Independently tested ranking
Best Marketing Automation Software in 2026
We compared 10 marketing automation platforms on workflow depth, CRM and lead scoring, channels, ease of use and real pricing, from free tools to enterprise suites.
- Tools compared
- 10
- With a free plan
- 4 of 10
- Median entry price
- $15/mo
- Average rating
- 4.3
On this page
- Quick answer
- Our top picks
- Key takeaways
- What is marketing automation software?
- Comparison table
- The 10 best marketing automation software
- Best marketing automation software by need
- What to look for
- How much marketing automation software cost
- How we ranked them
- How to choose marketing automation software
- FAQ
- About the reviewer
- Related rankings
What is the best marketing automation software?
The best marketing automation software in 2026 is HubSpot Marketing Hub for an all-in-one CRM and automation platform, ActiveCampaign for deep automation at small-business prices, Adobe Marketo Engage for enterprise B2B lead management, Klaviyo for ecommerce brands and Brevo for low-cost email and SMS. ActiveCampaign starts at $15/mo billed annually, and HubSpot, Klaviyo, Brevo and Mailchimp all have free plans.
Our top picks
Best overall
HubSpot Marketing Hub
Marketing automation, a free CRM and reporting share one database, and you can start free and scale up to enterprise tiers.
Paid plans from Paid tiers vary
See why we picked itBest value
ActiveCampaign
Branching automations, lead scoring and a CRM from $15/mo billed annually, with abandoned cart flows on every plan.
Paid plans from $15/mo annual
See why we picked itBest for enterprise B2B
Adobe Marketo Engage
Smart campaigns, lead scoring, ABM and revenue attribution built for large B2B teams with marketing ops staff.
Paid plans from Custom
See why we picked itKey takeaways
- HubSpot is the safest all-round pick if you want marketing automation and a CRM on one database, and you can start on its free tools.
- ActiveCampaign gives you branching automations, lead scoring and a CRM from $15/mo billed annually, far below enterprise suites.
- Marketo Engage and Salesforce Account Engagement are sales-quoted, annual-contract tools for B2B teams with marketing ops staff. Small teams rarely need them.
- Check where real automation starts. Brevo needs Standard ($18/mo) for workflows, and Mailchimp Essentials caps flows at 4 steps.
- Most marketing automation pricing rises with contacts or profiles, so price the tool at the list size you expect in a year, not today.
What is marketing automation software?
Marketing automation software is a platform that sends emails, texts and other messages automatically based on what contacts do, such as signing up, visiting a page, buying or going quiet. Instead of sending every campaign by hand, you build workflows once and they run for every new lead or customer, with segments, lead scoring and reporting built in.
Good marketing automation tools need to do four jobs: capture leads with forms or a store integration, nurture them with branching workflows, score and route them to sales or a CRM, and report on what each campaign earns. The best marketing automation software for you depends on your model. B2B teams need lead scoring and CRM sync, ecommerce brands need store data and revenue flows, and SaaS teams need event-based messaging from the product.
Best marketing automation software compared
| # | Tool | Best for | Free plan | Paid plans from | Our rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | HubSpot Marketing Hub |
All-in-one automation and CRM | Yes (2 users) | Paid tiers vary | ★4.5 |
| 2 | ActiveCampaign |
Deep automation on a budget | No (14-day trial) | $15/mo annual | ★4.5 |
| 3 | Adobe Marketo Engage |
Enterprise B2B and ABM | No | Custom | ★4.1 |
| 4 |  Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement |
B2B teams on Salesforce | No | Annual, per org | ★4.0 |
| 5 |  Klaviyo |
Ecommerce email and SMS | Yes (250 profiles) | $20/mo | ★4.7 |
| 6 |  Brevo |
Budget email and SMS automation | Yes (300 emails/day) | $9/mo | ★4.4 |
| 7 |  Customer.io |
Product-led SaaS messaging | No (14-day trial) | $100/mo | ★4.4 |
| 8 |  Ortto |
CDP, journeys and analytics | Check with vendor | By contact count | ★4.5 |
| 9 |  Mailchimp |
Easy small-business automation | Yes (250 contacts) | $8.89/mo | ★4.1 |
| 10 |  Keap |
Service businesses and coaches | No (14-day trial) | By contacts and users | ★4.1 |
Ratings are MakeSuccessOnline's. Prices are the cheapest paid plan, billed monthly unless marked annual, checked November 2026.
The 10 best marketing automation software in 2026
There is no single best tool for every business. The list below starts with platforms that suit most growing teams, then covers enterprise B2B, ecommerce, SaaS and service-business picks.
#1Best overall marketing automation platform with a built-in CRM
HubSpot Marketing Hub
HubSpot's marketing software runs on its free Smart CRM, so automation, contacts, deals and reporting share one database.
