails per daySource (opens in a new tab)
Starter$9 USD per month, billed monthly ($96.96 per year billed yearly); from 5,000 emails per monthSource (opens in a new tab)
Standard$18 USD per month, billed monthly ($194.04 per year billed yearly)Source (opens in a new tab)
Professional$499 USD per month, billed monthly ($5,388.96 per year billed yearly); from 150,000 emails per monthSource (opens in a new tab)
EnterprisePricing on requestSource (opens in a new tab)

Checked in September 2026. Check Brevo's site for current plans.

Switching from Brevo

What moving across involves.

Get your contacts out of BrevoExport your contacts from Brevo as a CSV file. We could not open Brevo's help centre to confirm the steps, so check its current export instructions.
Import them into startbuddiIn Email Marketing, open Subscribers and click Import contacts. Upload the CSV, choose how existing contacts are handled, set their marketing status, map the columns and check the validation report before it runs.
Verify your sending domainAdd your domain under Email Marketing, Settings, Sending domain, copy the DNS records to your registrar and click Check DNS. Until it is verified, marketing email from the shared address is capped.
Rebuild templates and follow-upsThe import does not bring over email templates or automations, so recreate them by hand: start from a starter template, and rebuild Brevo automations in Automations, where there are starter flows such as a lead capture welcome.

Sources

Checked in September 2026. startbuddi prices come from our own price book. Brevo's website.

Questions people ask

Can I move my contacts from Brevo to startbuddi?

Yes. Export your contacts from Brevo as a CSV and use Import contacts in startbuddi, which maps columns and flags invalid or missing emails before it runs. Templates and workflows need rebuilding by hand.

Does startbuddi have a free plan like Brevo?

startbuddi has a Free plan, but the Marketing hub is not on it, so email campaigns, SMS and WhatsApp start on Starter. Every paid plan has a 30-day trial.

Can I keep sending SMS through my Brevo account?

Yes. startbuddi's SMS can send through your own Brevo account, though startbuddi does not read replies sent through Brevo yet. It can also use built-in SMS, Termii, Africa's Talking or Twilio.

Does startbuddi send at each contact's best time?

Not per contact. startbuddi's Smart send picks the hour your readers open most from past opens, and scheduling uses your time zone.