6 products tested & ranked

We Tested 6 Marketing Automation Software — Here's What's Actually Worth It

We tested the leading marketing automation platforms to help you find the right tool for email campaigns, lead nurturing, and customer journey automation.

Featuring:

HubSpot Marketing Hub·

ActiveCampaign·

Klaviyo·

Omnisend·

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)+1 more

Helping 12,000+ professionals choose the right tools

Quick Answer

Our Top 3 Picks at a Glance

See all reviews

Best Overall

9.0

HubSpot Marketing Hub

Free tools available. Starter from $20/mo. Professional from $890/mo. Enterprise from $3,600/mo.

The all-in-one inbound marketing platform with built-in CRM, offering powerful automation workflows, landing pages, email marketing, and comprehensive analytics.

Try HubSpot Free

Best for Small Teams

8.8

ActiveCampaign

Starter from $15/mo. Plus from $49/mo. Pro from $79/mo. Enterprise from $145/mo. No free plan.

The best SMB email marketing and automation platform, combining powerful visual workflows with an integrated sales CRM at a fraction of HubSpot's price.

Try ActiveCampaign Free

Best Value

8.7

Klaviyo

Free plan (250 profiles). Email from $20/mo. Email + SMS from $35/mo. Enterprise custom.

The leading e-commerce email and SMS marketing platform with deep Shopify integration, AI-driven personalization, and advanced customer data analytics.

Try Klaviyo Free

Why Marketing Automation Is Essential in 2026

Marketing teams are expected to do more with less. Marketing automation platforms help you nurture leads at scale, personalize customer journeys, and measure ROI across every channel — all without adding headcount.

How We Evaluate Marketing Automation Platforms

We test each platform's email builder, automation workflow editor, segmentation capabilities, analytics depth, and integration ecosystem. We also evaluate deliverability rates, CRM integration quality, and the learning curve for new users.

What to Look for in Marketing Automation Software

The right tool depends on your business model. B2B companies need strong lead scoring and CRM integration. E-commerce brands need behavioral triggers and product recommendations. Consider your team's size, budget, and technical sophistication when evaluating options.

0Products Tested

0+Hours of Testing

0+Years Experience

0Expert Reviewers

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Our Top Picks

#1 Top Pick

HubSpot Marketing Hub

Best Overall

9.0

Excellent

Try HubSpot Free

#2 Runner Up

ActiveCampaign

Best for SMBs

8.8

Very Good

Try ActiveCampaign Free

#3 Also Great

Klaviyo

Best for E-commerce

8.7

Very Good

Try Klaviyo Free

#1 Our Top Pick

Editor's Choice

Free tools available. Starter from $20/mo. Professional from $890/mo. Enterprise from $3,600/mo.

HubSpot Marketing Hub

B2B companies wanting an all-in-one inbound marketing and CRM platform

Read Full Review →

Excellent

Features9.5

Ease of Use9.0

Integration9.0

Value for Money7.0

Head-to-Head Comparison

Feature	HubSpot Marketing Hub9.0/10	ActiveCampaign8.8/10	Klaviyo8.7/10	Omnisend8.5/10	Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)8.2/10	Mailchimp7.8/10
Starting Price	Free tools available. Starter from $20/mo. Professional from $890/mo. Enterprise from $3,600/mo.	Starter from $15/mo. Plus from $49/mo. Pro from $79/mo. Enterprise from $145/mo. No free plan.	Free plan (250 profiles). Email from $20/mo. Email + SMS from $35/mo. Enterprise custom.	Free (250 contacts). Standard from $16/mo, Pro from $59/mo. Scales with contact count.	Free plan (300 emails/day). Starter from $9/mo. Standard from $18/mo. Professional from $499/mo.	Free (250 contacts). Essentials $13/mo, Standard $20/mo, Premium $350/mo. Scales with contact count.
Free Plan
Starting Price	$20/mo	$15/mo	$20/mo	$16/mo	$9/mo	$13/mo
Email Builder	8.5	8.5	9.0	8.5	7.5	8.5
Automation Workflows	9.5	9.0	9.5	9.0	7.5	7.0
Lead Scoring
CRM Integration	9.5	8.5	7.5	7.5	7.0	7.5
SMS Marketing
Analytics	9.0	8.0	9.0	8.0	7.0	7.5
	Try HubSpot Free	Try ActiveCampaign Free	Try Klaviyo Free	Try Omnisend Free	Try Brevo Free	Try Mailchimp Free