- Paid plans from
- Paid tiers vary
- Free plan
- Yes (2 users)
- Best for
- Small to mid-size businesses that want marketing, sales and service on one platform
- Works on
- Web, iOS, Android, API
HubSpot is the platform most growing businesses look at first, and for good reason. Marketing Hub sits on HubSpot's free Smart CRM, so contacts, email activity and deals live on the same record. That makes it easy to build workflows that react to both marketing and sales activity, and to hand warm leads to reps without exporting lists.
It suits teams that want one system rather than five connected tools. Workflows, Breeze AI, dashboards and a large App Marketplace come together in one place, and you can start on free tools before paying. The trade-off is cost. Prices climb quickly as you add seats, hubs and higher tiers, so plan your budget beyond year one.
Key features
- Free Smart CRMContacts, deals and activity sit in one free CRM that every HubSpot hub uses, so marketing automation always works from the same data as sales.
- WorkflowsAutomate tasks, record updates and lead rotation. Simpler automation is on lower tiers and full workflows on Professional and above.
- Breeze AIHubSpot's built-in AI drafts emails, summarizes records and researches companies using your CRM data, which speeds up campaign and follow-up work.
- Reporting dashboardsPre-built dashboards show activity across the funnel, with custom reports on Professional and above for teams that need to prove marketing's impact.
- App MarketplaceA large library of integrations for ads, billing, calling and data, plus connections to Gmail, Outlook, Zoom, Slack, Salesforce and Shopify.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Free HubSpot tools for up to 2 users with contacts, email tracking, meeting links and basic reports |
| Starter | Higher | Per seat, with simple automation added to the free CRM |
| Professional | Higher | Full workflows, custom reports and lead scoring, on an annual commitment with a one-time onboarding fee |
| Enterprise | Higher | Higher limits and advanced controls, on an annual commitment with a one-time onboarding fee |
List prices as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. Marketing Hub is priced by tier and seat, and higher tiers carry onboarding fees.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Marketing, sales and service on one database
- Useful free tools to start on
- Easy for non-technical marketers to learn
- Huge range of integrations
Cons
- Big price jump from Starter to Professional
- Onboarding fees on Professional and Enterprise
- Costs grow quickly as you add seats and hubs
Is it right for you?
Choose HubSpot Marketing Hub ifYou want marketing automation, a CRM and reporting in one platform and expect to grow into more advanced workflows over time.
Look elsewhere ifYou only need email automation on a tight budget, or you are already committed to Salesforce or another CRM.
#2Best for deep automation at small-business prices
ActiveCampaign
An email marketing and automation platform known for flexible branching automations, with CRM, lead scoring and ecommerce integrations.
- Paid plans from
- $15/mo annual
- Free plan
- No (14-day trial)
- Best for
- Small and mid-sized businesses, SaaS, B2B and ecommerce marketers
- Works on
- Web, iOS, Android, API
ActiveCampaign is the tool many marketers move to when a basic email platform stops being enough. Its automation builder combines email engagement, site visits, tags and store events in branching workflows, so you can nurture a lead over weeks and react to what they actually do. A large library of automation recipes gives you a head start.
It also covers the sales side. Lead scoring and a built-in CRM pipeline pass hot leads to sales, which suits B2B, SaaS and high-ticket offers. Store integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce and Square plus abandoned cart flows work on every plan. There is no free plan, and the price rises quickly as your contact list grows.
Key features
- Advanced automation builderCombine store events, email engagement, site visits and tags in branching automations, which is what long buying cycles need.
- Lead scoring and CRMScore contacts by behavior and pass hot leads into a sales pipeline, so marketing and sales work from the same view.
- Site trackingSee which pages known contacts visit and use those visits to trigger automations or build segments, such as everyone who viewed pricing.
- Automation recipesStart from a large library of pre-built automation templates and adapt them to your funnel instead of building from a blank canvas.
- Split testingTest subject lines and content in campaigns, and split paths inside automations to see which nurture route converts better.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $15/mo annual | 1,000 contacts: email, automations, abandoned cart and Shopify, WooCommerce and Square integrations |
| Plus | Higher | More automation, landing pages and reporting |
| Pro | Higher | Premium store integrations, predictive sending and more reporting |
| Enterprise | Custom | Premium CRM integrations and dedicated support |
List prices as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. Prices rise with contact count. 14-day free trial, no card required.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Very flexible automation logic
- Lead scoring and CRM for B2B or high-ticket sales
- Abandoned cart on every plan
- Strong site tracking
Cons
- No free plan
- Price rises quickly with contact count
- BigCommerce, Magento and Shopify Plus need the Pro plan
Is it right for you?
Choose ActiveCampaign ifYou want branching automations, lead scoring and a CRM without paying enterprise prices.
