HubSpot leads for all-in-one CRM integration and scalability. Marketo excels in B2B enterprise complexity and account-based marketing. Salesforce Marketing Cloud suits large enterprises needing advanced personalisation and omnichannel capabilities across multiple teams.
RANKENTRYSCORETRENDFROM
1HubSpotOver 200,000 customers worldwide; founded 200695.0NEW£45 per month (Professional tier with SMS) 2MarketoSupports 1,000+ enterprise customers; integrated into Adobe Experience Cloud92.7NEWCustom 4ActiveCampaign150,000+ users across 170 countries; strong focus on automation and workflow customisation88.0NEW$9/month 5PardotNative Salesforce solution; recently rebranded as Salesforce B2B Marketing Automation85.7NEWCustom 6MailchimpOver 12 million users; acquired by Intuit; generous free tier covering up to 500 contacts83.3NEW£13 per month (SMS add-on) 7GetResponse500,000+ users; integrates webinar hosting, landing pages, and automation in single platform81.0NEW$15/month 8KlaviyoTrusted by 500,000+ ecommerce businesses; provides revenue attribution for marketing spend78.7NEW£25 per month (or pay-as-you-go from £0.01 per SMS) 9ConvertKit100,000+ creators use ConvertKit; free tier available; founded 201376.3NEWFree 10OmnisendSupports 70,000+ ecommerce stores; specialises in omnichannel messaging74.0NEW$16/month The ranking, in detail
01
CRM platform with integrated SMS and marketing automation
HubSpot offers an integrated CRM with marketing automation, email campaigns, lead scoring, and contact management. Renowned for ease of use and seamless scaling from startups to enterprises.
From £45 per month (Professional tier with SMS)Best for Growing businesses seeking an integrated CRM with SMS, email, and sales tools
95.0
02
Adobe Marketo Engage: B2B marketing automation leader
Adobe Marketo specialises in B2B marketing automation, account-based marketing (ABM), lead management, and sophisticated workflow design. Acquired by Adobe in 2018, it remains a market leader for enterprise campaigns.
From CustomBest for Enterprise B2B companies requiring advanced ABM and complex multi-channel campaigns
92.7
03
Customer journey orchestration powered by Salesforce
Salesforce Marketing Cloud enables email marketing, mobile messaging, social media management, and journey orchestration. Deeply integrated with Salesforce CRM for seamless data flow and personalisation.
From CustomBest for Large enterprises already invested in Salesforce ecosystems seeking omnichannel marketing
90.3
04
The #1 platform for email marketing, marketing automation, and CRM
ActiveCampaign combines email marketing, marketing automation, sales automation, and customer relationship management. Known for powerful automation workflows and affordable pricing for mid-market companies.
From $9/monthBest for Mid-market B2B and B2C companies seeking integrated automation and CRM at reasonable cost
88.0
05
Salesforce Pardot: B2B marketing automation simplified
Pardot is Salesforce's B2B marketing automation solution, focused on lead generation, lead nurturing, email campaigns, and Salesforce CRM synchronisation. Ideal for B2B companies leveraging Salesforce.
From CustomBest for B2B organisations with Salesforce investments seeking integrated lead management
85.7
06
All-in-one marketing platform with SMS, email, and automation
Mailchimp provides email marketing, basic automation, contact management, and audience segmentation. Known for free entry-level plans and user-friendly interface suitable for small businesses and solopreneurs.
From £13 per month (SMS add-on)Best for Small to mid-market businesses seeking integrated email and SMS marketing in one platform
83.3
07
Complete marketing automation and webinar platform
GetResponse offers email marketing, marketing automation, landing pages, webinars, and ecommerce features. Emphasises simplicity and all-in-one tooling for small to mid-market businesses.
From $15/monthBest for Small to mid-market businesses seeking affordable all-in-one marketing with webinars
81.0
08
E-commerce marketing automation with SMS and email
Klaviyo specialises in email and SMS marketing automation for ecommerce businesses. Offers sophisticated segmentation, dynamic content, and revenue-focused metrics designed specifically for online retailers.
From £25 per month (or pay-as-you-go from £0.01 per SMS)Best for E-commerce businesses seeking integrated SMS and email marketing with pre-built retail flows
78.7
09
Email marketing for creators and entrepreneurs
ConvertKit focuses on email marketing and automation for content creators, bloggers, and online educators. Emphasises simplicity, subscriber relationships, and audience monetisation.
From FreeBest for Content creators, solopreneurs, and educators building audiences and monetising through email
76.3
10
Multichannel marketing automation for ecommerce
Omnisend provides email, SMS, push notifications, and in-app messaging automation for ecommerce. Designed for cross-channel campaigns and customer journey orchestration in retail environments.
From $16/monthBest for Ecommerce retailers needing multichannel (email, SMS, push) automation and abandoned cart recovery
74.0
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between marketing automation and email marketing?
Email marketing focuses primarily on sending targeted emails to subscribers. Marketing automation is broader, automating repetitive tasks across multiple channels including email, SMS, landing pages, lead scoring, and journey orchestration based on customer behaviour and triggers.
Do I need marketing automation as a small business?
Not necessarily. Small businesses can start with basic email marketing tools like Mailchimp or ConvertKit's free tiers. As you grow and complexity increases, automation becomes valuable for nurturing leads, segmentation, and scaling campaigns without proportional labour increases.
How much does marketing automation software cost?
Pricing varies widely. Free options exist (Mailchimp, ConvertKit), starter plans begin around $9-20 per month (ActiveCampaign, GetResponse), mid-market solutions range $50-500/month (HubSpot, Klaviyo), and enterprise platforms typically require custom quotes (Salesforce, Marketo, Pardot).