Brevo vs Kit 2026: Free Plans and Email Costs Compared
Compare Brevo and Kit for newsletters, automation and email limits, including a worked example for a 1,000-subscriber list.

For a creator sending a weekly newsletter to 1,000 subscribers, Kit's $0 Free plan is the stronger starting point: Kit lists unlimited broadcasts for up to 10,000 subscribers. Brevo Free stores more contacts but permits 300 email sends per day, so one full-list campaign exceeds that daily allowance. Brevo is worth considering when transactional email, SMS and customer workflows matter alongside newsletters. Vendor plan pages checked October 28, 2026.
The example assumes the creator needs to reach every subscriber in a single day. It does not settle deliverability, integration fit or the cost of paid automation. Check the account's limits and consent requirements before importing a list.
Toolradar data: Our directory evaluated 109 email marketing tools as of October 28, 2026. That is the size of the category snapshot, not a test of either service. Toolradar has profiles for Brevo on Toolradar and Kit on Toolradar.
Brevo vs Kit at a glance
| Question | Brevo | Kit |
|---|---|---|
| Free subscription | $0 | $0 |
| Free audience or storage | Up to 100,000 contacts stored | Up to 10,000 email subscribers |
| Free sending | 300 email sends per day | Unlimited email broadcasts listed |
| Starter paid price | From $9/month, with tier-specific limits | Paid price changes with subscriber count; check the quote |
| Core fit | Email, transactional messages and customer workflows | Newsletter, creator audience and digital products |
| Automation | Free plan lists automation up to 2,000 contacts | Vendor help says visual automations and sequences need a paid plan |
Brevo's plan guide and Kit's Free plan documentation describe different units: contacts stored, subscribers, sends and broadcasts. They cannot be ranked by the largest number alone. The paid plan price and available features should be confirmed in each account before buying.
What happens with the example list?
Consider four monthly broadcasts to the consenting active list above. That is 4 × 1,000, or 4,000 recipient sends, if each broadcast reaches the full list. It is a volume example, not a delivery guarantee or permission for every use.
| Requirement | Brevo Free | Kit Free |
|---|---|---|
| Store or manage the list | Within the stated contact-storage limit | Within the stated subscriber limit |
| Send one broadcast to everyone in one day | Exceeds the daily email-send allowance | Kit lists unlimited broadcasts; verify account and sending terms |
| Four broadcasts in a month | 4,000 total sends, subject to the daily limit | Four broadcasts, subject to applicable account terms |
| Paid plan if the free limit blocks the job | Check an appropriate send and contact tier | Check price at the actual subscriber count |
Brevo's entry Starter tier lists 5,000 monthly sends but only 500 stored contacts, so it does not fit this list. Its 10,000-send tier allows up to 1,500 contacts; check its current price. The advertised starting price is not the price for every list.
Brevo says unused Free sends do not roll over. Segmenting a campaign across days may work, but it changes timing and requires careful list management. A full-list campaign cannot all send immediately under the daily limit.
How do the paid plans differ?
Brevo's help page lists Starter from $9 per month, with no daily sending limit and multiple send-volume tiers. The selected send tier also sets how many contacts can be stored. Removing Brevo branding is listed as a $9 monthly add-on in its plan guide. SMS credits and any other products should be checked separately; email subscription alone does not establish the cost of a multichannel campaign.
Kit's pricing page offers Free, Creator and Pro plans. Its paid price depends on subscriber count and billing selection. Kit's Free plan help page says visual automations and email sequences require a paid plan. Request the current monthly and annual price for your actual list instead of multiplying a starting price that may use a different subscriber tier.
The decision changes when the newsletter needs a welcome sequence or behavioral automation. A creator who only sends broadcasts might fit Kit Free; a creator needing a multi-step sequence should compare the paid tier that provides it. A company using Brevo for receipts and customer communications should count those messages along with marketing campaigns when evaluating its allowance.
For more pricing context, see our Brevo pricing guide and Kit pricing guide. The email marketing software guide covers the broader category.
Which free plan gives more room?
The important limit may be stored contacts, daily recipients or subscribers. Brevo Free lists up to 100,000 stored contacts and 300 emails per day; Kit Free lists up to 10,000 subscribers and unlimited broadcasts. A 5,000-person list fits Kit's stated subscriber limit, but a full-list campaign exceeds Brevo's daily allowance.
Brevo may fit a business that stores customer records but sends few messages each day. A storage allowance is not permission to email every contact at once, and unlimited broadcasts do not guarantee acceptance of a low-quality or unconsented list.
