GetResponse vs Brevo: Pay Per Subscriber vs Pay Per Send (Do the Math)

You hand over your credit card to an email platform, but they don’t bill your work the same way. One tool charges for every name on your list. The other tool charges only when you hit send.

The Fundamental Billing Split: Contact Storage vs Send Volume

Email tools charge you in one of two distinct ways. Knowing how each camp charges protects your wallet as your list grows.

GetResponse uses the classic list size model. On the Starter plan at $19/mo for 1,000 contacts, you can email your list daily. You never pay extra fees for high send counts. You pay for the names on your list, not the mail leaving your outbox.

Brevo takes the opposite path. The free plan gives you open contact storage, but caps mail at 300 emails per day. The paid Starter plan begins at $9/mo for 5,000 emails each month. It has no daily limit and no list size cap.

On paper, paying nine dollars looks cheaper than nineteen dollars. Yet that simple comparison breaks down fast once you send regular mail to active leads.

Why GetResponse vs Brevo Math Changes With Your Sending Cadence

Your true monthly bill hinges on sending pace. How often you email your list decides which tool saves you cash.

When you publish regular content, you send mail often. You might send a weekly update, two sales notes, and quick welcome emails to new signups. That puts your sending pace around two messages a week for each subscriber.

A list of 2,500 contacts creates a lot of mail. At ten sends per contact each month, that means 25,000 total emails. On GetResponse, that list costs $29/mo on the Starter tier with open sends. On Brevo, buying 40,000 monthly sends to cover that volume puts your bill at $46/mo.

The math flips if you email rarely. If you run a shop that sends one monthly note to 5,000 buyers, Brevo costs just $9/mo. Storing those same 5,000 contacts on GetResponse costs $54/mo.

Knowing how often you send email broadcasts keeps you from paying for send volume you never need. Matching send volume to real reader needs keeps your open rates high.

Keeping your monthly software bills close to zero comes down to picking tools that fit your real habits. Paying for contact slots you never use drains your profit fast.

Comparing Real Monthly Costs Across List Sizes and Send Counts

Real list sizes and typical monthly send numbers show where each tool saves you money.

If your list is small and you send often, GetResponse gives you a fixed cost.

As your subscriber count climbs faster than your send volume, Brevo cuts your bill. You can grow your list without paying more until you send mail.

Automation Limits, Deliverability, and Feature Walls

You can’t look at price alone when choosing an email platform. What each tool lets you build behind the scenes matters just as much.

Brevo places a hard cap on active workflows. On the Starter plan, only 2,000 contacts can move through automated flows. If your welcome flows or sales funnels touch more than 2,000 people, you must move up to higher tiers.

GetResponse focuses on direct sales systems. The Starter tier gives you visual autoresponders, opt-in pages, and signup forms. The Marketer tier at $59/mo for 1,000 names adds open visual flows, cart recovery, and full sales funnels.

When you build a sales funnel, you need tools that run without technical headaches. To see how GetResponse handles sales funnels and automations, read the full GetResponse breakdown.

The Hidden Cost of Inactive Contacts and Dead Weight

The biggest trap of paying per contact is cold leads. You pay every month for names that never open your mail.

Your subscriber list naturally goes cold over time. Subscribers switch jobs, change addresses, and abandon old inboxes. Most email lists naturally lose active readers each year as addresses go stale. A small slice of your list quietly goes dark each month.

On GetResponse, dead leads push you into higher tiers. A list of 5,200 contacts puts you in the 10,000 tier even if 1,500 people never read a word. You end up paying for ghost contacts.

You can cut your bill by learning how to prune inactive email subscribers on a set schedule. Clearing out dead contacts keeps your plan low and protects your inbox rates.

Brevo won’t penalize your bill for cold leads. Dead contacts cost zero dollars to keep in your account. But sending to dead leads still hurts your sender score. Apps like Gmail notice low opens and send your mail to spam.

Calculate Your True Sending Numbers Before You Commit

Simple math helps you pick the right tool. You only need two numbers: your contact count and your monthly send volume.

Multiply your list size by how many emails you send. That simple number shows which pricing model gives you the best deal.

If you send weekly notes, launch products, or run welcome flows, GetResponse gives you open sends without limits. Pick a dedicated email autoresponder if you want a predictable monthly bill as your sending volume grows.

When you send rare updates or keep old buyers on ice, Brevo saves cash by charging only for sends. Pick the setup that matches your mailing schedule so you never pay for messages you don’t send.

Frequently Asked Questions About GetResponse vs Brevo