30 Best Marketing Automation Softwares Reviews (2026)

Last updated: January 2026

Marketing automation has moved far beyond “set up an email drip and forget it.” In 2026, the best platforms help you map customer journeys across email, SMS, push notifications, ads, landing pages, and CRM—while keeping your data clean, your segmentation smart, and your reporting credible.

This guide reviews 30 of the best marketing automation software platforms—from SMB-friendly all-in-one tools to enterprise-grade customer engagement suites—so you can choose the right one without getting trapped by feature overload.

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What is marketing automation?

Marketing automation is software that helps you automate and personalize marketing workflows—like lead capture, segmentation, nurturing sequences, customer journeys, and lifecycle campaigns—at scale.

In practical terms, marketing automation usually includes:

• Triggers: “When a user does X…” (subscribes, visits a page, abandons cart, hits a lead score threshold)
• Rules & logic: “If/else” branching, time delays, frequency caps, and eligibility checks
• Actions: Send email/SMS/push, update CRM fields, add tags, notify sales, sync audiences, personalize content
• Measurement: Attribution, funnel reporting, cohort retention, deliverability and engagement analytics

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Who should use marketing automation?

You’ll get the biggest ROI from marketing automation if you:

• Have repeatable funnels (lead → nurture → conversion → retention)
• Run multiple campaigns per month and need consistency
• Need better lead qualification and handoff to sales
• Want to reduce manual tasks (tagging, follow-ups, segmentation, reporting)
• Care about customer experience (onboarding, lifecycle messaging, reactivation)

Even small businesses can benefit—especially if you choose a platform that matches your complexity level.

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Key Takeaways

• Pick based on your use case first: B2B lead nurturing, ecommerce retention, or omnichannel engagement—each needs different strengths.
• Data + deliverability matter as much as automations: Great workflows fail if your list hygiene, consent, and sending reputation are weak.
• Don’t overbuy: Many teams only use 20–30% of an enterprise suite. Start with what you’ll actually deploy in 30 days.
• CRM integration is a multiplier: If sales is involved, prioritize tools with strong CRM sync and lead scoring.
• Always verify pricing on official pages: Marketing automation pricing changes frequently (contacts, seats, add-ons, channels).

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How we reviewed & ranked these tools

We scored platforms across factors that matter in real-world buying decisions:

• Automation builder: Visual workflows, branching logic, triggers, reusable templates
• Channels: Email, SMS, push, in-app, ads sync, web personalization
• Segmentation & data: Events, attributes, behavioral segments, CDP-like profiles
• CRM & sales alignment: Lead scoring, routing, pipelines, tasks, alerts
• Analytics: Funnel reporting, attribution support, cohort/retention, experimentation
• Ease of implementation: Setup time, integrations, learning curve, documentation
• Best-fit value: Whether the product is strong for its target customer (SMB vs enterprise)

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Quick comparison table (best for)

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30 best marketing automation softwares (reviews)

Tip: If you’re shortlisting, first pick your “category”:

• All-in-one CRM + marketing automation (great for SMBs and growth teams)
• B2B enterprise automation (deep lead scoring, governance, complex nurture)
• Ecommerce retention automation (email/SMS flows, segmentation, revenue attribution)
• Customer engagement platforms (push/in-app + omnichannel for apps at scale)
• Open-source/self-hosted (maximum control)

1) HubSpot Marketing Hub

Best for: Teams that want a unified CRM + marketing automation experience without stitching together five tools.

Why it stands out: HubSpot’s strength is the “single source of truth” approach—CRM, forms, emails, landing pages, automation, and analytics work together cleanly.

• Top features: Visual workflows, lead scoring, landing pages, CRM sync, reporting dashboards
• Pros: Smooth UX, strong ecosystem, excellent for inbound + lifecycle
• Cons: Can get expensive as contacts/features grow
• Pricing: Tiered plans; typically scales by contacts and features (check official pricing)

Official site | Pricing

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2) Adobe Marketo Engage

Best for: B2B companies running complex lead nurturing, account-based motions, and multi-touch campaigns.

Why it stands out: Marketo is known for mature lead management—scoring, routing, segmentation, and campaign governance at scale.

