Top 14 Best Marketing Automation Platforms: Business Automation
If you’re looking for a company to automate your marketing, pretty much any marketing automation tool is capable of doing so. There is a large number of marketing automation software out there, however, choosing the right automation software that will help to make your website or business successful is a daunting task. With regards to the fact that the best marketing automation tools are within your reach, you don’t need to patronize agencies or individuals who claim they can reach unrealistic targets and attract business prospects across a variety of channels even when they don’t have a good grasp of the basics of marketing.
While they all do virtually the same thing in terms of generating leads and clients, the way they bundle and charge for the services are completely different. Also, each company has its own personality and community, which is different depending on the typical size of their clients.
Start by asking yourself “What don’t I know?” For example, if visual design is important to you and you are not a graphic designer, look for a marketing automation tool that offers the best variety of templates that are easy to use rather than one which is too complex for your understading.
If you don’t have a strategy and are new to email marketing, it’s important that you look for a company that is user-friendly and provides quick and easy access to support staff. Basically, you are looking for the Platforms you need to improve your company at the best price, presented in a way that just makes managing and finding leads in a highly competitive market easy.
You can grow your business online via the use of an automated software. When you make the decision to start using one, make sure you choose the right one.
We aim to provide you with relevant and key info on marketing software and tools to help your business undergo substantial growth and trigger good development. If you’re keen on finding out more about the best marketing automation Platforms then read our list below. You can always trust us to give you comprehensive reviews of the best software.
Here is a list of the top 14 marketing automation Platforms, the features each one offers, their pricing, their biggest pros and most blatant cons.
Infusionsoft/Keap
Infusionsoft/Keap was founded in 2001 and has grown into a phenomenal automated software which boasts of over 120,000 users. As you can see, Infusionsoft/Keap is a mainstream marketing automation tool.
PROS
This is a powerful software program aimed to service small to mid-range businesses with an all-inclusive package of features. It gives maximum results when properly utilized which in turn has a pleasing effect on the careers of its users. It’s main focus is providing users with their desired results.
CONS
There is a hefty start-up fee and the monthly costs are high, a factor which could very well make small business owners shy away from its use. When utilizing the software, smaller users may find they are paying more than they need. Also, there is a steep learning curve and support help is not as accessible as it could be. If you’re a newbie, this might not be your best choice as it’s somewhat difficult to learn.
FEATURES
Campaign Builder, CRM Integration, Landing Page Builder, Website Tracking, Statistics (Total Sent, Unique Opens, Clicks, Bounces, Opt-Out), Marketing Automation, Sales Automation, Online Sales, Analytics, Client Notifications, Mobile, Payment, and Integrations.
PRICING
All plans include CRM, marketing automation, sales automation and e-commerce. Pricing is based on number of contacts, emails sent per month and the number of users. All plans are billed monthly, based on an annual contract. There are four plans available. All plans have a one-time setup fee.
Essentials $199/month – 2,500 Contacts, 12,500 Emails/month, 3 Users
Deluxe $299/month – 5,000 Contacts, 25,000 Emails/month, 4 Users
Complete $379/month – 10,000 Contacts, 50,000 Emails/month, 5 Users
Plus A One-Time Fee
$499 Kickstart Basic – For Businesses That Need Help Creating A Strategy
$999 Kickstart Plus – For Businesses With An Existing Strategy That Need Expert Guidance And Implementation
$1,999 – Kickstart Pro – For Businesses Seeking An Alternative To Tackling Everything Yourself
Oracle Eloqua
Yes, that Oracle, the mega software company founded in 1977.
PROS
It’s not news that Oracle is a leading software producer. Their modern marketing solutions connect cross-channel, content, and social marketing with data management and activation. There are virtually unlimited pre-integrated app and data partners. They boast a long list of leading brands that use their systems. Their software possesses a beautifully designed layout, although it has its flaws just like any other system.
CONS
The cost. This is not for the average email marketer. You probably should be at least a mid-size business before you think about Oracle Eloqua as it is set at quite a high price.
