Brevo
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
7.2
Overall Score / 10
Substack
Substack Inc.
7.1
Overall Score / 10
Our Verdict
Choose Brevo if:
- —Businesses with large contact lists on a budget
- —Teams needing email + SMS + CRM in one tool
- —Anyone frustrated by per-contact pricing models
Choose Substack if:
- —Writers who want the simplest possible setup
- —People who value Substack's built-in network and recommendations
- —Writers focused on paid subscriptions
The biggest difference: Brevo is a full marketing platform with transactional email, SMS, WhatsApp, and CRM charging by emails sent. Substack is a simple newsletter platform for writers who want paid subscriptions with zero technical setup.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Criteria | Brevo | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest Paid Plan | $9/mo (Starter)Source: Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) pricing page → | Free onlySource: Substack Inc. pricing page → |
| Free Tier | Yes Up to 100,000 contacts, 300 emails/day, Brevo branding | Yes Free to use; Substack takes 10% cut of paid subscriptions + Stripe fees |
| Value for Money | 8 | 7 |
| Ease of Use | 7 | 10 |
| Feature Power | 7 | 4 |
| Setup Ease | 7 | 10 |
| Migration Ease | 6 | 6 |
| Transparency | 7 | 7 |
| Deployment | cloud | cloud |
| API Available | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web | Web, iOS, Android |
| Compliance | GDPR compliant (EU-based), SOC 2 | Basic GDPR tools |
Feature Comparison
Feature Comparison Matrix
18 features compared · 18 differences
| Feature | Brevo | Substack |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| Chat | None | Full |
| Chat widget | Full | None |
| CRM | Full | None |
| Landing pages | Full | None |
| Mobile app | None | Full |
| Newsletter publishing | None | Full |
| Podcast hosting | None | Full |
| Recommendations network | None | Full |
| SMS marketing | Full | None |
| Advanced | ||
| Custom domains (limited) | None | Full |
| Email campaigns | Full | None |
| Marketing automation | Full | None |
| Paid subscriptions | None | Full |
| Transactional email | Full | None |
| WhatsApp campaigns | Full | None |
| Integrations | ||
| API Access | Full | None |
| Facebook Ads integration | Full | None |
| Security | ||
| Notes (social feed) | None | Full |
Pricing Comparison
Brevo Pricing
Up to 100,000 contacts, 300 emails/day, Brevo branding
5,000 emails/mo, no daily limit, basic reporting
5,000 emails/mo, marketing automation, A/B testing, advanced stats
150,000+ emails, marketing automation, dedicated IP
Custom volume, dedicated IP, SSO, priority support
Substack Pricing
Unlimited subscribers, unlimited sends, 10% of paid subscription revenue
Who Should Choose Which?
Who should choose Brevo
Best for
- Businesses with large contact lists on a budget
- Teams needing email + SMS + CRM in one tool
- Anyone frustrated by per-contact pricing models
Avoid if
- You need deep e-commerce integrations
- You want the most polished email editor
- You need advanced deliverability monitoring tools
Who should choose Substack
Best for
- Writers who want the simplest possible setup
- People who value Substack's built-in network and recommendations
- Writers focused on paid subscriptions
Avoid if
- You want full control over your brand and domain
- You need advanced segmentation or automation
- You don't want to give up 10% of revenue
Switching Guidance
Switching from Brevo
Common triggers to leave:
- •Need more polished templates
- •Need deeper analytics
- •Need better deliverability tools
Potential blockers:
- •CRM + email in one platform
- •Transactional email setup
- •SMS campaigns configured
Switching from Substack
Common triggers to leave:
- •Need custom branding
- •Need automation
- •10% revenue cut
- •Need analytics depth
Potential blockers:
- •Built-in subscriber network
- •Substack app readers
- •Community features
Try Brevo
Start free — no credit card required
Try Substack
Start free — no credit card required