• Top features: Advanced nurture programs, lead scoring, personalization, integrations, reporting
• Pros: Strong for B2B ops, flexible campaign architecture
• Cons: Steeper learning curve; best with experienced ops support
• Pricing: Usually quote-based enterprise pricing

Official site | Pricing

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3) Salesforce Marketing Cloud Engagement

Best for: Enterprises that need omnichannel messaging—email, SMS, mobile, and advanced personalization.

Why it stands out: Deep cross-channel orchestration and enterprise-grade capabilities, especially for large datasets and complex journeys.

• Top features: Journey builder, personalization, data integrations, enterprise sending tools
• Pros: Powerful for large orgs, strong Salesforce ecosystem
• Cons: Cost and implementation complexity can be high
• Pricing: Typically quote-based

Official site | Pricing

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4) Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (Pardot)

Best for: B2B teams already on Salesforce CRM who want tight sales alignment.

Why it stands out: Great for lead scoring, routing, and pipeline influence reporting when your world is Salesforce.

• Top features: Lead scoring & grading, automation rules, email journeys, Salesforce CRM sync
• Pros: Strong B2B fit, native Salesforce alignment
• Cons: Less “ecommerce-style” retention focus
• Pricing: Usually tiered/packaged plans

Official site | Pricing

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5) Oracle Eloqua

Best for: Large B2B enterprises needing governance, scale, and complex campaign management.

Why it stands out: Eloqua is built for enterprises with long sales cycles and multiple stakeholders across regions and business units.

• Top features: Lead management, segmentation, campaign canvas, enterprise integrations
• Pros: Strong governance, enterprise readiness
• Cons: Best with dedicated ops resources
• Pricing: Typically enterprise/quote-based

Official site | Pricing

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6) Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys

Best for: Companies invested in Microsoft’s ecosystem (Dynamics/Power Platform) that want unified customer data and journey automation.

Why it stands out: A strong option if you want Microsoft-native customer data + journeys in one stack.

• Top features: Real-time journeys, segmentation, personalization, Microsoft integrations
• Pros: Great fit for Microsoft-heavy orgs
• Cons: Can be overkill for small teams
• Pricing: Packaged/usage-based options vary

Official site | Pricing

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7) SAP Emarsys

Best for: Retail and ecommerce brands that want enterprise-grade personalization and lifecycle campaigns.

Why it stands out: Built around customer lifecycle, personalization, and scalable commerce messaging.

• Top features: Lifecycle automation, segmentation, personalization, multi-channel campaigns
• Pros: Strong for commerce + enterprise workflows
• Cons: Implementation may require specialist support
• Pricing: Typically quote-based

Official site

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8) ActiveCampaign

Best for: Small to mid-sized businesses that want powerful automations without enterprise overhead.

Why it stands out: Automation workflows are flexible and mature for its price segment, especially for email + CRM-lite needs.

• Top features: Visual automations, segmentation, site tracking, CRM features (on some plans)
• Pros: Strong automation depth, large template library
• Cons: Complexity can grow as your setup scales
• Pricing: Usually scales by contacts and plan tier

Official site | Pricing

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9) Mailchimp

Best for: Small businesses starting with email automation and basic customer journeys.

Why it stands out: Mailchimp is widely known and easy to start with, offering templates, segments, and basic automations.

• Top features: Email templates, basic journeys, audience segmentation, landing pages
• Pros: Easy onboarding, good for simple use cases
• Cons: Advanced automation depth varies by plan
• Pricing: Tiered; often contact-based

Official site | Pricing

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10) Klaviyo

Best for: Ecommerce retention marketing (email + SMS) with revenue-focused reporting.

Why it stands out: Strong segmentation and flow templates for ecommerce events like browse abandonment, cart abandonment, and post-purchase.

• Top features: Email/SMS automation, ecommerce integrations, behavioral segments, revenue attribution
• Pros: Excellent for ecommerce lifecycle, strong personalization
• Cons: Can become pricey at high list volume
• Pricing: Typically contact-based; SMS add-ons may apply

Official site | Pricing

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11) Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

Best for: Cost-conscious teams that want email + SMS + automation in one place.

