Mailchimp Alternatives EU: Brevo vs Mailjet vs rapidmail (2026)
GDPR-compliant email marketing with EU data residency. Compare Brevo, Mailjet, and rapidmail - the best European Mailchimp alternatives.
Read time: 9 min | Last updated: January 2026
TL;DR: Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) for all-in-one marketing with CRM and SMS. Mailjet for developers who need powerful APIs and transactional email. rapidmail for German businesses wanting simple, DSGVO-compliant newsletters. All store subscriber data in Europe.
Your email list is your most valuable marketing asset. Names, email addresses, purchase history, engagement data.
With Mailchimp, all that data sits on US servers. Subject to US law. Potentially accessible without your knowledge.
Since Mailchimp’s acquisition by Intuit, many European businesses have looked for alternatives. Here’s how the EU options compare.
The Quick Comparison
| Brevo | Mailjet | rapidmail | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Country | France | France | Germany |
| Main Use | All-in-one marketing | Email API + campaigns | Newsletter tool |
| Free Tier | 300 emails/day | 6,000/month | Trial only |
| Transactional | Yes | Yes (strength) | Limited |
| SMS Marketing | Yes | No | No |
| Starting Price | €19/mo | €13.50/mo | €9/mo |
Why European Email Marketing Matters
Email marketing data is personal data under GDPR. Every subscriber’s information requires:
- Lawful basis for processing
- Clear consent records
- Data subject access rights
- Right to erasure compliance
European providers build these requirements in. US providers retrofit them.
When something goes wrong, you want your provider under EU jurisdiction.
Brevo: The All-in-One Platform
French company (Paris), founded 2012 as Sendinblue. Rebranded to Brevo in 2023. Over 500,000 customers worldwide.
What Makes It Different
Brevo isn’t just email. It’s email, SMS, chat, CRM, and marketing automation in one platform. The European answer to HubSpot.
What’s Good
True all-in-one. Email campaigns, transactional emails, SMS marketing, WhatsApp, live chat, CRM. One login, one bill.
Generous free tier. 300 emails per day, unlimited contacts. Enough to start a real business.
Marketing automation. Visual workflow builder. Abandoned cart, welcome series, re-engagement. Actually works.
Transactional email. Send receipts, password resets, notifications. Dedicated IP available.
French data protection. Paris-based. All data processed in EU. GDPR compliant by design.
What’s Not
Interface complexity. All-in-one means lots of features. Learning curve exists.
Email limits on free. 300/day is fine for starting, but you’ll need paid quickly.
Brevo branding on free. Their logo appears on free tier emails.
Best For
- Growing businesses wanting one marketing platform
- E-commerce needing email + SMS + transactional
- Companies replacing multiple tools with one
- Marketers who want automation without enterprise pricing
Mailjet: The Developer’s Choice
French company (Paris), founded 2010. Now part of Sinch group. Trusted by Microsoft, Toast, and DHL.
What Makes It Different
Mailjet was built API-first. Developers love it. The email infrastructure is rock-solid with 99.99% uptime SLA.
What’s Good
Powerful API. RESTful, well-documented, fast. Developers actually enjoy integrating it.
Real-time collaboration. Multiple people can edit email templates simultaneously. Like Google Docs for email.
Deliverability focus. Dedicated IPs, authentication tools, detailed analytics. They care about inbox placement.
Generous free tier. 6,000 emails/month, 200/day limit. No credit card required.
Enterprise-grade infrastructure. Handles billions of emails. DHL and Microsoft trust them for a reason.
What’s Not
No SMS. Email only. Need another tool for SMS marketing.
No built-in CRM. Integrates with others, but no native CRM.
Less marketing automation. Basic automation exists, but not Brevo’s level.
Best For
- Developers and technical teams
- Companies with high transactional email volume
- Businesses prioritizing deliverability
- Teams needing collaborative template editing
rapidmail: German Simplicity
German company (Freiburg), founded 2008. Focused specifically on the German market with full DSGVO compliance.
What Makes It Different
rapidmail does one thing well: newsletters for German businesses. No complexity, no feature bloat. German support, German invoicing, German data protection.
What’s Good
DSGVO by design. Built in Germany for German law. Double opt-in, consent management, data processing agreements included.
Simple and focused. Newsletter tool without unnecessary features. Quick to learn, quick to use.
German support. Phone and email support in German. Actually helpful humans.