Detailed Reviews

Very Good

ActiveCampaign

Best for SMBsSMBs needing powerful email automation and CRM without enterprise pricing

Features9.0

Ease of Use8.5

Integration8.5

Value for Money9.0

Pros

Best-in-class visual automation builder that rivals HubSpot at a fraction of the cost
Excellent email deliverability with consistently high inbox placement rates
Integrated sales CRM with pipeline management eliminates need for separate tools
Advanced lead scoring with behavioral and demographic criteria across all plans
Recognized G2 leader for Fastest Implementation and Best ROI consistently

Cons

No free plan — only a 14-day trial, unlike HubSpot and Brevo which offer free tiers
SMS marketing is an add-on cost on top of plan pricing
Landing pages only available on Plus plan and above — not on the cheapest tier
Pricing scales steeply with contact count — costs can grow quickly as your list expands

Pricing: Starter from $15/mo. Plus from $49/mo. Pro from $79/mo. Enterprise from $145/mo. No free plan.

The best SMB email marketing and automation platform, combining powerful visual workflows with an integrated sales CRM at a fraction of HubSpot's price.

Verified this week

Read Full Review →

Very Good

Klaviyo

Best for E-commerceE-commerce and Shopify stores needing advanced email and SMS automation

Features9.5

Ease of Use8.0

Integration9.5

Value for Money8.0

Pros

Purpose-built for e-commerce with native product catalog, purchase, and browsing data integration
Best-in-class Shopify integration — the deepest of any email marketing platform
Unified email and SMS in one platform with coordinated cross-channel automations
Predictive analytics for customer lifetime value, churn risk, and next order date
61+ pre-built automation flows for cart recovery, welcome series, and win-back campaigns

Cons

More expensive than general email tools — pricing grows significantly with contact count
Less suitable for non-e-commerce businesses that lack purchase and browsing data
Customer support has mixed reviews — slower response times reported by some users
Charges for all active profiles including unengaged contacts, inflating costs

Pricing: Free plan (250 profiles). Email from $20/mo. Email + SMS from $35/mo. Enterprise custom.

The leading e-commerce email and SMS marketing platform with deep Shopify integration, AI-driven personalization, and advanced customer data analytics.

Verified this week

Read Full Review →

Very Good

Omnisend

Best MultichannelE-commerce businesses wanting specialized multichannel marketing automation

Features8.5

Ease of Use8.8

Integration8.0

Value for Money8.5

Pros

Purpose-built for e-commerce with pre-built workflows for cart recovery, welcome series, and post-purchase
All core features available on free plan including automations, segmentation, and SMS
Unified multichannel campaigns combining email, SMS, and push notifications in one workflow
Deep Shopify integration with one-click setup, product sync, and revenue attribution
4.6 stars on G2 with users praising ease of use and helpful customer support

Cons

Laser-focused on e-commerce — not suitable for B2B, SaaS, or content marketing use cases
SMS costs can escalate quickly at high volumes beyond included Pro credits
Advanced reporting and analytics limited compared to enterprise platforms like Klaviyo
Fewer third-party integrations than Mailchimp or general-purpose marketing platforms

Pricing: Free (250 contacts). Standard from $16/mo, Pro from $59/mo. Scales with contact count.

An e-commerce-focused multichannel marketing automation platform combining email, SMS, and push notifications with pre-built workflows designed specifically for online stores.

