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Last updated: August 2026

Marketing Automation Comparison: The Best Tools Compared in 2026

We reviewed the leading Marketing Automation Comparison platforms for US marketing and sales teams — comparing starting prices in USD, free plans and trials, feature depth, integrations and user ratings from G2, Capterra, GetApp, TrustRadius and Gartner Peer Insights. 14 vendors from our Marketing Automation category are compared side by side, with every detail on this page — no extra clicks required.

Scores from 5 review platformsIndependent comparisonTransparent pricing

14 vendors compared

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ActiveCampaign Logo
1
4.4

Overall score

  • G24.5
  • Capterra4.6
  • GetApp4.6
  • TrustRadius4.5
  • Gartner Peer Insights4.0

Average score across 5 review platforms

ActiveCampaign

Best automation depth for mid-market budgets

Headquarters: USAAffiliate programChicago
  • The automation builder allows branched journeys with scoring, split tests, and CRM triggers – at a level typically reserved for enterprise suites.
  • Over 900 recipes provide ready-to-use journeys for onboarding, abandoned carts, and re-engagement.
  • Sales CRM and email marketing access the same contact data at no extra cost.

Top 3 pros

  • Very powerful automations
  • Pre-built journey templates
  • Good value for money

Top 3 cons

  • Interface with a learning curve
  • Price increases with contact count
  • Less visual reporting

from $15 / month

Pro: $145 / month

Try for free for 14 days

incl. Migration assistance

Start free trial
HubSpot Logo
2
4.4

Overall score

  • G24.4
  • Capterra4.5
  • GetApp4.5
  • TrustRadius4.7
  • Gartner Peer Insights4.1

Average score across 5 review platforms

HubSpot

Best All-in-One Platform with Free Entry

Headquarters: USAAffiliate program30% recurring / 180-day cookie; Forever Free; Enterprise Plan; Event Workflows; Free CRM; AI CRM; Startup Discounts; Overview/Comparison Page
  • Sales, Marketing, Service, and CMS run on a common data model – one contact, one history, no sync issues between tools.
  • The free plan already includes contact management, email tracking, meeting links, and forms, and can be expanded without migration.
  • Over 1,500 integrations and a mature API make HubSpot the hub for existing tool landscapes.

Top 3 pros

  • One system for Marketing, Sales, and Service
  • Excellent onboarding and learning resources
  • Scales from startup to enterprise

Top 3 cons

  • Significant price jump to Professional
  • Contact-based billing quickly becomes expensive
  • Annual contracts with fixed terms

from $20 / month

Pro: $890 / month

Free Plan

Perpetually, no credit card required

Start free trial
Klaviyo Logo
3
4.4

Overall score

  • G24.6
  • Capterra4.6
  • GetApp4.6
  • TrustRadius4.5
  • Gartner Peer Insights3.9

Average score across 5 review platforms

Klaviyo

E-commerce marketing with deep store data

Headquarters: USABoston; E-commerce; E-commerce
  • Shopify, Shopware, and WooCommerce data flows into segments in real-time – including order value, product category, and purchase interval.
  • Pre-built flows for abandoned carts, win-back, and post-purchase deliver measurable revenue contributions per email.
  • Revenue attribution per flow and campaign is standard, not an add-on module.

Top 3 pros

  • Best segmentation for stores
  • Revenue attribution per flow
  • Strong store integrations

Top 3 cons

  • Expensive for large lists
  • Overkill for pure B2B
  • US hosting as standard

from $20 / month

Pro: $150 / month

Free up to 250 contacts

500 emails included

Start free trial
GoHighLevel Logo
4
4.4

Overall score

  • G24.4
  • Capterra4.5
  • GetApp4.4
  • TrustRadius4.5
  • Gartner Peer Insights4.0

Average score across 5 review platforms

GoHighLevel

White-label marketing platform for agencies

  • Resell CRM, funnels, SMS and reviews under your own brand.
  • Snapshots clone a full client setup in minutes.
  • Unlimited sub-accounts on the agency plan.

