Brevo vs SendGrid: Which One Should You Use for Your Ecommerce Business?

Brevo and SendGrid are two leading email platforms used by ecommerce businesses around the world.

Whether you're looking to send transactional emails, automate marketing campaigns, or build customer journeys, both tools can support your goals, but they take very different approaches.

After spending time testing and researching both platforms, I found that Brevo is the better option if you want an all-in-one marketing platform that includes transactional emails by default.

On the other hand, SendGrid is better suited for businesses that need a dedicated email infrastructure for transactional messaging, and have developer resources available.

Below, I’ll compare both tools across key areas like pricing, email features, automation, deliverability, and ease of use to help you make the right choice for your store.

Brevo vs SendGrid: Quick Verdict

Brevo – Best for all-in-one email marketing and transactional emails in a single plan
SendGrid – Best for developer teams focused on transactional emails and advanced deliverability tools

Quick Comparison: Brevo vs SendGrid

This table gives a high-level overview of how both platforms stack up:

FeatureBrevoSendGridBest forMarketing automation + transactional emailHigh-volume transactional emailStarting price$9/month$19.95/monthFree plan300 emails/day60-day trial with 100 emails/dayEmail marketingIncludedSeparate paid planTransactional emailIncluded in all plansRequires Email API planDeveloper toolsBasicAdvancedSMS/WhatsAppIncludedNot availableCRM featuresIncludedNot availableDeliverability toolsStandardBest-in-class Go to the top Best for Pricing: Brevo

Brevo and SendGrid take very different approaches to pricing, which affects how scalable and flexible they are for different types of businesses.

Brevo has a volume-based pricing model, where you pay based on how many emails you send each month. All plans include both marketing and transactional emails, which keeps things simple.

SendGrid uses a feature-based model, where Email API and Marketing Campaigns are sold as separate services. If you want both, you’ll have to pay for two different plans.

Brevo pricing Free – Send up to 300 emails per day, includes email templates, a drag-and-drop editor, basic segmentation, and transactional email via SMTP/API. Starter – From $9/month, unlocks no daily sending limit, removes Brevo branding from emails, and gives access to email support and advanced statistics. Business – From $18/month, includes everything in Starter plus marketing automation, A/B testing, send-time optimization, and advanced reporting tools. Transactional email – Included in every plan, with access to SMTP relay, email API, and event tracking for things like delivery, opens, and clicks.

Brevo's plans also support SMS and WhatsApp marketing, even at the entry level. The contact list size doesn’t affect your pricing — you only pay based on volume sent.

SendGrid pricing

Email API:

Essentials – From $19.95/month, includes up to 50,000 emails per month, access to the SMTP relay and email API, basic email analytics, and shared IP sending. Pro – From $89.95/month, includes everything in Essentials plus a dedicated IP address, sub-user management, advanced email analytics, and improved deliverability tools. Premier – Custom pricing, designed for high-volume senders with bespoke infrastructure, advanced support, and access to deliverability consultants.

Marketing Campaigns:

Free trial – Includes 100 contacts and 100 emails per day, with access to the visual email builder, basic templates, and limited automation tools. Basic – From $15/month, supports up to 5,000 contacts, email design builder, list segmentation, A/B testing, and single-step automations. Advanced – From $60/month, includes everything in Basic plus multi-step automations, dedicated IP warm-up support, email scheduling, and enhanced reporting. Premier – Custom pricing, built for larger teams with higher contact volumes, priority support, and scalable sending options.

You’ll need to manage and pay for both plans if you want access to marketing features alongside transactional email. This can increase costs quickly, especially as your business grows.

The winner
Brevo is the more affordable option overall. You get access to both marketing and transactional tools under one roof without having to piece together multiple products.

Go to the top Best for Transactional Emails: SendGrid

Transactional email is what SendGrid is known for. From order confirmations to password resets, it’s designed for reliability, scale, and speed.

While Brevo does include transactional emails in every plan, it doesn't go as deep on advanced infrastructure features like deliverability monitoring, dedicated IP warm-up, or domain-level authentication.

SendGrid strengths Built for developers with full API and SMTP access Real-time email event tracking (opens, bounces, clicks) Advanced analytics dashboards Domain reputation tools and spam monitoring Dedicated IPs with warm-up support Email address validation add-ons

If you’re running a high-volume ecommerce site or sending sensitive transactional messages, these tools make a real difference. You can build a custom email infrastructure with tight controls over reputation and speed.

Brevo strengths Transactional email included in all plans SMTP and API access for order receipts, shipping updates, and more Visual logs for email sends and errors Good for basic transactional needs

The winner
SendGrid takes the lead here. It offers more powerful tools, better monitoring, and a proven infrastructure used by major companies like Uber and Spotify.