Calculate the busiest day as well as the monthly total. A transactional spike and a marketing campaign may both consume email capacity. Brevo says its plan credits can be used for marketing and transactional emails; confirm the allocation and any queue behavior for your setup. Monitor the sending rules before an order-confirmation workflow relies on remaining capacity.
The free email marketing software comparison helps if neither limit fits. Our newsletter platforms guide covers tools designed around publishing an audience.
Which is better for automation?
Brevo's Free plan documentation lists multichannel marketing automation for up to 2,000 contacts. That is not the same as saying every advanced automation feature is included, or that every email can be sent despite the daily limit. Check the actual trigger, steps, audience count and send allowance for the intended workflow.
Kit's help page says visual automations and email sequences live on paid plans. Kit Free includes audience tagging and segmentation, which can still help organize a broadcast list. A paid upgrade is a separate decision if the marketer needs an automated welcome series or a sequence that runs after a subscriber takes an action.
Ask both vendors to demonstrate the same workflow: a reader signs up, receives a resource and later gets a follow-up. Check consent storage, audience tags, send counts and what happens after an unsubscribe. Confirm each step is included before moving a production list.
For another newsletter comparison, see Kit vs Mailchimp. If list growth is the issue rather than platform features, our guides to growing a newsletter and building an email list from zero focus on the acquisition work.
Newsletters, transactions and other channels
Kit describes its Free plan around creator newsletters, landing pages, forms and the ability to sell digital products or subscriptions. That combination is useful for a person building an owned audience around their work. Check any payment-processing charges and product terms separately; a free email subscription is not a promise that every sale is fee-free.
Brevo describes email and SMS campaigns, transactional messages and sales features. A business that needs purchase confirmations and promotional email should map which messages use which product and capacity. SMS can have separate credits and country-specific terms, so obtain an example price for the destinations and volume you actually expect.
The question is not which product lists more channels. It is whether the channel, automation and reporting the team needs are available on the plan it can afford. Ask both vendors to demonstrate the workflow with a representative list, one unsubscribe and a message that fails or is delayed.
Our Brevo review and Kit review cover broader product considerations. For a smaller business comparing the entire category, see email marketing for small businesses.
What should you check before switching?
Export a sample of contacts and verify email addresses, consent records, tags and unsubscribe status before migration. Count the active subscribers or stored contacts using the destination's billing definition. A list export with duplicated addresses, archived contacts or non-marketing records can produce a different bill from the headline list size.
Check domain authentication, templates and integrations, then send a test campaign to addresses you control. Confirm reporting, replies and opt-outs before moving the full audience. Coordinate the old and new welcome sequences so readers do not receive duplicate messages.
Finally, request a current quote at three levels: the list size today, the expected list size next year, and the busiest monthly send volume. Include branding removal, extra users, SMS and any required automation. The vendor with the lower entry price may not be the lower-cost option at your actual mix.
Frequently asked questions
Is Brevo or Kit free?
Both list a free subscription. Brevo limits daily email sends; Kit limits subscribers while listing unlimited broadcasts. Account and sending terms still apply.
Can Brevo Free send a campaign to 1,000 people in one day?
No. The Free allowance is 300 daily sends, so a full-list send to that many people exceeds it. Ask Brevo about the appropriate paid tier and workflow.
Does Kit Free include email sequences?
Kit's current Free plan help page says email sequences and visual automations require a paid plan. Confirm the plan shown in your account before designing a workflow around them.
Does Brevo charge by contacts or emails?
Brevo's paid marketing tiers combine a monthly email-send allowance with a corresponding contact-storage limit. Check both numbers when choosing a tier.
Is the $9 Brevo plan enough for 1,000 contacts?
Brevo's plan guide lists the first Starter tier at 5,000 monthly emails and up to 500 contacts. The example list needs a suitable higher tier; confirm its current price.
Can Kit sell digital products?
Kit lists digital products and subscriptions on Free. Review payment and transaction terms separately before using it for sales.
Which is better for transactional emails?
Brevo explicitly lists transactional email on its Free plan. Verify capacity and the exact integration for your use case; this does not establish that every transactional workflow is free or unlimited.
Which is cheaper for my list?
Compare actual subscriber count, contacts, send volume, required automation, add-ons and billing term. A free plan may be sufficient, but starting prices alone do not establish the total.
Methodology
We reviewed Brevo's official plan, sending and marketing pages and Kit's official Free plan and pricing pages on October 28, 2026. The subscriber example is arithmetic, not a test campaign or a delivery claim. We did not create accounts or perform product testing. Plans and limits can change, so check the current offer before migrating.
Cite this: MarketingShot, "Brevo vs Kit 2026: Free Plans and Email Costs Compared", October 2026.
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