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Omnisend vs Brevo: ecommerce SMS, or a free plan that actually covers 500 contacts?

Email marketing and CRM platforms · Verified · By Joonas Rotko

Omnisend logo

Omnisend

Desk research

From Standard, billed monthly

$16/mo
Brevo logo

Brevo

Hands-on

From Starter, billed annually

$8.08/mo

$9/mo billed monthly

Quick answer

Brevo wins on price at every list size I price. Its free plan covers 500 contacts at no cost, where Omnisend has no free tier past 250 contacts and charges $16/month billed monthly for Standard at the same 500-contact mark. At 5,000 contacts Brevo's Starter plan is $32/month billed monthly, or $28.75/month billed annually, against Omnisend Standard's $81/month billed monthly. Omnisend's real edge is ecommerce fit: its SMS add-on and ecommerce-specific integrations are a channel Brevo doesn't document in the same way.

Across the three setups below: Brevo in 3 of 3 scenarios.

Which one fits you?

  1. Solo marketer or small business, a list just past the free tier

    Brevo logo

    Brevo

    My pick

    $0/mo billed annually

    At 500 contacts, Brevo's free plan covers the entire list at no cost (500-contact cap). Omnisend has no free plan past 250 contacts, so 500 contacts already forces its Standard plan at $16/month billed monthly.

    Why this pick, and when to skip it

    Skip it if you're selling products and want SMS in the same account. Brevo's free plan doesn't include an SMS channel; Omnisend sells one as a volume-tiered add-on on Standard and Pro, from $0.007-0.009 per message.

    See Brevo plans

  2. Growing list, sending regularly

    Brevo logo

    Brevo

    My pick

    $28.75/mo billed annually

    At 5,000 contacts Brevo Starter is $32/month billed monthly, or $28.75/month billed annually, well under Omnisend Standard at $81/month billed monthly. Omnisend has no annual plan, so monthly billing is the only like-for-like comparison, and Brevo is cheaper on that basis too.

    Why this pick, and when to skip it

    Skip it if ecommerce integrations and SMS matter more than the lower price. Omnisend is still built around that positioning at this list size; Brevo's Starter plan doesn't document the same ecommerce-specific features.

    See Brevo plans

  3. Small team managing one list together

    Brevo logo

    Brevo

    My pick

    $449.08/mo billed annually

    Neither tool prices a 3-person, 1,000-contact team cleanly at its entry tier, but Brevo has a documented, priced upgrade path and Omnisend doesn't. Omnisend's Standard plan includes only 1 seat with no published extra-seat price, and the only named escalation is its sales-gated Custom plan with no public number at all. Brevo's Starter plan doesn't publish a seat count either, but Professional names a real price ($499/month billed monthly) for 10 seats, a number you can actually budget against.

    Why this pick, and when to skip it

    Skip it if the steep jump to Professional's price makes it a non-starter. In that case, check each vendor's own account settings directly for the real seat limit below that tier rather than assuming either entry plan covers a team.

    See Brevo plans

Neither fits? See the alternatives, or take the 2-minute recommendation.

How are Omnisend and Brevo really different?

  • Free plan or no free plan

    Omnisend
    No free plan past 250 contacts; Standard starts at $16/month billed monthly once you're past that.
    Brevo
    A real free plan, no card required, up to 500 contacts.

    Brevo's free ceiling is double Omnisend's, so a 500-contact list costs nothing on Brevo and $16/month billed monthly on Omnisend.

  • Entry paid price at 5,000 contacts

    Omnisend
    Standard: $81/month billed monthly at this list size; no annual price published at all.
    Brevo
    Starter: $32/month billed monthly, or $28.75/month billed annually.

    Brevo's entry paid price undercuts Omnisend's by a wide margin at the same contact count, and it's the only one of the two with a resolved annual rate here.

  • SMS and ecommerce positioning

    Omnisend
    Positioned around ecommerce integrations, with a volume-tiered SMS add-on on Standard and Pro ($0.007-0.009 per message depending on volume).
    Brevo
    No SMS channel or ecommerce-specific integrations documented.

    If you're selling products and want SMS bundled in, Omnisend documents a channel Brevo doesn't document offering.

  • Team seats on the entry paid tier

    Omnisend
    1 seat on Standard and Pro, no published extra-seat price on either.
    Brevo
    Not published for Free, Starter, or Standard; 10 seats documented on Professional ($499/month billed monthly).

    Neither tool documents a clean path to a 3-person team below a big price jump: Omnisend's is a sales-gated Custom plan, Brevo's is Professional.

