How to Migrate from Mailchimp to Brevo: The Complete Guide

How to Migrate from Mailchimp to Brevo: The Complete Guide

Migrating from Mailchimp to Brevo is the most cost-driven email platform switch businesses make in 2026. The primary catalyst is almost always the same: Mailchimp's contact-based pricing has become unsustainable as lists grow, and Brevo's email-volume pricing model offers a fundamentally more affordable structure — particularly for businesses with large contact databases that do not email everyone every month.

Beyond pricing, Brevo offers meaningful capability advantages over Mailchimp: native transactional email on all plans (Mailchimp charges separately via Mandrill), built-in SMS and WhatsApp marketing without additional tools, a basic CRM included at no extra cost, and unlimited contact storage regardless of how large your list grows.

The migration itself is one of the most straightforward email platform switches available — Brevo has a native Mailchimp integration that handles the contact sync automatically. The work lies in rebuilding automation workflows, recreating templates, replacing signup forms, and setting up proper domain authentication before your first send.

This guide walks through every step in order: audit your current Mailchimp setup, clean your list, connect the Mailchimp integration, rebuild automations and templates, authenticate your domain, replace forms, and cut over with a clean deliverability warm-up. Done correctly, most businesses complete this migration in one to two weeks.

Why Businesses Migrate from Mailchimp to Brevo

The pricing model difference is the most common driver, and it is worth understanding concretely before starting the migration.

Mailchimp charges based on the number of contacts stored — including unsubscribed contacts that can never receive your emails. If you have a list of 20,000 contacts but only email 5,000 active subscribers each month, you still pay for all 20,000. Mailchimp's Standard plan for 20,000 contacts costs approximately $250 per month. Overages apply when you exceed your contact limit.

Brevo charges based on emails sent per month, not contacts stored. All contacts are stored free — always. The Starter plan at $9 per month covers 5,000 email sends. The Business plan at $65 per month covers 20,000 email sends — with automation, A/B testing, and multi-user access included. A business sending 20,000 emails per month pays $65 on Brevo versus $250 on Mailchimp for a comparable feature set.

Additional reasons businesses make this switch include needing transactional email without a separate add-on, wanting SMS and WhatsApp in the same platform as email, finding Mailchimp's advanced automation locked behind expensive tier upgrades, and needing to remove the Mailchimp branding from emails without paying extra.

What Transfers vs What Needs Rebuilding

Know this upfront — it shapes how long your migration will take.

What transfers via Brevo's native Mailchimp integration:

• Subscriber email addresses and profile data
• Contact attributes — first name, last name, and any standard fields
• Mailchimp audience lists — imported as Brevo lists
• Subscription and unsubscribe statuses
• Opt-in confirmation status
• Contact sync updates up to 1 million contacts

What does NOT transfer and requires manual work:

• Mailchimp tags — these do not transfer via the integration; import as custom contact attributes or Brevo list assignments instead
• Mailchimp automation sequences — must be recreated in Brevo's automation workflow builder
• Email templates — must be rebuilt in Brevo's drag-and-drop editor or imported as HTML files
• Signup forms and pop-ups — must be recreated in Brevo and embedded on your website
• Historical campaign analytics — performance data from past Mailchimp campaigns stays in Mailchimp; download and save it for reference
• Address attributes — Mailchimp's multi-field address structure (ZIP, street number, etc.) cannot be synced directly; export and import manually if needed

Step 1: Audit Your Mailchimp Account

Before exporting a single contact, spend two to four hours thoroughly documenting your current setup. This audit prevents the most common migration mistakes.

Open a spreadsheet and catalogue every active automation — list the trigger event, the number of emails in the sequence, the timing delays between each email, and any conditional branching logic. Screenshot each workflow step. Write down the exact send conditions because once you close your Mailchimp account, these workflows are gone and rebuilding from memory is error-prone.

Document every signup form and popup on your website — whether they are embedded forms, Mailchimp-hosted landing pages, or third-party form tools (Gravity Forms, Typeform, WooCommerce checkout opt-ins) that currently send data to Mailchimp. List the URL where each form appears. This becomes your form replacement checklist in Step 6.

List every audience segment you actively use for campaigns. Record the filter conditions — for example, "subscribed in the last 90 days and has opened at least one email." These cannot be directly imported but can be recreated in Brevo using the same logic once your contacts are live.

Download your full campaign history and performance reports from Mailchimp before starting the migration. This data stays in Mailchimp — it does not transfer — but having your historical open rates, click rates, and revenue attribution gives you benchmarks to compare against once you are live on Brevo.

Step 2: Clean Your Contact List

This step is the single most important thing you can do for your deliverability on the new platform — and the step most businesses skip.

