Do emails make your work endless, or lead management, or social sharing, or campaign tracking? Well, you are not alone in this. That’s just where Marketing Automation Tools come in. Automate the repetitive jobs, streamline the campaigns, and have time for creativity and strategy.
You may tend to ask: What are marketing automation tools, and why now? They are just your live-in virtual assistants, generally showing no signs of stopping. Marketing Automation Tools help businesses of any size grow smarter, not harder, as they come to play, from email campaigns to lead scoring, customer journeys, analytics, and beyond.
In this blog, we’re going to walk through the 20 best marketing automation tools out there right now and the unique components that are at work in real-life business contexts as well as student-friendly contexts. Along with it, you’ll also find a marketing automation tools list that will make comparisons much easier.
What Are Marketing Automation (MA) Tools?
Before we dig deeper into the best marketing automation tools, let’s understand what they really are.Â
MA Tools are software or platforms that are used to share personalized emails, belong to different audiences, nurture leads, social post content, and analyze performance among other tasks. Instead of doing things manually, these tools automate workflows on behavioral setup of customers’ preferences along with timing.
For example, when a person subscribes to the newsletter, the tool may send a welcome note. For instance, if the same person looks at your website but does not buy, the same tool may release a discount code after some days. This is precisely how MA Tools help marketers not get cut off from what they are doing 24/7.
Why Businesses Need Marketing Automation Tools
The simplest answer: efficiency and scale.
What happens if there are no MA Tools in place? Then, marketers have to put in countless hours repeating the same things with no results or sabotage of their time put into campaigns. However, with tools in place, you can nurture thousands of leads, send campaigns at the right time, and track what really works.
Students pursuing careers in marketing would also be conversant with some of the best MA tools because most companies anticipate some knowledge or indoctrination into platforms such as HubSpot, Mailchimp, or ActiveCampaign. Early acquisition helps when it comes to job interviews and real-world exposure.Â
20 Best Marketing Automation Tools You Can Get Right Now
Detailed marketing automation tools list with practical knowledge, each having something that makes it special to a very unique feature, budget, or business requirement.
- HubSpot Tool
Voted by most as the best all-in-one powerhouse, HubSpot is ideal for those businesses that need CRM, sales, and automation in one place. With HubSpot MA Tools, you will send personalized email campaigns, manage your social media, score leads, and track ROI.
HubSpot has made a name for itself by providing free training for students and professionals, making it one of the best tools for starting learning marketing automation.Â
- Mailchimp Tool
For millions, Mailchimp comes to mind when judging the efficacy of email marketing. However, it is no longer just an email facility. It has other facilities that allow segmentation of the audience, campaigns based on behavior, and simply easy-to-build templates with Mailchimp MA Tools.
It’s also budget-friendly, and this is why they rank as one of the best in MA tools, especially among startups and micro enterprises.Â
- ActiveCampaign Tool
When personalization is a goal, then ActiveCampaign ranks up there as one of the top options. Advanced segmentation and customer journeys are heavily popular with ActiveCampaign MA Tools.
Since it has automation maps, it’s very easy to visualize how campaigns move, and consequently, students get to experience real-time understanding of the flow of customer engagement.Â
- Marketo Engage Tool
Being owned by Adobe, Marketo runs for enterprises. Marketo MA Tools enable organizations to pursue massive campaigns integrated into complex buyer journeys and use CRMs like Salesforce.
This makes it one of the best MA tools for the B2B sector.Â
- Salesforce Pardot Marketing Tool
This is Salesforce’s standalone offering targeted mainly to B2B marketers. The heavyweight actions of Pardot MA Tools involve prospect nurturing and scoring while syncing the marketing with the sales counterpart.