Why it stands out: Good value for multi-channel basics, including transactional messaging options in some setups.

• Top features: Email marketing, SMS, automation workflows, segmentation
• Pros: Strong value, easy start
• Cons: Advanced enterprise capabilities may be limited
• Pricing: Typically tiered; sending volume and features affect cost

Official site | Pricing

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12) GetResponse

Best for: SMBs that want email automation plus extras like landing pages and webinars (depending on plan).

Why it stands out: A well-rounded marketing toolset with automation and campaign building in one dashboard.

• Top features: Automation builder, landing pages, email campaigns, conversion funnels
• Pros: Good all-in-one value
• Cons: Some advanced features are plan-dependent
• Pricing: Tiered; often contact-based

Official site | Pricing

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13) Drip

Best for: Ecommerce brands that want deeper workflows and segmentation than basic email tools.

Why it stands out: Drip focuses on personalization and lifecycle messaging, especially around ecommerce behavior.

• Top features: Workflow automations, tagging, ecommerce events, personalization
• Pros: Strong for retention sequences
• Cons: Not a full CRM replacement
• Pricing: Generally contact-based

Official site | Pricing

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14) Omnisend

Best for: Ecommerce automation for email + SMS with fast setup and prebuilt flows.

Why it stands out: Focused templates for ecommerce growth and a streamlined user experience.

• Top features: Email/SMS automation, ecommerce integrations, signup forms, segmentation
• Pros: Quick to launch core ecommerce flows
• Cons: Less tailored for B2B lead nurturing
• Pricing: Tiered; contacts and messaging volume influence cost

Official site | Pricing

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15) Constant Contact

Best for: Small businesses that want simple automation plus email marketing fundamentals.

Why it stands out: Strong brand recognition, easy templates, and accessible campaign tools for SMBs.

• Top features: Email campaigns, basic automations, signup forms, reporting
• Pros: Easy to use, good for getting started
• Cons: Advanced automation depth may be limited vs specialists
• Pricing: Tiered plans; check current pricing

Official site | Pricing

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16) Campaign Monitor

Best for: Teams that need clean email design and streamlined journeys.

Why it stands out: Great email-building experience for brands that prioritize design and simplicity.

• Top features: Email templates, automation journeys, segmentation, analytics
• Pros: Strong design tools
• Cons: May not match enterprise journey suites
• Pricing: Tiered pricing models vary

Official site | Pricing

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17) ConvertKit

Best for: Creators, newsletters, and online educators who want automation without complexity.

Why it stands out: Built around creator workflows: forms, sequences, tagging, and audience growth.

• Top features: Email sequences, automation rules, landing pages, tagging
• Pros: Creator-friendly UX
• Cons: Not a deep enterprise platform
• Pricing: Commonly scales by subscribers

Official site | Pricing

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18) Customer.io

Best for: Product-led growth teams that want event-based messaging driven by product data.

Why it stands out: Flexible data model and powerful event-driven workflows across messaging channels.

• Top features: Event-based triggers, segmentation, multi-channel messaging, personalization
• Pros: Extremely flexible for product data use cases
• Cons: Best with technical support for instrumentation
• Pricing: Often usage-based

Official site | Pricing

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19) Iterable

Best for: Cross-channel customer engagement at scale (email, SMS, push, in-app).

Why it stands out: Built for high-growth teams needing omnichannel lifecycle automation and personalization.

• Top features: Journey orchestration, personalization, segmentation, experimentation
• Pros: Strong for lifecycle + growth teams
• Cons: Typically not aimed at tiny teams
• Pricing: Usually quote/usage-based

Official site

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20) Braze

Best for: Mobile-first brands that want best-in-class push, in-app messaging, and lifecycle engagement.

Why it stands out: Strong real-time messaging and engagement capabilities for apps and high-volume customer communication.

• Top features: Push/in-app/email/SMS, segmentation, personalization, journey orchestration
• Pros: Powerful for mobile engagement
• Cons: Enterprise implementation mindset required
• Pricing: Quote-based

Official site

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21) MoEngage

Best for: App + web engagement teams focused on customer retention and personalized journeys.