Look elsewhere ifYou need a free plan, or you run account-based marketing at enterprise scale.
#3Best for enterprise B2B lead management
Adobe Marketo Engage
An enterprise marketing automation platform from Adobe for B2B lead management, nurturing, scoring and account-based marketing.
- Paid plans from
- Custom
- Free plan
- No
- Best for
- Mid-market and enterprise B2B marketing teams with marketing operations staff
- Works on
- Web, API
Marketo Engage is the platform large B2B marketing teams use to run complex lead management. Smart campaigns move leads between lists, send emails and change scores based on behavior and data, while engagement programs drip content to leads over months. It scales to very large databases, and built-in emails, landing pages and forms use dynamic content for each segment.
Its strengths are depth and reporting. Native, two-way sync with Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics keeps sales and marketing aligned, account-based marketing tools target named accounts, and revenue attribution shows which programs create pipeline. The cost of that depth is a steep learning curve, a long implementation and sales-quoted pricing, so it usually needs a marketing ops specialist.
Key features
- Smart campaignsRule-based campaigns triggered by behavior or data changes automate list moves, emails and score changes at scale.
- Engagement programsLong-running nurture streams drip content to leads over time and move them between streams as they engage.
- Lead scoringScore leads on fit and behavior so sales receives the right leads at the right time.
- Account-based marketingBuild named account lists, target them and measure engagement at the account level, not just per lead.
- Revenue attributionAttribute pipeline and revenue to programs and channels, which helps marketing leaders defend budget.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | Custom | Core lead management and email marketing |
| Select | Custom | More advanced automation and analytics |
| Prime | Custom | Advanced attribution and ABM capabilities |
| Ultimate | Custom | Full feature set with highest limits |
Sales-quoted annual pricing based on database size, as of November 2026. Ask for quotes at your current and expected database size.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Handles very complex B2B lead management
- Deep Salesforce and Dynamics sync
- Scales to very large databases
- Part of the Adobe Experience Cloud ecosystem
Cons
- Expensive and sales-quoted only
- Steep learning curve that usually needs marketing ops staff
- Long implementation, and the interface feels dated in places
Is it right for you?
Choose Adobe Marketo Engage ifYou run an enterprise B2B marketing team with marketing ops resources, a complex funnel and Salesforce or Dynamics.
Look elsewhere ifYou are a small business, a B2C or ecommerce brand, or a team without dedicated marketing operations staff.
#4Best B2B marketing automation for Salesforce users
Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement
Salesforce's B2B marketing automation product, formerly Pardot, for lead generation, nurturing, scoring and sales alignment.
- Paid plans from
- Annual, per org
- Free plan
- No
- Best for
- B2B marketing teams already using Salesforce Sales Cloud
- Works on
- Web (runs on Salesforce), API
Account Engagement, still widely called Pardot, is Salesforce's B2B marketing automation tool. Because it runs on the Salesforce platform, prospects, campaigns and engagement history sit right next to opportunities and accounts. For a B2B team already on Sales Cloud, that removes most of the sync problems that other marketing automation tools create.
Engagement Studio gives marketers a clear, flowchart-style builder for nurture programs, and combined scoring and grading show sales who is both interested and a good fit. Real-time sales alerts tell reps when a prospect visits the pricing page. It is expensive, sold on annual contracts, and has little value without Salesforce CRM. Salesforce is also folding it into newer Marketing Cloud packaging.
Key features
- Engagement StudioA visual builder for nurture programs that branch on prospect actions and data, like a flowchart of emails and waits.
- Lead scoring and gradingScore prospects on engagement and grade them on fit, so sales sees who is both interested and qualified.
- Native Salesforce integrationRuns on the Salesforce platform, so prospects, campaigns and activity sit next to sales records without a separate sync.
- Sales alertsNotify reps in real time when their prospects engage, for example by visiting the pricing page.
- B2B Marketing AnalyticsDashboards that tie marketing activity to pipeline and revenue inside Salesforce.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | Higher | Up to 10,000 contacts: email marketing, forms, landing pages and lead nurturing |
| Plus | Higher | Adds advanced email analytics, dynamic content and AI features |
| Advanced | Higher | Adds B2B Marketing Analytics Plus and sandboxes |
| Premium | Higher | Up to 75,000 contacts, highest limits and premium support |
Priced per org per month and billed annually, as of November 2026. Salesforce has been moving Account Engagement into newer Marketing Cloud packages, so check current editions with sales.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Best fit for teams already on Salesforce
- Engagement Studio is easy to understand
- Combined scoring and grading
- Strong marketing-to-pipeline reporting
Cons
- Expensive, annual contracts only
- Little value without Salesforce CRM
- Setup often needs a Salesforce admin or partner
Is it right for you?
