Brevo costs $9/mo.
These cost $0.
6 free alternatives to Brevo, checked for license, recent activity and real adoption. Each one tells you the catch, so you can switch with your eyes open.
Brevo vs Free Alternatives Matrix
Quick side-by-side comparison · $0/mo vs $9/mo
| Alternative | Type | License | Where It Runs | Stars | Head-to-Head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| listmonk | open source | AGPL-3.0 | Self-host | ★ 23k | Brevo vs listmonk → |
| Plunk | open source | AGPL-3.0 | Local or hosted | ★ 5.3k | Brevo vs Plunk → |
| Notifuse | open source | AGPL-3.0 | Local or hosted | ★ 2.0k | Brevo vs Notifuse → |
| Brevo Free | free | proprietary, free | Hosted | ★ $0 forever | Brevo vs Brevo Free → |
| Loops Free | free | proprietary, free | Hosted | ★ $0 forever | Brevo vs Loops Free → |
| Sender Free | free | proprietary, free | Hosted | ★ $0 forever | Brevo vs Sender Free → |
The picks
3 open source · 3 free to use · ranked by fit
- 01
listmonk
open sourceAGPL-3.0Self-host23kjul 2026Fast campaigns plus a transactional API and explicit subscriber states; the visual polish is utilitarian.
The catch vs Brevolistmonk is fast and explicit about subscriber states, but it lacks Brevo's managed deliverability, broad automation suite, CRM-style contact tools, and polished visual workflow builder.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Docker Compose or a single release binary plus PostgreSQL
- setup
- You still need a PostgreSQL database and a trustworthy SMTP/API sender with authenticated DNS.
- your data
- Subscribers, campaigns, templates, and analytics live in a PostgreSQL database on your server.
- checked
- 2026-08-10
- 02
Plunk
open sourceAGPL-3.0Local or hosted5.3kaug 2026Transactional and campaign email with workflows; self-hosting is free, sending is not magic.
The catch vs BrevoPlunk handles both transactional and campaign email, but self-hosting its multi-service stack and configuring SES is much less turnkey than Brevo's managed sending and compliance workflow.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Hosted signup or Docker Compose
- setup
- The self-host path needs Docker, several subdomains, DNS/TLS, and an AWS SES account with credentials and domain verification.
- your data
- Self-hosted data lives in PostgreSQL, queues in Redis, and uploads in bundled MinIO or another S3-compatible store.
- checked
- 2026-08-10
- 03
Notifuse
open sourceAGPL-3.0Local or hosted2.0kaug 2026Campaigns, transactional API and subscription records in one compose stack; delivery still needs an SMTP provider.
The catch vs BrevoNotifuse can hold contacts, campaigns, and transactional events, but you must supply and operate the hosting, object storage, and actual mail-delivery provider that Brevo bundles.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Notifuse Cloud signup or self-host with Docker
- setup
- Self-hosting needs Docker, PostgreSQL, object storage, a public domain, and a separately configured SMTP or email API provider.
- your data
- Self-hosted contact, campaign, event, and analytics data lives in PostgreSQL; uploaded assets use S3-compatible storage.
- checked
- 2026-08-10
- 04
Brevo Free
freeproprietary, freeHostedThe vendor's own free tier does newsletters and transactional mail; 300 messages a day is the small print.
The catch vs BrevoBrevo Free keeps the same product and consent records, but the 300-message daily cap, Brevo branding, and paid-gated reporting and automation limits are the tradeoff.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webthey host it
- install
- Hosted signup
- setup
- Authenticating a custom sending domain requires adding DNS records.
- your data
- Contacts, campaigns, consent records, and message events live in Brevo's cloud; contacts can be exported as CSV.
- checked
- 2026-08-10
- 05
Loops Free
freeproprietary, freeHostedMarketing and transactional email share one hosted account; the free ceiling is 1,000 contacts.
The catch vs BrevoLoops Free unifies marketing and transactional email, but its 1,000-contact and 4,000-email rolling limits are tighter and its consent/list-management surface is narrower than Brevo's.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webthey host it
- install
- Hosted signup
- setup
- You must authenticate a sending domain and instrument your app or API before lifecycle emails become useful.
- your data
- Contacts, custom properties, events, workflows, and message history live in Loops' cloud; contacts can be imported/exported as CSV.
- checked
- 2026-08-10
- 06
Sender Free
freeproprietary, freeHostedNewsletters, transactional email and consent-friendly lists with 15,000 monthly sends; one seat means one cook.
The catch vs BrevoSender Free covers the core hosted job, but one free user, vendor branding, and its contact/send ceilings make collaboration and growth weaker than Brevo.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webthey host it
- install
- Hosted signup
- setup
- A custom sending domain must be verified with DNS records for reliable delivery.
- your data
- Subscribers, campaigns, automations, and engagement events live in Sender's cloud; subscriber data can be exported.
- checked
- 2026-08-10
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers · Brevo open-source replacements
What is the best free alternative to Brevo?+
The top free alternative to Brevo is listmonk (open source, AGPL-3.0). Fast campaigns plus a transactional API and explicit subscriber states; the visual polish is utilitarian. Other popular Brevo replacements include Plunk, Notifuse, Brevo Free.
Can I self-host a free replacement for Brevo?+
Yes. Of the 6 free alternatives to Brevo, 3 can be self-hosted on your own server or local machine: listmonk (AGPL-3.0), Plunk (AGPL-3.0), Notifuse (AGPL-3.0).
How much does switching from Brevo to a free alternative save?+
Brevo starts at $9/month per seat ($108/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like listmonk saves $540 per year in software subscription fees.
Should I vibe-code or build my own Brevo clone from scratch?+
Our build verdict for Brevo is KINDA (the core, yes. the polish, no). The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For Brevo, send a low-volume newsletter and transactional messages with clear consent records. The hard boundary is deliverability infrastructure, multichannel messaging, crm, automation, and support, plus deliverability, growth network, and integrations.
What is the catch when switching from Brevo to listmonk?+
listmonk is fast and explicit about subscriber states, but it lacks Brevo's managed deliverability, broad automation suite, CRM-style contact tools, and polished visual workflow builder.