Importing a dirty list into Brevo and sending immediately will damage your sender reputation from day one. Inbox providers — Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo — assign new sending infrastructure a reputation score based on early engagement signals. High bounce rates and spam complaints in your first few weeks of sending from Brevo will crater that score and put your emails in the spam folder for months.

In Mailchimp, run an engagement-based export before migrating. Identify contacts who have not opened a single email in the last 12 months and either remove them from the migration or put them in a separate suppressed import that does not receive your initial sends. Most email marketing professionals recommend starting your first Brevo sends with only your engaged contacts — people who have opened in the last 90 days — and expanding to your full list over the following weeks.

Also in Mailchimp, check your bounce report. Hard bounced email addresses should be excluded from your migration entirely. Importing known bad addresses will raise your bounce rate on Brevo immediately and damage deliverability before you have sent a single campaign.

Brevo's own guidelines note that only contacts who have consented to receive updates from you in the last two years can be imported. This consent requirement is both a legal compliance point (GDPR, CAN-SPAM, CASL) and a deliverability best practice.

Step 3: Create Your Brevo Account and Set Up Contact Attributes

Sign up for Brevo and choose your plan based on how many emails you plan to send per month — not the size of your contact list. The free plan covers 300 emails per day with unlimited contact storage. The Starter plan at $9 per month covers 5,000 monthly emails. The Business plan at $65 per month covers 20,000 monthly emails and unlocks automation, A/B testing, and multi-user access.

Before importing any contacts, set up your contact attributes in Brevo to match the custom fields you use in Mailchimp. Go to Contacts in the left navigation, then Settings, then Contact Attributes. Brevo includes standard attributes (FIRSTNAME, LASTNAME, EMAIL, SMS) by default. For any custom fields you use in Mailchimp — customer segment, purchase category, loyalty tier, or any other custom data point — create matching attributes in Brevo before the import. This ensures your field mapping works correctly during the sync.

For Mailchimp tags, decide upfront how you want to handle them in Brevo. Tags do not have a direct equivalent in Brevo. The most practical options are importing them as custom contact attribute values (a field called "Tags" with the tag value as the entry), or using them as the basis for separate Brevo lists (one list per major tag). For most businesses, creating separate Brevo lists that correspond to major Mailchimp tags is the cleanest approach.

Step 4: Connect the Mailchimp Integration and Sync Contacts

Brevo has a native Mailchimp integration that automates the contact import. This is significantly simpler than a manual CSV export and import process.

In your Brevo account, click the account dropdown in the top right corner and select Integrations. Search for Mailchimp and click the Mailchimp integration. Click Set up integration and give it a descriptive name — for example, "Mailchimp Main Audience" or "Mailchimp Subscribers." If you have multiple Mailchimp audiences to import, create a separate integration for each one.

Click Contact synchronization and turn it on. Click Log in to Mailchimp and authenticate with your Mailchimp account. Select the Mailchimp lists you want to sync from the dropdown menu. Then set up your field mapping — match Mailchimp fields to the corresponding Brevo contact attributes you created in Step 3. Map FNAME to FIRSTNAME, LNAME to LASTNAME, and any custom fields to their Brevo equivalents.

Set your sync frequency — one-time sync for migration purposes is typically sufficient. Confirm that all contacts have provided opt-in consent when prompted. Click Save settings and activate to start the import.

The import runs in the background. For large lists, this can take several hours. Brevo will email you a confirmation and migration report when it is complete. Check this report carefully — note any contacts that could not be imported due to missing required fields or consent issues, and review a sample of individual profiles in Brevo to confirm field mapping worked correctly.

If you prefer the CSV route: In Mailchimp, go to Audience, select All Contacts, and click Export Audience. Download the full CSV with all fields including tags, groups, and subscription dates. In Brevo, go to Contacts, click Import Contacts, and upload the CSV file. Map the CSV columns to Brevo contact attributes during the import wizard.

Step 5: Rebuild Automation Workflows

This is the most time-intensive part of the migration. Mailchimp automations do not transfer — you recreate the logic from your Step 1 audit documentation in Brevo's automation builder.

Brevo's automation workflow builder uses event-based triggers and conditional paths. The trigger types available include contact activity (subscribes to a list, clicks a link, opens an email), website events (page visit, form submission, e-commerce events if connected), and date-based triggers (contact's birthday, a specific date). These cover the most common Mailchimp automation trigger types.

Priority workflows to rebuild:

Welcome series — In Brevo's Automations section, click Create a Workflow. Select the "Contact is added to a specific list" trigger and choose your main email list. Add a Send Email step immediately, then add a time delay (typically 2–3 days), then add subsequent emails following the same pattern as your Mailchimp sequence.

