10 Best Marketing Automation Software of 2026

1. 1

   HubSpot Marketing Hub

   Marketing automation built on HubSpot's own CRM, sold per seat from a free tier to Enterprise.

   8.8overall

   Marketing automation built on HubSpot's own CRM, sold per seat from a free tier to Enterprise.

   Best forSmall and midsize teams that want email, forms, automation and the CRM in one account.

   Adoption data

   306,000HubSpot reports 306,000 customers across its customer platform, which includes Marketing Hub.

   HubSpot, HubSpot Our Story (2026): “306,000 Customers”

   HubSpot Marketing Hub ranks first because it pairs a broad automation toolset with the largest customer count among the B2B suites here. HubSpot's own figure is 306,000 customers, counted across its whole platform rather than Marketing Hub alone. The marketing product page lists a free tier with email campaigns, an AI assistant and live chat, then Starter at $20 per seat per month, shown at $10 as a limited-time discount for new customers. Professional starts at $100 per seat and adds personalized content and a report on how your brand shows up in AI search, while Enterprise starts at $175 per seat with revenue tracking and permission controls. The main draw is that contacts, deals and tickets live in the same CRM, so automation can react to sales and service events without a sync. The weakness is price at scale: seats add up, and the move from Starter to Professional is steep. We compared documented features and published prices.

   Strengths

   • +Marketing, sales and service data share one CRM
   • +Permanent free tier to start with
   • +14-day free trial of the premium marketing tools

   Limitations

   • −Per-seat pricing grows quickly with team size
   • −The $10 Starter price is a limited-time offer for new customers
   • −The jump from Starter to Professional is large

   SummaryHubSpot is the strongest all-round pick, with a free tier and marketing tied directly to its CRM. Budget for the jump to Professional before you depend on its advanced automation.

2. 2

   ActiveCampaign

   An automation-first email and CRM platform priced by contact count.

   8.7overall

   An automation-first email and CRM platform priced by contact count.

   Best forSmall and midsize businesses that build multi-step customer journeys.

   Adoption data

   180,000ActiveCampaign says its marketing automation platform serves more than 180,000 customers.

   ActiveCampaign, About ActiveCampaign (2026): “ActiveCampaign’s intelligent marketing automation platform helps over 180,000 customers get more out of their marketing and sales campaigns.”

   ActiveCampaign is the specialist for automation depth at small business prices. Its USD pricing page shows Starter at $15 per month billed yearly for 1,000 contacts, with multi-step automation, an AI automation builder and 250+ templates. Plus at $49 adds cross-channel marketing, landing pages and site messages, Pro at $79 adds predictive sending and conditional content, and Enterprise at $145 adds SSO, HIPAA support and custom objects. Each tier publishes its send allowance, from 10,000 emails a month on Starter to 15,000 on Enterprise at the 1,000-contact level. The company says more than 180,000 customers use the platform in 170+ countries, which places it among the larger independent vendors. It offers a free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee but no permanent free plan, and Starter includes a single seat. Costs grow with contacts, so model your list size before choosing a tier. We compared documented features and published prices.

   Strengths

   • +Automation builder is included on the entry plan
   • +Send allowance is published for every plan
   • +30-day money-back guarantee

   Limitations

   • −No permanent free plan
   • −Starter includes only one user seat
   • −Prices rise with contact count

   SummaryActiveCampaign gives small teams a full workflow builder from $15 per month. Expect to move to Plus or Pro for more seats and cross-channel messaging.

3. 3

   Brevo

   An email, SMS and WhatsApp platform with automation included from the free plan.

   8.7overall

   An email, SMS and WhatsApp platform with automation included from the free plan.

   Best forSmall businesses that want multichannel automation at a low monthly price.

   Adoption data

   600KBrevo says it has 600,000 customers globally.

   Brevo, About Brevo (2026): “600K Customers globally”

   Brevo takes second place on value. Its help center lists five plans: Free at $0, Starter from $9 per month, Standard from $18, Professional from $499 and a custom Enterprise tier. The Free plan includes 300 email sends a day, transactional email and SMS, and multichannel automation for up to 2,000 contacts, so a small team can build welcome and follow-up flows before paying anything. Standard tiers set both monthly sends and how many contacts you can store. Channels cover email, SMS, WhatsApp and push, and the about page lists more than 150 integrations including Shopify, WordPress and Stripe. Brevo reports 600,000 customers globally, a strong signal for a vendor that started as an email tool. The limits show at the top end: Professional costs $499 per month, and SMS sending is an add-on on lower plans. For teams that need deep B2B scoring or a sales-grade CRM, the enterprise suites below go further. We compared documented features and published prices.