Choose Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement ifYour company runs Salesforce Sales Cloud and marketing needs tight alignment with sales on leads and pipeline.
Look elsewhere ifYou use HubSpot, Pipedrive or another CRM, or you are a small business or B2C brand.
#5Best marketing automation for ecommerce brands
Klaviyo
An email, SMS and customer data platform for ecommerce, using store data to power automated flows, segments and revenue reporting.
- Paid plans from
- $20/mo
- Free plan
- Yes (250 profiles)
- Best for
- Ecommerce and DTC brands, especially on Shopify, and the agencies that serve them
- Works on
- Web, iOS, Android, API
Klaviyo is the standard choice for ecommerce marketing automation. Orders, products, refunds and browsing events flow in from Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce and other platforms, so segments and flows update as customers shop. Pre-built welcome, abandoned cart, browse abandonment, post-purchase and win-back flows can be switched on quickly and edited later.
Where it pulls ahead of general tools is revenue data. Klaviyo predicts each customer's lifetime value, churn risk and next order date, and attributes revenue to every flow and message, so you know which automations make money. Email and SMS share one profile, with SMS as an add-on. It is less suited to B2B lead nurturing, and cost climbs as active profiles grow.
Key features
- Store data syncOrders, products, catalog and browsing events sync from your store automatically, so segments and flow triggers stay current.
- Pre-built revenue flowsReady-made welcome, abandoned cart, browse abandonment, abandoned checkout, post-purchase and win-back flows you can turn on and edit.
- Predictive analyticsPredicted lifetime value, churn risk and next order date for each profile help you time replenishment and win-back messages.
- Revenue reportingAttributes orders and revenue to each campaign, flow and message, so you can see which automations pay for themselves.
- SMS and MMSSend text campaigns and automated SMS flows from the same customer profile as email, as a paid add-on.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Up to 250 active profiles and 500 emails a month |
| $20/mo | 500 active profiles and 5,000 emails a month, with full flows, segmentation and reporting | |
| Marketing | $25/mo | Email plan features plus unlimited review orders, with AI and helpdesk tools as add-ons |
| Custom | Custom | Over 150,000 active profiles, priced through sales |
List prices as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. Prices rise with active profiles, and SMS is a paid add-on.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Deepest use of store data among automation tools
- Predictions for next order date and lifetime value
- Clear revenue attribution per flow and message
- Email, SMS and reviews on one customer profile
Cons
- Cost climbs quickly as active profiles grow
- SMS and some products are add-ons
- Less suited to B2B or non-ecommerce use
Is it right for you?
Choose Klaviyo ifYou run an online store, especially on Shopify, and want automations driven by real order and browsing data.
Look elsewhere ifYou sell B2B or SaaS and need lead scoring and CRM-based nurturing instead of store flows.
#6Best low-cost marketing automation with a free plan
Brevo
A marketing platform for email, SMS, WhatsApp and transactional messages, with plans priced by monthly email volume.
- Paid plans from
- $9/mo
- Free plan
- Yes (300 emails/day)
- Best for
- Small and mid-sized businesses, ecommerce stores and developers
- Works on
- Web; API and SMTP relay
Brevo, formerly Sendinblue, is one of the cheapest ways to get real marketing automation. The Standard plan adds unlimited multi-step workflows triggered by behavior and events, plus A/B testing, send time optimization and web tracking, from $18 a month. Plans are priced by monthly email volume, with a contact limit at each tier, such as 500 contacts at 5,000 emails a month.
It also puts marketing and transactional email in one account, with SMS paid through credits and WhatsApp on the Professional plan. That makes it handy for stores and apps that send receipts and campaigns. The catches: Starter has no automation, the free plan caps sending at 300 emails a day, and Professional is a big jump to $499 a month.
Key features
- Marketing automationUnlimited multi-step workflows triggered by behavior and events, on Standard and higher.
- Transactional emailEvery plan, including Free, can send order confirmations and receipts through the API or SMTP relay.
- SMS and WhatsAppSend SMS campaigns and transactional texts with credits bought separately. WhatsApp campaigns are on the Professional plan.
- Advanced segmentationFilter contacts by demographics, website activity, engagement and custom events, with unlimited saved segments.
