Brevo vs Bulko: SMTP Relay Pricing and Features Compared (2026)

Choose Brevo if you want an all-in-one marketing platform (email editor, automation, contacts, SMS and WhatsApp) with a free plan of 300 emails per day, so your team can design and send campaigns inside one tool. Choose Bulko SMTP Relay if you only need an SMTP server for your own app or software: 20,000 emails cost $15 once, compared with $32 per month on Brevo Starter.

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) sells monthly plans priced by email volume, and every plan includes transactional email over SMTP and API. Bulko SMTP Relay is just the sending layer, sold in prepaid packages. The numbers below come from Brevo's published pricing data and Bulko's price list, checked in October 2026.

Quick comparison

Pricing

Brevo's Starter plan has a $9 monthly base that includes 5,000 emails, and higher volumes add a stepped email tier on top: $8 for up to 10,000, $16 for up to 15,000, $23 for up to 20,000, $47 for up to 50,000 and $73 for up to 100,000. Standard has an $18 base with higher tier prices ($51 for up to 20,000, $161 for 100,001 to 150,000) and adds automation, A/B testing and landing pages. Professional starts at $350 per month from 150,000 emails. Yearly billing is 10% cheaper. Brevo's FAQ also mentions pay-as-you-go credits that do not expire, but their price is not published on the pricing page. Bulko's packages are 5K for $5, 20K for $15, 50K for $30 and 150K for $60.

The Brevo totals are our sums of the base price and the email tier as published in Brevo's own pricing data (linked from its pricing page), so treat them as close estimates and confirm in the slider before you buy. If you send fewer than 300 emails a day, Brevo's free plan costs nothing and beats any paid package, including Bulko's. Above that, Bulko is cheaper for pure sending, but remember what you are not buying: the editor, automation and contact management that make up most of Brevo's value. Bulko's default limit is 2,000 emails per day per SMTP account, raised on request.

Prices checked October 2026, see the Brevo pricing page for current plans and your currency.

Setup and deliverability

On Brevo, a new account starts on the Free plan, and sending begins once Brevo approves the account. You add your From address as a verified sender (or authenticate the domain), then generate an SMTP key in the SMTP and API settings. The SMTP server is smtp-relay.brevo.com, and the password must be the SMTP key, not the API key. Dedicated IPs are part of Brevo's Enterprise offer.

Bulko works differently. There is no account review before you can send: you pay for a package and the SMTP credentials are shown in the dashboard and emailed to you immediately. You can send from any address on a domain you control. Verifying the domain is optional but recommended: Bulko gives you a DKIM TXT record (selector bk1) and a CNAME bnc.yourdomain.com for the return path, which lets SPF, DKIM and DMARC align. Without verification, mail still sends.

Mail goes out through Bulko's own MTA, which throttles warm-up per mailbox provider, processes bounces and monitors blocklists. Every message also passes an AI content filter (rules plus AI) that looks for phishing, malware, brand impersonation and scams. Messages that fail are rejected with 554 5.7.1 and are not delivered, so you see the problem immediately instead of finding it later in a reputation report. The default limit is 2,000 emails per day per SMTP account, and [email protected] can raise it on request.

No provider can promise inbox placement, and Bulko does not publish delivery-rate numbers. What decides the result is the same everywhere: authenticated domains, clean lists and content people asked for. The SPF, DKIM and DMARC setup guide and the blacklist checker help with the first two.

When Brevo is the better choice

• You want to build campaigns, not just send them. Brevo includes a drag and drop editor, templates, forms, segmentation and an AI content generator. Bulko SMTP Relay sends whatever your software produces.
• You need marketing automation. Multi-step workflows, A/B tests and send-time optimization come with Brevo Standard.
• You use more channels. SMS, WhatsApp and push are available in the same account.
• You need an API and webhooks. Brevo plans include a REST API, SMTP and outbound webhooks. Bulko's relay has no HTTP API and no webhooks.
• You send under 300 emails a day. The free plan covers it.

When Bulko is the better choice

• Your app already writes the emails. Password resets, order notices, form alerts and newsletters from your own CMS only need a reliable SMTP server.
• No subscription. Bulko packages are paid once and never expire, so a quiet month costs nothing.
• Lower cost for sending only. 20,000 emails for $15 versus $32 per month, and 150,000 for $60 versus $179 per month.
• Crypto payment. Bulko accepts USDT, BTC and other coins, as well as Visa and Mastercard. Brevo takes cards and PayPal.
• Instant credentials. No account approval step: the username and password are ready after payment.

If you want a campaign tool from Bulko as well, the separate Campaign Platform handles list uploads, AI personalization, follow-ups and reply tracking, with 500 free credits at sign-up. Its credits are not interchangeable with SMTP packages. For other options, see the best email marketing tools for small business.

How to switch to Bulko SMTP

1. Buy a package on the Bulko SMTP Relay page with a card or crypto. Your SMTP username and password appear in Dashboard > SMTP Access and are also emailed to you right after payment.
2. In your app, plugin or server config, replace smtp-relay.brevo.com with smtp.bulko.io.
3. Pick a port: 587 with STARTTLS (many apps label it "TLS"), 465 with implicit SSL/TLS (often labeled "SSL"), or 2525 with STARTTLS if your hosting provider blocks 587 and 465. Port 25 is not offered for submission.
4. Paste the Bulko username (it looks like smtp_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) and password into the SMTP username and password fields. Authentication is AUTH LOGIN or PLAIN, which every common SMTP library supports.
5. Use a From address on a domain you control. Optionally verify the domain under Sending Domains: Bulko gives you a DKIM TXT record (selector bk1) and a CNAME bnc.yourdomain.com for the return path, so SPF, DKIM and DMARC align.
6. Send a test message before moving all traffic. A 535 reply means the credentials are wrong; see SMTP error 535.

SMTP host: smtp.bulko.io
Port: 587 (STARTTLS) or 465 (SSL/TLS) or 2525 (STARTTLS)
Username: smtp_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Password: from Dashboard > SMTP Access

If you are unsure which port your software expects, the SMTP ports guide explains the difference between 465, 587 and 2525.

If you send campaigns from Brevo's editor today, those campaigns stay in Brevo. Switching to Bulko only makes sense for the mail your own software sends through SMTP.

FAQ

Is Bulko cheaper than Brevo?

For sending only, yes above Brevo's free limit: $15 versus $32 per month for 20,000 emails and $60 versus $179 per month for 150,000. Below 300 emails a day, Brevo's free plan is cheaper because it costs nothing.

Can I use Brevo's SMTP without the marketing features?

Yes. Every Brevo plan, including Free, gives access to transactional email over SMTP and API. You still pay the plan price for volume above the free daily limit.

Does Bulko have an email editor or automation?

Not in the SMTP relay. Bulko SMTP Relay delivers messages your software creates. Bulko's separate Campaign Platform has AI personalization, follow-ups and reply tracking, on its own credits.

Which SMTP ports do Brevo and Bulko use?

Both use 587 as the main port, 465 for SSL and 2525 as a fallback when a host blocks 587. Bulko does not offer port 25 for submission.

Can I pay Brevo or Bulko with crypto?

Brevo accepts credit cards (through Adyen) and PayPal. Bulko accepts Visa and Mastercard through Stripe plus USDT, BTC and other coins.