Why it stands out: Strong journey orchestration with mobile-centric features and analytics.

• Top features: Journeys, segmentation, personalization, push/in-app/email/SMS
• Pros: Great for retention and lifecycle
• Cons: Usually not needed for very small lists
• Pricing: Typically quote/usage-based

Official site

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22) WebEngage

Best for: Lifecycle marketing across channels with segmentation and journey design.

Why it stands out: A known option for cross-channel engagement and retention programs.

• Top features: Segmentation, journeys, personalization, multi-channel engagement
• Pros: Strong lifecycle focus
• Cons: Best results require good event tracking strategy
• Pricing: Usually quote-based

Official site

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23) Keap

Best for: Service-based SMBs that want CRM + automation + follow-up systems in one.

Why it stands out: Practical automation for small teams that need sales follow-up, tagging, and client nurturing.

• Top features: CRM, email automation, lead capture forms, pipeline support
• Pros: Great for service SMB workflows
• Cons: Not designed for massive enterprise orchestration
• Pricing: Packaged plans; check official pricing

Official site | Pricing

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24) Ontraport

Best for: Entrepreneurs and growing businesses that need automation plus sales/ops features.

Why it stands out: A flexible all-in-one approach that blends marketing automation with sales processes.

• Top features: Campaign automation, CRM-like tools, forms, tracking and reporting
• Pros: Good for “one platform” operations
• Cons: Might feel complex for beginners
• Pricing: Tiered plans

Official site | Pricing

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25) Act-On

Best for: B2B mid-market teams that want lead nurturing and marketing automation without the heaviest enterprise complexity.

Why it stands out: B2B-focused automation, nurturing, and reporting built for marketing teams supporting sales.

• Top features: Lead nurturing, scoring, email automation, analytics, integrations
• Pros: Good B2B fit
• Cons: UI/feature depth depends on your use case
• Pricing: Often quote/packaged

Official site

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26) Zoho Marketing Automation

Best for: Teams already using Zoho (CRM, Desk, Campaigns) who want native automation.

Why it stands out: Value and integration for Zoho ecosystems—useful for SMBs that want one vendor.

• Top features: Customer journeys, segmentation, lead scoring (varies by setup), email automation
• Pros: Strong value inside Zoho stack
• Cons: Best if you commit to Zoho ecosystem
• Pricing: Tiered pricing; check current plans

Official site | Pricing

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27) Freshmarketer (Freshworks)

Best for: Teams wanting marketing automation plus marketing analytics and integrations with Freshworks products.

Why it stands out: A practical option if your business already uses Freshworks and wants connected marketing workflows.

• Top features: Journeys, segmentation, email campaigns, analytics
• Pros: Strong ecosystem if you use Freshworks
• Cons: Not the deepest enterprise suite
• Pricing: Tiered pricing varies

Official site

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28) Ortto (formerly Autopilot)

Best for: Teams that want journey automation with a modern approach to data + messaging.

Why it stands out: A journey builder roots combined with a broader platform direction.

• Top features: Journeys, segmentation, messaging, analytics
• Pros: Clean UI, modern journey focus
• Cons: Always validate integrations for your stack
• Pricing: Tiered pricing

Official site | Pricing

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29) LeadSquared

Best for: Lead-heavy businesses (education, real estate, services) that need fast lead capture, nurturing, and sales follow-up workflows.

Why it stands out: Strong lead operations focus—useful where lead response speed and routing matter.

• Top features: Lead capture, lead nurturing, automation workflows, sales alignment features
• Pros: Operational strength for lead management
• Cons: Evaluate fit if you’re primarily ecommerce retention
• Pricing: Usually packaged/quote-based

Official site

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30) Mautic (Open Source)

Best for: Teams that want self-hosting, deep customization, and control over data and workflows.

Why it stands out: Open-source marketing automation that can be tailored heavily—ideal if you have technical resources.

