Razorpay vs Brevo (formerly Sendinblue): Which is Better in 2026?
By StackPicker editorial · · payment-gateway
Side-by-side comparison with INR pricing, GST and UPI considerations, integrations, pros and cons — written for Indian founders, marketers, and operators.
Quick verdict
Choose Razorpay if
- Indian D2C brands selling on Shopify/WooCommerce
- SaaS founders billing INR with subscriptions
- Marketplaces needing split payments via Route
Choose Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) if
- Indian SMBs and SaaS wanting low-cost transactional + marketing email
- Teams sending to large lists with low send frequency
- Businesses needing email + SMS + WhatsApp from one tool
At a glance
| Attribute | Razorpay | Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2014 | 2012 |
| HQ | Bengaluru | Paris |
| Target market | India | Global |
| Pricing model | transaction | subscription |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Starts at | 2% per transaction | Free 300 emails/day; Starter from $9/mo (~₹750) for 5K emails |
| Currency | INR | USD |
| INR billing | Yes | No |
| UPI support | Yes | No |
| IST support | Mon-Sat 10am-7pm IST (email 24x7) | Email/chat overlapping IST hours |
Razorpay pricing
INRModel: transaction
Free tier: No
Starts at: 2% per transaction
2% domestic cards/UPI/net banking, 3% international cards. No setup or AMC fees. T+2 settlement standard, T+1 on request.
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) pricing
USDModel: subscription
Free tier: Yes
Starts at: Free 300 emails/day; Starter from $9/mo (~₹750) for 5K emails
Free 300/day, Starter $9, Business $18, Enterprise custom. Pricing by send volume — unlimited contacts.
Pros & cons
Razorpay — Pros
- +Best-in-class developer docs and SDK coverage
- +Single dashboard for payments, payouts, banking
- +Strong UPI Autopay and eMandate flows
- +Magic Checkout reduces D2C cart abandonment
- +Healthy plugin ecosystem for Indian platforms
- +Settlements reliable at T+2 (T+1 available)
Razorpay — Cons
- −MDR not the lowest in market — Cashfree/PayU often cheaper at scale
- −Support response slower for non-enterprise tiers
- −International card success rates trail Stripe
- −KYC and onboarding can stall for non-standard business types
- −Some advanced features (instant settle, Magic) cost extra
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) — Pros
- +Pricing by sends — unlimited contacts is a huge win
- +Genuinely cheap relative to peers
- +Transactional API is reliable and developer-friendly
- +All-in-one (email, SMS, WhatsApp, CRM)
- +Generous free tier
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) — Cons
- −UI/UX feels less polished than Mailchimp
- −Daily send caps on lower paid tiers
- −Automation builder less intuitive than Klaviyo/ConvertKit
- −Deliverability good but not best-in-class
- −Customer support spotty on free/Starter
Razorpay — Best for
- Indian D2C brands selling on Shopify/WooCommerce
- SaaS founders billing INR with subscriptions
- Marketplaces needing split payments via Route
- Startups wanting payments + payouts in one stack
Razorpay — Not ideal for
- Merchants prioritizing sub-1% MDR (negotiate at scale)
- Pure international SaaS billing in USD (Stripe is smoother)
- Businesses needing instant 24x7 phone support on starter plans
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) — Best for
- Indian SMBs and SaaS wanting low-cost transactional + marketing email
- Teams sending to large lists with low send frequency
- Businesses needing email + SMS + WhatsApp from one tool
- Founders who want a CRM bundled in
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) — Not ideal for
- Creators (ConvertKit fits better)
- Large e-commerce wanting deep behavioral segmentation (Klaviyo wins)
- Teams needing a polished, opinionated UX (it can feel cluttered)
Indian context
Razorpay
- INR billing: Yes
- UPI support: Yes
- GST: Auto-applies GST on fees; GST invoice in dashboard
- IST support: Mon-Sat 10am-7pm IST (email 24x7)
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
- INR billing: No
- UPI support: No
- GST: GST applied via India entity
- IST support: Email/chat overlapping IST hours
Final recommendation
For most Indian buyers, the choice between Razorpay and Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) comes down to pricing model, INR/GST support, and how it fits the rest of your stack. Use the verdict cards above to map your situation to the right pick — and try both free tiers before committing.