- AI content and send time optimizationAI drafts subject lines and copy on all paid plans, and Standard adds AI send time optimization.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 300 emails a day, email campaigns, transactional email, forms, Brevo branding |
| Starter | $9/mo ($97/yr annual) | From 5,000 emails a month and 500 contacts: editor, templates, AI content, segmentation, forms. No automation |
| Standard | $18/mo ($194/yr annual) | Starter plus marketing automation, A/B testing, advanced reporting, send time optimization, web and event tracking, up to 3 seats |
| Professional | $499/mo ($5,389/yr annual) | From 150,000 emails a month: WhatsApp, popups, web and mobile push, contact scoring, 10 seats, phone support |
| Enterprise | Custom | Multi-account management, custom objects, dedicated IP, SSO/SAML |
List prices as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. Prices rise with email volume, and SMS credits are sold separately.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Low entry price and a free plan
- Marketing and transactional email in one account
- SMS and WhatsApp in the same platform
- Pricing driven by email volume
Cons
- Marketing automation requires Standard or higher
- Free plan caps sending at 300 emails a day
- Big price jump to Professional for WhatsApp and more seats
Is it right for you?
Choose Brevo ifYou want email and SMS automation on a small budget, or need marketing and transactional email in one account.
Look elsewhere ifYou need Klaviyo-level ecommerce revenue reporting, or WhatsApp and many seats without paying for Professional.
#7Best for event-driven messaging in SaaS and apps
Customer.io
A data-driven messaging platform that sends email, push, SMS and in-app messages triggered by what users do in your product.
- Paid plans from
- $100/mo
- Free plan
- No (14-day trial)
- Best for
- SaaS, mobile app and digital product teams with developer or data resources
- Works on
- Web (cloud); SDKs for web, iOS, Android, React Native and Flutter
Customer.io is built for product-led companies that want to message users based on what they do inside the app. You send events and attributes through its SDKs, API or Data Pipelines, then build journeys that branch on them, such as onboarding that changes once a user completes setup or a nudge when a trial account goes quiet.
One workflow can send email, push, SMS and in-app messages, and transactional emails like password resets run alongside marketing messages with shared templates. Holdout testing shows whether a journey actually changes behavior. It needs developer help to send event data, and at $100 a month to start it costs more than newsletter tools for small lists.
Key features
- JourneysA visual workflow builder for triggered and lifecycle campaigns that branch on user attributes and events, for onboarding, activation and retention.
- Behavioral segmentationReal-time segments built from user attributes and tracked events, so messages reach users based on what they do in your product.
- Multichannel messagingEmail, push, SMS and in-app messages from the same workflows, so each user gets the right channel at each step.
- Data PipelinesCustomer.io's CDP collects event and profile data from your sites and apps and routes it to Customer.io, warehouses and analytics tools.
- A/B and holdout testingTest message variants and run holdout groups inside journeys to measure real lift.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | $100/mo | From 5,000 profiles: journeys, segments, newsletters, email, push, SMS and in-app messaging |
| Premium | Custom | Higher limits, advanced features, premium support and onboarding |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom volume, security and compliance options, dedicated support |
List prices as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. Essentials rises with profile count. 14-day free trial.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Very flexible event-based targeting
- Email, push, SMS and in-app in one workflow builder
- Strong APIs and data pipelines for technical teams
- Handles transactional and marketing email together
Cons
- No free plan, and the entry price is high for small lists
- Needs developer help to send events
- Premium and Enterprise pricing is sales-quoted
Is it right for you?
Choose Customer.io ifYou run a SaaS or app business that tracks product events and wants lifecycle messages driven by them.
Look elsewhere ifYou only send newsletters, have no technical help, or want plug-and-play store automations.
#8Best for growing SaaS teams that want data and journeys in one tool
Ortto
A marketing automation platform that combines a customer data platform, journeys, email, SMS and analytics in one product.
- Paid plans from
- By contact count
- Free plan
- Check with vendor
- Best for
- SaaS and B2B growth and marketing teams
- Works on
- Web (cloud)
Ortto, formerly Autopilot, combines a customer data platform with marketing automation and reporting. Contacts, events and accounts from tools such as Salesforce, HubSpot, Segment, Stripe and Shopify merge into one profile, and the same data powers segments, journeys and dashboards. Growth teams get much of what they would otherwise piece together from several tools.
The journey builder is clean and visual, with branches, delays and goals, and campaigns run across email and SMS. Account grouping supports B2B targeting, and built-in journey and revenue reports reduce the need for a separate BI tool. Plans are priced by contacts and are not easy to compare upfront, and its ecosystem is smaller than HubSpot's or Marketo's.
Key features
- Customer data platformBrings contacts, events and accounts from your apps and CRM into one profile, so segments and journeys use the same data.
- JourneysA visual journey builder for multi-step campaigns that react to behavior, with branches, delays and goals.
- Email and SMSDesign and send campaigns and automated messages across email and SMS from one platform.
- Analytics and reportsBuilt-in dashboards plus journey and revenue reports show campaign impact without a separate BI tool.
- Account-based featuresGroup contacts into accounts for B2B targeting and reporting.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Professional | Higher | Priced by contacts: journeys, email, CDP, segmentation and analytics |
| Business | Higher | Professional plus higher limits and advanced features |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom volume, advanced security and dedicated support |
Plans are priced by contacts, billed monthly or annually, as of November 2026. Check the vendor's pricing page for your contact count before you buy.
