Brevo Problems & Issues
Real user-reported problems, complaints, and limitations for Brevo. Based on analysis of 12 signals.
Overall score: 62/100
Issues by Category
Email editor difficult to use with inflexible block design
Users find it difficult to design email bodies. Reducing wasted space between blocks is challenging. Templates are lackluster. Email block design is unresponsive or unintuitive. Creating professional-looking emails takes more effort than expected.
SMS feature limited - can't reply to messages individually
SMS automation sends messages but you cannot reply individually to customer responses. Messages come from random inconsistent numbers. SMS setup requires many revisions before approval, causing campaign delays.
Automation lacks organization - only basic filters
Automations lack folder organization, offering only basic filters. Managing numerous workflows becomes challenging as scale increases. Users accustomed to more sophisticated organization find this limiting.
Documentation unclear - learning curve for basic features
Instructions are unclear and documentation could use improvement. Users aren't informed about important steps like opening tickets for captcha verification. This creates unnecessary friction during onboarding.
Email deliverability significantly below industry average
Brevo emails are about twice as likely to get marked as spam (27.4% vs 14.8% industry benchmark). Inboxing score is only 55.4%. Users report emails not reaching full list, at best reaching 80% of contacts.
Campaigns suspended despite verified contacts
Even after contact verification, campaigns continue to get suspended. Users struggle to understand why legitimate campaigns are blocked. This disrupts marketing schedules and frustrates teams relying on timely sends.
Accounts blocked without explanation or warning
Users report accounts being blocked for 'no reason' with no explanation, just told to 'go elsewhere.' Brevo is described as 'very strict on compliance' - more than any other platform - frequently shutting down accounts and requiring extensive proof.
Free users get zero support - paid support limited
Free plan includes no support at all. Starter plan only has email support. Phone support requires Business plan at $65/month minimum. Users complain about slow replies, canned responses, and agents who don't understand the product.
Platform slow when handling larger contact lists
Users experience slow performance when working with larger contact lists. Platform responsiveness degrades as data grows. This impacts workflow efficiency for growing businesses.
Reporting tools lack depth compared to competitors
Analytics and reporting tools are described as 'not-as-advanced' and lacking depth found in premium alternatives. Businesses needing detailed insights may find Brevo's reporting insufficient for data-driven decisions.
Removing Brevo logo costs extra $10.80/month
The Brevo logo appears on all emails by default. Removing it costs an additional $10.80/month on top of your plan. This hidden cost catches users by surprise when trying to maintain professional branding.
Shared IP pools hurt sender reputation
Using shared IP pools means your deliverability is affected by other senders' behavior. Poor sender reputation from others on shared IPs can impact your email deliverability even with good practices.
Regret Patterns
Common reasons users regret choosing Brevo.
Critical campaign emails landed in spam during product launch
Planned major product launch with email campaign. Discovered significant portion went to spam folders. Lost sales and momentum. Didn't research deliverability rates before choosing platform.
Account blocked without warning during active campaigns
Account suddenly blocked with no explanation. Active campaigns stopped. Couldn't reach support (on free plan). Had to scramble to migrate to new platform while campaigns stalled.
Realized needed phone support but locked into basic plan
Critical issue arose but only had email support. Days of back-and-forth. Discovered phone support requires $65+/month plan. Should have factored support into original budget.
SMS feature too limited for actual customer conversations
Excited about SMS marketing capability. Discovered can't reply to individual customer responses. Random sender numbers confused customers. Feature was less useful than expected.
Spent hours fighting with email editor for simple design
Simple email design took hours due to inflexible block system. Wasted space between blocks couldn't be reduced. Templates looked dated. Spent more time on design than content.
Discovered better alternatives after building entire workflow
Built automation workflows, migrated contacts, created templates. Then learned about better deliverability elsewhere. Migration pain meant staying despite issues. Should have researched more.
When Brevo Breaks Down
Specific scenarios where Brevo fails or underperforms.
Business depends on emails reaching inbox
With 27.4% spam rate (2x industry average), critical emails frequently miss inboxes. Transactional emails, welcome sequences, and sales campaigns underperform. Consider platforms with better deliverability.
Account gets suspended without explanation
Brevo's strict compliance means surprise suspensions happen. No warning, no explanation, campaigns stop immediately. Support unavailable on free/basic plans. Migration becomes urgent.
Urgent issue arises on free or Starter plan
Free has zero support. Starter has email only with slow responses. Phone support requires $65+/month Business plan. Urgent issues go unresolved for days.
Team needs professional-looking email designs
Email editor is inflexible and frustrating. Templates are lackluster. Block design is unintuitive. Creating professional emails requires fighting the tool rather than focusing on content.
Business needs two-way SMS conversations
SMS feature is one-way only. Cannot reply to individual customer messages. Messages come from random numbers. Not suitable for actual customer service conversations.
Growing business needs detailed analytics
Reporting tools lack depth compared to competitors. Data-driven decisions become difficult. Businesses needing advanced analytics must upgrade to expensive tiers or switch platforms.