   Strengths

   • +Cheapest verified paid plan on this list at $9 per month
   • +Automation is available before you pay
   • +Pricing follows send volume, which suits large lists that mail rarely

   Limitations

   • −Free plan automation is capped at 2,000 contacts
   • −SMS campaigns are an add-on on lower plans
   • −Professional jumps to $499 per month

   SummaryBrevo is the value pick, with automation on its free plan and paid plans from $9 per month. Teams that outgrow Standard face a large step to Professional.

4. 4

   Klaviyo

   A B2C CRM and marketing platform for email and SMS, priced by active profiles.

   8.6overall

   A B2C CRM and marketing platform for email and SMS, priced by active profiles.

   Best forEcommerce brands that trigger flows from store and browsing data.

   Adoption data

   205,000Klaviyo reports more than 205,000 paying customers in over 100 countries.

   Klaviyo, About Klaviyo (2026): “205,000+ paying customers in 100+ countries”

   Klaviyo is the pick for online stores. Its comparison page states that paid email plans start at $20 per month and that pricing follows active profiles, the people you actually market to, so inactive or opted-out contacts do not raise the bill. Even the free plan includes multi-step flows, A/B testing and SMS credits. The about page reports more than 205,000 paying customers in 100+ countries and more than 7 billion customer profiles managed, and since 2025 the company has positioned the product as a B2C CRM that joins data, marketing, service and analytics. That focus is also the limit: B2B teams that need account scoring, sales handoff and CRM sync to Salesforce will find the enterprise suites better suited. The entry price is above Brevo and Mailchimp, but the active-profile rule can make Klaviyo cheaper for stores with large dormant lists. We compared documented features and published prices.

   Strengths

   • +Inactive and opted-out profiles do not raise the bill
   • +Free plan includes multi-step flows
   • +Counts paying customers, a stricter measure than sign-ups

   Limitations

   • −Focused on B2C and ecommerce, less suited to B2B lead scoring
   • −Paid plans start higher than Brevo or Mailchimp
   • −Costs grow with active profiles

   SummaryKlaviyo is the strongest ecommerce choice, with flows on the free plan and paid email from $20 per month. B2B teams should look at HubSpot or Salesforce instead.

5. 5

   Mailchimp

   An email and SMS platform with automations on its Standard plan, priced by contacts.

   8.6overall

   An email and SMS platform with automations on its Standard plan, priced by contacts.

   Best forSmall businesses that want simple automations from the most widely used email brand.

   Adoption data

   11 millionMailchimp says 11 million businesses choose its platform, the largest business count on this list.

   Mailchimp, Mailchimp homepage (2026): “Discover why 11 million businesses choose Mailchimp.”

   Mailchimp is the most widely adopted brand in this comparison, with its homepage saying 11 million businesses choose it. As a marketing automation tool it is simpler than the suites above it. The USD pricing page lists Essentials from $13 per month with testing and scheduling, Standard from $20 with automations, personalization and optimization tools, and Premium from $350 with unlimited contacts and priority support. Essentials and Standard come with a 14-day free trial, and a free plan exists for very small lists. The practical point for automation buyers is that most automation tools sit on Standard, so $20 per month is the realistic starting price. Overages apply if a list passes its contact or send limit, and the step from Standard to Premium is large. Teams that need lead scoring, account-based programs or CRM-driven journeys will find HubSpot or ActiveCampaign deeper. We compared documented features and published prices.

   Strengths

   • +Largest business count reported on this list
   • +Low $13 entry price
   • +14-day trial on Essentials and Standard

   Limitations

   • −Most automation tools sit on Standard, not Essentials
   • −Overages apply above contact or send limits
   • −Premium starts at $350 per month

   SummaryMailchimp suits small businesses that want familiar email automation from $20 per month on Standard. Larger teams will outgrow its automation depth.

6. 6

   Salesforce Marketing Cloud

   Salesforce's cross-channel marketing suite, sold per org from the Marketing Cloud Next Growth Edition.

   8.2overall

   Salesforce's cross-channel marketing suite, sold per org from the Marketing Cloud Next Growth Edition.

   Best forEnterprises already on Salesforce that run journeys across many channels.