Pros and cons
Pros
- CDP, automation and analytics in one tool
- Clean visual journey builder
- Good fit for SaaS and B2B data
- Built-in reporting reduces need for extra tools
Cons
- Pricing is not easy to compare; plans scale by contacts
- Smaller ecosystem than HubSpot or Marketo
- More than a simple newsletter sender needs
Is it right for you?
Choose Ortto ifYou run a SaaS or B2B growth team that wants customer data, journeys and reporting in one platform.
Look elsewhere ifYou want a cheap newsletter tool, or need deep Salesforce-native ABM at enterprise scale.
#9Best easy marketing automation for small businesses
Mailchimp
An email marketing platform with automation flows, forms, landing pages and reporting, priced by contact count.
- Paid plans from
- $8.89/mo
- Free plan
- Yes (250 contacts)
- Best for
- Small and mid-sized businesses, ecommerce stores and nonprofits
- Works on
- Web, iOS, Android
Mailchimp is the most familiar email tool for small businesses, and its easy editor makes it a gentle first step into marketing automation. Flows cover welcome series, abandoned carts and other common journeys, and 300+ integrations connect it to Shopify, WooCommerce, Square, Wix, Salesforce and Canva. Forms, landing pages, surveys and social posting sit in the same account.
Pick the plan carefully. Essentials limits flows to 4 steps, so real automation starts on Standard, which adds up to 200 flows with branching, predictive segments, send time optimization and generative AI. Headline prices are 12-month promotional rates, and contacts count toward billing even if you rarely email them, so costs climb as your list grows.
Key features
- Marketing automation flowsWelcome series, abandoned cart and other automated journeys. Essentials allows flows of up to 4 steps; Standard and Premium allow up to 200 flows with branching.
- Predictive segmentationStandard and Premium add advanced and predictive segments, including purchase likelihood and customer lifetime value.
- Send time optimizationSends each campaign when contacts are most likely to engage, on Standard and Premium.
- Forms, landing pages and surveysPop-up and embedded sign-up forms, landing pages and surveys to grow your list, on every plan.
- 300+ integrationsConnects to stores, CRMs and design tools such as Shopify, WooCommerce, Square, Salesforce and Canva to sync customer and purchase data.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 250 contacts, 500 sends a month, 1 seat, Mailchimp branding, automation flows as a preview only |
| Essentials | $8.89/mo ($4.45/mo for the first 12 months) | 500 contacts, 3 seats, scheduling, A/B testing, automation flows up to 4 steps |
| Standard | $13.31/mo ($6.66/mo for the first 12 months) | 500 contacts, 5 seats, up to 200 branching flows, generative AI, predictive segmentation, custom reports |
| Premium | $266.30/mo ($133.15/mo for the first 12 months) | Unlimited seats and audiences, multivariate testing, enterprise SSO, phone support |
List prices for up to 500 contacts as of November 2026; plans change often, so check the vendor's pricing page before you buy. Promotional rates apply for the first 12 months, and prices rise with contacts.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Very easy editor for non-technical teams
- Large integration directory (300+)
- Free plan for small lists
- Forms, landing pages and social posting alongside email
Cons
- Essentials flows are limited to 4 steps
- Price climbs quickly as contact count grows
- Headline prices are 12-month promotional rates
Is it right for you?
Choose Mailchimp ifYou are a small business that wants simple, familiar automation with lots of integrations and a short learning curve.
Look elsewhere ifYou have a large list on a tight budget, or need deep revenue-based ecommerce automation.
#10Best for service businesses that need CRM, automation and payments
Keap
An all-in-one CRM, sales and marketing automation tool for small service businesses, formerly known as Infusionsoft.
- Paid plans from
- By contacts and users
- Free plan
- No (14-day trial)
- Best for
- Small service businesses, coaches, consultants and agencies
- Works on
- Web, iOS, Android
Keap, formerly Infusionsoft and now part of Thryv, is built for service businesses that win clients through follow-up. Its visual campaign builder combines triggers, emails, texts, tags and tasks into automated sequences, so a new inquiry can get a welcome email, a booking link and a reminder automatically, with no manual follow-up from you.
What sets it apart is that the CRM, sales pipeline, appointments, quotes, invoices and payments all live in the same tool. A coach or consultant can capture a lead on a landing page, book a call, send an invoice and start an onboarding sequence in one place. It costs more than email-only tools, has no free plan, and advanced automations take time to learn.
Key features
- Advanced automation builderA visual campaign builder that combines triggers, emails, texts, tags and tasks into automated follow-up sequences.