FEATURES
Marketing Automation, Email Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Lead Scoring, Mobile Marketing, Marketing ROI, Lead Nurturing, Cross-Channel Marketing, Campaign Analytics, Demand Generation, Digital Marketing, Marketing Effectiveness, Lead Generation, Content Marketing, Sales Enablement, B2B Marketing, B2C Marketing, Data Activation.
PRICING
The package prices are based on less than 10,000 contacts.
BASIC – $2,000/month, 10 Users
STANDARD – $4,000/month, 50 Users
ENTERPRISE – Contact their sales department
Pardot
Founded in 2007 Pardot, ExactTarget and Salesforce have all joined together offering a powerful, turnkey solution to automated marketing. They offer the kind of services that willtrigger immense growth of a business’s marketing scope.
PROS
Remarkably easy to use for such a robust system, and the customer support is first class as communications with them are seamless. It takes a good brand to have a great customer support so this just goes to show how user-friendly their services are.
CONS
It’s expensive. There are surprisingly few integrations. API access and A/B testing only available at Pro level.
FEATURES
Effortless Email Marketing, Smarter Lead Generation, Makes social media marketing a simple and measurable task, Streamlined Lead Management, Insightful ROI Reporting, Seamless Sales Alignment with Salesforce, CRM.
Pricing
Standard – $1,250 / month, Email Marketing, In-depth Prospect Tracking, Lead Nurturing, Lead Scoring & Grading, ROI Reporting, Forms & Landing Pages, Standard CRM Integration
Pro – $2,500 / month. Includes Standard features plus: Advanced Email Analytics, Email Rendering Preview & Spam Analysis, Email and Landing Page A/B Testing, Advanced Dynamic Content, Google AdWords Integration, API Access – Up to 25K calls/day, Multiple Scoring Categories, Integrated Marketing Calendar, Social Profiles, Chat Support
Ultimate – $4,000 / month. Includes Pro features plus: Custom User Roles, Custom Object Integration, API Access – Up to 100K calls/day, Dedicated IP Address, Phone Support
Marketing Cloud – Includes the following features: Email Marketing, SMS, MMS and Push-Notifications, Social Media, Advertising, Campaign and 1:1 Journey Management
Net-Results
Net-Results was founded 2003 and has over 13,000 users. They pride themselves as being the 1st choice of people buying marketing automation for the 2nd time even in the midst of the deep competition aroud them.
PROS
One, All-Inclusive Price
CONS
It is expensive, so it’s not for entry level marketers, rather it is for users who have substantial experience in the field of marketing.
FEATURES
Unlimited Marketing Users, Unlimited Sales Users, Unlimited Email Sends, Unlimited Live Phone Support, No Setup or Implementation Fees, Drag & Drop Email Builder, Drag & Drop Web Form Builder, Drag & Drop Landing Page Builder, Drag & Drop Campaign Builder, Send Grid Email Deliverability Package, Drip Email Marketing, Advanced Lead Nurturing, Advanced Lead Scoring, Unlimited Behavioral Triggers, Advanced Segmentation, CRM Integration with 1 Day Setup (Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, SugarCRM, Infor SalesLogix), Social Media Marketing, Marketing Dashboards & Automated Reporting, Webinar Registration & Followup Programs, Google AdWords Integration, Progressive Profiling, Marketing List Management with Auto-Deduplication, File & Image Asset Hosting, Unlimited Custom Fields, and JSON API (Unlimited Calls).
PRICING
Pricing is allinone, and is based solely on the number of mailable contacts, which are defined as contacts with a valid email address that have not bounced and are not unsubscribed.
Mailable Contacts Annual Billing Monthly Billing
<10,000 $800/month $960/month
25,000 $1,200/month $1,440/month
50,000 $1,600/month $1,920/month
75,000 $2,000/month $2,400/month
100,000 $2,500/month $3,000/month
150,000 $3,000/month $3,600/month
200,000 $3,500/month $4,200/month
300,000 $4,000/month $4,800/month
400,000 $4,500/month $5,400/month
500,000 $5,000/month $6,000/month
500,000 CALL CALL
Partnering Programs
There are five programs to choose from, including white label. Pricing and commissions are simple and they offer competitive annual pricing with a generous commission structure. Also included is unlimited expert training and support.
Marketo
Founded in 2006.
