Navigating the Landscape of Marketing Automation Platforms with CRM Integration: Insights from Customers and Experts When it comes to choosing a marketing automation platform with CRM integration, customer reviews reveal that not all features are created equal. Market research shows that many users prioritize user-friendly interfaces and robust analytics capabilities, with platforms like HubSpot often receiving high marks for their intuitive design and comprehensive reporting tools. On the flip side, some flashy features may be overrated—data indicates that automation tools offering overly complicated workflows often lead to frustration rather than efficiency. Interestingly, industry reports suggest that cost is another significant factor; many consumers report that platforms like ActiveCampaign provide excellent value for their pricing tier, especially for small to medium-sized businesses. Meanwhile, larger enterprises often lean toward Salesforce for its extensive customization options, but that comes with a steeper learning curve. So, what’s the best fit for your needs?Navigating the Landscape of Marketing Automation Platforms with CRM Integration: Insights from Customers and Experts When it comes to choosing a marketing automation platform with CRM integration, customer reviews reveal that not all features are created equal.Navigating the Landscape of Marketing Automation Platforms with CRM Integration: Insights from Customers and Experts When it comes to choosing a marketing automation platform with CRM integration, customer reviews reveal that not all features are created equal. Market research shows that many users prioritize user-friendly interfaces and robust analytics capabilities, with platforms like HubSpot often receiving high marks for their intuitive design and comprehensive reporting tools. On the flip side, some flashy features may be overrated—data indicates that automation tools offering overly complicated workflows often lead to frustration rather than efficiency. Interestingly, industry reports suggest that cost is another significant factor; many consumers report that platforms like ActiveCampaign provide excellent value for their pricing tier, especially for small to medium-sized businesses. Meanwhile, larger enterprises often lean toward Salesforce for its extensive customization options, but that comes with a steeper learning curve. So, what’s the best fit for your needs? Well, if you're working with a tight budget, exploring options like Mailchimp might be wise, as they frequently cater to seasonal promotional needs without breaking the bank. A fun fact: did you know that Salesforce was founded in 1999 and has since become a leader in the CRM space? This kind of history speaks volumes about their commitment to innovation. With so many choices out there, it’s crucial to focus on what truly matters—like integration capabilities and customer support—while keeping an eye on what might just be marketing fluff. After all, who needs another tool that’s more confusing than a cat trying to use a Roomba?
Klaviyo is a unique B2C CRM platform designed with an AI-first approach. It combines marketing and customer service into an integrated space, making it ideal for professionals in the marketing automation industry. Leveraging data-powered insights, Klaviyo enables businesses to create deeper and lasting customer relationships.
Klaviyo is a unique B2C CRM platform designed with an AI-first approach. It combines marketing and customer service into an integrated space, making it ideal for professionals in the marketing automation industry. Leveraging data-powered insights, Klaviyo enables businesses to create deeper and lasting customer relationships.
TOP CUSTOMER SUPPORT
Best for teams that are
eCommerce brands using Shopify or WooCommerce
Online stores needing behavior-based segmentation
Skip if
B2B service businesses without an online store
Users just needing simple newsletters without sales data
Expert Take
Our analysis shows Klaviyo stands out as a specialized 'ecommerce engine' rather than just an email tool. Research indicates its predictive analytics—capable of forecasting churn risk and next order dates—allow merchants to automate highly effective revenue-generating flows. Based on documented features, its deep synchronization with Shopify and BigCommerce enables real-time triggering that generic CRMs struggle to match, making it a powerful choice for data-driven brands despite the premium price point.
Pros
Deep native integration with Shopify/BigCommerce
Advanced predictive analytics (Churn, LTV)
350+ pre-built third-party integrations
Unified Email and SMS platform
SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO certified
Cons
Expensive scaling for large contact lists
Steep learning curve for beginners
No built-in landing page builder
Support response times can be slow
Billing includes inactive but valid profiles
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.8/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Marketing Automation Platforms with CRM Integration. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
9.1
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the breadth of marketing automation features, AI capabilities, and the depth of customer data utilization for ecommerce growth.
What We Found
Klaviyo offers a unified platform for Email and SMS with advanced predictive analytics (churn risk, LTV, next order date) and AI-driven segmentation. It supports complex flows, dynamic product recommendations, and benchmarks against industry peers.
Score Rationale
The product scores highly due to its sophisticated predictive modeling and omnichannel capabilities, though some advanced CDP features require higher-tier access.
Supporting Evidence
The platform provides predictive analytics including Customer Lifetime Value (LTV) and churn risk forecasting. AI analyzes customer data to power dynamic product recommendations and predict behaviors like churn risk or customer lifetime value (CLV).
— klaviyo.com
Klaviyo's AI analyzes subscriber engagement to automatically send campaigns at optimal times and predicts next order dates. Klaviyo's AI analyzes individual subscriber engagement patterns to automatically send campaigns when they are most likely to open.
— magnetmonster.com
9.4
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We assess the vendor's market standing, user base size, financial stability, and adoption among major industry players.
What We Found
As a public company (NYSE: KVYO) with over 176,000 customers and strong year-over-year growth, Klaviyo is a dominant force in the ecommerce space. It maintains high retention rates and partnerships with major platforms like Shopify.
Score Rationale
With a massive user base and public market status, Klaviyo demonstrates exceptional market stability and trust, justifying a near-perfect score.
Supporting Evidence
The company maintains a strong net revenue retention rate of 108%, indicating high customer loyalty. The company's dollar-based net revenue retention rate stood at 108%.
— au.investing.com
Klaviyo reported over 176,000 customers as of June 30, 2025, with a 32% year-over-year revenue growth. Over 176,000 customers were using Klaviyo to drive their own revenue growth as of June 30, 2025.
— investors.klaviyo.com
8.6
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We examine the ease of use for daily tasks, the learning curve for advanced features, and the quality of customer support.
What We Found
While the drag-and-drop editor is intuitive, users report a steep learning curve for advanced segmentation and flows. Customer support response times can be slow, particularly for lower-tier plans.
Score Rationale
The score is impacted by documented user friction regarding the complexity of advanced features and mixed reviews on support responsiveness.
Supporting Evidence
Reviewers have noted frustration with slow customer support response times. Users experience painfully slow customer support, often waiting days for ticket responses and follow-ups.
— g2.com
Users find the learning curve steep, especially when navigating flow concepts and segment building. Users find the learning curve steep, especially when navigating the flow concepts and segment building in Klaviyo.
— g2.com
8.1
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We analyze the pricing model's fairness, transparency, and scalability compared to competitors in the market.
What We Found
Klaviyo uses an 'Active Profile' billing model which can become expensive as lists grow. While pricing is transparent via a calculator, it is significantly higher than competitors like Omnisend or Sender for large lists.
Score Rationale
The score reflects the high cost of scaling and the 'Active Profile' billing structure that charges for engaged contacts, which is often cited as a negative by users.
Supporting Evidence
Billing is based on 'Active Profiles', which includes any profile that can be emailed, not just those you actively message. Klaviyo billing's 'Active Profiles' include all email addresses that are not unsubscribed... Brands with low send volumes but large lists are penalized.
— retainful.com
Klaviyo's pricing scales rapidly; for 25,000 contacts, it can cost significantly more than competitors. Klaviyo's pricing for 25,000 contacts starts from $400/month... Omnisend is more affordable for businesses with larger contact lists.
— emailtooltester.com
9.6
Category 5: Integrations & Ecosystem Strength
What We Looked For
We evaluate the depth of integrations with ecommerce platforms and the breadth of the third-party app ecosystem.
