Brevo vs Circle: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of Brevo and Circle to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
Brevo
6.9/10
Brevo, formerly Sendinblue, is a multichannel marketing platform for email, SMS, WhatsApp, automation and transactional messaging, with a built-in sales CRM for small and mid-sized businesses.
Circle
5.8/10
Circle is an all-in-one community platform for creators and brands that combines discussion spaces, courses, live events, payments, and paid email marketing.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.9/10 | 5.8/10 |
| Scalability | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Customization | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Security | 7/10 | 5/10 |
| Support | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 4/10 |
| Integration | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Analytics | 6/10 | 5/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | $9/mo Starter | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | $499/mo Professional | Contact for pricing |
| Features | ||
| Email Marketing | ||
| Segmentation | ||
| A/B Testing | Not listed | |
| E-commerce Features | Not listed | |
| Landing Pages | Not listed | |
| SMS Marketing | Not listed | |
| Webinars | Not listed | |
Brevo vs Circle cost by team size
| Team size | Brevo | Circle |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeFree | Contact for pricing |
| 5 users | $499/moProfessional | Contact for pricing |
| 10 users | $499/moProfessional | Contact for pricing |
| 25 users | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
| 50 users | Contact for pricing | Contact for pricing |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Brevo
- Has a free plan (Circle does not)
- Higher Cost score (8/10 vs 4/10)
- Higher Security score (7/10 vs 5/10)
- Better fit for small business (9/10 vs 7/10)
- Better fit for startups (8/10 vs 6/10)
Why choose Circle
- Higher Support score (6/10 vs 5/10)
Pros & Cons
Brevo
Pros
- The free plan sends 300 emails a day and allows up to 100,000 contacts, which is generous for testing the product or for very small lists.
- Pricing is based mainly on how many emails you send, so businesses with large lists that email rarely can keep costs low.
- Transactional email through an API and SMTP, outbound webhooks and a Zapier connector are included on every plan, including Free.
- Email, SMS, WhatsApp, push, live chat and a sales CRM are available from one vendor.
Cons
- On Starter and Standard, the lowest send tiers cap contacts at 500 to 2,500, which can force earlier upgrades.
- Pop-ups, contact scoring, WhatsApp, inbound webhooks and phone support all require Professional, which starts at $499 a month.
- Many reviewers on Capterra and Trustpilot report sudden account suspensions with unclear reasons and slow reinstatement.
- SMS and WhatsApp are billed as prepaid credits on top of the plan price, and the CRM is a separate purchase.
Circle
Pros
- Unlimited members on every plan, so cost does not rise with community size
- Community, courses, live streams, chat, and payments run in one branded app across web and mobile
- Native live streams and live rooms remove the need for a separate webinar tool for small events
- Email Hub can target event attendees and space members directly from community data
- Free 14-day trial with no credit card, and migration help
Cons
- Email marketing is a separate $99/mo add-on, and reviewers rate its editor as basic
- Transaction fees of 0.5% to 2% apply on top of Stripe fees
- Workflows, white-labeling, and APIs require the $199/mo Business plan or higher
- Add-ons for admins, spaces, and live hours raise the real cost
- No native course certificates or graded assessments
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Brevo scores higher on our Marketing criteria: 6.9/10 against 5.8/10 for Circle. The largest gap is in Cost: 8/10 for Brevo and 4/10 for Circle.
Brevo has a free plan; Circle does not list one.
Brevo is the better fit for small business: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 7/10 for Circle.