Verified this week

Read Full Review →

Very Good

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

Best Budget OptionBudget-conscious businesses needing multi-channel marketing with email, SMS, and CRM

Features8.0

Ease of Use8.5

Integration7.5

Value for Money9.5

Pros

Send-based pricing lets you store unlimited contacts — ideal for large lists with moderate send volume
Generous free plan with 300 emails/day, automation, and up to 100,000 contacts
True all-in-one platform covering email, SMS, WhatsApp, CRM, and transactional emails
Most affordable paid plans in the market starting at just $9/month
Strong transactional email API for developers alongside marketing features

Cons

Marketing automation is less sophisticated than ActiveCampaign or HubSpot for complex workflows
Brevo branding on emails requires additional $9-12/month to remove on lower plans
Customer support receives mixed reviews — slower response times and limited phone support
Landing pages and A/B testing only available on Standard plan and above

Pricing: Free plan (300 emails/day). Starter from $9/mo. Standard from $18/mo. Professional from $499/mo.

An affordable all-in-one marketing platform with email, SMS, WhatsApp, CRM, and automation — priced by email volume rather than contacts, making it ideal for growing businesses.

Verified this week

Read Full Review →

Good

Mailchimp

Best for BeginnersSmall businesses and e-commerce stores getting started with email marketing

Features7.5

Ease of Use8.5

Integration8.5

Value for Money6.8

Pros

Most recognized email marketing brand with extensive documentation and third-party support
Excellent drag-and-drop email builder with 100+ professional templates
Strong e-commerce integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, and other platforms
Multi-channel capabilities including email, landing pages, social media, and SMS

Cons

Free plan drastically reduced to only 250 contacts and 500 emails/month with Mailchimp branding
Pricing escalates rapidly as contact list grows — poor value at higher tiers
Automation limited to 4 steps on Essentials plan; advanced journeys require Standard or above
No phone support except on $350/month Premium plan

Pricing: Free (250 contacts). Essentials $13/mo, Standard $20/mo, Premium $350/mo. Scales with contact count.

The most recognized email marketing platform in the world, offering drag-and-drop email design, marketing automation, audience segmentation, and multi-channel campaign tools.

Verified this week

Read Full Review →

Our Testing Methodology

Our marketing technology experts test each platform by building real campaigns, evaluating email deliverability, and assessing automation workflow builders. We benchmark ease of use, feature depth, integration quality, and value for money across a weighted scoring rubric.

Frequently Asked Questions

Marketing automation uses software to automate repetitive marketing tasks like email campaigns, lead nurturing, social media posting, and customer segmentation. Platforms like HubSpot and ActiveCampaign let you create automated customer journeys that deliver the right message at the right time based on user behavior.

For small businesses, ActiveCampaign offers the best balance of features and affordability, with plans starting at $15/month. Brevo is another excellent budget option starting at $9/month. HubSpot Marketing Hub is ideal if you want an all-in-one platform but comes at a higher price point ($800/month for Professional).

Klaviyo is the top choice for e-commerce businesses, especially those on Shopify. It offers deep product catalog integration, predictive analytics, and revenue attribution. Omnisend is a strong alternative for multichannel automation (email + SMS + push). Mailchimp is a solid entry-level option for smaller stores.

Some do. HubSpot Marketing Hub includes a full CRM suite. ActiveCampaign has a built-in sales CRM. Others like Klaviyo and Mailchimp focus primarily on email and need to integrate with a separate CRM via Zapier or native integrations.

Lead scoring assigns points to contacts based on their behavior (email opens, page visits, form submissions) and demographics. It helps your sales team prioritize the hottest leads. Platforms like HubSpot and ActiveCampaign offer built-in lead scoring, while simpler tools like Brevo and Mailchimp do not.

Written by

Alex ThompsonSenior Technology Analyst

Alex Thompson has spent over 8 years evaluating B2B SaaS platforms, from CRM systems to marketing automation tools. He specializes in hands-on product testing and translating complex features into clear, actionable recommendations for growing businesses.

SaaS ReviewsProduct AnalysisB2B SoftwareTech Strategy

Our Top 3 Picks at a Glance

Why Marketing Automation Is Essential in 2026

How We Evaluate Marketing Automation Platforms

What to Look for in Marketing Automation Software

Our Top Picks

HubSpot Marketing Hub

Head-to-Head Comparison

Detailed Reviews

ActiveCampaign

Pros

Cons

Klaviyo

Pros

Cons

Omnisend

Pros

Cons

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)

Pros

Cons

Mailchimp

Pros

Cons

Our Testing Methodology

Frequently Asked Questions

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