So, whether you want enterprise-level sophistication, it will easily find its place among the best MA tools.Â
- Zoho Marketing Tool
Known for affordability, Zoho also packs within its MA Tools features like lead tracking, email campaigns, social posting, and workflow processes.Â
For students or freelancers, Zoho is one of the best sources of MA without burning too big a hole in the pocket.Â
- Sendinblue (Brevo) Marketing Tool
Sendinblue, now renamed Brevo, has made its way in the world of multichannel campaigns. The Sendinblue MA Tools let you manage SMS, emails, and even chatbots from a single dashboard.
Again, it is one of the serious MA tools list.Â
- Keap (Infusionsoft) MA ToolsÂ
Keap provides the appropriate blend of CRM and automation for the small business. Appointment-setting, payment integration, and lead scores are part of the Keap MA Tools.Â
If you own a little venture, it’s simple yet one of the best MA tools when it comes to impact.Â
- Drip Marketing Tool
E-commerce stores love Drip. With Drip MA Tools, you build customer journeys, recommend products, and increase the number of sales in the online shop.Â
Counted as crucial in the MA tools list for Shopify and WooCommerce users.
10. GetResponse Marketing Tool
GetResponse has fantastic features for webinars. The GetResponse MA Tools enable businesses to run webinars, nurture leads, and convert much faster alongside email campaigns.
It is one of the best MA tools for digital-first businesses today.
11. Omnisend Marketing Tool
Omnisend MA Tools are very nice-for-e-commerce. With Omnisend, you can create SMS-, push, and email campaigns all in one workflow.
It saves time, plus fits neatly in every list that includes MA tools for online stores.
12. Autopilot Marketing Tool
Autopilot is very visual; it’s intuitive. However, with Autopilot MA Tools, you can literally draw out customer journeys using drag-and-drop features.
Students really like it because it takes a complex automation system and makes it very colorful and easy to understand.
13. SharpSpring MA Tools
SharpSpring is often called the underdog. The SharpSpring MA Tools combine CRM, dynamic landing pages, and automation workflows at competitive pricing.
Agencies tend to put it at the top of the list for MA tools.Â
14. Oracle Eloqua Marketing Tools
Oracle’s enterprise-grade solution is Eloqua. The Oracle Eloqua MA Tools support enterprise-level lead nurturing and process deep integration with the rest of the Oracle universe.
Best for Fortune 500 companies since it is one of the best MA tools.Â
15. Ontraport Marketing ToolsÂ
Ontraport shines with MA tools for coaches, membership sites, and service businesses. It aids the creation of personalized journeys through memberships and recurring billing.
This specialization earns it a place in the MA tools list.Â
16. Constant Contact MA Tools
Simple as can be, Constant Contact. It allows you to create email campaigns, manage events, and analyze the results.
It is one of the most consistent in small-organizational best MA tools.Â
17. EngageBay MA Tools
EngageBay offers the CRM, sales, and support part along with marketing. The EngageBay MA Tools are affordable and versatile, making it apt for startups.Â
It is often cited in guides for MA tools lists for teams on a budget.Â
18. Moosend Marketing Tools
The beauty of Moosend lies in its simplicity. The Moosend MA Tools enable anyone to build workflows, send campaigns, and create segments easily-no technical knowledge needed.Â
This is also one of the best-strength MA tools to start with in practice students while practicing marketing campaigns.Â
19. Act-On Marketing ToolsÂ
Act-On is B2B and demand generation focused. The tools provide features like lead nurturing, scoring, and ROI analytics.
Features quite often in professional MA tools list comparisons.Â
20. Klaviyo Marketing ToolsÂ
Klaviyo was born for e-commerce personalization. Klaviyo MA Tools hook up with platforms such as Shopify to send very targeted product recommendations.Â
Hands down one of the best MA tools for online sellers.
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Crucial Aspects Before Choosing a Marketing Automation Tool
- Features That Matter Most
Not all marketing automation tools are created equal. Some focus on campaigns via email, some on SMS or even more advanced personalization, and students starting out may want to use Mailchimp or HubSpot, while enterprises may go more toward Marketo or Pardot.