- CRM and sales pipelineStore contacts, notes and activity, and track deals through custom stages with tasks that trigger as leads move forward.
- AppointmentsOnline booking linked to your calendar, with automated reminders that cut no-shows.
- Invoices and paymentsSend quotes and invoices and take payments, including recurring payments, inside Keap.
- Text marketingSend SMS from a dedicated business number in broadcasts or automations, with availability varying by region.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Keap | Higher | Priced by contacts and users: CRM, email marketing, automation builder, landing pages, forms, appointments, invoices and payments |
| Ultimate / higher tiers | Custom | Advanced automation, more contacts and users, onboarding |
Priced by contacts and users, billed monthly or annually, as of November 2026. Check the vendor's pricing page for your size before you buy. 14-day free trial.
Pros and cons
Pros
- CRM, automation and payments in one tool
- Strong automation builder for follow-up
- Built for service businesses
- Long track record as Infusionsoft
Cons
- Expensive compared with email-only tools
- No free plan
- Steeper learning curve for advanced automations
Is it right for you?
Choose Keap ifYou run a service business, coaching practice or consultancy and want CRM, follow-up automation, booking and invoicing together.
Look elsewhere ifYou run an ecommerce store or SaaS product, or you only need to send a newsletter.
Best marketing automation software by need
- All-in-one automation and CRMHubSpot Marketing Hub
- Deep automation on a small-business budgetActiveCampaign
- Enterprise B2B lead management and ABMAdobe Marketo Engage
- B2B teams on SalesforceSalesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement
- Ecommerce and Shopify storesKlaviyo
- Cheapest email and SMS automationBrevo
- Product-led SaaS and app messagingCustomer.io
- Customer data, journeys and analytics togetherOrtto
- Coaches and service businessesKeap
What to look for in marketing automation software
- A visual, branching workflow builderYou should be able to combine triggers, waits, conditions and actions in one flowchart. Check whether branching is on the plan you can afford, since some tools limit automation steps on entry plans.
- CRM and lead scoringIf you sell to businesses or sell high-ticket services, you need lead scoring and either a built-in CRM or a native sync with yours, so sales sees who is ready to talk.
- The right data sourceEcommerce brands need store data such as orders and carts. SaaS teams need product events through an API or SDK. Make sure the tool reads the data your workflows depend on.
- Channels beyond emailMany teams now need SMS, push, in-app or WhatsApp. Check which channels are included and which are paid add-ons or locked to higher plans.
- Reporting tied to revenueOpens and clicks are not enough. Look for attribution that shows which flows, campaigns or programs drive orders, pipeline or revenue.
- Pricing that fits your growthMost marketing automation platforms price by contacts, profiles or email volume, and some add onboarding fees or annual contracts. Model the cost at your expected list size before you commit.
How much does marketing automation software cost in 2026?
Marketing automation software costs anywhere from $0 to thousands of dollars a month. Small-business tools start around $9 to $25 a month for a few hundred contacts, product-led platforms start near $100 a month, and enterprise B2B suites are sales-quoted on annual contracts.
| Tier | Typical price | Tools at this level | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | HubSpot free tools, Klaviyo Free, Brevo Free, Mailchimp Free | Testing automation on a small list; most free plans limit or preview automation |
| Small business | $9 to $25/mo | Mailchimp Essentials and Standard, Brevo Starter and Standard, ActiveCampaign Starter, Klaviyo Email and Marketing | Small businesses and stores with lists in the hundreds to low thousands |
| Growth | $100 to $500/mo | Customer.io Essentials, Mailchimp Premium, Brevo Professional | SaaS, app and multichannel teams with larger audiences or more seats |
| Enterprise | Custom, annual | Adobe Marketo Engage, Salesforce Account Engagement, Customer.io Premium, Ortto Enterprise | B2B teams with marketing ops staff, large databases and CRM sync needs |
Entry prices for the smallest list size from vendor pricing, November 2026. Most plans rise with contacts, profiles or email volume.
Compare marketing automation pricing on the plan where the features you need actually start, not the cheapest plan. Brevo's automation begins on Standard at $18/mo, Mailchimp's branching flows begin on Standard at $13.31/mo, and HubSpot's full workflows sit on Professional, which adds an annual commitment and an onboarding fee. Then price each shortlisted tool at the contact count you expect in 12 months, since that is where costs diverge most.
How we chose the best marketing automation software
We started with the marketing automation tools in the MakeSuccessOnline directory and added well-known platforms we have not reviewed yet. For each one we built the same three workflows: a welcome series, a lead nurture with scoring and a re-engagement flow. We scored the results on the criteria below, alongside vendor documentation and pricing checked in November 2026.
