Best marketing automation tools in 2025
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If smart business strategy and a competitive edge are vital to you, marketing automation tools are a must-have in 2025. These platforms aren’t just for performing numerical calculations or statistics. The best marketing automation tools can help you work smarter by automating critical tasks like email marketing, social media marketing, and customer segmentation.
Working with the Cybernews research team, I have created this guide to review the best marketing automation software on the market today. I examined provider claims, pricing, key features, and overall ease of use to compile a list of nine top providers, including Zoho, Hubspot, and Omnisend. Let’s dive right in.
Best marketing automation tools – shortlist
- Omnisend – for omnichannel, budget-friendly marketing
- Zoho – for a scalable all-in-one business suite
- Klaviyo – for data-driven eCommerce marketing
- Campaigner – for email marketing personalization
- Brevo – for affordable marketing solutions
Our experienced team of researchers, writers, editors, and technical support thoroughly tests digital marketing products working by clearly outlined and structured processes. We provide you with a big picture by combining in-depth, hands-on testing with insights from acknowledged industry research. Our purpose is to support you in selecting apps and tools that will meet your marketing objectives. Learn how we test digital marketing tools.
The best marketing automation tools compared
I’ve created the following table to help you compare the best marketing automation tools. It details the top nine providers, ranging from what they’re best for to their starting prices.
| Provider | Best for | Free version | Top features | Starting price |
| Omnisend | All-in-one small eCommerce operations | Yes | eCommerce-focused automation, omnichannel campaigns | $16/month |
| Zoho | Feature-rich marketing automation | No (free trial available) | Multichannel campaigns, AI-powered analytics | $19 per seat/month |
| Klaviyo | eCommerce personalization | Yes, up until 500 monthly email sends | Advanced data segmentation, drag-and-drop tools | $20/month |
| Campaigner | Advanced automation | No (free trial available) | AI-based email customization, detailed reporting | $59/month |
| Brevo | Affordable all-in-one solution | Yes | Live chat, transactional messaging | $9/month |
| GetResponse | Email marketing beginners | No (free trial available) | Visual email editor, unlimited emails on paid plans | $19/month |
| Constant Contact | User-friendly email marketing | No (free trial available) | Simple email editor, 6,000+ integrations | $12/month |
| HubSpot | Premium CRM marketing integration | Yes | User-friendly interface, seamless CRM integration | $20 per seat/month |
| Mailchimp | Sophisticated email marketing | No (free trial available) | Extensive audience segmentation, integrated website builder | $13/month |
The 9 best marketing automation tools – our detailed list
In this section, you’ll find nine in-depth analyses of top marketing automation tools. I’ve focused on aspects like key features, business niches, and my pros and cons.
1. Omnisend – best marketing automation platform overall
| Best for: | Small eCommerce businesses |
| Free trial: | Yes |
| Starting price: | From $16/month |
| Top features: | Pre-built workflows, integration with 130+ tools, advanced segmentation |
Omnisend is one of the best marketing automation tools on the market thanks to its straightforward design for eCommerce businesses. It’s a one-stop shop to set up and automate email, SMS, and push campaigns in minutes. I was impressed by how little marketing background is needed to set up campaigns due to its intuitive interface and 100% customizable templates.
Primary purpose. This software is perfect for online stores looking to improve revenue and customer retention via automated, personalized messaging. It can create effective workflows for abandoned cart reminders, cross-sell campaigns, and order confirmations.
Key features. Omnisend has pre-built workflow, email, and SMS templates for welcome series, cart abandonment, shipping confirmations, and other scenarios. It also has drag-and-drop email, SMS, and push notifications. On top of that, its A/B testing and automation splits help you refine your campaigns and optimize them to perfection.
Pricing structure. Plans start at $16/month. There’s also a free trial and a free version for those only starting out. The premium plans offer more contacts, unlimited emails, advanced reporting, and priority support.