What We Found
Klaviyo boasts over 350 pre-built integrations and is an Elite Partner with BigCommerce and Shopify. Its deep data sync allows for real-time triggering based on granular ecommerce events.
Score Rationale
With best-in-class native integrations for major ecommerce platforms and a vast library of third-party connections, this is a standout strength.
Supporting Evidence
The platform supports deep integration with Shopify, syncing customer data and order details for targeted campaigns. It seamlessly integrates with Shopify and allows you to sync customer data and order details for running targeted campaigns.
— digitalsuits.co
Klaviyo offers over 350 pre-built integrations ranging from shipping solutions to rewards programs. Integrate with your entire tech stack with over 300+ pre-built integrations ranging from shipping solutions to rewards programs.
— bigcommerce.com
9.2
Category 6: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We assess the product's adherence to security standards like SOC 2, ISO certifications, and GDPR compliance tools.
What We Found
Klaviyo is SOC 2 Type 2 audited and ISO 27001/27018/27701 certified. It provides robust tools for GDPR and CCPA compliance, including consent management and data deletion requests.
Score Rationale
The presence of multiple top-tier security certifications (ISO & SOC 2) and comprehensive compliance tools warrants a high score.
Supporting Evidence
The platform undergoes annual third-party audits to ensure internal controls meet industry standards. Klaviyo undergoes annual third-party audits to ensure our internal controls are designed and operating effectively in accordance with industry standards, such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001.
— klaviyo.com
Klaviyo maintains ISO 27001, ISO 27018, and ISO 27701 certifications along with SOC 2 Type 2 audits. Yes, Klaviyo is GDPR compliant and has achieved ISO 27001, ISO 27018, and ISO 27701 certifications.
— devaland.com
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
The platform lacks a native landing page builder, forcing users to rely on third-party integrations or workarounds.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
Users report that pricing scales aggressively and is significantly higher than competitors for large contact lists, with billing based on 'Active Profiles' regardless of send volume.
Impact: This issue caused a significant reduction in the score.
ActiveCampaign is a robust marketing automation software that integrates seamlessly with CRM platforms to provide businesses with comprehensive customer engagement solutions. It is designed specifically for businesses that want to leverage AI to automate their marketing activities across different channels including email, SMS, and WhatsApp, thereby meeting the unique needs of the industry.
ActiveCampaign is a robust marketing automation software that integrates seamlessly with CRM platforms to provide businesses with comprehensive customer engagement solutions. It is designed specifically for businesses that want to leverage AI to automate their marketing activities across different channels including email, SMS, and WhatsApp, thereby meeting the unique needs of the industry.
AI-POWERED INSIGHTS
USER-FRIENDLY DESIGN
Best for teams that are
SMBs requiring advanced automation workflows
E-commerce and B2B teams needing CRM and email combo
Skip if
Large enterprises with complex, multi-layered sales pipelines
Users seeking a free or very simple newsletter tool
Expert Take
Our analysis shows ActiveCampaign stands out for its 'Active Intelligence' approach, blending traditional email marketing with powerful customer experience automation (CXA). Research indicates it consistently achieves top-tier email deliverability rates, a critical factor often overlooked in feature comparisons. While the learning curve is steeper than basic tools, the documented depth of its 135+ automation triggers allows for highly sophisticated, behavior-based customer journeys that simpler platforms cannot support.
Pros
Visual automation builder with 135+ triggers
1,000+ integrations including Salesforce & Shopify
High email deliverability rates (94.2% in tests)
Built-in CRM and sales automation
Machine learning predictive sending features
Cons
Steep learning curve for beginners
Pricing increases significantly with contact growth
Transactional email requires paid add-on
Legacy plan removal caused user friction
Reporting can be rigid for some users
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.7/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Marketing Automation Platforms with CRM Integration. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
9.3
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the breadth of automation features, CRM functionality, and AI capabilities available to users.
What We Found
ActiveCampaign offers a visual automation builder with over 135 triggers and 500+ pre-built recipes, combining email marketing with a built-in CRM and machine learning features like predictive sending.
Score Rationale
The product scores exceptionally high due to its market-leading automation granularity and 'Active Intelligence' AI features, though it stops short of perfection due to some features being locked behind add-ons.
Supporting Evidence
New AI features include predictive sending and content generation. Their new features include: predictive sending; predictive content; AI-generated segments
— businesseautomation.com
ActiveCampaign includes built-in CRM capabilities to manage deals and pipelines alongside marketing automation. The platform's CRM feature helps businesses manage and nurture their customer relationships effectively.
— postalytics.com
The platform provides a visual automation builder with 135+ triggers and actions. It's easy to use, has 135+ triggers and actions, as well as 500+ pre-built automation recipes
— ventureharbour.com
9.5
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We look for user adoption numbers, financial stability, and industry recognition to gauge reliability.
What We Found
ActiveCampaign serves over 180,000 businesses globally, generates over $300M in ARR, and consistently ranks as a leader in G2 reports with over 14,000 reviews.
Score Rationale
With massive market adoption and top-tier industry rankings, the product demonstrates elite credibility and trust.
Supporting Evidence
It holds a dominant position in G2 reports with thousands of reviews. With over 14,000 reviews on G2 and a 4.5 average satisfaction rating, ActiveCampaign remains one of the most reviewed and top-rated products
— activecampaign.com
ActiveCampaign has achieved over $300 million in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR). The company's ARR surpassed $300 million in 2024
— miracuves.com
The platform is used by over 180,000 businesses globally. The platform is used by over 180,000 businesses globally in 2025
— enricher.io
8.8
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We assess the ease of use, onboarding process, and quality of customer support resources.
What We Found
While the interface is powerful, users report a steep learning curve for beginners; however, the company mitigates this with free migration services and extensive training resources.
Score Rationale
The score is strong due to excellent support and free migration, but slightly impacted by the documented complexity for new users.
Supporting Evidence
The visual automation builder is drag-and-drop but can get cluttered with complex workflows. The visual automation builder is powerful but can become cluttered with complex workflows.
— saascrmreview.com
ActiveCampaign offers free migration services to help new users onboard. ActiveCampaign's CRM comes with no implementation fees (we'll even migrate you for free)
— activecampaign.com
Users report a steep learning curve due to the platform's complexity. Users find the learning curve steep… citing complexities in setup.
— businesseautomation.com
8.2
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We analyze pricing structures, hidden costs, and the fairness of plan tiers relative to features.
What We Found
Pricing is contact-based and scales steeply; recent removal of legacy plans and extra costs for transactional email and SMS add-ons have caused user friction.
Score Rationale
This category scores lower than others due to documented user frustration with price hikes, legacy plan removal, and the necessity of paid add-ons.
Supporting Evidence
Pricing increases significantly as contact lists grow. You're charged by contact count. The more contacts you have, the higher your price
— encharge.io
Transactional email requires a separate paid add-on (Postmark). Transactional Email plan: up to 10,000 emails: $15/month.
— landingi.com
Legacy plans were removed, forcing long-term users onto newer, more expensive pricing. ActiveCampaign accounts affected by the March 2023 price increases are the all-in-one legacy plans... that buy direct from ActiveCampaign
— slickbusiness.co
9.4
Category 5: Integrations & Ecosystem Strength
What We Looked For
We examine the number and quality of third-party connections and the breadth of the partner ecosystem.
What We Found
The platform boasts over 1,000 integrations, including deep native connections with major tools like Salesforce, Shopify, and WordPress.
Score Rationale
With over 1,000 verified integrations and a massive partner network, the ecosystem is a standout strength, justifying a near-perfect score.