Abandoned cart — If you are connected to WooCommerce or have Brevo's tracking script on your site, you can trigger abandoned cart automations based on the "Product added to cart but not purchased" event. This requires Brevo's eCommerce tracking to be set up on your website first.

Re-engagement series — Create a segment in Brevo of contacts who have not opened an email in 90 days, then build a workflow triggered by membership in that segment. Send two to three re-engagement emails and add a final step that moves non-openers to a suppressed status.

Post-purchase sequence — Triggered by an order placed event from your eCommerce platform or a CRM pipeline stage change.

Build each workflow and leave it in paused or draft state until Step 7. Nothing should be sending from Brevo until you are ready to cut over.

Step 6: Rebuild Email Templates

Mailchimp email templates do not transfer automatically. You have two options — rebuild in Brevo's drag-and-drop editor or import your existing HTML.

Option A — Import from HTML (fastest): In Mailchimp, go to your Templates page, click the dropdown next to each template, and select Export as HTML. In Brevo, go to Email Campaigns, click Create an Email, and select the HTML/CSS option to paste your exported HTML directly. This transfers your design but may require minor adjustments for mobile responsiveness and Brevo-specific personalisation tokens.

Option B — Rebuild natively (recommended for long-term): Use Brevo's drag-and-drop email builder to recreate your templates from scratch. This takes more time upfront but produces templates that are fully native to Brevo's personalisation system and dynamic content blocks. Brevo includes a template gallery of over 40 professional templates as starting points.

Whichever option you choose, update all personalisation tokens to Brevo's syntax. Mailchimp uses merge tags in the format *|FNAME|*. Brevo uses attributes in the format {{ contact.FIRSTNAME }}. Update every instance of Mailchimp merge tags in your templates before activating.

Step 7: Set Up Domain Authentication

Domain authentication in Brevo is mandatory for reliable deliverability. Skip it and your emails will land in spam folders — regardless of how clean your list is or how strong your sending reputation was on Mailchimp.

In Brevo, go to Settings, then Senders and IP, then Domains. Click Add a Domain and enter your sending domain. Brevo will provide the DNS records you need to add to your domain registrar — typically through Route 53, Cloudflare, GoDaddy, Namecheap, or your hosting provider's DNS panel.

You need to add three records:

SPF record — A TXT record that authorises Brevo's servers to send email on behalf of your domain. Brevo provides the exact value to enter.

DKIM record — A CNAME or TXT record that cryptographically signs your outgoing emails. Brevo generates the record values — copy and paste them exactly into your DNS settings.

DMARC record — A TXT record that tells receiving mail servers how to handle emails that fail SPF or DKIM. Start with a monitoring-only policy (p=none) which logs failures without rejecting emails. Tighten to p=quarantine or p=reject after your first 30 days of clean sending.

DNS changes typically propagate within a few hours. Use Brevo's built-in verification tool under the Domains section to confirm each record is correctly detected before moving forward.

Also configure your sending name and from address in Brevo to match what subscribers recognise from your Mailchimp campaigns. Consistency in the sender name reduces unsubscribe rates on your early sends.

Step 8: Replace Website Signup Forms

Every signup form currently pointing to Mailchimp must be updated to collect subscribers in Brevo. This is one of the most commonly missed steps in email migrations and results in new subscribers being added to Mailchimp even after you have moved to Brevo.

In Brevo, go to the Forms section and create Brevo versions of your Mailchimp forms. Brevo supports embedded forms, pop-ups, and multi-step forms. Design each form to match your existing ones and connect each form to the appropriate Brevo list.

Then go through your website and replace every Mailchimp form embed code with the Brevo equivalent. Check these locations:

• Website footer newsletter form
• Homepage pop-up or flyout
• Blog sidebar subscription form
• WooCommerce or Shopify checkout opt-in
• Any landing pages with lead capture forms
• Third-party tools (Typeform, Gravity Forms, Elementor forms) that currently connect to Mailchimp

After replacing all forms, test each one by submitting your own email address and confirming the new subscriber appears in Brevo within a few minutes.

Step 9: Test Everything and Cut Over

Run a parallel period of five to seven days where Brevo is fully set up but Mailchimp is still active and paused. Use this window to validate that everything works correctly before removing Mailchimp entirely.

Testing checklist:

• Submit your email to each website signup form and confirm the profile appears in Brevo
• Send test campaigns from Brevo and check rendering on desktop and mobile
• Verify personalisation tokens are pulling the correct contact attributes
• Check links in all emails — including unsubscribe links
• Trigger test events for your automated workflows (cart abandonment, post-purchase) and confirm the correct automation fires in Brevo
• Verify that your transactional email is configured correctly if you use Brevo for order confirmations or system notifications

When everything tests correctly, activate your Brevo automation workflows, remove the Mailchimp integration from Brevo, and begin your sending warm-up.

