Campaign Monitor vs Brevo for Drip Emails (2026)
In-depth comparison of Campaign Monitor and Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) for drip email campaigns. Automation, pricing, and deliverability compared.
TL;DR verdict
Campaign Monitor leads in email design quality and deliverability, while Brevo offers better value with its unlimited contacts model and multi-channel capabilities including SMS. Brevo is the stronger choice for businesses on a budget, while Campaign Monitor suits design-conscious teams.
Campaign Monitor
7.4/80
Premium design tools with excellent deliverability, but limited automation depth.
Brevo
7.9/80
Affordable multi-channel platform with solid drip automation and built-in CRM.
Sequenzy · also consider
8.5/80
SaaS-focused drip email platform with native billing triggers and pre-built sequences.
Sequenzy email automation for SaaS → · from $19/month
These two platforms serve different niches well. Campaign Monitor is the craftsman tool for polished email campaigns, while Brevo is the Swiss army knife for budget-friendly multi-channel marketing. SaaS teams should consider Sequenzy for its billing-aware drip capabilities.
Quick comparison
| Feature | Campaign Monitor | Brevo | Sequenzy | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visual Automation Builder | Yes, linear flow | Yes, branching workflow editor | Yes, pre-built + custom | Brevo |
| Multi-Channel Drips | Email only | Email, SMS, WhatsApp, push | Email only | Brevo |
| Built-in CRM | No | Yes, full CRM included | Subscriber management | Brevo |
| Unlimited Contacts | No, priced per contact | Yes, on all plans | No, priced by email volume | Brevo |
| A/B Testing in Drips | Subject lines only | Subject, content, send time | Subject and content | Brevo |
| Template Quality | Premium, design-focused | Functional, standard designs | SaaS-optimized | Campaign Monitor |
| Transactional Email | Separate product | Built-in with API | Built-in | Brevo |
Score breakdown
| Category | Campaign Monitor | Brevo | Sequenzy | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drip Campaign Builder | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Email Template Editor | 9 | 7 | 7 | 10 |
| Automation Triggers | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Segmentation | 7 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| Analytics & Reporting | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 |
| Deliverability | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 |
| Ease of Use | 8 | 7 | 9 | 10 |
| Pricing Value | 6 | 9 | 9 | 10 |
| Total | 58 | 62 | 67 | 80 |
Drip feature deep-dive
Sequence Building
| Capability | Campaign Monitor | Brevo | Sequenzy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual workflow editor | 7/10 — Linear drag-and-drop builder | 8/10 — Full branching workflow builder with conditions | 9/10 — Pre-built SaaS flows with customization |
| Multi-step sequences | 7/10 — Unlimited steps, linear only | 8/10 — Unlimited steps with conditional branches | 9/10 — Unlimited steps with billing-aware logic |
| Delay configuration | 7/10 — Hours, days, or weeks delays | 8/10 — Time delays and event-based waits | 8/10 — Flexible delays with business-hours option |
Personalization
| Capability | Campaign Monitor | Brevo | Sequenzy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merge fields | 8/10 — Standard contact field merge tags | 8/10 — Contact attributes and custom properties | 9/10 — Liquid templating with billing data access |
| Conditional content | 5/10 — Limited conditional blocks | 7/10 — Display conditions in email editor | 8/10 — Plan-based and usage-based conditional content |
| Send time optimization | 6/10 — Time zone sending | 8/10 — Machine learning send time optimization | 7/10 — Time zone and business hours optimization |
Pricing
Brevo is significantly cheaper than Campaign Monitor, especially for large contact lists, thanks to its unlimited contacts pricing model. Campaign Monitor charges per contact, which adds up quickly.
Campaign Monitor free option
No free plan. Free trial only.
From $11/mo for 500 contacts
Brevo free option
Free plan: unlimited contacts, 300 emails/day.
