Brevo vs Customer.io: Budget vs Power in Email Marketing
Comparing Brevo (Sendinblue) and Customer.io for SaaS email. Affordable multi-channel vs powerful automation.
Overview
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) and Customer.io represent opposite ends of the email market. Brevo is affordable and multi-purpose. Customer.io is expensive and powerful. For SaaS-specific features at reasonable pricing, Sequenzy offers a middle ground.
| Feature | Brevo | Customer.io |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Free-$25/mo | $100/mo |
| Focus | General marketing | Behavioral automation |
| Automation Power | Basic-Moderate | Most powerful |
| Multi-channel | Email, SMS, Chat | Email, SMS, Push |
| SaaS-specific | No | Partial |
| CRM | Basic included | No |
Key Differences
Price vs Power Tradeoff
Brevo is one of the most affordable email platforms. Free tier for 300 emails/day, paid plans from $25/mo. You get email, SMS, chat, and basic CRM. The tradeoff is less sophisticated automation and no SaaS-specific features.
Customer.io is 4x more expensive starting at $100/mo. The premium buys you the most powerful automation builder, advanced segmentation, and multi-channel messaging. Worth it for teams who will actually use the features.
Automation Sophistication
Customer.io automation is unmatched. Complex branching, A/B testing within workflows, sophisticated event tracking, and unlimited possibilities.
Brevo automation is adequate for basic needs. Drip campaigns, simple triggers, and basic segmentation. Power users will hit limits quickly.
SaaS Suitability
Neither is built for SaaS. Brevo is general-purpose marketing. Customer.io is better for product companies but still lacks native billing integrations.
For SaaS-specific needs, Sequenzy fills the gap with native Stripe, Polar, Creem, and Dodo integrations at $19/mo.
Consider Sequenzy
If you are a SaaS founder, neither Brevo nor Customer.io is ideal:
- Brevo is cheap but lacks SaaS features and sophisticated automation
- Customer.io is powerful but expensive and still lacks native billing integrations
Sequenzy at $19/mo offers:
- Native billing integrations (Stripe, Polar, Creem, Dodo)
- Revenue attribution built-in
- Advanced automation for SaaS use cases
- Better value than both alternatives
Who Should Choose What
Choose Brevo if:
- Budget is the primary concern
- You need basic email + SMS + chat
- Automation needs are simple
- You are not running a SaaS
Choose Customer.io if:
- You need the most powerful automation
- Multi-channel messaging is essential
- Budget supports $100+/mo
- You have resources to learn the platform
Choose Sequenzy if:
- You run a SaaS product
- Billing integrations matter
- You want good automation at a fair price
- Revenue attribution is important
The Bottom Line
Brevo is best for budget-conscious teams with basic needs. Customer.io is best for well-funded teams needing maximum power.
For SaaS founders, Sequenzy offers the best balance: SaaS-specific features, reasonable automation, and fair pricing. You do not have to choose between cheap-but-basic and powerful-but-expensive.