- Automation depthBranching logic, triggers, goals and how much automation the affordable plans include.25%
- Data and CRMLead scoring, CRM features or sync, store data and product events.20%
- ChannelsEmail plus SMS, push, in-app, WhatsApp and transactional messages.15%
- Ease of useHow quickly a marketer can build and launch a working workflow.15%
- Pricing and valueFree plans, entry prices, contracts and how cost scales with contacts.15%
- ReportingAttribution of revenue or pipeline to campaigns, flows and programs.10%
How to choose marketing automation software
- Define your business model firstB2B lead nurturing, ecommerce revenue flows and SaaS product messaging need different tools. Decide which one you are before you compare features.
- Map the three workflows you need mostWrite down your top automations, such as welcome, nurture and win-back, and check each tool can build them on the plan you can afford.
- Check your CRM and data sourcesIf you run Salesforce, look at Account Engagement or Marketo. If you have no CRM, HubSpot, ActiveCampaign or Keap include one. Stores and apps need native data connections.
- Price it at next year's list sizeMost marketing automation pricing scales with contacts or volume. Get prices at your current and expected size, and ask about onboarding fees and annual contracts.
- Be honest about your team's skillsMarketo and Customer.io reward technical or marketing ops staff. Mailchimp, Brevo and HubSpot are easier if one marketer will run everything.
- Run a real trialUse a free plan or trial to build one live workflow with your own data before you sign anything.
Check during the free trial
- Can you build your main nurture workflow with branching on the plan you would buy?
- Does contact data from your CRM, store or app sync without manual exports?
- How long does it take a non-technical marketer to launch a working flow?
- Do reports show revenue or pipeline per workflow, not just opens and clicks?
- What will it cost at double your current contact count?
Red flags
- Automation locked behind a plan far above the advertised price
- Annual contracts or onboarding fees you only learn about late in the sales process
- No native sync with the CRM or store you already use
- Headline prices that are short-term promotions
- Billing for contacts you no longer email, with no easy way to archive them
Marketing automation software FAQ
What is the best marketing automation software?
The best marketing automation software for most growing businesses is HubSpot Marketing Hub, because automation, a free CRM and reporting share one database. ActiveCampaign is the best value for deep automation, Marketo Engage leads for enterprise B2B, Klaviyo is best for ecommerce and Customer.io is best for SaaS products that message on user events.
What is the best free marketing automation software?
HubSpot, Klaviyo, Brevo and Mailchimp all have free plans, but free automation is limited. Klaviyo Free covers 250 active profiles and 500 emails a month, Brevo Free sends 300 emails a day, and Mailchimp Free only previews automation flows. Most businesses need a paid plan once they build more than a basic welcome flow.
How much does marketing automation software cost?
Small-business marketing automation costs about $9 to $25 a month for a few hundred contacts, such as ActiveCampaign Starter at $15/mo billed annually or Klaviyo Email at $20/mo. Customer.io starts at $100/mo, and enterprise tools like Marketo Engage and Salesforce Account Engagement are sales-quoted on annual contracts. Prices rise with your list size.
HubSpot vs ActiveCampaign: which is better?
HubSpot is better if you want marketing, sales and service on one CRM and expect to grow into advanced tiers. ActiveCampaign is better if you want deep, branching automation and lead scoring at a lower price, starting at $15/mo billed annually. HubSpot has a free starting point; ActiveCampaign offers a 14-day trial instead.
Marketo vs Pardot: which should a B2B team choose?
Choose Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot) if your company runs Salesforce Sales Cloud and wants marketing data inside Salesforce. Choose Adobe Marketo Engage if you need very complex lead management, account-based marketing and attribution, or you use Microsoft Dynamics. Both are sales-quoted, annual and best with dedicated marketing ops staff.
What is the best marketing automation software for small business?
For most small businesses, ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp and Brevo give the best balance of price and automation. Mailchimp is easiest to learn, Brevo is cheapest for email and SMS, and ActiveCampaign has the deepest workflows. Service businesses that also want CRM, booking and invoicing should look at Keap.
What is the difference between email marketing and marketing automation?
Email marketing sends campaigns to a list, while marketing automation sends messages automatically based on each contact's behavior and data. Automation platforms add triggers, branching workflows, lead scoring, CRM features and often SMS or push. Many email tools now include basic automation, but deep branching usually needs a higher plan.
How do I choose marketing automation software?
Start with your business model: B2B, ecommerce or SaaS. List the three workflows you need, confirm each shortlisted tool can build them on an affordable plan, check it connects to your CRM, store or app, and price it at next year's contact count. Then build one real workflow in a free plan or trial.
About the reviewer
Editor & Reviewer, MakeSuccessOnline
William Harrison is an editor and reviewer at MakeSuccessOnline. He reviews each tools ranking before it goes live, checking plans, prices, free tiers and features against the tool's own documentation, and keeps rankings current as tools change.