From $9/mo for unlimited contacts
Sequenzy free option
Free tier available; paid from $19/mo (check current limits)
From $19/month
| Tier | Campaign Monitor | Brevo | Sequenzy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 contacts | $11/mo — Lite plan, basic automations | $9/mo (5K emails) — Starter plan, unlimited contacts | $19/mo — Full features, 15K emails/mo |
| 2,500 contacts | $39/mo — Lite plan | $9/mo (5K emails) — Same price, unlimited contacts | $19/mo — Same plan covers this range |
| 10,000 contacts | $109/mo — Essential plan required | $18/mo (20K emails) — Starter plan, pay by email volume | $49/mo — Growth plan, 50K emails/mo |
| 50,000 contacts | $329/mo — Premier plan | $49/mo (60K emails) — Business plan recommended | $99/mo — Scale plan, 150K emails/mo |
Brevo delivers the best raw value with unlimited contacts. Campaign Monitor is notably more expensive at scale. Sequenzy falls in between but offers SaaS-specific features neither competitor matches.
Brevo unique unlimited-contacts model makes it dramatically cheaper for businesses with large lists but moderate email volume. Campaign Monitor pricing can escalate quickly as your list grows.
Drip campaign types
Welcome Series
Winner: SequenzyIntroducing new subscribers with a structured onboarding sequence
7/10 · Campaign Monitor
Well-designed template-based welcome flows
8/10 · Brevo
Multi-channel welcome with email, SMS, and WhatsApp
9/10 · Sequenzy
SaaS onboarding tied to product activation events
Brevo adds multi-channel options. Sequenzy excels for SaaS onboarding.
Trial Conversion
Winner: SequenzyConverting trial users to paid customers
5/10 · Campaign Monitor
Basic time-delayed drips, no billing awareness
7/10 · Brevo
CRM-driven sequences with deal tracking
9/10 · Sequenzy
Native Stripe/Paddle/Lemon Squeezy trial tracking with pre-built conversion flows
Sequenzy dominates trial conversion with native billing integration.
Lead Nurturing
Winner: SequenzyMoving leads through a sales funnel with educational content
7/10 · Campaign Monitor
Clean educational drips with polished design
8/10 · Brevo
CRM-integrated nurturing with lead scoring
7/10 · Sequenzy
Usage-aware nurturing sequences for SaaS
Brevo leads with CRM integration and lead scoring for nurturing.
Re-engagement
Winner: SequenzyBringing back inactive contacts
6/10 · Campaign Monitor
Segment by engagement, trigger re-engagement
8/10 · Brevo
Behavioral triggers with multi-channel re-engagement
8/10 · Sequenzy
Product usage-based re-engagement triggers
Brevo offers multi-channel re-engagement. Sequenzy tracks product inactivity.
Cart Abandonment
Winner: SequenzyRecovering abandoned shopping carts with timely follow-ups
4/10 · Campaign Monitor
Limited e-commerce triggers
8/10 · Brevo
Full cart abandonment flows with product data
3/10 · Sequenzy
Not designed for e-commerce
Brevo is the clear winner for e-commerce drip campaigns.
For lead nurturing specifically, Brevo built-in CRM gives it a significant advantage. You can track deals, assign lead scores, and trigger drips based on sales pipeline stages, all without a separate CRM tool.