PROS
Marketo is for serious marketers. It can handle the needs of any business, no matter how large.
CONS
You actually have to call them to discuss pricing.
FEATURES
(listed by product)
BASIC: Customer Engagement Engine, Lead Scoring, Segmenting, and Nurturing, Search Engine Optimization, Email, Landing Pages, and Forms, Social Marketing, Events, and Webinars, A/B Testing, Sales Intelligence, CRM Integration, Campaign Dashboards and Reports, and Marketing Calendar.
PRO:All Basic features plus: Digital Ads, Predictive Content, Program and Campaign Analysis, API and Integrations, Additional Marketing and Sales Users.
ELITE:All Pro features plus: Anonymous Retargeting, Opportunity Influence Modeler, Revenue Modeler, Success Path Analyzer, Advanced Report Builder, and Digital Ads.
ENTERPRISE:For the large and global business.
PRICING
None available. You must call the company.
Partnering Programs
Customer Referrals, Technology Partners, and Digital Services Partners
SalesFusion
There is a sense of community about this company. The help you nurture long-term relationships with your customers.
PROS
All included pricing. The software integrates seamlessly with popular sales automation systems.
CONS
The cost begins at $500 a month. There is no entry level.
FEATURES
Website Tracking, Google Adwords Integration, Social Media Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Simple Campaign Creation Tools, Email Marketing, Webinars & Events, Landing Pages, Forms, Surveys, Campaign Management, Nurture Marketing, Lead Scoring, Lead Management, CRM Integration, Performance Reporting & ROI Dashboards, and Website Analytics.
PRICING
$700/month
1,000 Contacts
Add $50/month per 1,000 additional contacts
Partnering Programs
Salesfusion is aligned with top CRMs, software vendors and marketing organizations.
Product Partners – They integrate with leading software solutions and offer an API to connect with applications.
Channel Partners – Resell the Salesfusion platform
Act-On
Act-on was founded in 2008 and has already been servicing over 3,000 companies since. The offer the kind of services that can take your business to the next level.
PROS
Transparent pricing and ease of use are big plusses. Also, there is an easy, no cost referral program that is tailor made for consultants.
CONS
All plans are billed annually and have a hefty one-time implementation fee.
FEATURES
Landing Pages, List & Management, Inbound Marketing, Automated Programs, Customizable Dashboard, Email Composer, A/B Testing, Complete Activity Histories, Website Visitor Tracking, CRM, Inbound Marketing Tools, Funnel Reports, Email, Website Visitor Tracking, Lead Nurturing, Reports & Analytics, Webinars & Events, Administration & Privileges, Forms, Lead Scoring, Social Media.
PRICING
Professional – $900 one-time implementation fee, Starts at 1,000 active contacts, 3 Marketing Users, 50 Sales Users, 1,000 API calls/day
Enterprise – $2,000 one-time implementation fee, Starting at $2,000/month (billed annually), Advanced capabilities in marketing automation for businesses that need more sophisticated reporting, Starts at 10,000 active contacts, 6 Marketing Users, 100 Sales Users, 25,000 API calls/day
Referral Partnerships
As a referral partner, you receive a commission on every deal you refer (up to 25%), and the program requires no up-front investment or fees.
Ontraport
Founded in 2006, Ontraport is a software where you can establish a connection with your users.
PROS
The pricing is very competitive and you won’t get punished for growing your number of users and contacts. There are many features included in their packages that are sold as add-ons elsewhere.
CONS
A very steep learning curve and not much of a community to communicate with. Ontraport isn’t as intuitive as it might be and has very few third-party integrations.
FEATURES
Email Automation, 2-way SMS Automation, Postcard Automation, If/Then Rule-Based Automation, PURLs, Split Test Landing Pages, Custom Domain for All Tracking Links, Ontraport Projects, Custom Reporting Dashboard, Automated Task Management, API Access, Protected Membership Sites, Accept Online Payments, Affiliate/Partner Management, Custom Objects, Lead Scoring + Routing, IMAP Integration, Marketing ROI Tracker, Fulfillment Lists, File Hosting, Facebook Lead Capture, Users and Detailed Permissions, and Video Hosting.
PRICING
Pricing is based on number of users and number of subscribers. There are three plans, Basic, Pro and Team.