Fair pricing. Pay per email or flat rate. No subscriber count tricks.
Template quality. Good-looking, responsive templates. Works on mobile.
What’s Not
German market focus. Interface is German-first. Less polished for international use.
Limited automation. Basic autoresponders. No complex workflows.
No transactional. Newsletter only. Need another service for receipts and notifications.
No free tier. 14-day trial, then paid. No ongoing free option.
Best For
- German small businesses
- Companies wanting maximum DSGVO compliance
- Marketers who need simple newsletters
- Organizations with German-speaking subscribers
Deliverability Compared
Deliverability matters more than features. If emails don’t reach inboxes, nothing else matters.
Authentication Support
| Feature | Brevo | Mailjet | rapidmail |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPF | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DKIM | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| DMARC | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dedicated IP | From €145/mo | From €20/mo | Available |
All three support proper authentication. Mailjet offers cheapest dedicated IP.
Reported Deliverability
All claim 95%+ inbox rates. Real-world results depend on your list quality and sending practices.
The GDPR Question
| Brevo | Mailjet | rapidmail | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data Location | France/EU | France/EU | Germany |
| DPA Available | Yes | Yes | Yes (AV-Vertrag) |
| Sub-processors | EU-based | EU-based | Germany only |
| Consent Tools | Built-in | Built-in | Built-in |
All are fully GDPR compliant. rapidmail offers the strictest German interpretation with data staying in Germany only.
Pricing Reality
For 10,000 Subscribers
| Tool | Monthly Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Brevo | €19-49/mo | Based on emails sent, not contacts |
| Mailjet | €13.50-25/mo | Based on emails sent |
| rapidmail | €40-60/mo | Based on contacts |
| Mailchimp | €115/mo | For comparison |
Brevo and Mailjet are significantly cheaper than Mailchimp at scale.
Pricing Models
- Brevo: Pay for emails sent. Unlimited contacts on all plans.
- Mailjet: Pay for emails sent. Contact-based pricing on higher tiers.
- rapidmail: Pay for contacts or per-email. Choose your model.
Feature Comparison
Email Creation
| Feature | Brevo | Mailjet | rapidmail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drag-drop editor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HTML editor | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Template library | 40+ | 30+ | 50+ |
| Real-time collaboration | No | Yes | No |
| AI content | Yes | Limited | No |
Automation
| Feature | Brevo | Mailjet | rapidmail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome series | Yes | Yes | Basic |
| Abandoned cart | Yes | Via integration | No |
| Visual workflow | Yes | Basic | No |
| Behavioral triggers | Yes | Limited | Limited |
Brevo has the most sophisticated automation. rapidmail keeps it simple.
My Recommendation
Choose Brevo if:
- You want all-in-one marketing (email + SMS + CRM)
- Marketing automation is important
- You’re replacing multiple tools
- You need both campaigns and transactional
- Budget allows €19+/month
Choose Mailjet if:
- You’re a developer or technical team
- API quality matters most
- High-volume transactional email is primary use
- You want lowest cost per email
- Real-time template collaboration is valuable
Choose rapidmail if:
- You’re a German business
- DSGVO compliance is top priority
- You want simple newsletters without complexity
- German support matters
- You don’t need automation or transactional
Migration from Mailchimp
All three offer migration help:
- Brevo: Import wizard, dedicated migration support for larger accounts
- Mailjet: CSV import, API migration tools, documentation
- rapidmail: German-language migration guides, phone support
Export your Mailchimp list as CSV, import to new platform, set up authentication, warm up gradually.
FAQ
Is Mailchimp actually bad for GDPR?
Not illegal, but your data goes to US servers. With EU providers, data stays in EU jurisdiction. For some businesses, this matters.
Which has best deliverability?
All three have good reputations. Deliverability depends more on your list hygiene and sending practices than the provider.
Can I switch easily?
Yes. Export contacts as CSV, import to new platform. Main work is recreating templates and automations.
What about Klaviyo?
Great for e-commerce, but US-based. Consider Brevo if you want similar features with EU data residency.
Do I need dedicated IP?
Only if you send 100k+ emails/month consistently. Shared IPs are fine for most businesses.
Try Them
- Brevo: Start free - 300 emails/day free
- Mailjet: Start free - 6,000 emails/month free
- rapidmail: Start trial - 14-day trial
See also:
Last updated: January 2026
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