10 Best Marketing Automation Platforms, Software & Tools

Sending email campaigns and newsletters is easier with a marketing automation tool. However, how can you know which one to go for?

We decided to research and test the 10 best marketing automation platforms, software, and tools in 2025.

We assessed them based on their feature set, pricing, and user experience. While each had its unique selling point, Brevo stands out with its affordability and feature set.

Brevo is our pick because of its affordable entry plan pricing, user-friendliness, and omnichannel marketing. However, Brevo has pricey SMS carrier fees which is a drawback.

The top 10 marketing automation tools:

1. Brevo – Editors choice
2. Constant Contact – Best for email marketing
3. Klaviyo – Best for ecommerce brands
4. HubSpot – Best free software
5. Mailchimp – Best pricing
6. ActiveCampaign – Best for marketing automation
7. Kit – Best for creators
8. MailerLite – Best for marketers
9. AWeber – Best for small businesses
10. GetResponse – Best autoresponder

How we evaluate and test apps

When I’m testing apps/tools, I employ a dual approach based on free trial availability. For platforms offering free trials, I test their functionalities, usability, navigation, and ease of use. In the case of software lacking a free version or trial, I rely on in-depth research and user testimonials through software review platforms like G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius to gauge their performance and capabilities. Learn more about our ratings criteria for marketing automation software here.

1. Brevo – Editors choice

Best Suited For: Ecommerce businesses looking for software supporting transactional and trigger-based emails.

Pricing: Free – $669/mo

Brevo goes beyond email marketing, where it offers support for transactional and trigger-based emails. It also provides a dedicated transactional section that allows for capabilities like shipping updates, order confirmations, and more. 

Brevo also shines in multi-channel marketing, supporting SMS, web push, and WhatsApp. Marketers can use one of the channels to target their segmented contact list for enhanced conversions.

Features

• A/B testing
• Transactional emails
• Advanced analytics
• SMS and WhatsApp campaigns

Why we picked it

Brevo features suit e-commerce businesses looking for software supporting transactional and trigger-based emails. Its multichannel support, low-cost plans, and 150+ integrations make it stand out.

Sign up for Brevo for free

Try Brevo free

2. Constant Contact – Best for email marketing

Best Suited For: Businesses looking for a simple and proven platform for branding and building email campaigns.

Pricing: $12/mo – $80/mo

Event management is one of Constant Contact’s stand-out features. It is a feature that allows users to create, promote, and manage their events all from a central spot. 

Businesses can also integrate a payment gateway for payment collections. Whether it is selling tickets, event registrations, or invitations, it provides the capabilities.

Features

• Marketing CRM
• Event management
• SMS and Social media marketing
• 300+ integrations

Why we picked it

Constant Contact is suitable for businesses looking to improve their branding and access automation and e-commerce integrations. Its integration stack is also extensive, making it easy to connect an application to streamline the email campaigns.

Start your free trial of Constant Contact

Try Constant Contact free

3. Klaviyo – Best for ecommerce brands

Best Suited For: Ecommerce businesses looking to leverage email and SMS marketing combined with advanced automation tools for their campaigns.

Pricing: Free – $2,315/mo

Segmentation is one of the core features of Klaviyo that makes it stand out. The software allows marketers to create segments with as many rules as they like to reach the ideal customer. 

As the customers interact with the business website, Klaviyo allows the segments to update automatically. The best part is that Klaviyo allows using email and SMS to run omnichannel campaigns.

Features

• 350+ integrations
• Multi-channel attribution
• Built-in forms and pop-ups
• Automated A/B testing

Why we picked it

Klaviyo suits e-commerce platforms looking for software with robust segmentation and automation tools. Its personalized benchmarks, omnichannel support, and free plan make it stand out.

Get started with Klaviyo for free

Try Klaviyo free

4. HubSpot – Best free software

Best Suited For: Businesses looking to track, nurture leads, and analyze their email campaign performance.

Pricing: Free – $3,600/mo

HubSpot is a titan offering one of the most all-rounded marketing hubs, including CRM, email marketing, and automation tools. With its automation, users can create workflows that link autoresponders based on set triggers. 

The software offers templates for creating workflows or even building one from scratch. However, accessing the advanced features requires subscribing to the top plans.

Features

• Mobile app
• Ad management
• Video hosting
• CRM

Why we picked it

HubSpot provides an all-rounded marketing hub for all business types. Its selling points are its powerful CRM, 1K+ integrations, and automation tools.

Get started with HubSot for free

Try HubSpot free

5. Mailchimp – Best pricing

Best Suited For: Businesses looking to hyper-personalize their email campaigns and create effective marketing strategies.

Pricing: Free – $1,600/mo

Mailchimp integration stack is one of its stand-out features. It provides 300+ built-in applications with CRMs, e-commerce platforms, analytics tools, and more. 

Mailchimp also offers an API and webhooks for custom integrations and data scraping. It adds a level of flexibility, especially for users with unique business needs.