Supporting Evidence
Integrations allow for deep data synchronization, such as pulling in store data from Shopify. Use connected store data from Shopify, WooCommerce, and more to make your marketing campaigns more effective
— activecampaign.com
ActiveCampaign offers over 1,000 integrations with various apps. With 1,000+ integrations, ActiveCampaign makes your ideas and campaigns flow effortlessly from one app to another.
— activecampaign.com
9.1
Category 6: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We verify security certifications, compliance with regulations like GDPR/HIPAA, and data protection measures.
What We Found
ActiveCampaign is SOC 2 Type 2 certified and offers HIPAA compliance on specific plans, demonstrating a strong commitment to enterprise-grade security.
Score Rationale
The presence of SOC 2 Type 2 and HIPAA compliance signals a high level of security maturity, suitable for regulated industries.
Supporting Evidence
ActiveCampaign states focus on HIPAA compliance. ActiveCampaign is heavily focused on GDPR, SOC 2, and HIPAA compliance.
— activecampaign.com
The company has completed SOC 2 Type 2 certification. ActiveCampaign, the leader in Customer Experience Automation, today announced it successfully completed its Service Organization Control (SOC) 2 Type 2 audit.
— prnewswire.com
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
Users consistently report a steep learning curve, noting that the platform's depth can be overwhelming for beginners compared to simpler tools.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
Ontraport is an enterprise-level CRM that integrates marketing, sales, and support in one platform, specifically designed for mid-sized businesses. It offers a comprehensive solution to automate marketing tactics, manage customer relationships, and support sales processes, eliminating the need for multiple, disjointed systems.
Ontraport is an enterprise-level CRM that integrates marketing, sales, and support in one platform, specifically designed for mid-sized businesses. It offers a comprehensive solution to automate marketing tactics, manage customer relationships, and support sales processes, eliminating the need for multiple, disjointed systems.
COMPREHENSIVE ANALYTICS
SEAMLESS INTEGRATION
Best for teams that are
High-ticket coaches and course creators
Businesses needing built-in membership and payment systems
Skip if
E-commerce stores selling physical goods
Startups needing a cheap, simple email tool
Expert Take
Our analysis shows Ontraport stands out for its 'Custom Objects' feature, which effectively allows small businesses to build a relational database without code—a capability often reserved for enterprise-level software. Research indicates that while the learning curve is steeper than basic CRMs, the payoff is a highly customizable all-in-one platform that handles everything from payments to membership sites. Based on documented features, it replaces multiple disparate tools, offering significant value for operationally complex small businesses.
Pros
All-in-one CRM and marketing automation
Custom Objects for relational data
Visual campaign builder with drag-and-drop
Excellent customer support options
Built-in membership and payment sites
Cons
Steep learning curve for beginners
Pricing scales up quickly
Page builder can be slow
Limited native integrations vs competitors
Reporting interface can be complex
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.7/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Marketing Automation Platforms with CRM Integration. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
9.1
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the breadth of features including CRM, marketing automation, page building, and payments within a single platform.
What We Found
Ontraport provides a comprehensive all-in-one suite featuring a visual campaign builder, deep CRM with custom objects, membership sites, and integrated payments.
Score Rationale
The score reflects the platform's exceptional depth, particularly the 'Custom Objects' feature which allows for relational database capabilities rarely found in this price range.
Supporting Evidence
Marketing automation includes a visual campaign builder that integrates email, SMS, and internal tasks. Ontraport's campaign builder lets you create one-of-a-kind targeted journeys... integrate email, SMS, internal tasks... and much more
— ontraport.com
The platform supports 'Custom Objects', allowing users to create relational databases to link data like companies, employees, or events. Ontraport is an almost infinitely flexible general-purpose database... Basically you can create your very own CRM using custom objects
— ontraport.com
Ontraport offers a full feature set including CRM, automation, payments, sales pipeline, web apps, tracking, and membership sites. Ontraport's full set of marketing, sales and business operations features include CRM, automation, payments, sales pipeline, web apps, tracking, email and SMS, landing pages, and membership sites.
— ontraport.com
8.9
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We assess user reviews, years in business, and industry reputation to gauge reliability and market standing.
What We Found
Ontraport has been in business for nearly 20 years with strong ratings across major review platforms, though it has a smaller user base than giants like HubSpot.
Score Rationale
A high score is justified by a long operational history and consistently high ratings (4.5/5 on G2), though it lacks the massive enterprise adoption of top-tier competitors.
Supporting Evidence
Users consistently praise the support team, citing them as a key differentiator. The interface is very easy to use and the support staff is incredibly helpful
— trustpilot.com
The platform maintains a 4.5 out of 5 star rating based on over 200 user reviews on G2. Ontraport Reviews (222)... 4.5 out of 5 stars
— g2.com
Ontraport has been helping businesses grow for nearly 20 years and holds over 500 five-star reviews. Ontraport has been helping businesses grow for nearly 20 years... With over 500 five-star reviews
— ontraport.com
8.6
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We examine the ease of use, onboarding process, and quality of customer support available to users.
What We Found
While the platform offers exceptional support including screen sharing, the extensive feature set creates a steep learning curve for new users.
Score Rationale
The score is balanced between top-tier support options (chat, screen share) and the documented difficulty new users face when mastering the complex interface.
Supporting Evidence
Reviewers highlight that support staff are willing to 'go the extra mile' to assist with setup. Ontraport's customer support is highly responsive and always willing to go the extra mile to assist users
— joinsecret.com
Ontraport provides extensive support options including live chat, email, and screen sharing sessions. Contact us... Book a discovery call... Start a live chat... Email support
— ontraport.com
Users report a significant learning curve due to the platform's extensive capabilities. Proceed with Caution: Steep Learning Curve Ahead... Many of the terms used are different from other similar programs.
— joinsecret.com
8.5
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We analyze pricing structures, hidden costs, and the scalability of plans relative to features provided.
What We Found
Pricing is competitive starting at $24/mo, but costs scale significantly with contact volume and add-ons like Dynamic CMS.
Score Rationale
The entry price is attractive, but the score is capped because essential features for scaling (like increased contacts or users) can become expensive quickly.
Supporting Evidence
Pricing scales based on the number of contacts, with jumps in cost as the database grows. Need more contacts or email volume? That's $99 monthly per 100,000 contacts
— sender.net
Additional costs apply for add-ons such as the Dynamic CMS package. Dynamic CMS... Starter $49/month... Builder $99/month
— ontraport.com
The Basic plan starts at $24/month, with higher tiers like Pro starting at $124/month. Basic... Starting at $24/month... Pro... Starting at $124/month
— ontraport.com
8.8
Category 5: Integrations & Ecosystem Strength
What We Looked For
We evaluate the availability of native integrations, API quality, and third-party connectivity tools like Zapier.
What We Found
Ontraport offers a robust API and connects with over 8,000 apps via Zapier, plus key native integrations for payments and accounting.
Score Rationale
A strong score is awarded for the vast Zapier connectivity and open API, though reliance on third-party tools for some common integrations prevents a perfect score.
Supporting Evidence
Native integrations include major payment gateways and accounting tools like QuickBooks and Xero. QuickBooks Desktop; QuickBooks Online; Xero-XOSync... Stripe Connect
— ontraport.com
The platform provides a comprehensive API and webhooks for custom integrations. API (Application Programming Interface) allows for integrating third party software with Ontraport... You can also use webhooks
— ontraport.com
Ontraport integrates with over 8,000 apps through Zapier. Ontraport integrates with 8000 other apps on Zapier
— zapier.com
9.2
Category 6: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We assess compliance with standards like GDPR and PCI DSS, as well as system uptime and reliability.