  • Automation depth documentation

    Omnisend
    Automations included as a plan feature on Standard and Pro, with no flow-count or step limit published.
    Brevo
    Unlimited multi-step automation workflows on Standard, stated directly on the pricing page.

    Brevo's own pricing page states automation is unlimited on Standard; Omnisend confirms automation is included but doesn't publish a depth limit either way.

What will Omnisend or Brevo cost for your setup?

The cheapest plan that covers each setup, add-ons included. Prices exclude VAT.

Solo marketer or small business, a list just past the free tier

500 subscribers · mailed 3 times a month (for tools priced by emails sent) · 1 user

ToolMonthlyYearly, per month

Omnisend

$16
Monthly only

Standard

Above 150,000 subscribers: nothing published fits.

Brevo

My pick
$0
$0

Free

Above 500 subscribers: Starter (+$15.25/mo, billed annually).

See Brevo plans
Usage, limits and billing

Omnisend

  • Uses 500 of 150,000 subscribers.
  • On monthly billing: $192 a year.

Brevo

  • Uses 500 of 500 subscribers.
  • On monthly billing: $0 a year.
  • On annual billing: $0 a year.

Growing list, sending regularly

5,000 subscribers · mailed 3 times a month (for tools priced by emails sent) · 1 user

ToolMonthlyYearly, per month

Omnisend

$81
Monthly only

Standard

Above 150,000 subscribers: nothing published fits.

Brevo

My pick
$32
$28.75

Starter

Above 500,000 subscribers: Professional (+$420.33/mo, billed annually).

See Brevo plans
Usage, limits and billing

Omnisend

  • Uses 5,000 of 150,000 subscribers.
  • On monthly billing: $972 a year.

Brevo

  • Uses 5,000 of 500,000 subscribers.
  • On monthly billing: $384 a year.
  • On annual billing: $345 a year.

Small team managing one list together

1,000 subscribers · mailed 3 times a month (for tools priced by emails sent) · 3 users

ToolMonthlyYearly, per month

Omnisend

Fit unconfirmed
Not priced

Standard is priced, but users limit isn't published

Brevo

My pick
$499
$449.08

Professional

Above 2,000,000 subscribers: nothing published fits.

See Brevo plans
Usage, limits and billing

Omnisend

The plan's price is published, but a limit this setup needs isn't, so the fit can't be confirmed.

Brevo

  • Uses 1,000 of 2,000,000 subscribers.
  • On monthly billing: $5,988 a year.
  • On annual billing: $5,388.96 a year.
How I calculated this

For each tool I price every current plan plus the add-ons a setup needs, from the vendor's published prices only, and take the cheapest. Monthly and annual billing are priced separately. When a limit or price isn't published, the tool shows as not fitting instead of a guess.

  • Solo marketer or small business, a list just past the free tier: A list of about 500 contacts, just past the free tiers most vendors offer. One login. Tools priced by emails sent are costed at three mailings per subscriber a month.Omnisend, annual billing: Not sold on annual billing. Price limit isn't published.
  • Growing list, sending regularly: A list of 5,000 contacts, sending regularly. One login. Tools priced by emails sent are costed at three mailings per subscriber a month.Omnisend, annual billing: Not sold on annual billing. Price limit isn't published.
  • Small team managing one list together: Three people logging in to the same 1,000-contact list. Seats, not list size, are the deciding limit. Tools priced by emails sent are costed at three mailings per subscriber a month.Omnisend, monthly billing: Standard is priced, but users limit isn't published. Users limit isn't published.Omnisend, annual billing: Standard has no published price. Users limit isn't published. Price limit isn't published.

Omnisend vs Brevo side by side

I compare email/CRM platforms on: Real cost per list size, both billing bases; Free-tier contact ceiling before you must pay anything; Team seats included, and the seat price past that; List segmentation depth; Automation workflow depth and any step/action limits; Deliverability and sending limits (emails per month, per day, or per rolling window); CRM and ecommerce integration depth; What happens past your plan's contact ceiling (overage pricing vs a forced upgrade).