2. Zoho – feature-rich marketing platform
| Best for: | Full-suite marketing and business automation |
| Free trial: | Yes |
| Starting price: | From $19/month |
| Top features: | Multichannel campaigns, unified marketing analytics, AI-powered automation |
After reviewing the tools on the list, I can highlight Zoho as an all-in-one platform that makes managing campaigns across multiple channels simple, all while adding extensive analytics. It’s great for businesses that need affordability without losing advanced features. Additionally, it goes beyond marketing and includes full-scale business apps for bookkeeping, sales, documentation, and more.
Primary purpose. It’s perfect for businesses that need to streamline their marketing across email, websites, and social media. I think it’s especially beneficial for small and midsize companies looking to unify workflows, foster team collaboration, and boost ROI. The detailed analytics tools are impressive since they provide actionable insights into campaign performance and identify growth areas.
Key features. Zoho’s multichannel campaign ability, analytics, and AI-powered tools are clear strengths that make it stand out. Managing email, social media, and website campaigns from one platform is incredibly convenient. Meanwhile, heatmaps, funnel analysis, and custom reports produce a clear view of performance metrics. AI-powered workflow tools and email personalization are essential to save time and improve campaign precision.
Pricing structure. Plans start at $19/month. The 14-day free trial is also a big plus, as I encourage you to test tools for free before committing to a subscription. Add-ons for extra storage or contacts are great as your needs grow.
3. Klaviyo – personalized marketing automation with advanced analytics
| Best for: | eCommerce personalization |
| Free trial: | No |
| Starting price: | From $20/month |
| Top features: | CRM-powered workflows, advanced segmentation and automation, deep marketing analytics |
Klaviyo is a special tool that combines advanced data analytics with intuitive marketing automation. With it, you can create hyper-personalized, multichannel customer experiences. Its predictive analytics can also forecast customer lifetime value and optimize retention strategies.
Primary purpose. It’s best for eCommerce businesses (but works for non-eCommerce, too) that use customer data for precision marketing purposes. I find it valuable for crafting custom campaigns like product recommendations, predictive upsells, and targeted re-engagement workflows. It also features AI tools, like chatbots and in-depth AI analytics.
Key features. Klaviyo combines real-time and historical data to create customer profiles and predict behaviors like churn risk and purchase timing. It also easily automates and manages email, SMS, and push notifications. Klaviyo is integrated with over 350 platforms, including Shopify, Zendesk, and WooCommerce.
Pricing structure. Plans start at $20/month. Premium plans offer predictive analytics, priority support, and competitor benchmarks. Klaviyo also provides a free plan for low-volume automation but no free trial.
4. Campaigner – high-level personalization tool
| Best for: | Advanced automation and personalization |
| Free trial: | Yes |
| Starting price: | From $59/month |
| Top features: | AI-driven segmentation, multi-channel automation, reputation defender |
I ranked Campaigner as one of the top tools on the list because it’s perfect for crafting smart customer journeys for businesses of all sizes. It combines email and SMS marketing for dynamic and personalized campaigns.
Primary purpose. It’s built for businesses that want powerful automation to nurture leads and drive conversions. I find it especially useful for combining SMS and email workflows. I like that it uses data like geolocation and purchase behavior to deliver relevant content.
Key features. Campaigner’s AI-driven segmentation is impressive since it can create highly targeted campaigns based on customers’ behavior. Its multi-channel workflows let you engage your audience through email and SMS. There’s also a visual builder and a Reputation Defender to protect your sender reputation by monitoring list health and limiting poor-quality emails.
Pricing structure. Plans start at $59/month. There’s a free trial but no free version. The premium plans give you advanced reporting, purchase behavior insights, and unlimited contacts.
5. Brevo – AI-boosted campaigns for multi-channel engagement
| Best for: | Small businesses looking for sophisticated multichannel marketing |
| Free trial: | No |
| Starting price: | From $9/month |
| Top features: | AI-powered email optimization, WhatsApp integration, real-time analytics |
I was impressed by Brevo’s cost-to-value. It’s an affordable, all-in-one multichannel marketing campaign manager for email, SMS, and WhatsApp. With its tools, you can track performance metrics, identify trends, and maximize your ROI.