   Adoption data

   No. 1 for 7 yearsSalesforce says IDC ranked it No. 1 in marketing applications for the seventh consecutive year in its 2025 data.

   Salesforce, Salesforce Ranked #1 CRM Provider for 13th Year (2025): “Beyond the top CRM ranking, Salesforce maintains leadership across core applications, ranking #1 in Sales for the 14th consecutive year, #1 in Customer Service for the 13th consecutive year, and #1 in Marketing for the seventh consecutive year.”

   Salesforce Marketing Cloud has the broadest feature set here and the strongest market share claim. Salesforce reports that IDC ranked it No. 1 in marketing for the seventh consecutive year, alongside a 20.0% share of the overall CRM market in 2025. The pricing page in USD lists Marketing Cloud Next Growth Edition at $1,500 per org per month and Advanced Edition at $3,250, both billed annually. Growth includes Campaign Agent, agentic content, multi-channel journeys, forms and landing pages, consent management and campaign attribution reporting. Salesforce Personalization, Marketing Intelligence and Loyalty Management are sold as add-ons. The trade-off is cost: the entry edition alone runs $18,000 a year before add-ons, and the value is clearest for companies whose customer data already lives in Salesforce. Smaller teams get more per dollar from HubSpot, Brevo or ActiveCampaign. We compared documented features and published prices.

   Strengths

   • +Ranked No. 1 in marketing applications by IDC per Salesforce
   • +Native link to Salesforce CRM data
   • +Broad add-on catalog for personalization and loyalty

   Limitations

   • −Entry price of $1,500 per org per month billed annually
   • −No free plan
   • −Best value only for teams already on Salesforce

   SummarySalesforce Marketing Cloud is the enterprise choice for teams already running on Salesforce. Its $1,500 per month entry price rules it out for most small businesses.

7. 7

   Zoho Marketing Plus

   Zoho's unified marketing suite covering email, social, automation, webinars and events.

   8.2overall

   Zoho's unified marketing suite covering email, social, automation, webinars and events.

   Best forSmall teams that want several marketing apps under one low per-marketer price.

   Adoption data

   150 millionZoho reports more than 150 million users across its business software, which includes Marketing Plus.

   Zoho, Zoho homepage (2026): “150 M+ Users Globally”

   Zoho Marketing Plus bundles more marketing apps per dollar than anything else here. Its pricing page lists a start of $25 per month billed annually, or $30 billed monthly, for one marketer with 1,000 contacts, 10,000 website visitors, 25 webinar attendees, one brand and 15 GB of storage. Each additional marketer costs $10 per month on annual billing and adds 1,000 contacts and 5,000 visitors. The plan covers email marketing, social media, marketing automation, surveys, webinars, events, website performance, unified analytics and landing pages. Zoho reports more than 150 million users globally, but that figure spans its whole product family, so we scored adoption more cautiously than for vendors that count this product alone. The 1,000-contact base is small, so teams with large lists should price additional contacts before committing. We compared documented features and published prices.

   Strengths

   • +Low entry price for a multi-app suite
   • +Each extra marketer adds 1,000 contacts and 5,000 visitors
   • +Webinars and events are part of the bundle

   Limitations

   • −Entry plan includes only 1,000 contacts
   • −No permanent free plan listed
   • −The 150 million user count covers all Zoho apps, not this product alone

   SummaryZoho Marketing Plus is a strong budget suite for small teams that want webinars, social and automation together. Its small contact base means larger lists need careful pricing.

8. 8

   Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement

   Salesforce's B2B marketing automation product, formerly Pardot, sold per org with contact blocks.

   7.9overall

   Salesforce's B2B marketing automation product, formerly Pardot, sold per org with contact blocks.

   Best forB2B companies on Salesforce that need lead nurturing, scoring and sales alignment.

   Adoption data

   20.0%Salesforce says IDC put its share of the overall CRM market, which includes marketing applications, at 20.0% in 2025.

   Salesforce, Salesforce Ranked #1 CRM Provider for 13th Year (2025): “According to IDC, in 2025, Salesforce led all CRM vendors with a 20.0% market share.”