Omnisend and Brevo compared on the main buying criteria
Real cost at 500 contacts, both billing basesStandard: $16/month billed monthly; no annual price published.Free: $0/month billed monthly, no cost on either billing basis.
Real cost at 5,000 contacts, both billing bases$81/month billed monthly; no annual price published.$32/month billed monthly, or $28.75/month billed annually ($345/year for the year).
Free-tier contact ceiling before you pay250 contacts, no cost.500 contacts, no cost.
Team seats included, and the seat price past that1 seat on Standard and Pro, no published extra-seat price.Not published for Free, Starter, or Standard; 10 seats on Professional, no published a la carte extra-seat price either.
Automation workflow depthIncluded on Standard and Pro; no flow-count or step limit published.Unlimited multi-step workflows on Standard and up, stated directly on Brevo's pricing page.
All details, including automation and AI workflows
All compared details for Omnisend and Brevo
SMS channelVolume-tiered add-on on Standard and Pro, $0.007-0.009 per message depending on volume.Not published.
Second paid plan, entry pricePro: $59/month billed monthly at the 500-contact entry band, rising in steps as the list grows.Standard: $18/month billed monthly, or $16.17/month billed annually, at its entry band.
Trial termsNot published; the pricing page doesn't state whether a trial exists or requires a card.No published trial length for paid plans; the free plan itself doubles as an open-ended trial and needs no card.
Full price ladderFree (250 contacts, no cost). Standard: $16/month billed monthly at the 500-contact entry band, rising in steps as the list grows. Pro: $59/month billed monthly at the same band, rising in steps as the list grows. Custom: price on request, for 150,001+ contacts. No annual plan for any tier; the pricing page offers only a short prepay on the monthly rate.Free (500 contacts, no cost). Starter: $9/month billed monthly, or $8.08/month billed annually, rising to 500,000 contacts. Standard: $18/month billed monthly, or $16.17/month billed annually. Professional: $499/month billed monthly, or $449.08/month billed annually. Enterprise: starting at {{price:brevo.enterprise.monthly}}, custom pricing past that floor.
How pricing scalesContact-count tiered on a published table that steps up with list size. Monthly billing only, with no annual plan.Contact-count tiered on Starter and Standard, verified up to 500,000 contacts on both billing bases; Professional and Enterprise are flat prices, not contact-tiered.
Annual billing discountNot applicable: no annual price published for any Omnisend tier.Starter and Standard show a lower per-month rate on annual billing ($8.08/month billed annually against $9/month billed monthly on Starter); Professional also drops to $449.08/month billed annually.
SMS pricing detailVolume-tiered add-on, $0.007-0.009 per message depending on monthly spend band, sold on Standard and Pro.Not published.
What happens past your plan's contact ceilingNot detailed for Standard or Pro; Custom is the named plan for 150,001+ contacts, price on request.Not detailed for Starter or Standard; Enterprise starts at {{price:brevo.enterprise.monthly}} with no published feature table, custom pricing only.
Refund / money-back termsNo refund policy is published for Omnisend.No refund policy is published for Brevo.
Trial card requirementNot published.No card required for the free plan, and there's no separate published trial for paid tiers.

Who should pick Omnisend, and who should pick Brevo?

Omnisend logo

Omnisend

Desk research

Omnisend is an email and SMS platform built for ecommerce, with a real free tier (250 contacts) that packs basic automation and web push. Once you outgrow 250 contacts, the Standard plan ($16/month billed monthly) adds SMS and more advanced sequences. It's cheaper than Klaviyo for small lists but doesn't pretend to be a full CDP; it's a focused email-plus-SMS tool for DTC brands.

Best for: Ecommerce and DTC brands who want email, SMS, and web push in one platform without overpaying for enterprise CRM features they don't need.

Strengths

  • A genuine free plan up to 250 contacts, no credit card needed.
  • SMS and email together at $16/month billed monthly (Standard), which is below Klaviyo's entry price.
  • Automation workflows included from Standard up, plus web push notifications on all paid plans.

Limits

  • No separate seats: all plans include just 1 user account, so team collaboration requires account sharing.
  • Free plan caps at 250 contacts; there is no middle tier between Free and Standard (a gap if you have 300 contacts).
  • No public pricing above 150,000 contacts; you hit Custom and have to contact sales, which is typical for the category but still a friction point.

Skip it if you need advanced segmentation, complex customer data unification, or attribution across multiple channels. Omnisend is email-SMS first, not a full CDP.

Omnisend reviewOmnisend pricingOmnisend alternatives

Brevo logo

Brevo

Hands-on
  • Best for solo marketers and small businesses
  • Best for growing lists sending regularly
  • Best for small teams sharing one account

Brevo starts free with 500 contacts and no credit card, then moves to paid plans starting at $9/month billed monthly. It's built for small businesses and teams who want automations, multi-channel campaigns, and sales tools in one platform, but the Professional plan at $499/month billed monthly jumps sharply in price and targets mid-market teams.

