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Best Marketing Automation Software in 2026: 12 Tools Compared by Company Size and Requirements

Updated October 24, 2026 · 12 tools · Facts checked against vendor pages · How we review

HubSpot Marketing Hub suits teams that want marketing and CRM in one system, and ActiveCampaign or GetResponse fit small teams that care about automation depth. Salesforce Account Engagement and Adobe Marketo Engage serve B2B organizations with dedicated marketing operations, while Klaviyo and Omnisend focus on online stores. Marketing automation software works best when matched to your CRM.

This page is for marketers, founders and sales leaders who are comparing marketing automation software and want to know which product matches their team before they book demos. The tools are grouped by company size and requirements such as CRM, lead scoring and store data. Turn the requirement lists below into a request on SaaSBid, and vendors will answer with offers based on your contact volume and setup instead of generic tier tables.

Top picks by situation

  • A small team already using a CRM

    HubSpot Marketing Hub

    Free forms, landing pages and automation come with the free tier for 2 users, and the native CRM and bi-directional Salesforce sync keep data in one place.

    From: $0 (Free, up to 2 users)

  • A growing team that wants automation plus light CRM

    ActiveCampaign

    Automation is its core, with four tiers from Starter at $15 monthly for 1,000 contacts, and SMS or WhatsApp available as add-ons.

    From: $15/month (Starter, 1,000 contacts, billed annually)

  • A small team needing email, scoring and landing pages

    GetResponse

    One contact-priced plan holds the workflow builder, scoring by contact actions and landing pages, so a lean team avoids stitching three tools together.

    From: EUR 16/month (Starter, 1,000 contacts, monthly) or EUR 13.12/month…

  • An online store sending email and SMS from order data

    Klaviyo

    Built around store data, it charges by active profile, and a free tier (250 profiles, 500 emails monthly) lets a young shop test before paying.

    From: $0 (Free, 250 active profiles, 500 emails/month)

  • A mid-market B2B team running Salesforce

    Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot)

    Salesforce CRM connects natively, and edition pricing is public, starting at $1,250 per org each month on annual billing.

    From: $1,250/org/month billed annually (Growth+)

  • An enterprise with a marketing operations owner

    Adobe Marketo Engage

    Reviewers praise advanced automation, and the vendor targets mid-market and enterprise B2B teams, with the caveat of a steep learning curve and high price.

    From: Contact sales

Marketing Automation Software comparison table

Marketing Automation Software compared
ToolBest forStarting priceFree planFree trialG2 rating
ActiveCampaign Small and mid-size teams that want automation plus a light CRM $15/month (Starter, 1,000 contacts, billed annually) No Yes 4.4 (14,709 reviews)
Keap Small service businesses wanting CRM, automation and invoicing in one tool $299/month billed monthly or $2,988/year billed annually No Not stated 3.9 (14 reviews)
Brevo Free (price of paid plans not confirmed by the vendor) Yes Not stated 4.5 (2,675 reviews)
Omnisend Ecommerce stores on Shopify, WooCommerce or BigCommerce $0 (Free) Yes Not stated 4.6 (0 reviews)
Klaviyo Ecommerce brands that want email and SMS driven by store data (vendor positioning) $0 (Free, 250 active profiles, 500 emails/month) Yes Not stated 4.6 (1,298 reviews)
GetResponse Small teams that want email plus automation and landing pages in one plan EUR 16/month (Starter, 1,000 contacts, monthly) or EUR 13.12/month… Yes Yes 4.3 (1,138 reviews)
HubSpot Marketing Hub Teams already on HubSpot CRM that want marketing, forms and reporting in one system $0 (Free, up to 2 users) Yes Not stated 4.4 (15,957 reviews)
Moosend Small teams wanting email automation at low cost Third-party: Pro from about $9/month for 500 subscribers No Yes 4.6 (744 reviews)
Zoho Marketing Automation Teams already on Zoho CRM Not published No Yes 4.2 (113 reviews)
Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot) B2B teams already running Salesforce CRM $1,250/org/month billed annually (Growth+) No No No rating
Adobe Marketo Engage Mid-size and enterprise B2B teams with a dedicated marketing ops admin Contact sales No No 4.1 (3,232 reviews)
Mailchimp Small lists that start free and grow into paid tiers Free Yes Yes 4.3 (12,866 reviews)

What is marketing automation software?