• Top features: Email automation, segmentation, campaigns, forms, integrations (depending on setup)
• Pros: Control, flexibility, customization
• Cons: Requires hosting/maintenance and technical expertise
• Pricing: Software is open-source; infrastructure and support costs vary

Official site | GitHub

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How to choose the right platform

1) Match the tool to your motion (B2B vs ecommerce vs product-led)

• B2B lead nurturing: Prioritize lead scoring, routing, CRM sync, attribution to pipeline.
• Ecommerce retention: Prioritize segmentation by purchase behavior, flow templates, and revenue attribution.
• Product-led growth: Prioritize event-based messaging, product analytics, and lifecycle experiments.

2) Audit your data first (it’s the hidden deal-breaker)

Your automations are only as smart as your data. Before you buy, list:

• Where customer data lives (CRM, ecommerce platform, app events, website forms)
• What identifiers you rely on (email, phone, user ID)
• What events you want to trigger campaigns (signup, purchase, churn risk, inactivity)

3) Validate deliverability and compliance capabilities

At minimum, you want clear support for unsubscribe management, suppression lists, consent tracking, and sender authentication guidance (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). If you market globally, read up on GDPR and local email rules.

4) Look for “time-to-value” within 30 days

Ask: “What 3 automations will we launch in the first month?” Examples:

• Welcome/onboarding series
• Lead magnet follow-up + nurture
• Reactivation for inactive subscribers
• Cart abandonment and post-purchase flows (ecommerce)

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Implementation checklist (fast setup)

1. Define success metrics: trials booked, revenue per recipient, pipeline influenced, retention uplift.
2. Clean your list: remove bounced/invalid emails, confirm opt-in where needed.
3. Set tracking: install site/app tracking, connect ecommerce events, sync CRM fields.
4. Build core segments: new leads, engaged leads, customers, VIP customers, churn-risk users.
5. Launch 3 workflows: welcome, nurture, reactivation (and cart flow for ecommerce).
6. Run A/B tests: subject lines, send times, offers, content blocks.
7. Review weekly: deliverability, conversions, unsubscribe spikes, segment performance.

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FAQs

1) Is marketing automation the same as email marketing?

No. Email marketing is often one channel. Marketing automation includes workflows, triggers, segmentation, and multi-channel customer journeys (email + SMS + push + CRM actions).

2) What’s the best marketing automation software for small business?

If you want simplicity and quick wins, start with an SMB-focused platform (like ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, Brevo, or GetResponse). If you also need CRM alignment, consider HubSpot or Keap.

3) What’s best for ecommerce automation?

Klaviyo, Omnisend, and Drip are popular picks for ecommerce retention flows because they focus on purchase behavior and lifecycle templates. Always confirm integrations with your store platform.

4) What’s best for B2B lead nurturing?

Platforms like Marketo, Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot), Oracle Eloqua, and Act-On are commonly chosen for B2B lead scoring, routing, and long-cycle nurturing.

5) Do I need a CRM to use marketing automation?

Not always, but it helps. If sales is involved, CRM integration improves lead handoff, pipeline tracking, and attribution. If you don’t have a CRM, consider tools with built-in CRM features.

6) How long does it take to implement?

SMB tools can be running in days. Enterprise implementations can take weeks or months, especially if you’re unifying multiple data sources and channels.

7) What KPIs should I track?

• Email: deliverability, open/click trends, conversion rate, revenue per recipient (ecommerce)
• Journeys: drop-off points, time-to-conversion, reactivation rate
• Sales alignment: MQL-to-SQL rate, pipeline influenced, win rate uplift

8) How do I stay compliant with email marketing laws?

Use clear consent practices, provide easy unsubscribe options, honor opt-outs quickly, and keep accurate sender information. Requirements can vary by region (e.g., GDPR in the EU and CAN-SPAM in the US).

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References & further reading

• HubSpot: What is marketing automation?
• Salesforce: Marketing automation guide
• FTC: CAN-SPAM Act compliance guide
• GDPR: Consent overview (Article 7 & Recital guidance)
• Microsoft: Customer Insights – Journeys transition overview
• Ortto: Autopilot rebrand explanation
• Constant Contact: SharpSpring acquisition announcement

Final note: The “best” marketing automation tool is the one you can implement quickly, measure honestly, and improve continuously. Shortlist 3 tools, test them against your first-month workflows, and pick the one that your team will actually use.