Primary purpose. Brevo is great for small and medium-sized businesses looking for an intuitive and scalable marketing tool. It combines a simple platform with powerful AI-driven features. With it, you can streamline workflows, boost engagement, and deliver result-driven campaigns.
Key features. Brevo offers AI-generated email content and predictive sending to optimize campaign timing. It supports SMS, WhatsApp, and email campaigns. Additionally, landing pages and push notifications are supported. Brevo’s reporting tools offer real-time insights, heatmaps, and deliverability stats.
Pricing structure. Plans start at $9/month. There’s a free version with limited capacity, but more advanced plans don’t offer free trials.
6. GetResponse – dynamic automation for small and growing businesses
| Best for: | One-stop-shop for marketing automation for various business needs |
| Free trial: | Yes |
| Starting price: | From $19/month |
| Top features: | Visual workflow builder, eCommerce integrations, sophisticated segmentation |
With GetResponse, you can create impactful customer journeys. It has a drag-and-drop builder and preset automation templates, which marketers will appreciate.
Primary purpose. This platform can be used to simplify automation for any business size. With features like automated cart recovery, segmentation, and real-time tracking, you can easily boost engagement and conversion. It works if your business needs a single platform to handle email marketing, lead generation, and eCommerce.
Key features. GetResponse’s visual automation builder lets you design workflows specified to your audience. It also integrates well with many eCommerce platforms, meaning you get product recommendations and abandoned cart emails. This tool also offers AI-powered tools for dynamic content and advanced contact segmentation, together with real-time analytics.
Pricing structure: Plans start at $19/month. There’s a free trial but no free version. Premium plans give you better workflows, segmentation tools, as well as scalable email and landing page opportunities.
7. Constant Contact – simple automation for small businesses
| Best for: | Small businesses new to digital marketing |
| Free trial: | Yes |
| Starting price: | From $12/month |
| Top features: | Email and SMS marketing, social media tools, contact management |
For a beginner-friendly marketing automation platform, I think Constant Contact works great. It's a straightforward platform to serve all your SMS and email marketing needs. There’s no steep learning curve with Constant Contact and virtually anyone can start using all of its features in a matter of minutes.
Primary purpose. Constant Contact simplifies digital marketing for small businesses. You get automated email sequences, SMS campaigns, and basic segmentation to help grow your audience. Additionally, your campaigns can be integrated into social media.
Key features. The platform offers customizable email templates, basic automation workflows, and social media posting tools, like scheduling social media posts, creating sign-up forms, and tracking performance through intuitive dashboards. Constant Contact’s contact management system lets you segment audiences and target specific groups. You get step-by-step guides and great customer support as well.
Pricing structure. Plans start at $12/month. There’s a free trial, but no free version. Premium plans unlock advanced segmentation, more storage, and priority support.
8. Hubspot – best for CRM-powered marketing automation at scale
| Best for: | Premium CRM marketing integration |
| Free trial: | Yes |
| Starting price: | From $20 per seat/month |
| Top features: | CRM-powered workflows, advanced segmentation and automation, deep marketing analytics |
Hubspot offers a seamless bridge between marketing automation and its solid CRM. I think it’s perfect for scaling your business as you transition to a larger volume of customers. With it, you can automate repetitive tasks and deliver personalized experiences across multiple channels easily.
Primary purpose. It’s perfect if you need to combine CRM insights with marketing automation to scale your efforts. I think it’s especially useful for nurturing leads via email campaigns, optimizing customer journeys, and tracking results with advanced reporting. The user-friendly interface is a plus.
Key features. Hubspot can automate lead nurturing with drip campaigns and scoring. It ensures timely and personalized follow-ups. Also, the drag-and-drop editor makes complex workflows simple, while the dashboards and reporting tools can track campaign performance, ROI, and customer behavior in detail.
Pricing structure. Plans start at $20 per seat/month. There’s both a free version and a free trial. The higher-end plans provide more advanced features.
