Brevo vs Mailchimp
Considering a switch from Mailchimp to a European alternative? Brevo offers full GDPR compliance and EU-only data hosting without the legal uncertainties that come with US-based services. Here's how they compare on features, pricing, and data protection.
Quick Overview
Brevo
EU- Headquarters
- Paris, FR
- Pricing
- Free
- Open Source
- No
Mailchimp
USMailchimp is an email marketing and automation platform that helps businesses design campaigns, manage subscriber lists, and analyze engagement metrics.
The Case for Brevo
- Brevo stores all data exclusively in France, Germany, EU, under European jurisdiction. Unlike Mailchimp, which is subject to the US CLOUD Act and FISA Section 702, Brevo cannot be compelled by foreign governments to hand over your data.
- Brevo offers a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) that is fully aligned with GDPR Article 28. There is no legal ambiguity about data transfers or adequacy decisions — your data processor is European, and the law that governs it is European.
- You can try Brevo for free before committing. This makes it easy to evaluate whether it meets your needs alongside — or as a replacement for — Mailchimp, without any financial risk.
Why Switch to Brevo?
Concerns with Mailchimp
- US CLOUD Act jurisdiction
- Subscriber data processed and stored in the US
- Shares data with third-party integrations by default
- Hamburg DPA issued warnings about its use under GDPR
Brevo Compliance
GDPRISO 27001DPA
- Headquarters
- Paris, FR
- Data Centers
- FR, DE, EU
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Brevo vs Mailchimp — FAQ
Is Mailchimp GDPR compliant?
Mailchimp may offer GDPR compliance features and EU data residency options, but as a US-headquartered company, it remains subject to the US CLOUD Act and FISA Section 702. These laws can compel US companies to hand over data regardless of where it is stored. The EU-US Data Privacy Framework provides some safeguards, but its predecessors (Safe Harbor and Privacy Shield) were both invalidated by the European Court of Justice. Brevo, as a European company, is not subject to these US laws at all.
How does Brevo compare to Mailchimp in features?
Brevo offers Email marketing campaigns, Transactional email and SMS, Marketing automation workflows, CRM with deal pipelines, and 6 more features. While Mailchimp's ecosystem may be larger due to its market position, Brevo covers the core functionality that most teams need. The trade-off is typically between breadth of integrations (Mailchimp) and data sovereignty with regulatory certainty (Brevo).
Can I migrate from Mailchimp to Brevo?
Yes. Most European software providers, including Brevo, offer migration tools or documentation to help you transition from US-based services. Under GDPR Article 20, you have the right to data portability — meaning Mailchimp must provide your data in a machine-readable format. The migration process varies in complexity depending on your data volume and integrations, but for most teams it can be completed within a few days to a few weeks.