Mailchimp vs Brevo: Which Email Tool is Best for Growing African SMEs?

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Recent benchmarking shows that average email deliverability is under stress globally, with less than one-third of email marketers reporting improved inbox placement, while nearly 30% see deliverability decline.

This is a sign that choosing the right tool is more important now than ever.

Email marketing isn’t dead. On the contrary, it’s one of the most effective channels for engagement and revenue, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Africa. 

With inbox clutter increasing and mobile adoption high, choosing the right platform can be the difference between campaigns that engage and ones that get ignored. 

Today, we break down Mailchimp and Brevo, two of the most used tools, in terms that are most relevant to growing African businesses; deliverability, automation, pricing, SMS/email combos, smart tools, and local payment realities.

Deliverability: Gets the Message In

Getting your emails into customers’ inboxes is the foundation of any email programme. If your messages land in promotions or spam folders, they might not be seen.

• Several comparative reports reveal that Mailchimp usually shows higher deliverability rates than many competitors in standard tests.
• Some older data also pointed to Brevo’s deliverability performance being very close or slightly ahead under certain conditions, though results vary by audience and setup.

What this tells me as a marketer is that both platforms are capable of strong deliverability, but how you configure your domain authentication, sender reputation, and list hygiene is usually more important than the platform itself. Test both with your own lists before committing, especially if inbox placement is mission-critical.

Automation Workflows: How Much You Can Do Without Help

Automation is a way to save time and send more relevant messages.

• Mailchimp has a mature automation suite with a strong visual workflow builder and customer journey tools. You can start simple for abandoned carts or re-engagement and scale to multi-step journeys. 
• Brevo also provides automation with branching triggers and tags, and it bundles email, SMS and even WhatsApp actions into the same sequences, a big plus if you want truly multi-channel campaigns without extra add-ons.

In utilising both, I find Mailchimp better when you want in-depth segmentation and data-driven flows. Brevo comes top for simplicity and multi-channel triggers without needing third-party tools.

Cost for Small Lists: What You Actually Pay

Budget is essential most for early-stage African SMEs.

• Mailchimp’s pricing scales with contacts. The more subscribers you have, the more you pay, even if you send a few emails.
• Brevo prices by email volume (not contacts), and offers unlimited contacts even on basic plans.

That difference is huge. If you have a large list but send monthly newsletters only, Brevo can be far more cost-efficient. On the other hand, if you send frequent campaigns with smaller lists, Mailchimp’s entry points can be competitive.

For many entrepreneurs I’ve seen, Brevo usually costs less as lists grow, while Mailchimp becomes expensive quickly.

SMS/Email Combos: Multi-Channel Outreach Built In

Africa’s mobile-first audience means SMS and WhatsApp matter.

• Brevo includes SMS and WhatsApp options in the platform and lets you weave them into automated workflows.
• Mailchimp doesn’t include unified SMS out of the box, you typically need integrations or third-party services.

If your strategy includes both SMS and email under one roof, Brevo saves time and money.

Smart Tools & Content Support

Creating email copy and creative can slow teams down.

Both Mailchimp and Brevo platforms provide built-in content tools, including templates and writing helpers. Mailchimp has extensive ready-made templates and advanced content editing features. Brevo has simpler editors but supports automation triggers directly tied into content blocks.

Neither is far ahead in everyday content help, so I’d make decisions based on workflow needs rather than creative features.

Local Situation: Payments & Support for African SMEs

A key, often overlooked, point:

• Platforms may charge in USD/EUR and expect credit card or PayPal billing.
• Neither currently offers native local payment billing options for African currencies.

The effect? SMEs face foreign exchange costs and billing friction. Plan budgets accordingly. On support, user reviews show Brevo’s ease of use and support ratings slightly higher among smaller teams, while Mailchimp’s extensive help library still impresses many users.

Which Should You Pick?

Here’s the takeaway, based on usage patterns:

Choose Brevo if you want:

• Low cost as your list grows.
• Email, SMS and WhatsApp in one dashboard.
• Solid automation without steep learning curves.
• Unlimited contacts without artificial price jumps.

Choose Mailchimp if you want:

• Deep automation and analytics.
• Huge ecosystem of integrations.
• Advanced reporting and campaign insights.
• Tried-and-tested deliverability with premium options.

Both Mailchimp and Brevo are solid choices. But for many African SMEs just starting or scaling, Brevo gives more value per dollar, especially when multichannel outreach matters.

Quick Comparison at a Glance

I recommend testing both with campaigns. Run a few weeks of identical sends, measure deliverability, opens and conversions, and then decide. 

Theory helps, but your list is the final judge.