Go to the top Best for Email Marketing: Brevo

Brevo is designed for ecommerce marketers who want to set up automations, send newsletters, and run campaigns, all without needing a developer.

Marketing emails are core to the Brevo experience. It’s easy to use, flexible, and ready to go out of the box.

Brevo marketing features Drag-and-drop email builder Pre-built automation flows for welcome emails, abandoned carts, re-engagement, and more A/B testing built in Unlimited contacts across all plans SMS and WhatsApp campaign support Forms, live chat, Facebook Ads integrations Basic CRM features for customer segmentation

You can also create workflows that connect transactional and marketing messages together — for example, sending a promotional email after a receipt or order confirmation.

SendGrid marketing features Basic email builder List management and segmentation A/B testing Automations are limited to simple drip campaigns Requires separate pricing from Email API Fewer built-in ecommerce templates

While SendGrid can send marketing emails, it’s not designed for marketers. The UI is geared more toward developers, and most advanced functionality requires third-party tools or technical setup.

The winner
Brevo is the clear winner for marketing. Everything is included, the interface is user-friendly, and it supports automation without needing code.

Go to the top Best for Deliverability: SendGrid

Deliverability can make or break your email strategy. If messages are landing in spam, you’re losing revenue.

While both platforms have strong reputations, SendGrid’s deliverability tools go further, especially for transactional messages sent at scale.

SendGrid deliverability tools Advanced domain authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) Dedicated IPs with warm-up plans Bounce and suppression list management Email testing and spam score reports Real-time deliverability analytics

With full control over email infrastructure, it’s easier to protect your sender reputation and maintain high inbox placement rates.

Brevo deliverability tools Basic domain authentication Shared IPs (dedicated available at higher plans) Visual logs and bounce tracking Less control for advanced users

Brevo works well for small to mid-sized businesses, but lacks the detailed deliverability controls that enterprise senders may require.

The winner
SendGrid wins on infrastructure and monitoring, offering the best tools for optimizing deliverability across millions of emails.

Go to the top Best for Automation: Brevo

Brevo makes it simple to set up automation workflows for both transactional and marketing emails. Whether you want to trigger a message after someone places an order, abandons a cart, or signs up for your list, it’s all visual and easy to manage.

What I like about Brevo’s automation Visual automation builder with if/then logic Prebuilt flows for ecommerce like order follow-ups, birthday campaigns, and win-back emails Works across email, SMS, and WhatsApp Easy to segment based on behavior, email activity, or purchase data Doesn’t require developer setup What I found with SendGrid

SendGrid supports automations, but it’s limited and focused more on developers:

Simple drip campaigns only No visual flow builder Relies heavily on backend logic and third-party integrations Marketing automation requires a separate paid plan

The winner
Brevo wins again for automation. It’s easier to use, more versatile, and doesn’t need additional integrations.

Go to the top Best for Ease of Use: Brevo

If you’re not a developer, Brevo is significantly easier to use. The interface is built for marketers and business owners who want to move quickly without diving into technical documentation.

Getting started with Brevo Clean onboarding experience Clear separation between marketing and transactional tools Drag-and-drop email builder Setup guides and automation templates Shopify and WooCommerce plugins available Getting started with SendGrid Designed for developers Requires setup of API keys, domains, and templates Minimal marketing guidance Interface is split between products

While SendGrid is incredibly powerful, it’s not built for beginners. Brevo, by contrast, offers a much smoother experience if you want to get up and running quickly.

The winner
Brevo is easier to learn and faster to implement, making it a better fit for small ecommerce teams.

Go to the top Final Verdict: Brevo vs SendGrid

Here’s a final summary to help you choose the right tool for your ecommerce business:

Best ForWinnerPricingBrevoEmail MarketingBrevoAutomationBrevoTransactional EmailSendGridDeliverabilitySendGridDeveloper FeaturesSendGridEase of UseBrevo

Choose Brevo if:

You want to manage marketing and transactional emails in one platform You need built-in automation and multichannel campaigns You want a more user-friendly tool without coding You prefer simpler pricing without buying add-ons

Choose SendGrid if:

You’re focused on high-volume transactional email You have a developer team to build custom integrations You need detailed deliverability controls You want to keep infrastructure separate from marketing

Both platforms are excellent in the right context. For most ecommerce stores without a dedicated development team, Brevo is the easier, more complete choice.

If you're building a custom backend and email infrastructure at scale, SendGrid gives you the control and power you need.

To make the right decision, consider starting a free plan or trial with both platforms. Test them in your real environment. That’s the best way to see which one fits how you work.

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