Marketing automation software takes over the repetitive parts of marketing. It captures leads through forms and landing pages, sorts contacts into segments, sends email sequences based on what each person does, scores leads and hands the promising ones to sales. Marketers use it daily to build journeys, review campaign results and keep lists clean. B2B companies usually pair it with a CRM, while online retailers connect it to store data. Small teams, agencies and large marketing departments all adopt marketing automation software, with very different levels of complexity.

Core capabilities

  • Workflow and journey builder

    Triggers messages and tasks from contact behavior, with branching conditions for multi-step nurture programs.

  • Lead scoring and routing

    Assigns points to actions and passes sales-ready contacts to the right owner.

  • Email, SMS and multichannel sends

    Delivers campaigns by email and, depending on the product, SMS, WhatsApp or web push.

  • Forms and landing pages

    Captures new leads on pages the vendor hosts and feeds them straight into segments.

  • CRM synchronization

    Keeps contact and deal data aligned between marketing and sales systems.

  • Reporting and attribution

    Links campaigns to pipeline and revenue so teams can see what produces results.

The 12 best marketing automation software, reviewed

1

ActiveCampaign

$15/month (Starter, 1,000 contacts, billed annually)

ActiveCampaign puts automation at the center and adds a light CRM. Starter, Plus, Pro and Enterprise tiers exist, beginning at $15 monthly for 1,000 contacts. SSO is reserved for Enterprise, and enhanced CRM is an add-on on Plus and Pro.

  • 1-10: strong fit
  • 11-50: strong fit
  • 51-500: strong fit
  • 500+: workable

Best for

  • Small and mid-size teams that want automation plus a light CRM
  • Teams that can add SMS or WhatsApp as paid add-ons

Look elsewhere if

  • Teams that need SSO without the Enterprise plan
  • Buyers who need plan prices before talking to the vendor: amounts are not shown on the public pricing page

Key features

CRM integration
Enhanced CRM (pipelines, sales engagement) is an add-on on Plus and Pro, included in Enterprise, not on Starter
Email and multichannel campaigns
Email; SMS and WhatsApp as add-ons
Reporting and attribution
Custom reporting add-on on Starter, Plus, Pro; included in Enterprise
Pricing model
Contact tier; users and sends rise with plan

Full ActiveCampaign profileRequest an offer

2

Keap

$299/month billed monthly or $2,988/year billed annually

Service businesses with two to ten users are the audience for Keap, formerly Infusionsoft. CRM, automation and invoicing come in one base plan at $299 monthly, though every user beyond two costs more and an implementation package is required.

  • 1-10: strong fit
  • 11-50: workable
  • 51-500: poor fit
  • 500+: poor fit

Best for

  • Small service businesses wanting CRM, automation and invoicing in one tool
  • Teams of 2 to about 10 users

Look elsewhere if

  • Larger teams: every user beyond 2 costs extra
  • Buyers wanting self-serve onboarding: an implementation package is required

Key features

CRM integration
Built-in CRM
Email and multichannel campaigns
Text marketing (US only) with tiers from included Tier 1 up to $279/mo for 25,000 messages
Pricing model
Base plan plus users and contact tiers
Target company size
Small businesses

What users like

  • Strong automation
  • Economical CRM and marketing in one tool

Full Keap profileRequest an offer

3

Brevo

Free (price of paid plans not confirmed by the vendor)

Brevo, formerly Sendinblue, combines email, SMS and CRM features. Plans run Free, Starter, Standard, Professional and Enterprise, so a team can begin at no cost and move up. Confirm paid prices and limits with the vendor.

  • 1-10: strong fit
  • 11-50: no data
  • 51-500: no data
  • 500+: no data

Full Brevo profileRequest an offer

4

Omnisend

$0 (Free)

Omnisend serves online stores on Shopify, WooCommerce or BigCommerce with email, SMS and web push. A free plan covers 250 contacts, Standard starts at $11.20 monthly for 500 contacts, and SMS credits cost extra. B2B lead scoring is not its focus.