Features

• Social media marketing
• Marketing CRM
• 300+ integrations
• Audience management

Why we picked it

Mailchimp offers businesses one of the best all-inclusive marketing solutions in the industry. Its flexible pricing plans, including a freemium, make it a go-to choice even for SMBs.

Sign up to Mailchimp for free today!

Try Mailchimp free

6. ActiveCampaign – Best for marketing automation

Best Suited For: Businesses with complex campaign processes and need a platform with advanced automation capabilities.

Pricing: $15/mo – $1,169/mo

Automation is the core feature of ActiveCampaign. From 1 on 1 outreach and support, to lead nurturing, the software empowers marketers to automate anything. 

ActiveCampaign also offers CRM add-ons that interlink the marketing data for quick action from the sales team. The inclusion of features like social data and lead scoring can help to streamline sales follow-ups.

Features

• CRM
• Omnichannel marketing
• Integrated AI
• Audience management

Why we picked it

Experienced marketers prioritizing marketing automation will find ActiveCampaign valuable. The platform offers an extensive feature set that, while initially overwhelming, makes running campaigns easier.

Start your free trial of ActiveCampaign

Try ActiveCampaign free

7. Kit – Best for creators

Best Suited For: Content creators looking to use automation for continuous growth and monetization.

Pricing: Free – $2,599/mo

Kit features are tailor-made for content creators. One of the newly added features that stands out is the Creator Network. The feature allows creators to collaborate and cross-promote their content with others in the same niche.

It allows the creators to leverage the power of collabs to help reach new audiences improving growth.

Features

• Creator and sponsor network
• Landing pages and forms
• Polls
• RSS campaigns

Why we picked it

Kit suits content creators looking for software with capable automation for lead gen and content monetization. Its unlimited email broadcasts, support for selling digital products, and affordable plans make it stand out.

Sign up to Kit for free today!

Try Kit free

8. MailerLite – Best for marketers

Best Suited For: Marketers getting started on email marketing and need capable software for creating simple campaigns.

Pricing: Free – $1,900/mo

MailerLite offers broad features targeted at e-commerce businesses looking to streamline their campaigns. One of the stand-out features is the website builder which has a drag-and-drop functionality for creating custom site layouts. 

The platform includes a library of templates from which to use for website creation or to get inspiration. The best part is that the builder is flexible. It allows users to customize their site with animations and icons for a unique brand.

Features

• Website builder
• Facebook integration
• Comparative reporting
• Multivariate A/B testing

Why we picked it

MailerLite features targeted entry-level e-commerce businesses looking to create simple campaigns. Its website builder, automation, and affordable plans are its unique selling points.

Get started with MailerLite for free

Try MailerLite free

9. AWeber – Best for small businesses

Best Suited For: Businesses looking for a reliable email marketing solution to automate their sales funnel.

Pricing: Free – $899/mo

AWeber is one of the pioneers of email marketing and it continues to evolve with the changing market demands. One of its standout features is its AMP emails. 

They help in improving engagement and experiences where users can add product carousels and quizzes to their emails. AMP emails also allow hyper-personalization depending on recipient behavior and preferences.

Features

• Video landing pages
• Facebook pixel tracking
• List building
• AWeber e-commerce

Why we picked it

AWeber offers a reliable platform for SMBs looking to automate their sales funnels and sell directly through email. Its AMP emails, landing page builder, and advanced reporting make it stand out.

Sign up to AWeber for free today!

Try AWeber free

10. GetResponse – Best autoresponder

Best Suited For: Ecommerce businesses looking to streamline their inbound marketing.

Pricing: $19/mo – $1,099/mo

GetResponse is built for inbound marketing. Marketers can access a basic landing page editor and simple, customizable signup forms.

The platform also integrates with Google Analytics and offers businesses sophisticated automation and contact segmentation, which helps in lead capture and nurturing. The best part is that GetResponse allows the hosting of live webinars.

Features

• Contact Scoring
• Conversion funnel
• 170+ integrations
• Autoresponders

Why we picked it

GetResponse is suitable for e-commerce businesses that are focusing on outbound marketing. Its main selling points are its autoresponders, segmentation, and flexible landing page builder.

Start your free trial of GetResponse

Try GetResponse free

Conclusion: How to Pick the Best Marketing Automation Platform

Marketing automation software can help businesses improve efficiency even in this social media era. However, the ideal one depends on your business needs and budget.

The good thing is that the above 10 best marketing automation platforms, software, and tools will suit SMBs. They offer a good blend of affordable pricing, extensive feature set, and user-friendliness.

To summarize, here is what each software offers to the end user:

1. Brevo – Editors choice
2. Constant Contact – Best for email marketing
3. Klaviyo – Best for ecommerce brands
4. HubSpot – Best free software
5. Mailchimp – Best pricing
6. ActiveCampaign – Best for marketing automation
7. Kit – Best for creators
8. MailerLite – Best for marketers
9. AWeber – Best for small businesses
10. GetResponse – Best autoresponder