What We Found
The platform adheres to strict security standards including PCI DSS Level 1 and GDPR, with a documented 99.99% uptime average.
Score Rationale
This category scores highly due to explicit documentation of enterprise-grade security protocols and high reliability standards.
Supporting Evidence
Ontraport provides specific tools and features to assist users with GDPR compliance. Ontraport provides tools to stay compliant... adhere to CAN-SPAM, CASL and GDPR compliance laws
— ontraport.com
The platform maintains an average uptime of 99.99% with continuous monitoring. Ontraport maintains an average 99.99% uptime, with a cloud-based infrastructure
— ontraport.com
Ontraport is PCI DSS Level 1 compliant, ensuring secure payment processing. PCI DSS Level 1 compliance: Ensures secure payment processing and data protection.
— ontraport.com
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
Some users have reported slow load times or performance issues with the page builder interface.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
AgileCRM combines robust marketing automation capabilities with a customer relationship management system, specifically tailored for B2B marketing professionals. It simplifies and streamlines processes, improves data management, and enables better tracking of customer interactions, addressing the unique needs of this industry.
AgileCRM combines robust marketing automation capabilities with a customer relationship management system, specifically tailored for B2B marketing professionals. It simplifies and streamlines processes, improves data management, and enables better tracking of customer interactions, addressing the unique needs of this industry.
Best for teams that are
Small businesses wanting an all-in-one suite on a budget
Startups needing free sales and marketing tools
Skip if
Mid-to-large enterprises needing reliable support
Users requiring advanced, bug-free reporting
Expert Take
Our analysis shows Agile CRM offers an unmatched value proposition for small businesses, providing a comprehensive 'all-in-one' suite that includes sales, marketing, and service automation for free for up to 10 users. Research indicates it democratizes enterprise-level features like built-in telephony, gamification, and complex automation workflows that are typically cost-prohibitive for startups. While it may lack the polish of premium competitors, its feature-to-price ratio makes it a standout choice for budget-conscious teams.
Pros
Free plan for up to 10 users
All-in-one sales, marketing, and service suite
Built-in telephony and 2-way calling
Drag-and-drop marketing automation builder
Very affordable starting price at $8.99
Cons
Dated and clunky user interface
Reports of poor and unresponsive support
Lack of recent feature updates
Occasional slow performance and bugs
Steep learning curve for setup
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.5/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Marketing Automation Platforms with CRM Integration. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
8.7
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the breadth of marketing automation features, including workflow builders, lead scoring, and multi-channel engagement tools.
What We Found
Agile CRM offers an all-in-one suite combining sales, marketing, and service automation with features like drag-and-drop campaign building, lead scoring, telephony integration, and gamification.
Score Rationale
The platform scores highly for its extensive feature set that rivals enterprise tools, though it is held back from a top-tier score by reports of bugs and feature reliability issues.
Supporting Evidence
Users report occasional feature issues, such as dead links in outgoing emails and slow loading times. My subscription is active but currently not using it because links in outgoing email appear dead.
— g2.com
The platform includes built-in telephony integration with Twilio and RingCentral, allowing for call recording and post-call automation. Best-in-class telephony integration with Twilio, RingCentral and SIP accounts.
— agilecrm.com
Features include web popups, email newsletters, autoresponders, and personalized campaigns across mobile and social media. Features include web popups, email newsletters, autoresponders and automatically personalized campaigns across mobile and social media channels.
— agilecrm.com
7.8
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We assess the vendor's market presence, user base size, update frequency, and reputation among verified users.
What We Found
While Agile CRM claims over 15,000 customers, recent user reviews express concern over a perceived lack of product updates and development activity since 2021.
Score Rationale
The score is significantly impacted by credible user reports suggesting development stagnation and a lack of recent feature releases or blog updates.
Supporting Evidence
Users have noted a lack of new features or blog posts since 2019/2021, raising concerns about active development. No new features or updates since 2021. No new blog posts since 2019.
— g2.com
The company claims to serve over 15,000 paid customers globally. 15,000+ Paid Customers. 170,000+ Global Users.
— agilecrm.com
7.5
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We examine the user interface design, ease of onboarding, and the quality and responsiveness of customer support.
What We Found
Users describe the interface as functional but dated, and there are consistent reports of poor customer support experiences, including slow response times.
Score Rationale
This category receives a lower score due to the 'steep learning curve' and documented frustrations with unresponsive support channels.
Supporting Evidence
Users report frustration with support, citing unresponsiveness and unresolved technical issues. Users express frustration with poor customer support, citing slow responses and unresolved issues affecting their experience.
— g2.com
Reviewers describe the interface as dated and in need of an uplift compared to modern competitors. Agile has a dated interface that's in serious need of an uplift.
— techradar.com
9.3
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We analyze the pricing structure, free plan generosity, and transparency regarding feature limits and upgrade costs.
What We Found
Agile CRM offers an exceptionally generous free plan for up to 10 users and very affordable starting rates for paid plans, making it highly accessible.
Score Rationale
The product scores excellent for value due to its 'Free for 10 Users' offer, which is rare in the industry, although some users note hidden costs for upgrades.
Supporting Evidence
Some users report unexpected costs when needing to upgrade for advanced features. However, some users report hidden costs, misleading pricing, and expensive upgrades for advanced features.
— getapp.com
Paid plans start at a very competitive rate of $8.99 per month. STARTER $8.99.
— agilecrm.com
The platform offers a free plan that supports up to 10 users with 1,000 contacts. FREE For 10 users. No credit card required.
— agilecrm.com
8.8
Category 5: Integrations & Ecosystem Strength
What We Looked For
We evaluate the availability of native integrations, API quality, and compatibility with third-party tools like Zapier.
What We Found
The platform supports over 50 native plugins including telephony, payment gateways, and ecommerce platforms, plus Zapier integration.
Score Rationale
A strong score is awarded for the wide range of built-in integrations (Twilio, Stripe, Shopify) that are often paid add-ons in other CRMs.
Supporting Evidence
Native integrations include major platforms like Google Apps, Twilio, RingCentral, and Stripe. Best-in-class telephony integration with Twilio, RingCentral and SIP accounts.
— agilecrm.com
Agile CRM integrates with over 50 apps including telephony and billing services. Agile CRM integrates with over 50 top-of-the-line app and websites... 50+ Plugins.
— agilecrm.com
8.5
Category 6: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We check for adherence to data protection standards like GDPR, SOC2, and HIPAA, as well as data hosting security.
What We Found
Agile CRM is GDPR compliant and hosted on secure Google and Amazon cloud infrastructure, ensuring standard data protection.
Score Rationale
The score reflects solid baseline security (GDPR, SSL) but lacks explicit evidence of advanced enterprise certifications like SOC2 or HIPAA on the main site.
Supporting Evidence
Data is hosted on high-performance Google and Amazon clouds with SSL encryption. Hosted on high performing Google & Amazon clouds... information you provide is transmitted via encryption using technologies such as secure socket layer technology (SSL).
— agilecrm.com
The company has implemented measures to be fully GDPR compliant. Agile CRM is consistent with GDPR act and is committed to comply with the same.
— agilecrm.com
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
Documented reports of performance issues such as slow loading times and bugs like dead links in automated emails.
Impact: This issue caused a significant reduction in the score.
Multiple user reviews and reports indicate a lack of new features, blog updates, or active development since 2021, leading to concerns about the product's long-term viability.
Impact: This issue resulted in a major score reduction.
Act! is a comprehensive platform specifically designed to cater to the needs of SMBs, integrating sales, marketing, and customer management in one platform. It helps businesses stay organized, nurture customer relationships, and drive growth, making it a must-have tool for SMBs looking to streamline their operations and improve efficiency.