  • 1-10: strong fit
  • 11-50: strong fit
  • 51-500: no data
  • 500+: no data

Best for

  • Ecommerce stores on Shopify, WooCommerce or BigCommerce
  • Stores wanting email plus SMS credits on Pro

Look elsewhere if

  • B2B teams needing lead scoring and CRM sync (vendor positions on ecommerce)
  • Buyers who need SSO: not mentioned

Key features

Workflow and journey builder
Automation workflows incl. cart and post-purchase
Email and multichannel campaigns
Email, SMS, web push
Pricing model
Contacts; SMS credits extra
Target company size
Ecommerce brands, agencies

Full Omnisend profileRequest an offer

5

Klaviyo

$0 (Free, 250 active profiles, 500 emails/month)

Store data drives Klaviyo's email and SMS. Pricing counts active profiles, with a free tier ending at 250 profiles and 500 monthly emails. Beyond that, only a small Composer line is listed publicly, so expect to request a quote.

  • 1-10: strong fit
  • 11-50: no data
  • 51-500: no data
  • 500+: no data

Best for

  • Ecommerce brands that want email and SMS driven by store data (vendor positioning)

Look elsewhere if

  • Buyers who need a published price list: only the Free tier and a $5 Composer line are public on the vendor pricing page

Key features

Email and multichannel campaigns
Email, SMS/mobile messaging
Pricing model
Active profiles (contacts who can receive marketing email) plus monthly email volume

Full Klaviyo profileRequest an offer

6

GetResponse

EUR 16/month (Starter, 1,000 contacts, monthly) or EUR 13.12/month…

Contact count sets the GetResponse price, from EUR 16 monthly at 1,000 contacts. Inside you get workflows, point-based scoring, tags and landing pages. A CRM is not included, and SSO is unavailable until the Enterprise tier.

  • 1-10: strong fit
  • 11-50: strong fit
  • 51-500: strong fit
  • 500+: workable

Best for

  • Small teams that want email plus automation and landing pages in one plan
  • Nonprofits (50% off monthly plans per pricing page)

Look elsewhere if

  • Teams needing SSO below Enterprise (Starter, Marketer, Creator list no SSO)
  • Buyers who need a built-in CRM (none described on the automation page)

Key features

Workflow and journey builder
Templates or from scratch, behavior triggers, conditions, filters
Lead scoring and routing
Points per contact action on pages and emails
CRM integration
No built-in CRM described; syncs CRM data via integrations
Email and multichannel campaigns
Email; SMS automation and 5,000 free SMS on Enterprise/MAX
Forms and landing pages
Landing page creator (details not confirmed by the vendor)
Pricing model
By contact tier, 3 to 5 team seats on self-serve plans
Target company size
Small to mid-size; Enterprise tier for larger orgs

Full GetResponse profileRequest an offer

7

HubSpot Marketing Hub

$0 (Free, up to 2 users)

Marketing Hub sits on top of HubSpot CRM, which makes it natural for teams already there. Free covers 2 users, Starter begins at $7 per seat, and Professional lists a $3,000 onboarding fee. SAML SSO requires Enterprise.

  • 1-10: strong fit
  • 11-50: strong fit
  • 51-500: strong fit
  • 500+: strong fit

Best for

  • Teams already on HubSpot CRM that want marketing, forms and reporting in one system
  • Small teams starting on Free (2 users) and growing into Starter

Look elsewhere if

  • Budget-limited teams needing automation depth: Professional starts at $800 or $890/month plus a $3,000 onboarding fee
  • Teams needing SAML SSO below Enterprise

Key features

Workflow and journey builder
Automation on Free tier; Campaign Agent (AI)
Lead scoring and routing
Not described as standalone; lead scores can be sent to Salesforce
CRM integration
Native HubSpot CRM; bi-directional Salesforce sync
Forms and landing pages
Free lead forms and landing page builders
Reporting and attribution
Dashboards; multi-touch attribution in Advanced Marketing Reporting
Pricing model
Seat plus marketing-contact tiers; onboarding fee on Professional and Enterprise
Target company size
Small business (Starter) to enterprise

Full HubSpot Marketing Hub profileRequest an offer

8

Moosend

Third-party: Pro from about $9/month for 500 subscribers

Newsletter authors and small store owners get inexpensive email automation from Moosend, and the plan scales with list size up to a million subscribers. Support and usability earn praise; sender verification and white-label bugs earn complaints.