- Budget and ROIÂ
This free and budget tool is perfect for learners and startups because it is so expensive; however, your company has an excellent ROI plan, so what makes sense is to invest in marketing automation tools as high-end as Oracle Eloqua.
- Simplicity
Some tools such as Autopilot and Moosend are visual and user-friendly, while others like Marketo demand much training offered by its unique depth.Â
Use-Case Based Marketing Automation Tools ListÂ
Use Case | Recommended Tools | Why They’re Best |
Email Marketing | Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Moosend | Easy templates, A/B testing, segmentation |
E-commerce Stores | Drip, Omnisend, Klaviyo | Personalized journeys, product recommendations, Shopify integrations |
Enterprise B2B Marketing | Marketo, Pardot, Oracle Eloqua | Large-scale campaigns, CRM integrations, deep analytics |
Small Businesses/Startups | Zoho, EngageBay, Sendinblue | Affordable pricing, easy CRM + automation |
Coaches/Membership Models | Ontraport, Keap | Subscription billing + automated journeys |
Agencies | SharpSpring, ActiveCampaign | Multi-client management, personalization, workflow flexibility |
Webinars & Engagement | GetResponse | Integrated webinar + email marketing in one platform |
Visual Journey Mapping | Autopilot | Drag-and-drop simplicity for customer journey creation |
Benefits of Learning Marketing Automation Tools as a StudentÂ
- Employability ImprovementÂ
International companies today hire for roles in digital marketing and expect applicants to know at least a few marketing automation tools. Hence, listing them on your resume can help demonstrate your acquired skills.Â
- Freelancing Side HustlesÂ
Building up skills in automation opens up freelancing to students running email campaigns for clients with something like Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign.Â
- Flexible CareersÂ
B2C, B2B, or agency-all requires talent with knowledge of marketing automation tools.Â
Future Trends in Marketing Automation ToolsÂ
- AI-Powered Personalization: Platform such as HubSpot and ActiveCampaign are infusing AI into insights that were once human-derived.
- Omnichannel Automation: These best marketing automation tools can be expected to come with a stronger integration of SMS, chat, and social media.
- No-code Campaign Building: Tools like Autopilot define the future visual and drag-and-drop automation.Â
- Data Privacy Compliance: Security features are being upgraded because of GDPR and other laws, so the marketing automation tools are getting better.
Marketing Automation Tools and Career Growth
Learning Marketing Automation Tools has ceased to be an option. By now, companies need marketers who understand automation, personalization, and data-driven decision-making.
Students of marketing automation can leverage free versions of these platforms to exhibit their skills when they go in for interviews. For working professionals, marketing automation skills increase work efficiency, enabling them to grab better opportunities or even work as freelancers.
Learn Marketing Automation Tools at PW Skills Digital Marketing Course
This is where your earnestness about mastering Marketing Automation Tools hinges on-the PW Skills Digital Marketing Course. From automation to SEO, content to analytics, this course has covered it all in theory and practice. Hence, you will be industry-ready by the time you finish this course with our trainer’s assistance and real projects. This is an endeavor you must take for yourself to get into the digital marketing world.Â
Marketing Automation Tools Are the Future
The pace of change in marketing is faster than ever before. From students to startup owners to corporate people, the best marketing automation tools are their best leverage. Minimizing manual work, improving personalization, and scaling the campaigns are what they do.
Mastering these marketing automation tools today will put you in a position to leverage tomorrow’s opportunities.
FAQs
Are Marketing Automation Tools only for big businesses?
No, small businesses and freelancers also benefit from automation. There are many tools with affordable or free plans.
Do Marketing Automation Tools require coding skills?
Not at all. Most of the modern tools are drag-and-drop interfaces; hence very easy for beginners.
Which Marketing Automation Tools are best for a student?
Free or budget-friendly platforms like Mailchimp, HubSpot Free, and Moosend make an excellent experience.
How do Marketing Automation Tools enhance ROI?
Targeting the right audience at the right time cuts waste effort and maximizes conversions.