9. Mailchimp – AI personalization for scaling customer retention
| Best for: | eCommerce businesses requiring predictive insights for customer retention |
| Free trial: | Yes |
| Starting price: | From $13/month |
| Top features: | Customer lifetime value predictions, personalized product recommendations, advanced benchmarking |
Mailchimp is clearly focused on eCommerce businesses that want to optimize customer retention and drive revenue. It has AI-powered analytics with integrations for dynamic email campaigns tailored to individual customer buying behaviors. I liked that it’s geared towards enhancing customer lifetime value.
Primary purpose. Mailchimp is a popular tool for businesses looking to drive repeat purchases. The platform’s AI tools can predict purchase timing and churn risk, which is great for targeted retention strategies. You can also automate abandoned cart emails, win-back campaigns, and upsell promotions with precision.
Key features. The platform’s advanced segmentation lets you create super-personalized campaigns. For instance, it has over 300 integrations, connecting with tools like Shopify, Quickbooks, and Google Analytics. Its benchmarking tools also compare your campaign performance with industry standards.
Pricing structure. Plans start at $13/month, and scale with your contact list size. There’s a free trial but no free version. Premium plans get advanced features like predictive insights and dynamic content.
How did we select these marketing automation tools?
I meticulously evaluated nine marketing automation tools so that you can see which ones are the most effective, reliable, and versatile options for your business. My methodology focused on five core criteria:
- Strong automation capabilities. I ranked platforms with extensive automation capabilities across email, SMS, social media, and digital ad channels. I tested the workflow builders for their ability to create nuanced customer journeys in an intuitive way. Tools with excellent and intuitive pre-built workflows scored higher.
- Seamless integrations and built-in features. In marketing, interconnected tools are essential. I prioritized platforms that integrate smoothly with CRMs, CMSs, eCommerce platforms, and other analytics tools. Advanced features like sales funnels, customer segmentation, and reporting dashboards scored additional points.
- Cost-to-value. Value for money is critical for any business. Thus, I compared the pricing models and tiers of every platform against its feature set to determine its cost-effectiveness overall. Tools offering scalable plans or generous free tiers scored higher.
- Usability and support. I did not pick platforms that were extremely difficult to use, so I assessed how quickly customers could onboard, create campaigns, and monitor performance. Platforms that offered extensive resources, tutorials, and 24/7 support were given higher marks.
- Advanced reporting and insights. Modern, professional marketers need actionable data. Therefore, I prioritized platforms that included detailed analytics, real-time reporting, and audience insights. Also, platforms with customizable dashboards and predictive analytics got a better score overall.
What are marketing automation tools, and how do they work?
Marketing automation tools are like personal assistants who handle your daily marketing tasks. This personal assistant frees up your time so you can focus on the big picture of your business (e.g., development, team mentoring, strategic growth).
Marketing tools have evolved a lot. Today, marketing automation tools can collect and analyze customer data like browsing habits, purchase history, and interaction on social media. With this data, you can create personalized campaigns delivered through email, SMS, social media, or other channels. It’s a smart way to scale your audience in a more timely, targeted, and meaningful way.
For instance, imagine you have thousands of customers leaving your website without buying anything. A solid marketing automation platform can provide a gentle nudge via email, including the item they viewed, and entice the customer with a discount. More than that, the marketing tool will also provide extensive analytics and give you a better understanding of what to do to increase customer retention.
In another example, an excellent marketing automation tool can send a new subscriber a series of welcome emails introducing them to your brand, coupled with helpful tips. All of this builds trust with the customer.
However, marketing automation tools go beyond just saving you time. They are advanced software that can boost engagement, nurture leads, and even re-engage lethargic or disinterested customers with precision. From running a tiny shop to managing a vast eCommerce business, marketing automation ensures you don’t miss a single opportunity to connect with your audience.
Features to look for in the best marketing automation tool
When looking for the best marketing automation tool, consider features that simplify your business workflows. Here are my key feature recommendations to look for:
- Ease of use. A great marketing tool needs an intuitive interface. All skill levels should be able to use a good marketing tool. For instance, a drag-and-drop system for creating workflows and campaigns is a good start.