  • 1-10: strong fit
  • 11-50: strong fit
  • 51-500: no data
  • 500+: workable

Best for

  • Small teams wanting email automation at low cost
  • Newsletter and ecommerce senders

Look elsewhere if

  • B2B teams needing lead scoring and deep CRM sync
  • Buyers needing clear SSO and multi-user controls below Enterprise

Key features

Workflow and journey builder
Automation workflows (vendor claim; details not published)
Email and multichannel campaigns
Email; transactional email as add-on
Pricing model
Subscriber tiers 500 to 1,000,000
Target company size
Small business to enterprise tier available

What users like

  • Support quality and responsiveness
  • Ease of use

Common complaints

  • Sender verification friction
  • Bugs in white-label setups

Full Moosend profileRequest an offer

9

Zoho Marketing Automation offers journeys, SMS, social and WhatsApp in three contact-based tiers, and landing pages arrive with Professional. Unlimited sign-up forms come on every plan. Reviewers like automation but report a learning curve and hard-to-find pricing.

  • 1-10: strong fit
  • 11-50: strong fit
  • 51-500: workable
  • 500+: no data

Best for

  • Teams already on Zoho CRM
  • Budget-conscious SMBs wanting journeys, SMS and WhatsApp

Look elsewhere if

  • Buyers who need exact prices confirmed by the vendor (plan prices are not shown on the vendor page)

Key features

Workflow and journey builder
Journeys; full builder with X-RAY tracking on Enterprise
CRM integration
Zoho CRM and others; 40+ integrations on Standard
Email and multichannel campaigns
Email, SMS, social, WhatsApp
Forms and landing pages
Unlimited sign-up forms and pop-ups on all plans; landing pages from Professional
Pricing model
Contact based tiers
Target company size
SMB

What users like

  • Automation features
  • Ease of use

Common complaints

  • Learning curve
  • Customer support
  • Pricing information hard to find

Full Zoho Marketing Automation profileRequest an offer

10

Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot)

$1,250/org/month billed annually (Growth+)

Note: Pardot is now Marketing Cloud Account Engagement; editions on the pricing page carry a plus sign

Salesforce Account Engagement, formerly Pardot, targets mid-market B2B teams on Salesforce CRM. Editions are priced per org, from $1,250 monthly on annual billing, with extra contacts at $100 per 10,000. Reviewers cite interface complexity and long onboarding.

  • 1-10: poor fit
  • 11-50: poor fit
  • 51-500: strong fit
  • 500+: workable

Best for

  • B2B teams already running Salesforce CRM
  • Teams that want published edition prices rather than quotes

Look elsewhere if

  • Companies without Salesforce CRM
  • Small teams that find the interface complex and onboarding long (Capterra/GetApp reviewers)

Key features

CRM integration
Native Salesforce CRM connector (vendor product)
Email and multichannel campaigns
SMS and WhatsApp credits from $10 per 1,000 credits
Reporting and attribution
B2B Marketing Analytics Plus add-on at $3,000 per user per month
Pricing model
Edition price per org with contact allotment; extra contacts $100 per 10,000/month
Target company size
Mid-market B2B

What users like

  • Integration with Salesforce and granular customer data

Common complaints

  • Interface complexity
  • Lengthy onboarding

Full Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot) profileRequest an offer

11

Teams with a marketing ops specialist on staff get the most from Marketo Engage, Adobe's B2B platform for mid-size and enterprise companies. Quotes depend on database size. Expect a long learning period and a hefty bill, according to G2 reviewers.

  • 1-10: poor fit
  • 11-50: poor fit
  • 51-500: strong fit
  • 500+: strong fit

Best for

  • Mid-size and enterprise B2B teams with a dedicated marketing ops admin
  • Companies already in the Adobe Experience Cloud

Look elsewhere if

  • Small teams without a marketing ops owner (G2 reviewers cite a steep learning curve)
  • Buyers who need published pricing

Key features

Workflow and journey builder
Visual engagement programs and smart campaigns (not confirmed by the vendor)
Lead scoring and routing
Native lead scoring (not confirmed by the vendor)
CRM integration
Native sync with Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics (commonly cited; not confirmed by the vendor)
Pricing model
Quote based, scales with database size
Target company size
Mid-market to enterprise

What users like

  • Advanced automation capabilities

Common complaints

  • Steep learning curve
  • High price

Full Adobe Marketo Engage profileRequest an offer

12

Intuit's Mailchimp begins free at 250 contacts, then charges by contact tier, with Essentials from $13 a month. Flows reach 200 points on Standard and Premium, and custom reports start at Standard. SSO needs Premium.