Act! is a comprehensive platform specifically designed to cater to the needs of SMBs, integrating sales, marketing, and customer management in one platform. It helps businesses stay organized, nurture customer relationships, and drive growth, making it a must-have tool for SMBs looking to streamline their operations and improve efficiency.
SMALL BUSINESS HERO
Best for teams that are
Small businesses preferring desktop/cloud hybrid options
Legacy users needing strong contact management
Skip if
Teams wanting a modern, intuitive web-first interface
Large enterprises needing scalable cloud architecture
Expert Take
Our analysis shows Act! occupies a unique position by offering true hybrid deployment options that most modern CRMs have abandoned. Research indicates it is ideal for businesses that require the reliability of desktop software with offline access, combined with the connectivity of the cloud. Based on documented features, the inclusion of robust marketing automation at a mid-market price point provides exceptional value for SMBs looking to consolidate their tech stack.
Pros
Hybrid deployment (Cloud & On-Premise)
Integrated Marketing Automation included
Full offline access capability
SOC 2 certified cloud platform
Cost-effective for feature set
Cons
Dated user interface design
Steeper learning curve for new users
Performance lags with large datasets
Mixed customer support experiences
Fewer native integrations than Salesforce
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.2/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Marketing Automation Platforms with CRM Integration. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
8.8
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the breadth of CRM features, marketing automation tools, and customization options available for SMBs.
What We Found
Act! combines robust contact management with a native marketing automation suite that includes AI writing assistants, landing pages, and lead scoring. It supports rich contact history, opportunity tracking, and custom tables, though it lacks the massive third-party app ecosystem of larger enterprise competitors.
Score Rationale
The integration of full-featured marketing automation with core CRM functionality provides exceptional depth for SMBs, scoring high despite a smaller ecosystem than Salesforce.
Supporting Evidence
Offers custom tables to manage detailed data like insurance policies or service contracts directly in the CRM. Custom Industry Tables. Maintain industry-specific data like insurance policies, service contracts, mortgages, projects, and more.
— act.com
Includes integrated marketing automation with AI writing assistant, turnkey campaigns, and lead scoring. Includes everything in Professional, plus: Marketing Automation (includes 50,000 sends/mo); Lead Scoring, Prioritized Activity Scheduling & Progressive Profiling
— act.com
9.0
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We look for longevity, user base size, and industry standing to determine reliability.
What We Found
Launched in 1987, Act! is a pioneer in the CRM space with a massive legacy user base and a long history of serving small to mid-sized businesses. While it has changed ownership, its longevity and continued development of cloud features demonstrate significant market resilience.
Score Rationale
Its status as a 35+ year veteran in the industry provides a level of stability and proven reliability that few modern SaaS startups can match.
Supporting Evidence
The platform maintains a large user base with loyal customers using the software for over 20 years. I have been using Act! for over 20 years and love the customizable front end and the flexibility.
— act.com
Act! launched in 1987 and is considered one of the oldest names in customer relationship management. ACT! CRM, launched in 1987, is one of the oldest names in customer relationship management.
— techradar.com
8.4
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We assess the user interface design, ease of navigation, and quality of customer support resources.
What We Found
While functional, the user interface is frequently described as 'dated' compared to modern competitors. Users report a steeper learning curve and mixed experiences with support, although the mobile app and recent updates aim to improve accessibility.
Score Rationale
The score is impacted by the legacy interface design and mixed support reviews, which lag behind the intuitive, slick experiences of modern cloud-native CRMs.
Supporting Evidence
Users have reported frustration with support wait times and the need to escalate issues. Sometimes it is challenging to communicate with the overseas support team and they are not always able to fix my problem.
— softwarefinder.com
Reviews consistently cite the user interface as dated and less intuitive than modern alternatives. Overall, ACT! CRM's ease of use is hampered by an outdated interface and a sometimes overwhelming amount of information.
— techradar.com
8.9
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We evaluate pricing structures, hidden costs, and the feature-to-price ratio compared to market standards.
What We Found
Act! offers transparent tiered pricing starting around $30/user/month, which includes features that are often expensive add-ons elsewhere, such as marketing automation. The pricing model is straightforward with options for both cloud and desktop licenses.
Score Rationale
The inclusion of marketing automation and 25,000+ email sends in standard plans offers superior value compared to competitors who charge separately for these tools.
Supporting Evidence
Pricing is publicly listed with clear distinctions between Cloud and Desktop options. Act! Premium Cloud $30/user/month... Act! Premium Desktop $37.50/user/month
— lessannoyingcrm.com
Standard Cloud plan includes 2,500 email sends/month; Professional includes 25,000 sends/month. Act! Advantage Professional: $45 USD/user/mo... Includes everything in Standard, plus Email Marketing Plus (includes 25,000 sends/mo)
— act.com
We examine the ability to deploy the software on-premise, in the cloud, or in a hybrid model with offline capabilities.
What We Found
Act! is unique in offering true hybrid deployment: fully Cloud, On-Premise (Desktop), or a synced Hybrid model. The Desktop version provides robust offline access that syncs when an internet connection is restored, a critical feature for field sales teams.
Score Rationale
This category scores near-perfect because Act! offers a level of deployment flexibility and offline capability that is virtually non-existent in modern SaaS-only CRMs.
Supporting Evidence
The desktop version supports full offline access with synchronization capabilities. We've got an offline option for when a connection to the web is unavailable.
— thecontactgroup.com.au
Act! allows users to choose between on-premise, cloud, or hybrid deployments. Act! is a feature-rich, customizable CRM platform that offers unparalleled flexibility... whether you prefer an on-premises CRM or a cloud CRM.
— act.com
9.0
Category 6: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We check for security certifications like SOC 2, HIPAA compliance features, and data sovereignty options.
What We Found
The Act! Premium Cloud platform is SOC 2 certified, ensuring rigorous security standards. Additionally, the on-premise deployment option allows highly regulated industries to maintain complete data sovereignty and self-manage security protocols.
Score Rationale
The combination of a SOC 2 certified cloud environment and a self-hosted option gives businesses complete control over their security posture, meriting a high score.
Supporting Evidence
On-premise deployment allows businesses to control their own data security and location. our on-premises solution gives you or your service provider the control to manage your data security, the location of your CRM data
— act.com
Act! Premium Cloud solutions are SOC 2 certified. In addition to that, our Cloud CRM solutions are SOC 2 certified. This means we successfully undertook a rigorous audit process conducted by an independent agency
— act.com
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
Customer support reviews are mixed, with some users citing difficulties with overseas support teams and resolution times.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
Keap is a dedicated CRM and automation platform designed to address the unique needs of small businesses. It simplifies task management, client follow-ups, and marketing automation, enabling businesses to grow without the typical chaos. Its industry-specific features streamline operations, saving time and enhancing business efficiency.
Keap is a dedicated CRM and automation platform designed to address the unique needs of small businesses. It simplifies task management, client follow-ups, and marketing automation, enabling businesses to grow without the typical chaos. Its industry-specific features streamline operations, saving time and enhancing business efficiency.
B2B SPECIALIST
ENTERPRISE READY
Best for teams that are
Service-based small businesses and solopreneurs
Coaches and consultants selling info-products
Skip if
Large enterprises with complex sales teams
Startups with very limited budgets or simple needs
Expert Take
Our analysis shows Keap distinguishes itself with a robust combination of CRM, marketing automation, and native e-commerce tools, making it a powerhouse for service-based small businesses. Research indicates it is one of the few platforms in its class to offer full HIPAA compliance with a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA), providing a critical advantage for healthcare-related niches. Based on documented features, the visual automation builder allows for complex logic without code, streamlining operations effectively.