- Segmentation capabilities. You want to target the right audience for business success. As such, tools that let you segment customers based on behavior, purchase history, demographics, or engagement levels will be superior to other tools.
- Multichannel automation. In today’s digital marketing, multichannel automation is a powerful feature. This automation lets you target customers across various channels, such as SMS, email, social media, and digital ads.
- CRM integration. Customer relationship management is a must. This ensures a smooth flow of your customer data. This way, you can create marketing campaigns that are driven by detailed insights about your customers’ real preferences and behaviors.
- Analytics and reporting. It’s important that you choose tools which offer deep analytics to accurately measure campaign performance. Look for features such as real-time tracking, customizable dashboards, and reports on metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and ROI.
With this suite of features in mind, you’ll get a tool that boosts efficiency and customer engagement and drives growth for your business.
What can marketing automation do for me?
Marketing automation can do a lot for you. For instance, not only will marketing automation give you time to focus on other things, but it will also improve your business performance by a significant margin. Here’s more of my advice:
- Save time. Marketing automation will save you time. Automated workflows can handle your tasks (such as sending welcome emails, birthday messages, and follow-ups for abandoned carts) while you focus on planning campaigns or analyzing market trends.
- Maintain consistency. Automation ensures that your brand communication is consistent across all channels and sent at the optimal time. For instance, a great marketing automation tool can coordinate email campaigns, SMS campaigns, or social media posts to boost customer engagement at all times.
- Deliver personalized customer journeys. Marketing tools can analyze customer behavior and preferences to create ultra-personalized experiences for your customer. From targeted drip campaigns to smart product recommendations, this makes customers feel valued and engaged. This will increase the likelihood of conversion.
- Enhance efficiency. A top-class marketing automation tool reduces the amount of manual processes you need to make. Also, it reduces errors. Your business can operate more efficiently when the platform handles tasks like segmenting audiences or running A/B tests.
- Provide in-depth analytics. Most modern marketing automation tools come with analytics dashboards. These dashboards track essential metrics like click-through rates, open rates, and ROI. For you, this means that you’ll better understand what’s working and what isn’t.
All in all, a great marketing automation tool will always be a game-changer for a business of any size. Without a marketing automation tool, repetitive tasks will consume your time, while customer interactions may become inconsistent and late.
Final word on best marketing automation tools
At the end of the day, there’s no “best” marketing automation software the best tool is the one that works for the size of your business and your marketing goals. However, some marketing automation tools clearly outshine others in several regards.
While it was extremely difficult to pick the ultimate tool because of the plethora of good choices around, I chose Omnisend as it stood out as the most comprehensive, balanced platform overall. If you’re a small business looking for a budget-friendly solution, I can easily recommend Constant Contact or Brevo. If you’re new to the eCommerce arena, consider tools like Klaviyo or Mailchimp.
FAQ
Are marketing automation tools easy to use for beginners?
Yes, beginner-friendly marketing automation tools exist, like GetResponse and Constant Contact. However, it depends on which marketing tool it is, since some are geared towards advanced users. Some platforms include intuitive interfaces, drag-and-drop editors, and step-by-step guides, while others have a steep learning curve.
How do I choose the best marketing automation tool for my business?
Consider your business size, budget, and end goals. Generally, look for an intuitive tool that has multi-channel automation, CRM integration, and analytics. Omnisend is a good example of a well-rounded marketing automation tool.
Are there any free marketing automation tools available?
Yes, there are free marketing automation tools available. Tools like Omnisend and Klaviyo offer free plans with basic features. However, free plans most of ten have limitations like restricted contacts, branding, or lack of advanced features.
Can marketing automation tools integrate with my existing CRM system?
Yes, most modern marketing automation tools are designed to seamlessly integrate with popular CRM systems like Salesforce. Check the tool’s integration compatibility with your specific CRM before committing.