  • 1-10: strong fit
  • 11-50: strong fit
  • 51-500: no data
  • 500+: no data

Best for

  • Small lists that start free and grow into paid tiers

Look elsewhere if

  • Teams that need SSO below the Premium price point

Key features

Workflow and journey builder
Standard and Premium: up to 200 flow points
Reporting and attribution
Custom reports on Standard and up
Pricing model
Contact-tier pricing

Full Mailchimp profileRequest an offer

How to choose marketing automation software

Workflow and journey builder

This covers how marketers design triggers, conditions and multi-step journeys without developer help. Strong tools offer visual builders with branching, templates and behavior triggers on regular plans. Weak ones limit workflow steps, hide automation behind higher tiers or publish few details on what is possible.

Lead scoring and routing

Scoring gives contacts points for actions and profile traits so sales knows whom to call first. Good products pair scoring with automatic assignment and a CRM link. Poor ones omit it entirely, leaving B2B teams to improvise.

CRM integration

This measures how well the platform shares contact and deal data with a CRM. Strong products offer a built-in CRM or a native connector with two-way sync. Weak ones rely on third-party connectors or sell the enhanced CRM as a separate add-on.

Email and multichannel campaigns

This shows which channels campaigns can use beyond email, such as SMS, WhatsApp, push and social. Strong platforms manage all channels in one journey. Weak ones offer email only or bill other channels through extra credits.

Forms and landing pages

Forms and landing pages bring new leads in. Good tools host pages, sign-up forms and pop-ups on ordinary plans. Poor ones keep landing pages for pricier tiers or send you to a separate product.

Reporting and attribution

Reports show which campaigns move pipeline and revenue. Good platforms offer dashboards and multi-touch attribution. Poor ones stop at open and click rates, or charge extra for custom reports and analytics.

Pricing model

This criterion covers how the product is billed, such as by contact tier, active profile or edition per organization, plus onboarding fees. Strong models list what each tier includes and scale gently. Weak ones jump sharply as lists grow or add mandatory onboarding costs.

Target company size

This shows the team size the product was designed for. Light tools suit small teams, while enterprise suites assume a dedicated operations owner. A mismatch means paying for complexity you will not use or hitting limits too early.

The SaaSBid view

Which marketing automation tool fits your company size

Fit of each tool by company size
Tool1-10 people11-50 people51-500 people500+ people
ActiveCampaignStrong fitStrong fitStrong fitWorkable
KeapStrong fitWorkablePoor fitPoor fit
BrevoStrong fitNo dataNo dataNo data
OmnisendStrong fitStrong fitNo dataNo data
KlaviyoStrong fitNo dataNo dataNo data
GetResponseStrong fitStrong fitStrong fitWorkable
HubSpot Marketing HubStrong fitStrong fitStrong fitStrong fit
MoosendStrong fitStrong fitNo dataWorkable
Zoho Marketing AutomationStrong fitStrong fitWorkableNo data
Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot)Poor fitPoor fitStrong fitWorkable
Adobe Marketo EngagePoor fitPoor fitStrong fitStrong fit
MailchimpStrong fitStrong fitNo dataNo data

Strong fitWorkablePoor fitNo data from the vendor

Ratings follow each vendor's stated audience, user and seat limits, free plan caps, onboarding requirements and whether SSO or enterprise tiers exist. Cells stay empty where the vendor gives no usable signal for a company size.

  • 1-10 people

    Cost and setup speed dominate. Free entry points exist at HubSpot Marketing Hub, Brevo, Mailchimp, Omnisend and Klaviyo, and Moosend and ActiveCampaign start cheaply. Small service firms wanting CRM plus invoicing in one product should look at Keap.

  • 11-50 people

    Teams now need segmentation, scoring and a CRM link. ActiveCampaign, GetResponse, Zoho Marketing Automation and HubSpot Marketing Hub all fit. Check which tier unlocks reporting and CRM add-ons, since those are often extra.