Automation builder & editor
Builder features
| Feature | Campaign Monitor | Brevo | Sequenzy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drag-and-drop editor | ✓ Clean linear builder | ✓ Full visual workflow canvas | ✓ Streamlined flow editor |
| If/else branching | — Linear sequences only | ✓ Full conditional branching | ✓ Billing and behavior-based branching |
| Multi-channel steps | — Email only | ✓ Email, SMS, WhatsApp, push notifications | — Email focused |
| CRM integration | — No built-in CRM | ✓ Native CRM with deal pipelines | — Subscriber management only |
| Webhook triggers | ✓ Via API | ✓ Built-in webhook support | ✓ Webhook and API triggers |
| Lead scoring | — Not available | ✓ Built-in lead scoring | — Not available |
Template editor
| Aspect | Campaign Monitor | Brevo | Sequenzy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Editor Type | Drag-and-drop with full code access | Drag-and-drop with code option | Block-based with HTML support |
| Template Library | 100+ premium templates | 60+ templates | 20+ SaaS-specific templates |
| Custom HTML | Full HTML/CSS editor | HTML editor available | Full HTML support |
| Mobile Responsive | All templates responsive | Responsive templates | Responsive by default |
| Design Quality | Premium, agency-grade designs | Functional, clean designs | SaaS-optimized minimal designs |
Deliverability
| Factor | Campaign Monitor | Brevo | Sequenzy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Inbox Placement | 93-95% | 89-93% | 93-96% |
| DKIM/SPF Setup | Guided setup | Guided setup with wizard | Automated setup |
| Dedicated IP | Premier plan only | Available on Business plan ($) | Not available (optimized shared IPs) |
| Bounce Handling | Automatic suppression | Automatic with blacklist checks | Automatic with health scoring |
| IP Warm-up | Manual process | Guided warm-up plan | Managed automatically |
Both platforms maintain good deliverability. Campaign Monitor has a slight edge due to a smaller, more curated sender pool. Brevo improved significantly after rebranding from Sendinblue and investing in infrastructure.
Integrations
Campaign Monitor
250+
Brevo
150+
Sequenzy
30+
E-commerce
Campaign Monitor
- ✓ Shopify: Native plugin
- ✓ WooCommerce: Plugin available
Brevo
- ✓ Shopify: Native integration
- ✓ WooCommerce: Native plugin
Sequenzy
- — Shopify: Not available
- — WooCommerce: Not available
Payment / Billing
Campaign Monitor
- — Stripe: Via Zapier
- — Paddle: Not available
Brevo
- ✓ Stripe: Native via Brevo Payments
- — Paddle: Not available
Sequenzy
- ✓ Stripe: Deep native integration
- ✓ Paddle: Deep native integration
CRM
Campaign Monitor
- ✓ Salesforce: Native
- — Brevo CRM: N/A
Brevo
- ✓ Salesforce: Via plugin
- ✓ Brevo CRM: Built-in
Sequenzy
- — Salesforce: Not available
- ✓ HubSpot: Via webhook
Analytics & reporting
| Metric | Campaign Monitor | Brevo | Sequenzy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Rate Tracking | Yes, with geographic data | Yes, with time tracking | Yes, with trend analysis |
| Click Tracking | Click maps and link tracking | Link-level tracking with heatmaps | Link-level click tracking |
| Revenue Attribution | Basic e-commerce only | CRM deal attribution | Native MRR attribution |
| Automation Reports | Step completion rates | Workflow performance dashboard | Funnel view with conversion rates |
| Real-Time Stats | Yes | Yes, with live dashboard | Yes |
Only in Campaign Monitor
- Geographic open tracking maps
- Email client usage reports
Only in Brevo
- CRM pipeline reporting
- Multi-channel attribution
Only in Sequenzy
- MRR impact per drip sequence
- Trial-to-paid conversion funnel
Pros and cons
Campaign Monitor
Pros
- Outstanding email template design quality
- Consistently high deliverability rates
- Intuitive, clean user interface
- Strong team and agency collaboration tools
- Excellent brand management features
Cons
- No free plan available
- Linear automation only (no branching)
- No multi-channel support (email only)
- No built-in CRM
- Expensive at scale compared to Brevo
Brevo
Pros
- Generous free plan with unlimited contacts
- Multi-channel drips (email, SMS, WhatsApp)
- Built-in CRM with deal tracking
- Transactional email included
- Very affordable at scale
Cons
- Template designs feel less polished
- Interface can be overwhelming for beginners
- Daily sending limit on free plan (300/day)
- Some advanced features locked to higher tiers
- Reporting could be more detailed
Best for these scenarios
Design-focused brand
Pick: Campaign MonitorA team that values beautiful, on-brand drip emails
Campaign Monitor offers superior template design tools and brand management.