Pros
Visual automation builder handles complex logic
HIPAA compliant with signed BAA available
Native e-commerce, invoicing, and payments
Connects with 5,000+ apps via Zapier
User-friendly interface for non-technical teams
Cons
Cancellation requires phone call interaction
Mandatory onboarding fees increase startup costs
Pricing scales steeply with contact count
Steep learning curve for advanced features
Mixed reviews regarding support responsiveness
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.1/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Marketing Automation Platforms with CRM Integration. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
9.1
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the breadth of CRM features, automation logic, sales pipeline management, and native e-commerce capabilities.
What We Found
Keap integrates advanced marketing automation with native e-commerce, appointment scheduling, and sales pipelines, allowing users to automate complex customer journeys and payment collection in one platform.
Score Rationale
The score reflects the platform's exceptional depth in combining CRM with robust e-commerce and visual automation features, surpassing standard CRM capabilities.
Supporting Evidence
Automation capabilities extend to appointment reminders and text messaging. A CRM with integrated scheduling and text messaging like Keap allows you to send automated appointment reminders.
— keap.com
The platform supports native e-commerce with checkout forms, upsells, and promo codes. Launch a custom ecommerce platform with checkout forms you can embed on your website... Maximize revenue with 1-click upsells and promo codes.
— keap.com
Keap includes features like sales automation, marketing automation, ePayments, and analytics in a single platform. Keap... is primarily a CRM but includes features like sales automation, marketing automation, ePayments, and analytics.
— youtube.com
8.9
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We assess the product's longevity, user base size, and reputation within the small business software market.
What We Found
Formerly known as Infusionsoft, Keap has a long-standing reputation serving over 200,000 users globally, though recent sentiment is mixed regarding support quality.
Score Rationale
The score acknowledges Keap's established market presence and large user base, slightly tempered by recent mixed reviews regarding customer support experiences.
Supporting Evidence
The company has a 20-year history helping small businesses, originally as Infusionsoft. For 20 years, we have been helping small businesses get organized, follow up and automate to grow sales.
— youtube.com
Keap serves a massive global user base of small businesses. Keap serves more than 200000 users globally.
— youtube.com
8.8
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We examine the user interface design, ease of onboarding, and accessibility for non-technical users.
What We Found
Keap offers a user-friendly interface designed for non-technical users, featuring a visual automation builder, though advanced customization can still present a learning curve.
Score Rationale
The score is high due to the intuitive visual builder and UI improvements over the legacy Infusionsoft platform, though some complexity remains for advanced setups.
Supporting Evidence
Users appreciate the visual workflow builder for managing automations. I really appreciate Keap's workflows; in my opinion, they are the best available in the industry.
— g2.com
The interface is designed to be intuitive for sales teams and beginners. Keap CRM is simple enough for beginners but flexible enough to handle the advanced capabilities... Your sales team will appreciate that Keap's tools are clearly labeled.
— business.com
8.2
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We analyze pricing tiers, hidden costs, contract terms, and the ease of cancellation.
What We Found
Pricing is premium and contact-based; significant friction exists in the cancellation process (requires a call), and mandatory onboarding fees are often cited.
Score Rationale
This category scores lower due to documented difficulties in cancelling subscriptions and the presence of substantial onboarding fees that increase initial costs.
Supporting Evidence
Pricing increases based on the number of contacts. It's important to note that Keap's pricing is based on the number of contacts you have.
— tekpon.com
There is often a mandatory or necessary onboarding fee for new users. However, the $499 one-time fee for this service may be a barrier for most SMBs.
— techradar.com
Cancellation cannot be done online and requires interaction with a representative. To protect you and your data... an emailed request to cancel is not sufficient... You can contact us... and a Customer Success Manager will call you.
— learn.thryv.com
9.3
Category 5: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We verify compliance with major standards like HIPAA, GDPR, and PCI DSS, which are critical for specific industries.
What We Found
Keap stands out by offering HIPAA compliance with a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA), along with GDPR and PCI compliance, which is rare for SMB-focused CRMs.
Score Rationale
The score is exceptional because Keap explicitly supports HIPAA compliance and signs BAAs, a critical differentiator that many competitors in this price range do not offer.
Supporting Evidence
Keap provides a Data Processing Addendum for GDPR compliance. We offer customers a new Data Processing Addendum (DPA) in conjunction with our Terms of Service... to reflect obligations required by the GDPR.
— keap.com
The platform adheres to PCI Data Security Standards for payment processing. We adhere to, and are audited annually for compliance with, the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard.
— keap.com
Keap is HIPAA compliant and will sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA). Keap is HIPAA compliant because it meets the requirements... Yes, Keap will sign a business associate agreement.
— hipaatimes.com
9.0
Category 6: Integrations & Ecosystem Strength
What We Looked For
We evaluate the availability of native integrations, API quality, and the breadth of the third-party app ecosystem.
What We Found
The platform boasts a massive ecosystem with over 5,000 Zapier connections, a robust open API, and a marketplace of certified partner apps.
Score Rationale
A high score is warranted by the extensive library of integrations and a developer-friendly API that allows for deep customization and connectivity.
Supporting Evidence
The platform offers both RESTful and SOAP APIs for custom development. Keap provides both RESTful and SOAP APIs. The RESTful API is ideal for developers looking for a modern, flexible, and lightweight solution.
— satvasolutions.com
Keap connects to over 5,000 apps via Zapier. Connect Keap to 5,000+ apps using Zapier
— keap.com
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
Reviews indicate a steep learning curve and complex setup process for users attempting to utilize advanced automation features.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
Users report significant difficulty cancelling subscriptions, as the process cannot be completed online and requires a phone call with a representative.
Impact: This issue resulted in a major score reduction.
SharpSpring is a potent marketing automation and CRM solution tailored for B2B marketing professionals. It uses behavioral data to provide a personalized customer experience, making it an ideal tool for businesses looking to enhance customer interaction and secure business deals swiftly. It's unique in its ability to integrate marketing automation and CRM in one platform.
SharpSpring is a potent marketing automation and CRM solution tailored for B2B marketing professionals. It uses behavioral data to provide a personalized customer experience, making it an ideal tool for businesses looking to enhance customer interaction and secure business deals swiftly. It's unique in its ability to integrate marketing automation and CRM in one platform.
BEHAVIORAL INSIGHTS
Best for teams that are
Marketing agencies needing a white-label automation solution
SMBs wanting unlimited users and flat monthly pricing
Skip if
Large enterprises requiring deep third-party integrations
Very small businesses with no budget for onboarding fees
Expert Take
Our analysis shows that SharpSpring (now Constant Contact Lead Gen & CRM) occupies a unique position as the premier choice for digital agencies. Research indicates its 'agency-first' architecture—featuring white-labeling, single sign-on, and reseller-friendly pricing—remains unmatched by competitors like HubSpot. Based on documented features, it delivers enterprise-grade automation at a significantly lower price point, making it a powerhouse for agencies managing multiple client accounts.
Pros
Built specifically for marketing agencies
Fully rebrandable white-label interface
Fraction of the cost of HubSpot
Visual workflow builder is intuitive
Month-to-month contracts available
Cons
Reporting less deep than HubSpot
Support quality concerns post-acquisition
High starting price for small businesses
Fewer native integrations than market leaders
Steep learning curve for beginners
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
9.1/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Marketing Automation Platforms with CRM Integration. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
8.7
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the breadth of marketing automation features, CRM functionality, and behavioral tracking capabilities specifically for SMBs and agencies.