  • 51-500 people

    Sales alignment and attribution become decisive. HubSpot Marketing Hub, ActiveCampaign, GetResponse, Salesforce Account Engagement and Adobe Marketo Engage list this range. Companies on Salesforce should compare Account Engagement first.

  • 500+ people

    Large organizations need SSO, governance and dedicated operations staff. Adobe Marketo Engage and HubSpot Marketing Hub target enterprise buyers, and Salesforce Account Engagement serves mid-market B2B. Ask each vendor about onboarding fees and database limits.

Feature coverage at a glance

Documented features by tool
ToolWorkflow and journey builderLead scoring and routingCRM integrationEmail and multichannel campaignsForms and landing pagesReporting and attributionShare
ActiveCampaignNot documentedNot documentedDocumented: Enhanced CRM (pipelines, sales engagement) is an add-on on Plus and Pro, included in Enterprise, not on StarterDocumented: Email; SMS and WhatsApp as add-onsNot documentedDocumented: Custom reporting add-on on Starter, Plus, Pro; included in Enterprise50%
KeapNot documentedNot documentedDocumented: Built-in CRMDocumented: Text marketing (US only) with tiers from included Tier 1 up to $279/mo for 25,000 messagesNot documentedNot documented33%
BrevoNot documentedNot documentedNot documentedNot documentedNot documentedNot documented0%
OmnisendDocumented: Automation workflows incl. cart and post-purchaseNot documentedNot documentedDocumented: Email, SMS, web pushNot documentedNot documented33%
KlaviyoNot documentedNot documentedNot documentedDocumented: Email, SMS/mobile messagingNot documentedNot documented17%
GetResponseDocumented: Templates or from scratch, behavior triggers, conditions, filtersDocumented: Points per contact action on pages and emailsDocumented: No built-in CRM described; syncs CRM data via integrationsDocumented: Email; SMS automation and 5,000 free SMS on Enterprise/MAXDocumented: Landing page creator (details not confirmed by the vendor)Not documented83%
HubSpot Marketing HubDocumented: Automation on Free tier; Campaign Agent (AI)Documented: Not described as standalone; lead scores can be sent to SalesforceDocumented: Native HubSpot CRM; bi-directional Salesforce syncNot documentedDocumented: Free lead forms and landing page buildersDocumented: Dashboards; multi-touch attribution in Advanced Marketing Reporting83%
MoosendDocumented: Automation workflows (vendor claim; details not published)Not documentedNot documentedDocumented: Email; transactional email as add-onNot documentedNot documented33%
Zoho Marketing AutomationDocumented: Journeys; full builder with X-RAY tracking on EnterpriseNot documentedDocumented: Zoho CRM and others; 40+ integrations on StandardDocumented: Email, SMS, social, WhatsAppDocumented: Unlimited sign-up forms and pop-ups on all plans; landing pages from ProfessionalNot documented67%
Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot)Not documentedNot documentedDocumented: Native Salesforce CRM connector (vendor product)Documented: SMS and WhatsApp credits from $10 per 1,000 creditsNot documentedDocumented: B2B Marketing Analytics Plus add-on at $3,000 per user per month50%
Adobe Marketo EngageDocumented: Visual engagement programs and smart campaigns (not confirmed by the vendor)Documented: Native lead scoring (not confirmed by the vendor)Documented: Native sync with Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics (commonly cited; not confirmed by the vendor)Not documentedNot documentedNot documented50%
MailchimpDocumented: Standard and Premium: up to 200 flow pointsNot documentedNot documentedNot documentedNot documentedDocumented: Custom reports on Standard and up33%

A check means the vendor documents the capability publicly (hover for the detail). A dash means we found no public documentation, which is a question to put in your request, not proof the feature is missing.

Integration ecosystems compared

Integrations decide how much manual work stays after go-live. These are the integration counts each vendor publishes; check that your own systems are on the list before you shortlist.

  • HubSpot Marketing Hub2,000+ (HubSpot Marketplace, per vendor)
  • Omnisend305+
  • Zoho Marketing Automation40+

Bar length uses a square-root scale so smaller ecosystems stay readable.

Marketing Automation Software requirements checklist

Use this list to write down what your team actually needs. Sorting requirements into must-have, should-have and nice-to-have is what lets vendors quote accurately instead of pitching their biggest plan.