   Account Engagement, the product formerly called Pardot, is Salesforce's answer for B2B lead management. Its USD pricing page lists four editions billed annually: Growth+ at $1,250 per org per month, Plus+ at $2,750, Advanced+ at $4,400 and Premium+ at $15,000. Growth+ includes Marketing Cloud Next Growth Edition, Agentforce campaign creation and lead nurturing and scoring, Plus+ adds account-based marketing and analytics, and Advanced+ adds AI-powered scoring and B2B Marketing Analytics. The first three editions include 10,000 contacts and Premium+ includes 75,000. For adoption we cite Salesforce's report that IDC put its overall CRM share at 20.0% in 2025, a company-wide figure, not one for this product alone. The product makes the most sense when sales already works in Salesforce, since scoring and routing feed straight into the sales team's queue. For a small B2B team without Salesforce, HubSpot covers similar ground for less. We compared documented features and published prices.

   Strengths

   • +Built for B2B lead handoff inside Salesforce
   • +Published prices for every edition
   • +Each edition includes a Marketing Cloud Next edition

   Limitations

   • −Growth+ starts at $1,250 per org per month billed annually
   • −Only 10,000 contacts included below Premium+
   • −Requires Salesforce to get full value

   SummaryAccount Engagement is the B2B choice for Salesforce shops that need scoring and sales handoff. At $1,250 per month for 10,000 contacts it is a poor fit outside that setup.

9. 9

   Customer.io

   A data-driven messaging platform for product and lifecycle teams, priced by profiles.

   7.7overall

   A data-driven messaging platform for product and lifecycle teams, priced by profiles.

   Best forSoftware and app companies that send behavior-triggered email, push and in-app messages.

   Adoption data

   11,000Customer.io says its customer engagement platform is trusted by more than 11,000 brands.

   Customer.io, Customer.io homepage (2026): “The customer engagement platform trusted by 11,000+ brands”

   Customer.io serves a different buyer from the email-first tools: product and lifecycle teams that message users based on what they do in an app. The pricing page lists Essentials at $100 per month billed monthly, with 5,000 profiles, 1 million emails a month, a visual workflow builder and an AI agent. Premium starts at $1,000 per month billed yearly and adds custom profile and email volumes. Every plan includes unlimited mobile and web push and in-app messages, plus native WhatsApp and LINE and unlimited webhooks. The homepage says more than 11,000 brands use the platform and offers a 14-day free trial without a credit card. The large email allowance makes Essentials good value for high-volume senders, but there is no free plan, and the data model assumes engineers will send events from the product. Marketing teams without that support will find HubSpot or ActiveCampaign easier to start. We compared documented features and published prices.

   Strengths

   • +Large email allowance on the entry plan
   • +Push, in-app, WhatsApp and webhooks in one tool
   • +14-day free trial with no credit card

   Limitations

   • −No free plan
   • −Entry plan starts at $100 per month
   • −Built for product data, so it needs engineering setup

   SummaryCustomer.io is the pick for app and SaaS teams that trigger messages from product events. It is more than most traditional marketing teams need.

10. 10

    Adobe Marketo Engage

    Adobe's B2B marketing automation platform, sold in four packages through sales.

    7.5overall

    Adobe's B2B marketing automation platform, sold in four packages through sales.

    Best forLarge B2B marketing teams that run account-based programs and need attribution.

    Adoption data

    ThousandsAdobe says thousands of marketing teams run their demand centers on Marketo Engage; it does not publish an exact count.

    Adobe, Go Beyond Marketing Automation With Adobe Marketo Engage (2026): “Thousands of marketing teams run their mission-critical demand centers on Marketo Engage today”

    Adobe Marketo Engage is a long-standing B2B platform with one of the deepest feature sets here, but Adobe does not publish prices. Its pricing page lists four packages, Growth, Select, Prime and Ultimate, each behind a Get pricing button. Growth includes 10 users and 20,000 daily API calls, and the other packages include 25 users and 50,000 calls. Every package covers lead and account databases, native CRM integration with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics and Veeva, segmentation, campaign automation, scoring and routing, email, landing pages and reporting. Higher packages add target account management, predictive audiences, advanced analytics, sandboxes and Marketo Measure attribution. Adobe says thousands of marketing teams run their demand centers on Marketo Engage but gives no exact count, so we scored adoption conservatively. The lack of public pricing also lowers its value score, since buyers cannot compare cost without a sales call. We compared documented features and published prices.

    Strengths

    • +Deep B2B features including account-based marketing
    • +Native integrations with three major CRMs
    • +Attribution through Marketo Measure on Ultimate

    Limitations

    • −No public prices; all packages require a quote
    • −No exact customer count published
    • −Advanced features sit in the upper packages

    SummaryMarketo Engage suits large B2B teams that need account-based programs and attribution. Without public prices, expect a sales-led buying process.

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