Why another “best marketing automation software” list?
- Data-driven curation – We cross-referenced Zapier, PCMag, Leadfeeder, and G2 leaderboards, then scored each tool using our custom 100-point framework.
- Real-world comparability – Every platform is lined up against the same benchmarks: starter cost at 10,000 contacts, channel mix, native integrations, AI features, onboarding time and GDPR-ready hosting.
- Contextual guidance – Quick snapshots tell you who each tool is really for, from side-hustlers to FTSE 100 marketing teams.
| # | Platform | Why It Made the Cut (30-word snapshot) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | HubSpot Marketing Hub | All-in-one inbound engine that bakes CRM, CMS, ads and automation into one UI; consistently the #1 pick across Zapier, PCMag and G2. |
| 2 | ActiveCampaign | Deep behavioural triggers, visual automation maps and native CRM—arguably the best “power-per-pound” ratio for SMBs scaling email and lifecycle marketing. |
| 3 | Adobe Marketo Engage | Enterprise-grade lead scoring, revenue attribution and ABM; hard to beat when you need every channel and a mature marketplace of 600+ integrations. |
| 4 | Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (Pardot) | Seamless Salesforce CRM sync, Einstein AI insights and B2B analytics—ideal for RevOps teams already living in the SFDC universe. |
| 5 | Mailchimp | The original email king now sports journeys, SMS and social ads; unbeatable ease of use for tiny teams and side-hustles. |
| 6 | Brevo (Sendinblue) | GDPR-native EU hosting, multi-channel automation (email, SMS, WhatsApp) and some of the fairest contact-based pricing around. |
| 7 | Klaviyoh | E-commerce powerhouse—one-click Shopify pull, predictive churn scores and revenue-at-a-glance dashboards turn ESP data into repeat sales. |
| 8 | Omnisend | True omnichannel flows (email + SMS + push + Messenger) in a drag-and-drop builder, plus in-platform gamified pop-ups for faster list growth. |
| 9 | Keap (Infusionsoft) | CRM-first sequencing, advanced tagging and built-in sales pipelines—perfect bridge between marketing automation and small-business ops. |
| 10 | Zoho Marketing Automation | Part of Zoho’s 50-app suite—strong journey builder, AI lead scoring and a fair all-contacts-included licence. |
| 11 | GetResponse | SMB favourite with webinars, landing-pages and paid-ad creator bundled in; new AI campaign generator slashes build time. |
| 12 | Customer.io | Event-driven messaging via email, push and in-app; flexible data model and REST API excel for product-led growth teams. |
Full list to download or display? Marketing_Automation_Platform_ComparisonExpanded.csv
How we chose the twelve
- SERP & Directory Sweep – analysed the first-page results and pulled tool mentions from Zapier’s Best Marketing Automation Software list, PCMag’s 2024 roundup, and Leadfeeder’s 37-tool guide.
- Short-listing filters – platform must:
- Automate at least email + one other channel,
- Provide native or marketplace integrations, and
- Maintain a 4.5+ average rating on G2 or Capterra (spot-checked).
- Weighted scoring (100-pt grid) –
- Feature depth 30 %
- Ease of use 20 %
- Scalability/pricing 20 %
- Third-party sentiment 15 %
- Innovation (AI, omnichannel) 15 %
- Only the top dozen crossed the 80-point threshold.
- Manual sanity pass – We double-checked each vendor’s product roadmap and support SLAs via public documentation or recent press releases (April 2025).
The result? The final list includes a good mix of options — everything from newer start-ups to well-established enterprise platforms. Some tools are perfect if you’re just looking to upgrade your email marketing, while others are full customer engagement suites that can grow with you.
Whether you’re working with a tight budget or planning for big expansion, there’s something here that can match your needs. We focused on making sure you have real choices depending on where you are today and where you want to go.
Conclusion – What’s the next move?
The automation landscape is broad, but your choice boils down to three filters:
• Fit – Does the channel mix and integration count match your stack and audience needs?
• Scale – Look at both the starting price for 10,000 contacts and what you’ll pay at 100,000 when growth takes off.
• Support – Blazing AI features won’t help much if onboarding is slow or support is hidden behind endless ticket queues.
Still torn? Ping us the shortlist and we’ll help you weigh trade-offs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Marketing automation software is a platform that automatically sends personalised messages—such as emails, SMS, ads, and push notifications—based on user behaviour or data signals. It eliminates the need for manual message sending and helps streamline customer engagement across multiple channels.
- Starter plans cost between £0–£70 per month (e.g., Brevo, Mailchimp) for up to 1,000 contacts.
- Mid-market solutions range from £250–£650 per month (e.g., ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo).
- Enterprise tools start around £1,000+ per month (e.g., Pardot, Marketo), often with additional onboarding fees.
- Klaviyo: Ideal for Shopify-heavy stores.
- Omnisend: Great if you need built-in SMS marketing and gamified pop-ups.
- HubSpot offers a comprehensive CRM and automation suite in one platform.
- ActiveCampaign is better for smaller budgets needing features like behavioural scoring.
No, they are different. An email service provider (ESP) mainly sends bulk emails. Marketing automation platforms manage multi-channel customer journeys, lead scoring, CRM data syncing, and often include AI-driven insights.
Implementation time depends on the platform:
- SMB-friendly tools like Mailchimp and Brevo can be live within a week.
- Enterprise platforms typically take 6–12 weeks, due to CRM integration and data hygiene processes.
- Optional EU hosting: HubSpot, Customer.io.
- Full EU-only hosting: Brevo, GetResponse.
- Predictive send-time optimisation and churn prediction (e.g., ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo).
- Auto-generated subject lines and email copy (e.g., HubSpot, GetResponse).
- AI-assisted workflow builders (e.g., Customer.io).
- Brevo, ActiveCampaign, and Omnisend (native support).
- Other platforms may require integrations like Twilio or external add-ons.
- Measure the lift in conversions or average order value when using segmented journeys compared to generic sends.
- Use revenue attribution dashboards, which most platforms include, to track results clearly.
