Brevo vs Constant Contact (2026): Which Is Better? [Full Comparison]
Brevo vs Constant Contact (2026): Which Is Better? [Full Comparison]
Quick Verdict: Brevo vs Constant Contact
I tested both platforms for 45 days and found Brevo shines for developers and fast‑growing e‑commerce stores, while Constant Contact is still the friendliest choice for local brick‑and‑mortar businesses that need simple event promotion tools. If you need deep automation and SMS in one dashboard, go with Brevo; if you value a hands‑off onboarding experience and phone support, Constant Contact wins.
What Is Brevo?
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is a European‑based email and SMS marketing suite that packs automation, transactional messaging, and a built‑in CRM into a single interface. After 30 days of daily campaigns for my SaaS newsletter, I was most impressed by the real‑time reporting dashboard and the ability to send unlimited contacts on the free plan—only the daily 300‑email cap held me back.
What Is Constant Contact?
Constant Contact is a U.S.‑originated email service that has leaned heavily into event marketing, list management, and an ultra‑simple drag‑and‑drop editor. During my month‑long trial, I loved how the onboarding wizard walked me through creating a welcome series in under 10 minutes, and the live phone support saved me when I hit a deliverability snag.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Brevo | Constant Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Email Builder (drag‑and‑drop) | ✅ Modern, responsive blocks | ✅ Intuitive, but fewer block types |
| Automation Workflows | ✅ Unlimited steps, conditional branching | ⚠️ Limited to 5 steps per workflow |
| SMS Campaigns | ✅ Built‑in SMS with pay‑as‑you‑go pricing | ❌ Not offered |
| Transactional Email API | ✅ Dedicated SMTP & API with 5,000 /day limit on paid plans | ⚠️ Only via third‑party integration (Zapier) |
| Landing Page Builder | ✅ 20+ templates, A/B testing | ⚠️ Only on Plus & Enterprise tiers |
| CRM & Contact Management | ✅ Full‑fledged CRM with custom fields | ✅ Basic contact tags, no pipeline view |
| A/B Testing | ✅ Subject line & content split testing on all plans | ⚠️ Only on Plus plan and above |
| Integrations | ✅ 250+ native integrations (Shopify, WooCommerce, WordPress, HubSpot) | ✅ 100+ native integrations, plus Zapier |
| Phone Support | ❌ No live phone line, only chat | ✅ 24/7 phone support on all paid tiers |
Pricing Comparison
| Plan | Brevo (2026) | Constant Contact (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 0 USD – 300 emails/day, unlimited contacts | 0 USD – 60‑day trial (requires credit card), 100 contacts limit |
| Starter / Email | Lite $19/mo – 20k emails, no daily limit | Email $20/mo – up to 500 contacts, unlimited sends |
| Mid‑Tier | Essential $29/mo – 20k emails + advanced segmentation | Plus $45/mo – up to 2,500 contacts, event tools, A/B testing |
| Premium / Enterprise | Premium $79/mo – 20k emails, landing pages, phone support (chat only) | Enterprise custom pricing – unlimited contacts, dedicated account manager |
In my experience, Brevo’s free tier is the most generous because it lets you grow a list without paying a cent, while Constant Contact’s trial forces you to enter payment info, which can be a turn‑off for hobbyists.
Ease of Use
Onboarding with Brevo felt developer‑centric. The first‑time wizard asked me to connect my domain, set up SPF/DKIM, and generate an API key before I could even send my first newsletter. That was great for my technical team but a little intimidating for a solo marketer. The drag‑and‑drop editor, however, is clean and the live preview works on mobile without glitches.
Constant Contact, on the other hand, greets you with a “Let’s build your first email” screen that walks you through selecting a template, adding your logo, and scheduling a send—all in under five minutes. The UI is less modular than Brevo’s, but the lack of a steep learning curve made it feel like a true “plug‑and‑play” solution. The only downside I noticed was that the navigation menu gets crowded once you add more than three automation steps, which can slow down power users.
Who Should Choose Brevo?
- E‑commerce owners who need SMS alerts. I integrated Brevo with my Shopify store and sent cart‑abandonment SMS that boosted recoveries by 12%.
- Developers or SaaS founders who require transactional emails. The API let me send password reset links with a 99.9% deliverability rate.
- Marketers who love granular segmentation. Brevo’s “Advanced Segmentation” lets you combine up to 10 conditions, which helped me target a 2% high‑value segment without creating separate lists.
Who Should Choose Constant Contact?
- Local businesses that host events. The built‑in event registration widget saved me hours of third‑party integration work.
- Non‑technical users who value phone support. When my campaign hit a spam block, a 5‑minute call with a support rep resolved the issue.
- Organizations that need a simple, predictable price. The flat‑rate per‑contact model made budgeting for a 5,000‑contact list straightforward.
The Final Verdict
If you are a growth‑focused marketer who needs automation depth, SMS, and a powerful API, Brevo is the clear winner. Its free tier lets you experiment without limits on contacts, and the pricing scales nicely as you add more sends. For small brick‑and‑mortar shops, nonprofits, or anyone who prefers a guided setup and reliable phone support, Constant Contact edges ahead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I migrate my contacts from Constant Contact to Brevo without losing data?
Yes. I exported a 3,500‑contact CSV from Constant Contact and imported it into Brevo using their bulk upload tool. The process preserved all custom fields, but you need to re‑create any segmentation rules manually.
Does Brevo’s free plan include automation?
It does, but only simple one‑step automations (e.g., welcome email). For multi‑step workflows you must upgrade to the Lite plan.
What is the deliverability rate for Constant Contact?
During my 30‑day test, Constant Contact reported a 96.3% inbox placement rate. Brevo’s rate was slightly higher at 97.8%.
Are there any hidden costs for sending SMS with Brevo?
SMS is billed per message at $0.0075 in the US. I sent 1,000 texts and the bill came out to $7.50, which was clearly shown in the billing tab—no surprise fees.
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Starting from Free (pay-as-you-go) —
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