Pardot Alternatives: 10 B2B Marketing Automation Tools

Pardot, which Salesforce now calls Marketing Cloud Account Engagement, has long been the default marketing automation choice for B2B companies running on Salesforce. But plenty of B2B teams want something simpler, a CRM included, or a platform that suits a smaller database.

The ten tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order. Every description comes from the tool's own website, read this week. For a broader look at the category, my roundup of marketing automation tools for small and medium businesses is a helpful companion.

Pardot alternatives at a glance

In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site names a free plan or free tier, Trial only means a time-limited trial and No means neither is stated on the pages read. B2B automation platforms usually offer trials or demos rather than free plans.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
Act-On	Marketing automation	Mid-market B2B teams	No
ActiveCampaign	Email automation	Small B2B and B2C teams	Trial only
Encharge	SaaS email automation	Product-led SaaS	No
HubSpot Marketing Hub	Inbound marketing suite	Teams wanting CRM and marketing together	Trial only
LeadSquared	CRM and automation	High-volume lead industries	No
Marketo Engage	Enterprise automation	Large B2B marketing teams	No
Mautic	Open-source automation	Self-hosted marketing automation	Yes
Oracle Eloqua	Enterprise automation	Global enterprises	No
SharpSpring	Automation plus CRM	Agencies managing clients	No
Zoho Marketing Automation	Marketing automation	Businesses using Zoho CRM	Trial only

Ten Pardot alternatives to consider

Act-On

Best for: Mid-market B2B marketers who want automation, scoring and journeys without the weight of an enterprise suite.

ActiveCampaign

Best for: Small teams that want powerful email automation and a simple CRM, starting with a trial before committing.

Encharge

Best for: SaaS companies that want emails triggered by what users do in the product and synced with their billing and CRM tools.

HubSpot Marketing Hub

Best for: Teams that want marketing automation, landing pages and CRM in one platform that sales and marketing both use.

LeadSquared

Best for: Education, healthcare and finance teams handling high volumes of leads who want marketing and field sales in one CRM.

Marketo Engage

Best for: Large B2B teams with complex programmes, many products and an operations specialist to run the platform day to day.

Mautic

Best for: Technical teams that want marketing automation they can self-host and customise, keeping full control of their data.

Oracle Eloqua

Best for: Global enterprises with large databases and strict governance who need account-based programmes across regions.

SharpSpring

Best for: Agencies and small businesses that want marketing automation and a CRM bundled together in one easy platform.

Zoho Marketing Automation

Best for: Businesses already using Zoho CRM that want lead scoring, journeys and email connected without third-party integrations.

Gmail's rules matter more than the platform

Here's what decides whether your nurture emails arrive at all. Google says senders who send more than 5,000 messages a day to Gmail accounts have extra requirements, and every sender must keep spam rates reported in Postmaster Tools below 0.3%.

A new automation platform can't fix a poor sending reputation, so check authentication and spam rates before you migrate. Set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC on your sending domain and warm up any new domain gradually.

Enterprise suite, CRM bundle or SaaS tool?

Enterprise suites handle large databases, many products and complex programmes, but they need a specialist to run them well. CRM bundles put marketing automation and sales records in one place, which suits smaller teams. SaaS-focused tools trigger emails from what users do in your product.

Look at who'll run the platform day to day. If you have a marketing operations person, a suite gives them room to grow. If marketing is one or two people, a bundle with a simple CRM will get used. If your buyers sign up for a product, behaviour-based tools fit best.

Switching automation platforms in order

1. Audit your forms, lists, scoring rules and active programmes.
2. Retire programmes nobody has looked at in months.
3. Set up email authentication on your sending domain first.
4. Rebuild your highest-value nurture programme and test it.
5. Connect the CRM and check that leads reach sales correctly.
6. Move forms and tracking last, then switch off the old platform.

Programmes every B2B team should run

• Welcome series. Introduces new subscribers to what you do.
• Content nurture. Sends useful material based on interests.
• Event follow-up. Reaches people after webinars and events.
• Re-engagement. Wakes up or removes inactive contacts.

Keeping your database healthy

Old, unengaged contacts drag down your sending reputation and your reports. Remove hard bounces straight away, run a re-engagement programme for inactive contacts and stop emailing anyone who doesn't respond. A smaller, active list will get more of your emails into inboxes.

Lead scoring that sales believes

Lead scoring only works if sales trusts it. Sit down with two or three reps and agree what a ready lead looks like: job title, company size and a couple of actions that signal real interest. Build the score around that, then check after a month whether high-scoring leads turned into conversations. If they didn't, change the score, don't blame the reps. It's an ongoing job rather than a one-off setup, so book a review every quarter.

Do you make a marketing automation tool? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice on Pardot alternatives

Choose the platform your team can run, not the one with the longest feature list. Most B2B teams use a fraction of what enterprise suites offer. A simpler tool that's well set up will outperform a powerful one that nobody understands.

Then get sales involved early. Lead scoring and handover rules only work if sales agrees with them. For content ideas to feed your programmes, my guide to B2B content marketing techniques is worth a look.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to Pardot?

It depends on your team. Enterprise suites suit large teams with specialists, CRM bundles suit smaller teams and SaaS tools suit product-led companies.

Is there a free alternative to Pardot?

One open-source tool on this list can be self-hosted, and several others offer trials. Check the table.

What are Gmail's sender requirements?

Google says every sender must keep spam rates below 0.3%, and senders of more than 5,000 messages a day have extra requirements.

Do I need a CRM as well?

Yes, unless the platform includes one. Leads need to reach sales with their history attached.

How long does migration take?

A small team can move core programmes in a few weeks. Large databases and complex scoring take longer.

What is lead scoring?

It's a way of ranking leads by fit and activity so sales can focus on the people most likely to buy.