Top 3 pros

  • Built for agencies
  • White-label ready
  • Unlimited clients

Top 3 cons

  • Cluttered UI
  • Usage fees for SMS and calls

ab $97 / Monat

Pro: $297 / Monat

Try for free for 14 days

Start free trial
Brevo Logo
5
4.3

Overall score

  • G24.4
  • Capterra4.5
  • GetApp4.5
  • TrustRadius4.3
  • Gartner Peer Insights4.0

Average score across 5 review platforms

Brevo

Email, SMS, and chat with EU hosting

Headquarters: FranceAffiliate programParis; incl. CRM module
  • Billing based on emails sent, not contacts – significantly cheaper for large lists with low engagement.
  • Transactional emails, newsletters, SMS, and WhatsApp run through a single interface and API.
  • Data centers in the EU and a DPA available starting with the free plan.

Top 3 pros

  • Billing based on sending volume
  • EU hosting and DPA
  • Powerful transactional email API

Top 3 cons

  • Delivery rate for bulk sending fluctuates
  • Less comfortable editor
  • Slow support for Free Plan

from $9 / month

Pro: $65 / month

Free Plan

300 emails per day

Start free trial
Drip Logo
6
4.3

Overall score

  • G24.3
  • Capterra4.4
  • GetApp4.3
  • TrustRadius4.4
  • Gartner Peer Insights3.9

Average score across 5 review platforms

Drip

E-commerce email with onsite campaigns

  • Email automation and popups from one tool.
  • Shop data drives segments and campaigns.
  • Visual Workflow Builder with revenue tracking.

Top 3 pros

  • Email + Onsite combined
  • Shop integration
  • Good automations

Top 3 cons

  • Price by contacts
  • Less known in DACH

from $39 / month

Pro: $89 / month

Try for free for 14 days

Start free trial
GetResponse Logo
7
4.2

Overall score

  • G24.2
  • Capterra4.3
  • GetApp4.2
  • TrustRadius4.3
  • Gartner Peer Insights3.8

Average score across 5 review platforms

GetResponse

Email marketing with webinar functionality

Headquarters: PolandAffiliate programGdańsk
  • Newsletters, automations, landing pages, and webinars combined.
  • Conversion funnel feature for campaigns.
  • Good multilingual support.

Top 3 pros

  • Integrated webinars
  • Affordable
  • Many features

Top 3 cons

  • Less depth in automations
  • Templates look generic

from $16 / month

Pro: $54 / month

Free Plan

up to 500 contacts

Start free trial
Adobe Marketo Engage Logo
8
4.2

Overall score

  • G24.2
  • Capterra4.3
  • GetApp4.2
  • TrustRadius4.3
  • Gartner Peer Insights3.8

Average score across 5 review platforms

Adobe Marketo Engage

Enterprise marketing automation for B2B

  • Very deep lead scoring and nurturing models.
  • Account-Based Marketing built-in natively.
  • Part of the Adobe Experience Cloud.

Top 3 pros

  • Extremely powerful
  • Strong ABM
  • Proven in enterprise

Top 3 cons

  • High costs
  • Long implementation
  • Complex to operate

from $895 / month

Pro: $2500 / month

Personal Demo

Custom quote

Book a demo
Kartra Logo
9
4.2

Overall score

  • G24.2
  • Capterra4.3
  • GetApp4.2
  • TrustRadius4.3
  • Gartner Peer Insights3.8

Average score across 5 review platforms

Kartra

All-in-one marketing suite for info products

  • Pages, email, helpdesk, memberships and affiliates bundled.
  • Behavioral tagging drives every automation.
  • Built-in affiliate center recruits partners.

Top 3 pros

  • Wide feature set
  • Affiliate center included
  • Good value per feature

Top 3 cons

  • Interface is busy
  • Deliverability needs tuning

from $99 / month

Pro: $229 / Monat

Try for free for 14 days

Start free trial
Keap Logo
10
4.1

Overall score

  • G24.1
  • Capterra4.2
  • GetApp4.1
  • TrustRadius4.2
  • Gartner Peer Insights3.7

Average score across 5 review platforms

Keap

CRM with marketing automation for freelancers and small teams

Headquarters: USAAffiliate programSMB (formerly Infusionsoft)
  • CRM and automation platform (formerly Infusionsoft) with lead capture, email sequences, appointment booking, and simple invoicing in one tool.
  • Pre-built automation recipes connect forms, landing pages, and payment processing without separate integration projects.
  • Primarily for small businesses and solo entrepreneurs who want to manage sales, follow-up processes, and basic accounting without multiple individual tools.