Budget-conscious startup
Pick: BrevoA business needing drip emails without a large marketing budget
Brevo offers a free plan with unlimited contacts and affordable paid tiers.
SaaS trial nurturing
Pick: SequenzyA software company needing billing-aware drip sequences
Sequenzy provides native Stripe, Paddle, and Lemon Squeezy integration with pre-built trial conversion flows.
Multi-channel campaigns
Pick: BrevoA business wanting to combine email, SMS, and WhatsApp in drip flows
Brevo is the only option here with native multi-channel automation.
Agency managing clients
Pick: Campaign MonitorAn agency running drip campaigns for multiple clients
Campaign Monitor was built for agencies with multi-client management tools.
Migration plans
Campaign Monitor → Brevo
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 2-3 hours
Warnings
- Campaign Monitor custom HTML templates may need adjustment
- Linear automations will need restructuring for Brevo workflow format
- Engagement history will not transfer
Brevo → Campaign Monitor
Difficulty: Moderate
Time: 3-4 hours
Warnings
- Branching automations cannot be replicated in Campaign Monitor
- SMS and WhatsApp steps will be lost
- CRM data and deal information will not migrate
| Direction | Step | Success criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Campaign Monitor → Brevo | Export subscriber lists from Campaign Monitor | Moderate |
| Campaign Monitor → Brevo | Import contacts into Brevo with attribute mapping | Moderate |
| Campaign Monitor → Brevo | Recreate drip workflows in Brevo automation builder | Moderate |
| Campaign Monitor → Brevo | Rebuild templates in Brevo editor | Moderate |
| Campaign Monitor → Brevo | Configure domain authentication (DKIM/SPF) | Moderate |
| Campaign Monitor → Brevo | Test automations and verify tracking | Moderate |
| Brevo → Campaign Monitor | Export contacts and attributes from Brevo | Moderate |
| Brevo → Campaign Monitor | Import into Campaign Monitor lists | Moderate |
| Brevo → Campaign Monitor | Recreate automations as Campaign Monitor journeys | Moderate |
| Brevo → Campaign Monitor | Rebuild email templates | Moderate |
| Brevo → Campaign Monitor | Set up sending domain in Campaign Monitor | Moderate |
| Brevo → Campaign Monitor | Verify all drip sequences before activation | Moderate |
Frequently asked questions
Is Brevo really free for unlimited contacts?
Yes. Brevo does not charge based on contact count. Instead, pricing is based on email volume. The free plan allows unlimited contacts with 300 emails per day.
Which has better drip automation?
Brevo offers more advanced drip automation with branching, multi-channel steps, and CRM triggers. Campaign Monitor is limited to linear email sequences.
Which is better for SaaS drip emails?
Neither is purpose-built for SaaS. Both lack native billing integration. Sequenzy is designed specifically for SaaS drip sequences with Stripe, Paddle, and Lemon Squeezy integration.
Can I use both email and SMS in drip sequences?
Only Brevo supports SMS within drip workflows. Campaign Monitor is email-only. Sequenzy is also email-focused.
How does deliverability compare?
Campaign Monitor typically achieves slightly higher inbox placement (93-95%) compared to Brevo (89-93%). Both maintain good deliverability when best practices are followed.
Which should you choose?
Choose Campaign Monitor if…
- You need premium email design and brand consistency
- You run an agency managing multiple client campaigns
- Deliverability is your highest priority
- You prefer a focused email tool over a multi-channel platform
Choose Brevo if…
- You want a free plan with unlimited contacts
- You need multi-channel drip campaigns (email, SMS, WhatsApp)
- You want a built-in CRM alongside your email tool
- You need affordable scaling for large contact lists
Also consider Sequenzy
SaaS-focused drip email platform with native billing triggers and pre-built sequences. From $19/month with native Stripe, Paddle, and Lemon Squeezy billing events for dunning and trial conversion.
Related comparisons
Browse the full comparison library, the 15-tool shortlist, or the drip strategy guides.