Must have

  • Visual workflow builder with branching and behavior triggersAutomation depth differs a lot between tools and plans.
  • Two-way sync with our CRMWithout it, sales and marketing work from different contact data.
  • Forms and landing pages that feed lists automaticallySome vendors include them only from a mid-level plan.
  • Segmentation based on behavior and profile fieldsTargeted sends depend on clean, flexible segments.
  • Import of our existing contact lists with consent recordsMigration work and consent handling affect onboarding scope.

Should have

  • Lead scoring with automatic handoff to salesScoring is often missing or limited on cheaper tiers.
  • Campaign reporting tied to pipeline and revenueAttribution reports are frequently a paid add-on.
  • SMS or WhatsApp next to emailExtra channels are often billed by message credit.
  • Several user seats with permission levelsSeat limits and per-user fees change the total.

Nice to have

  • Single sign-on through SAMLOften restricted to the top tier.
  • Ecommerce data sync for abandoned cart and post-purchase flowsImportant for stores, irrelevant for most B2B teams.
  • AI assistance for campaign draftingCan speed up production, but quality varies.

Turn this checklist into a request

Questions vendors will ask you

Have answers ready for these, and your first conversation with a vendor starts at pricing instead of discovery.

  1. How many contacts do you have, and how fast is the list growing?Most pricing is tied to contact tiers that jump as lists grow.
  2. Which CRM do you use today?Native sync quality varies, and some tools depend on one CRM.
  3. How many emails or messages do you send per month?Send limits and volume pricing differ between vendors.
  4. Do you sell to businesses, to consumers or through an online store?B2B scoring tools and store-focused flows point to different products.
  5. Who will build and maintain the workflows?Complex platforms often require a dedicated operations person or paid onboarding.
  6. Do you need SMS, WhatsApp or other channels beyond email?Additional channels are commonly priced as add-ons.

Example request

What a strong marketing automation software request looks like
We are a 60-person B2B software company with a three-person marketing team and ten salespeople working in Salesforce. Today we send newsletters from a basic email tool and pass leads to sales by spreadsheet. We need forms and landing pages, behavior-based nurture sequences, lead scoring with automatic handoff to Salesforce, and reports that connect campaigns to pipeline. About 25,000 contacts must be imported with their consent status. We expect to run six active programs in the first quarter and would like to go live within two months. The budget is in the mid four figures per year, and we are open to paid onboarding if it shortens the setup.

Write your own request

More vendors listed on SaaSBid

Marketing Automation Software FAQ

What is marketing automation software?

It handles recurring marketing work, including nurture emails, segmentation, scoring and campaign reports, without anyone pressing send. B2B teams typically link it to a CRM so qualified leads reach sales.

What is the best marketing automation software for small business?

HubSpot Marketing Hub, ActiveCampaign, GetResponse and Zoho Marketing Automation are common starting points. Keap suits small service businesses that need CRM and invoicing, and Omnisend or Klaviyo fit online stores. Match the tool to your CRM and sales model.

Do I need a CRM to use marketing automation?

Not always. Some tools include a built-in CRM, such as Keap or HubSpot, while GetResponse has none and relies on integrations. B2B teams with a sales department benefit most from a native connection.

What is the difference between marketing automation and email marketing?

Email marketing sends messages to lists. Marketing automation adds behavior triggers, scoring, segmentation and multi-step journeys across channels. Many email tools such as Mailchimp or Moosend now offer automation flows, so the line is blurry.

What features should marketing automation software have?

A workflow builder, segmentation, forms, landing pages, CRM sync and reporting form the core. B2B teams should add lead scoring, and stores should check ecommerce data sync and SMS.

What should I include in a marketing automation request for offers?

List your contact count, monthly send volume, CRM, required channels, scoring needs, number of users and go-live date. Say whether you can run the tool yourself or want paid onboarding. That lets vendors quote a realistic tier.

The bottom line

Begin with your CRM and business model, then drop any product that lacks a must-have such as native sync or lead scoring. That usually leaves three tools worth comparing. A precise request on SaaSBid lets vendors quote against your actual contact count, channels and onboarding needs, which makes the offers comparable and exposes extra costs early.

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