What We Found
SharpSpring (now Lead Gen & CRM) offers a robust suite including visual workflow automation, behavioral-based email marketing, and a built-in CRM with 'Life of the Lead' tracking.
Score Rationale
The product scores highly for its comprehensive all-in-one feature set that rivals enterprise tools, though it slightly trails market leaders like HubSpot in reporting depth.
Supporting Evidence
Includes a visual workflow builder for marketing automation using branching logic. A powerful, easy-to-use visual workflow builder simplifies marketing automation using branching logic to engage leads at all points of their buying journey.
— marketingautomationinsider.com
The 'Life of the Lead' feature allows sales teams to track all interactions through the buyer's journey. Life of Lead: Allows sales teams to see all interactions of a lead through the buyers journey
— cultivize.com
Features include behavioral-based email automation, site tracking, and a built-in CRM system. The platform itself includes behavioural-based email automation, site tracking, a built-in CRM system... and much more.
— marketingautomationinsider.com
9.2
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We assess the vendor's stability, user base size, and corporate backing within the SaaS marketing landscape.
What We Found
Acquired by Constant Contact in 2021 for ~$240M, the platform is trusted by over 50,000 businesses and has a massive footprint in the agency space.
Score Rationale
The acquisition by a major industry player (Constant Contact) and a large, established user base provide exceptional credibility and stability signals.
Supporting Evidence
SharpSpring has officially rebranded to 'Constant Contact Lead Gen & CRM'. SharpSpring has rebranded to Lead Gen & CRM and will continue to be developed by Constant Contact.
— knowledgebase.constantcontact.com
The platform is used by more than 50,000 businesses globally. Today, more than 50,000 businesses around the world rely on SharpSpring platforms to generate leads
— cultivize.com
Constant Contact acquired SharpSpring in 2021 in a transaction valued at approximately $240 million. Constant Contact... announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire UF startup SharpSpring, Inc... in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $240 million
— prnewswire.com
8.9
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We examine the ease of use, interface design, and quality of customer support resources for both agencies and end-users.
What We Found
Users consistently praise the intuitive visual interface and workflow builders, though some recent feedback indicates support quality fluctuations post-acquisition.
Score Rationale
The interface is widely regarded as user-friendly and accessible compared to complex enterprise alternatives, maintaining a high score despite minor post-merger support concerns.
Supporting Evidence
The platform includes a comprehensive knowledge base and support resources. it has one of the best knowlege bases in the industry. and also ranks above average on G2 for ease of use quality of support and ease of setup.
— youtube.com
Users find the visual workflow builder easy to use for assigning leads and sending targeted messages. SharpSpring has a visual workflow builder, which is easy to use.
— thedigitalmerchant.com
The platform is noted for having one of the best user interfaces for building automation campaigns. It has one of the best user interfaces for building automation campaigns, making it easy and enjoyable to use.
— marketingautomationinsider.com
8.5
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We analyze the pricing model, contract terms, and overall value proposition relative to competitors like HubSpot.
What We Found
SharpSpring positions itself as a fraction of the cost of competitors like HubSpot, offering month-to-month contracts, though direct pricing is now higher ($449+) than entry-level tools.
Score Rationale
The score reflects excellent value for the feature set (unlimited users, full suite) but is tempered by a high starting price point for small businesses compared to 'Lite' tools.
Supporting Evidence
The pricing model historically avoids long-term contracts in favor of month-to-month billing. Month-to-month contracts and billing make things simple.
— sharpspring.com
Pricing for the Lead Gen & CRM product starts at $449 per month. Lead Gen & CRM per month Starting at $449
— trustradius.com
The platform is marketed as being a fraction of the cost of competitors like HubSpot and Pardot. 1/10th the cost. All the same features. Unlimited users & support.
— sharpspring.com
9.5
Category 5: Agency-Centric Features & White Labeling
What We Looked For
We investigate features specifically built for marketing agencies, such as white-labeling, client management portals, and reseller margins.
What We Found
The platform is uniquely architected for agencies, offering a fully rebrandable interface, single sign-on for multiple clients, and a pricing model designed for agency markup.
Score Rationale
This is the product's standout differentiator, earning a near-perfect score for its deep commitment to the agency reseller model which is rare in this category.
Supporting Evidence
Agencies can control client rebrand permissions and upload their own logos. Lead Gen & CRM enables you to rebrand Lead Gen & CRM to reflect the client's branding and logo, as opposed to that of the agency partner.
— knowledgebase.constantcontact.com
Agencies can manage multiple clients via a single sign-on console. Single-sign-on makes it easy to manage your clients in our Client Management Console.
— sharpspring.com
The platform is fully rebrandable, allowing agencies to present it as their own solution. The Sharpspring platform is fully rebrandable, and offers lots of features needed to manage multiple clients under one piece of software.
— marketingautomationinsider.com
8.8
Category 6: Integrations & Ecosystem Strength
What We Looked For
We evaluate the availability of native integrations, API access, and third-party connectivity options like Zapier.
What We Found
It offers an open architecture with native integrations for major CRMs (Salesforce) and connects to over 700+ apps via Zapier, plus a flexible API.
Score Rationale
The open API and extensive Zapier support ensure high connectivity, though it relies more on third-party connectors than competitors with massive native marketplaces.
Supporting Evidence
The platform includes a built-in CRM but also integrates with Salesforce. It's a flexible, open platform with a complete feature set, and it integrates easily with other tools.
— sharpspring.com
It offers native CRM integration and universal CMS compatibility. SharpSpring is one of the most flexible platforms on the market, offering native or 3rd party CRM integration... universal CMS compatibility
— marketingautomationinsider.com
The platform integrates with over 700 third-party tools and CRMs via Zapier. you can also integrate with over 700+ third-party tools & CRMs via their Zapier integration
— marketingautomationinsider.com
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
Pricing for the Lead Gen & CRM product is significantly higher ($449/mo start) than Constant Contact's core email products, causing potential confusion.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
Click is a powerful marketing automation platform built specifically for businesses using Microsoft Dynamics CRM. It provides exclusive native integration, allowing seamless data transfer and streamlined marketing campaigns. This tool is particularly beneficial for businesses seeking to automate their marketing processes while fully integrating with their existing CRM system.
Click is a powerful marketing automation platform built specifically for businesses using Microsoft Dynamics CRM. It provides exclusive native integration, allowing seamless data transfer and streamlined marketing campaigns. This tool is particularly beneficial for businesses seeking to automate their marketing processes while fully integrating with their existing CRM system.
DYNAMIC AUTOMATION
Best for teams that are
B2B companies already using Microsoft Dynamics 365
Teams wanting marketing native inside Dynamics CRM
Skip if
Businesses not using Microsoft Dynamics 365
Small businesses needing a standalone, simple tool
Expert Take
Our analysis shows that ClickDimensions remains a premier choice for SMBs deeply invested in the Microsoft ecosystem due to its native integration architecture. Unlike competitors that require complex data syncing, research indicates ClickDimensions lives directly within Dynamics 365, ensuring data integrity and immediate visibility for sales teams. Furthermore, its pricing model—based on email volume rather than contact count—offers significant value for organizations with large databases but lower send volumes, a distinct advantage over the per-contact pricing common in the industry.
Pros
Native integration with Dynamics 365
Unlimited contacts pricing model
No data syncing required
Leverages Power Automate for workflows
Lower cost than enterprise competitors
Cons
User interface feels dated
Lacks advanced AI/Copilot features
Occasional glitches in email designer
Limited social media capabilities
Support response times vary
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
8.9/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Marketing Automation Platforms with CRM Integration. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
8.7
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the breadth of marketing automation features specifically designed for the Microsoft Dynamics 365 environment, including email, nurture campaigns, and reporting.