Step 10: Warm Up Your Domain

Even switching from Mailchimp to Brevo with the same sending domain requires a warm-up. Brevo uses different sending infrastructure — inbox providers need to learn that your new sending setup produces clean, engaged traffic.

Start by sending only to your most engaged contacts — subscribers who have opened an email in the last 30 days. Keep your first send volume modest. In week two, expand to your 60-day active window. In week three, send to your full active list and activate all remaining automations.

Monitor your Brevo deliverability metrics throughout this period. Keep bounce rates below 2% and spam complaint rates below 0.08%. If either climbs, pause and investigate before continuing.

After cutting over to Brevo fully, remember not to clean your Mailchimp contact list while the Brevo integration is still technically visible in your Mailchimp account — wait until you have fully disconnected any remaining integrations to avoid unintentional suppression syncing.

Migration Timeline Summary

Brevo's migration is faster than most email platform switches because of the native Mailchimp integration for contacts and the straightforward automation builder. For simple accounts with one or two automation sequences and a clean list, one week is realistic. Complex accounts with many workflows, custom segments, and transactional email configuration should plan for two to three weeks.

Conclusion

The Mailchimp to Brevo migration is one of the most cost-effective technology decisions a growing business can make. Brevo's volume-based pricing, native transactional email, built-in SMS and WhatsApp, and unlimited contact storage deliver significantly more value per pound, dollar, or dollar than Mailchimp's contact-based model for businesses with growing lists.

The migration process is manageable with the right preparation. Audit thoroughly before you start, clean your list before you import, rebuild your automations with care, authenticate your domain without exception, and warm up your sending gradually. Follow these steps and you will be sending from Brevo within one to three weeks — and saving meaningfully on your email marketing costs from month one.

Need Help with Your Migration?

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to migrate from Mailchimp to Brevo?
Most businesses complete the migration in one to three weeks. Simple accounts with a small list and basic automations can finish in under a week. Complex accounts with many workflows, transactional email, and custom segments should plan for two to three weeks, including the domain warm-up period.

Does Brevo have a native Mailchimp integration?
Yes. Brevo has a native Mailchimp integration that syncs contact data automatically — including subscriber profiles, list memberships, opt-in statuses, and custom attributes. You can sync up to one million contacts via this integration without a manual CSV export and import.

Do Mailchimp automations transfer to Brevo?
No. Mailchimp automation sequences do not transfer. You recreate your automation logic in Brevo's workflow builder using your existing sequence documentation as a guide. Brevo's automation builder uses event-based triggers and conditional paths and supports the most common Mailchimp trigger types.

Do Mailchimp tags transfer to Brevo?
Tags do not transfer via the native integration. Import them as custom Brevo contact attributes or as the basis for separate Brevo lists. Create your custom attributes in Brevo before starting the contact sync so fields map correctly during import.

What happens to unsubscribed contacts when I migrate to Brevo?
Unsubscribed contacts from Mailchimp are imported with their unsubscribed status preserved — Brevo marks them as opted out and will not send them marketing emails. Only contacts who have consented to receive communications in the last two years can be actively emailed.

Do I need to clean my Mailchimp list before migrating?
Yes — strongly recommended. Importing a dirty list with inactive or bounced contacts and sending immediately will damage your deliverability on Brevo's sending infrastructure. Remove hard bounces, unsubscribes, and contacts with no engagement in the last 12 months before migrating. Start your first Brevo sends with only your 90-day active contacts.

Is domain authentication required in Brevo?
Yes. Add SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records to your domain DNS settings before sending from Brevo. Unauthenticated sending triggers spam filters from Gmail, Outlook, and Yahoo. Brevo provides the exact DNS values in your account settings under Senders and IP, then Domains.

What is the pricing difference between Mailchimp and Brevo?
Mailchimp charges based on contacts stored — a 20,000-contact list costs approximately $250 per month on the Standard plan. Brevo charges based on emails sent — sending 20,000 emails per month costs $65 on the Business plan, with unlimited contact storage included. For businesses with large lists that send moderate volumes, Brevo typically costs three to five times less than Mailchimp.

Does Brevo include transactional email?
Yes. Brevo includes transactional email — order confirmations, password resets, account notifications — on all plans including the free tier, at no additional cost. Mailchimp charges for transactional email through a separate paid add-on called Mandrill.

Can I run Mailchimp and Brevo simultaneously during the migration?
Yes — and this is the recommended approach. Keep Mailchimp active and paused while Brevo is being set up and tested. Run both in parallel for five to seven days after Brevo is ready. Only cancel your Mailchimp account and remove the integration after you have fully validated that Brevo is working correctly.