Top 3 pros

  • Combines CRM, automation, and invoicing
  • Pre-built automation campaigns save setup time
  • Good starting point for small teams without a marketing department

Top 3 cons

  • Functionally limited for larger B2B sales teams
  • Price per contact increases with database size
  • No German-speaking support

Price on request

Contact-based pricing tiers

Try for free for 14 days

Start free trial
SAP Emarsys Logo
11
4.1

Overall score

  • G24.1
  • Capterra4.2
  • GetApp4.1
  • TrustRadius4.2
  • Gartner Peer Insights3.7

Average score across 5 review platforms

SAP Emarsys

Omnichannel engagement for retail and consumer goods

  • Pre-built tactics for retail scenarios.
  • Cross-channel journeys including Direct Mail.
  • Part of the SAP portfolio.

Top 3 pros

  • Retail strength
  • Many channels
  • Enterprise-ready

Top 3 cons

  • Expensive
  • Complex
  • Not agile for small teams

from $600 / month

Pro: $1800 / month

Personal Demo

Custom quote

Book a demo
Salesforce Marketing Cloud Logo
12
4.1

Overall score

  • G24.1
  • Capterra4.2
  • GetApp4.1
  • TrustRadius4.2
  • Gartner Peer Insights3.7

Average score across 5 review platforms

Salesforce Marketing Cloud

Journey Orchestration within the Salesforce Ecosystem

Headquarters: USAB2C
  • Journey Builder centrally controls email, SMS, push, and ads.
  • Direct access to Sales Cloud CRM data.
  • Einstein AI for send times and subject lines.

Top 3 pros

  • Tight CRM Integration
  • Highly scalable
  • Strong Ecosystem

Top 3 cons

  • Expensive
  • Complex Setup
  • Additional Modules Required

from $400 / month

Pro: $1250 / month

Personal Demo

Custom quote

Book a demo
artegic ELAINE Logo
13
4.0

Overall score

  • G24.0
  • Capterra4.1
  • GetApp4.0
  • TrustRadius4.1
  • Gartner Peer Insights3.6

Average score across 5 review platforms

artegic ELAINE

B2B marketing automation platform for email and customer journey campaigns

Headquarters: GermanyBonn; Made/Hosted in Germany
  • Marketing automation software focused on email marketing, journey control, and lead scoring for B2B and B2C campaigns.
  • Operations and data processing are carried out in German data centers, which facilitates connections to CRM systems and web shops under GDPR regulations.
  • Used by marketing teams that want to implement multi-stage campaigns with individual segmentation and legally compliant data handling in Germany.

Top 3 pros

  • Data processing in German data centers
  • Sophisticated journey and segmentation logic
  • Good support in German language

Top 3 cons

  • Interface less modern than large international suites
  • Familiarization with campaign logic takes time
  • Pricing structure not publicly available

Price on request

Tiered pricing based on contact volume

Personal Demo

Custom quote

Book a demo

How to choose Marketing Automation Comparison in 2026

Marketing Automation Comparison tools consolidate work that teams otherwise split across several point solutions. This list covers 14 vendors from our Marketing Automation category that genuinely serve the use case and are available to US buyers. The average overall score across the rated vendors is 4.3 out of 5, and entry pricing ranges from ab 9€ / Monat – ab 1500€ / Monat.

ActiveCampaign currently leads the list at 4.4/5: Best automation depth for mid-market budgets HubSpot follows closely at 4.4/5 — Best All-in-One Platform with Free Entry If budget is the deciding factor, Brevo offers the lowest entry point at from $9 / month.

You can evaluate most options before any purchase order: HubSpot, Klaviyo, Brevo and GetResponse offer a permanently free plan, while ActiveCampaign, GoHighLevel, Drip and Kartra run a free trial. Braze, Adobe Marketo Engage, SAP Emarsys and Salesforce Marketing Cloud grant access through a guided demo only — come prepared with seat counts, data volumes and must-have integrations.