AWeber
Founded in 1998, AWeber now services over 120,000 clients.
PROS
This is a big and powerful company with a very user-friendly community. AWeber specializes in opt in marketing and offers a free or discounted first month. All plans have unlimited emails.
CONS
The biggest downside would be the pricing. AWeber is not the most expensive, but it is not the cheapest either. Compare the features you need with the cost and then decide if this is the value you want.
FEATURES
Send Email Newsletters, Website Sign Up Forms, Collect & Manage Subscribers, Autoresponder Follow Ups, Performance Tracking, Expert Customer Support, Email Templates, Blog to Email, Performance Tracking, Facebook & Twitter Integration, Publish Emails Online, AWeber Mobile App, App Showcase (connect your account with other online tools like WordPress, Paypal, Esty, Shopping Carts and API Documentation.
PRICING
Pricing is based on number of subscribers. All plans have unlimited emails.
Free Trial – First Month on the $19. And discounts on the first month of other plans.
$19/month – 500 Subscribers
$29/month – 2,500 Subscribers
$49/month – 5,000 Subscribers
$69/month – 10,000 Subscribers
$149/month – 25,000 Subscribers
Get a Quote – 25,001+
Affiliate Program – Earn recurring 30% commission, No cost to sign up, Checks mailed monthly.
Partnering Program – The Partner Program is absolutely free with no commitment or minimum sales requirement. Refer and earn a recurring 25% commission on the lifetime of each account you refer.
ConstantContact
ConstantContact was founded in 1995 and has over 5 million customers.
PROS
They offer a 60 day free trial. This is a professional company that offers an easy-going community. It caters to non-profits and has an impressive list of clients.
CONS
Their system might be a little slow at times, and there could be more integrations available.
FEATURES
The Email Plan -Email Templates, Email Editing Tools, Image Library & File Hosting, List Building Tools, Sending, Email Tracking and Deliverability
The Email Plus Plan – Autoresponder, Event Marketing, Donations, Surveys, Coupons, Social, Mobile, Social Media Marketing, Mobile App, Multi-user, Client Management, Apps & Integrations, Support & Resources
PRICING
Pricing is based on list size. Email and Email Plus are free for 60 days. After that, prices are per month. There is a 10% discount for 6 months prepay, and a $15 discount for one year prepay.
The Email Plan -Email Templates, Email Editing Tools, Image Library & File Hosting, List Building Tools, Sending, Email Tracking and Deliverability
Email Plan – $20 – 500 subscribers, $40 – 2,500 subscribers, $60 – 5,000 subscribers, $90 – 10,000 subscribers
Email Plus – $45 – 500 subscribers, $65 – 2,500 subscribers, $85 – 5,000 subscribers, $115 – 10,000 subscribers
Partnering Program – Sell ConstantContact and create email, event, local deal, and social media campaigns for your clients.
LeadSquared
LeadSquared was founded in India in 2012. For Marketing automation, you can always trust LeadSquared to provide you with quality services.
PROS
15 day free trial, no credit card required.
CONS
Requires an annual contract.
FEATURES
Lead Capture Automation, Responsive Landing Pages, Website Widgets, Seamless Lead Capture, Marketing Automation, Drip Marketing, Segmentation, Personalization, Sales Acceleration, Automated Lead Scoring, Behavioral Insights, Sales Funnel, Marketing and Sales Analytics, Lead Engagement Index, Marketing Insights, and Sales Insights.
PRICING
15 day free trial, no credit card required.
ESSENTIAL – $150 – 10,000 contacts, Lead Scoring, Email Campaigns, Landing Pages, API
BASIC – $400 – 10,000 contacts, All in Essential, Plus, Automation Workflows, Website Tracking, Website Widgets
STANDARD – $1200 – 50,000 contacts, All in Basic, Plus, Rules & Notifications, CRM integration ($), Webhooks
ENTERPRISE – $2500 – 200,000 contacts, All in Standard, Plus, Contact Center Integration, Custom Web Events, Split Testing, Developer Support
Partnering Programs
You can join the program at zero cost. The partnership plan works on revenue sharing basis, based on the clients you bring onboard. They have two kinds of partners – marketing agencies and system integrators. The only qualification is that your firm actively promotes one or more of the following services:
- Online Marketing – SEO, SEM, SMM
- Email Marketing
- Website Design and Development
- Website Hosting
- Sales and Marketing Consulting
HubSpot
HubSpot was founded in 2006 and has over 20,000 users.