Best for: Small businesses that want email, SMS, and automation bundled together, plus the flexibility to add sales features when they grow. Works well for solopreneurs starting free, then scaling to Starter or Standard.

Strengths

  • A real free plan with 500 contacts, no card required.
  • Automations, A/B testing, and contact scoring by Standard ($18/month billed monthly), not hidden behind enterprise pricing.
  • 10 team seats included on Professional.

Limits

  • Free plan caps at 500 contacts; Starter is contact-tiered, with published prices up to 500,000 contacts.
  • No published money-back guarantee visible on the pricing page.
  • Professional at $499/month billed monthly is a steep jump from Standard ($18/month billed monthly); mid-market features are bundled, not à la carte.

Skip it if you're a pure email-only shop (Mailchimp or MailerLite are simpler), or your budget caps out below $18/month billed monthly. If you need white-label reports or heavy custom integrations, Enterprise is the only option, and its pricing is quoted by sales.

Brevo reviewBrevo pricingBrevo alternatives

My pick: Brevo in 3 of 3 scenarios.

See Brevo plansSee Omnisend plans

Neither Omnisend nor Brevo? Try these

Switching between Omnisend and Brevo

Neither vendor documents a migration tool, import fee, or list-transfer guarantee for this switch, so this stays qualitative: expect to rebuild automations and re-import contacts by hand in either direction. Omnisend's own pricing page doesn't state whether a card is required at any stage. Brevo's free plan needs no card, so you can rebuild your setup there before committing to a paid tier on either side.

What would change my pick?

  • A published extra-seat price from Omnisend, or a published seat count for Brevo's Starter and Standard plans, would resolve the 3-seat team scenario instead of leaving it unpriced on both sides.
  • An annual plan from Omnisend would make it possible to compare both tools on annual billing, not just monthly.
  • A price change on either side. The scenario picks recalculate when a vendor changes a price.

Omnisend vs Brevo: questions people ask

Is Omnisend or Brevo cheaper?

Brevo, at every list size I price. Its free plan covers 500 contacts at no cost; Omnisend has no free plan past 250 contacts and charges $16/month billed monthly for the same 500-contact list. At 5,000 contacts Brevo's Starter plan is $32/month billed monthly against Omnisend Standard's $81/month billed monthly.

Does Brevo have a real free plan?

Yes, permanent and no card required, up to 500 contacts. That's double Omnisend's free-plan ceiling of 250 contacts.

Does Omnisend have SMS built in?

Not built in, but it sells a volume-tiered SMS add-on on Standard and Pro, $0.007-0.009 per message depending on how much you send. Brevo doesn't document an equivalent SMS channel.

Which tool fits ecommerce sellers better?

Omnisend. It's positioned around ecommerce integrations, and its SMS add-on sells only on Standard and Pro, a channel Brevo doesn't document in the same way.

Can either tool price a 3-person team on a 1,000-contact list?

Not cleanly on either side. Omnisend's Standard plan includes 1 seat with no published price to add more. Brevo doesn't publish a seat count at all below Professional ($499/month billed monthly, 10 seats), a steep jump from Starter. Check each vendor's account settings directly if a 3-person team is a hard requirement.

Does Omnisend have an annual plan?

No. Omnisend has no annual plan, only a short prepay offer on the monthly rate. Every Omnisend price on this page is a monthly-billing figure, so there is no annual rate to set against Brevo's, which does drop on annual billing (Starter: $8.08/month billed annually against $9/month billed monthly on the monthly plan).

What will 5,000 contacts cost on each plan?

Omnisend Standard is $81/month billed monthly at that size, on monthly billing only. Brevo Starter is $32/month billed monthly, or $28.75/month billed annually on annual billing ($345/year for the year).

How I verified this

Every price and limit here comes from the vendors' own pages, last checked . Omnisend: desk research. Brevo: hands-on.

Sources and changelog

27 facts from 6 source pages, oldest checked 30 Sep 2026.

  • : Updated for new Omnisend prices. Scenarios a (500 contacts) and b (5,000 contacts) both pick Brevo on price: its free plan and cheaper Starter tier undercut Omnisend Standard, which starts at the 500-contact band and has no annual plan. Scenario c (1,000 contacts, 3 seats) also picks Brevo, on documentation rather than price: neither tool's entry tier publishes a usable seat count, but Brevo names a real price at Professional for a known seat allowance, where Omnisend's only escalation past 1 seat is a sales-gated Custom plan.
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