Headquarters matter for procurement and data processing: 11 of 14 vendors here are US-based, the rest are European. US teams selling into the EU should confirm data residency options and EU-US Data Privacy Framework participation early.

Pricing and trial options at a glance

VendorStarting priceTry itScoreHeadquarters
ActiveCampaignfrom $15 / monthFree trial4.4USA
HubSpotfrom $20 / monthFree plan4.4USA
Brazefrom $1500 / monthDemo / quote4.4USA
Klaviyofrom $20 / monthFree plan4.4USA
GoHighLevelab $97 / MonatFree trial4.4–
Brevofrom $9 / monthFree plan4.3Frankreich
Dripfrom $39 / monthFree trial4.3–
GetResponsefrom $16 / monthFree plan4.2Polen

Six criteria that actually decide the shortlist

Fit with your core workflow

Feature counts matter less than whether the tool runs your main Marketing Automation Comparison workflow without workarounds. Write down the three tasks your team performs daily and test exactly those.

Total cost, not list price

Entry prices such as ab 9€ / Monat – ab 1500€ / Monat are typically per seat and month on annual billing. Add extra seats, contact tiers, onboarding fees and paid add-ons before comparing.

Integrations

Check whether your CRM, storefront, analytics and ad accounts connect natively or only through Zapier/Make. Native connectors reduce maintenance and prevent reporting gaps.

Security and compliance

Ask for SOC 2 status, data residency options, retention settings and consent handling. Teams with EU customers should also confirm DPA availability and Data Privacy Framework participation.

Onboarding and support

Implementation packages, response-time commitments and a maintained knowledge base decide whether a tool is still in use after three months. Clarify support tiers before signing.

Exit and data portability

Contract term, notice period and export formats belong in the evaluation. CSV or API exports on demand keep you free to switch later.

Which option fits which team

Solo operators and small teams

HubSpot covers the entry level without a big budget. Prioritize fast setup, few required fields and pricing that scales only as you grow.

Mid-market teams with established processes

ActiveCampaign and HubSpot provide the broadest functional base in this list and adapt to existing workflows. Look closely at roles and permissions plus automations that span departments.

Enterprise and regulated industries

Braze and similar vendors work from custom quotes with SSO, audit logs and named contacts. Contract and security documentation matters more than the list price here.

Common mistakes buyers make

  • Choosing the longest feature list instead of testing the three workflows that drive revenue.
  • Running the trial without real data and without the colleagues who will use the tool daily.
  • Underestimating migration: data cleanup, deduplication and field mapping usually take longer than setup.
  • Ignoring usage-based tiers tied to contacts, seats or send volume — the next tier arrives faster than planned.

Pricing, plans and features change frequently. We re-check the figures against vendors' public pricing pages; the vendor's own terms always take precedence for contract decisions.

How we rate

Every list follows the same four steps – so scores stay comparable across categories.

  1. 1Shortlist: we include vendors that genuinely serve this use case and are available to US teams.
  2. 2Review data: we aggregate ratings from G2, Capterra, GetApp, TrustRadius and Gartner Peer Insights into one overall score.
  3. 3Pricing check: entry prices are taken from the vendor's public pricing page in USD, per user and month unless stated otherwise.
  4. 4Context: pros, cons and highlights summarize recurring feedback from the review platforms and the vendors' own documentation.
Independence: rankings are never sold. Some links are affiliate links – the price stays the same for you and does not influence the score.

Frequently asked questions

Which Marketing Automation Comparison tool is the best choice in 2026?

ActiveCampaign currently leads this list with an overall score of 4.4 out of 5, averaged across all review platforms. Depending on team size and budget, the other Marketing Automation Comparison vendors above can be the better fit – use the filters to narrow it down.

Is there a free Marketing Automation Comparison tool?

Yes. These vendors offer a free plan or a free trial: ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, Klaviyo, GoHighLevel.

How much does Marketing Automation Comparison cost?

The lowest entry price in this comparison is Brevo at ab 9€ / Monat. Prices scale with contacts, users or feature tier.

Lists with overlapping vendors