PROS
Free CMR software makes this a powerful choice for the small business owner who isn’t very IT savvy. It is easy to use and can handle sophisticated tasks for you.
CONS
All plans are billed annually. The price creep is very steep as your business grows. No Affiliate or Partnering Programs.
FEATURES
Unlimited contacts, users and storage with no expiration date, Blogging, SEO, Social Media, Website, Lead Management, Landing Pages, Calls-to-Action, Marketing Automation, Email, Analytics, Salesforce Sync, Integrations, Mobile, and CMR.
PRICING
CMR SOFTWARE
Free Unlimited Users, Usage and Data
Basic – $200/month (billed annually), $600 Required Onboarding, 100 Contacts (+ $100/month per 1k extra), Content Creation & Optimization, Email Marketing, Social Media Suite, Marketing Analytics Dashboard
Pro – $800/month (billed annually), $3,000 Required Onboarding, 1,000 Contacts (+$50/month per 1k extra), Everything in Basic, plus:, Marketing Automation, Goal Based Nurturing, Custom Workflows, Salesforce Integration, Smart Content, Attribution Reporting, User Roles
Enterprise – $2,400/month (billed annually), $5,000 Required Onboarding, 10,000 Contacts (+ $10/month per 1k extra), Revenue Reporting, Custom Event Reporting, Custom Event Automation Triggers, A/B Testing CTAs, A/B Test Emails, Predictive Lead Scoring, Contacts Reporting, Company Reporting, Event-Based Segmentation
Customer.io
Data-driven internet businesses who nurture ongoing customer relationships and need to send personalized messages.
PROS
Free account for 200 profiles and 400 monthly emails. Every paid plan includes unlimited data stored per profile. They offer a no questions asked, full refund.
CONS
They don’t have an affiliate or partnering program.
FEATURES
Software as a Service (SaaS), Subscription Services, Consumer targeting and personalization, Education Technology, Mobile Apps, Marketplaces and Communities, A/B Testing, Send a Series, Delivery Window, Track Conversions, Rich Segmentation, Rich Customer Profiles, Captures On-Site and In-App Behavior, Activity Stream, Archives of Every Email, Simple Integration.
PRICING
FREE – 400 emails a month to 200 people!
Basic – $150 – Send Unlimited Emails, Send SMS, Push, Slack, Webhook, Technical Support
Premium – $1,000 – Dedicated Customer Success Mgr., Dedicated IPs, Premium Technical Support
MailChimp
Mailchimp was founded in 2001 and has over 12 million users.
PROS
Mailchimp offers a “Forever Free” plan. There is never a startup fee. This is a very user-friendly service. MailChimp can handle any size campaign, no matter how large and can deliver the most sophisticated reporting and analysis.
CONS
There is a pay as you go option that it very difficult to understand. You purchase credits, which they liken to buying stamps. They do not offer partnering opportunities.
FEATURES
Creating – flexible design for brands of any size, Managing, Delivery, Analytics, Mobile, Sharing, Marketing Automation, Automated Emails, Segmentation (target your message), Integrations (connect your database and integrate with apps like Salesforce, Eventbrite, Google, Twitter, Facebook, Shopify, And Surveymonkey), E-Commerce Integrations, Reports (advanced reporting features), Collaboration, Delivery, Flexible API Documentation.
PRICING
Aside from the “Forever Free” plan and the pay as you go plan, all payment plans are billed monthly and include unlimited emails. The pricing is based solely on number of contacts.
Free – 2,000 Contacts, 12,000 emails/month
Pay as you go – $.01 – $.03 per email depending on number of credits purchased.
Monthly – $20 – 1,500 Contacts, $25 – 2,000 Contacts, $30 – 2,500 Contacts, $35 – 2,600 Contacts
Add Pro – for $199, includes advanced features like multivariate campaigns, comparative reports and delivery insights.