What We Found
ClickDimensions provides a comprehensive suite of native marketing tools including email marketing, campaign automation, web forms, surveys, and social posting, though it lacks the advanced AI 'Copilot' features found in Microsoft's newer offerings.
Score Rationale
The score of 8.7 reflects a robust, feature-rich platform that covers all essential marketing automation needs for Dynamics users, slightly held back by a lack of cutting-edge AI capabilities compared to enterprise competitors.
Supporting Evidence
Compared to Dynamics 365 Customer Insights, ClickDimensions lacks advanced AI capabilities and real-time journey orchestration. Dynamics 365 Customer Insights – Journeys... offers deeper integration, superior AI capabilities... While ClickDimensions remains a viable option for simpler needs
— walkerscott.co
The platform includes a drag-and-drop campaign automation builder to define processes based on user behavior and segments. ClickDimensions allows marketers to automate essential aspects of their email marketing responsibilities, with tools to define processes based on categories like user behavior and segment
— alfapeople.com
ClickDimensions offers essential marketing tools including email marketing, campaign automation, web intelligence, surveys, web forms, landing pages, and social media marketing. Among ClickDimensions features are essential marketing tools including email marketing, campaign automation, web intelligence, surveys, web forms, landing pages and social media marketing.
— community.dynamics.com
9.2
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We assess the vendor's longevity, user base size, and reputation within the Microsoft Dynamics partner ecosystem.
What We Found
ClickDimensions is a highly established player in the Dynamics ecosystem, trusted by over 3,000 organizations and processing over 2.6 billion emails annually.
Score Rationale
A score of 9.2 is justified by its significant market penetration and long-standing reputation as the 'go-to' native marketing solution for Dynamics 365 before Microsoft's own product matured.
Supporting Evidence
It has been a primary choice for marketing in the Dynamics ecosystem for years. Stable, and was the primary choice for marketing before Microsoft invested in its own platform in the last 5 years.
— walkerscott.co
The platform processed over 2.6 billion emails in 2023. Over 2.613 billion emails sent via Click in 2023.
— clickdimensions.com
ClickDimensions is trusted by over 3,000 organizations globally. Trusted by over 3,000 organizations.
— clickdimensions.com
8.5
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We examine user feedback regarding ease of setup, interface design, and the frequency of technical glitches or bugs.
What We Found
While users appreciate the ease of setup compared to enterprise alternatives, reports of interface glitches and a somewhat dated UI impact the overall experience.
Score Rationale
The score is anchored at 8.5 due to documented technical glitches (e.g., saving issues) and a UI that some users find dated, despite the platform's general ease of use for SMBs.
Supporting Evidence
ClickDimensions is generally considered easier to set up and 'plug-and-play' compared to Dynamics 365 Marketing. ClickDimensions is as close to plug-and-play as possible
— encorebusiness.com
The user interface is described by some industry experts as feeling dated compared to the rest of the modern Dynamics platform. The UI may feel dated and not aligned to the rest of the Dynamics platform.
— walkerscott.co
Users have reported specific glitches, such as the inability to save changes after modifying button colors in the email designer. We have been experiencing a strange issue with one of our users not being able to save after she changes the color of a button in an email.
— g2.com
9.0
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We analyze the pricing model, specifically looking for transparency and cost-effectiveness relative to contact volume.
What We Found
ClickDimensions offers a highly transparent pricing model based on email volume rather than contact count, which provides significant value for organizations with large databases.
Score Rationale
A score of 9.0 is awarded for its transparent, tiered pricing (Basic, Business, Premier) and the 'unlimited contacts' feature, which is a major cost advantage over competitors charging per contact.
Supporting Evidence
This model is often more affordable for SMBs compared to Dynamics 365 Customer Insights - Journeys. Budget constraints exist: Lower monthly costs and no contact-based pricing make it more affordable.
— alphabold.com
The pricing model allows for unlimited users and contacts, charging instead based on email volume. Unlimited Users. Unlimited Contacts. Email Volume - starting at 50,000 per year included.
— g2.com
Pricing tiers are clearly defined: Basic ($499/mo), Business ($699/mo), and Premier ($1,299/mo). ClickDimensions has 3 main license options: Basic ($499/month USD), Business ($699/month USD), and Premier ($1,299/month USD).
— encorebusiness.com
9.4
Category 5: Integration & Ecosystem Strength
What We Looked For
We evaluate the depth of integration with Microsoft Dynamics 365, Power Automate, and the broader Microsoft ecosystem.
What We Found
The product's native integration is its strongest asset; it lives inside Dynamics 365, requires no data syncing, and leverages Power Automate for workflows.
Score Rationale
Achieving a 9.4, this category highlights the product's 'native' architecture, which eliminates data synchronization errors and allows seamless use of Dynamics 365 data.
Supporting Evidence
The solution allows for creating leads from posted forms using Power Automate flows. Megan Walker did a guest post for ClickDimensions showing how to create a Lead for every ClickDimensions Posted Form... using a Filter Array step and Compose step
— community.dynamics.com
Users can leverage Microsoft Power Automate to extend marketing workflows and handle data from ClickDimensions entities. Users can take advantage of the full Power Platform ecosystem to strengthen marketing initiatives – extend, customize and create workflows on sales and marketing data to execute classic Dynamics workflows, Power Automate...
— clickdimensions.com
ClickDimensions is natively built inside Dynamics 365, meaning no data syncing to external applications is required. There is no syncing to an external application required. ClickDimensions enables organizations to bring together all marketing activities... via Microsoft Dynamics 365.
— community.dynamics.com
8.9
Category 6: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We verify the product's adherence to security standards like GDPR, ISO 27001, and SOC 2, and its reliance on secure cloud infrastructure.
What We Found
ClickDimensions is hosted on Microsoft Azure, inherits strong security controls, and maintains ISO 27001 and SOC 2 compliance reviews for its cloud providers.
Score Rationale
A score of 8.9 indicates strong compliance and security measures, leveraging top-tier cloud providers (Azure) and maintaining necessary certifications for enterprise trust.
Supporting Evidence
The company acts as a data processor under GDPR and provides tools to help customers meet GDPR requirements. ClickDimensions LLC(Click) is a data processor under the GDPR and will be required to meet all requirements imposed on data processors under the regulation.
— clickdimensions.com
ClickDimensions reviews the certifications and controls of its cloud providers, including SOC 2 and ISO, on an annual basis. The certifications and controls of the cloud providers are reviewed on an annual basis including SOC 2 and ISO.
— clickdimensions.com
The platform is hosted on Microsoft Azure data centers which comply with ISO/IEC 27001 standards. These data centers comply with key industry standards, such as ISO/IEC 27001:2005, for security and reliability.
— clickdimensions.com
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
The user interface is frequently described as dated or not aligned with the modern look and feel of the rest of the Dynamics 365 platform.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
The platform lacks advanced AI and 'Copilot' features for content generation and journey orchestration that are now standard in competitor products like Dynamics 365 Customer Insights.
Impact: This issue caused a significant reduction in the score.
Users have reported persistent technical glitches, such as the inability to save changes in the email designer or issues with button colors, which can delay campaigns.
Impact: This issue caused a significant reduction in the score.
Act-On is a robust marketing automation platform designed for the dynamic needs of B2B marketers. Leveraging artificial intelligence, it enables faster and more precise campaign creation, measurement, and refinement. Its world-class support and seamless CRM integration make it a perfect fit for marketing professionals seeking a unified platform to streamline operations.
Act-On is a robust marketing automation platform designed for the dynamic needs of B2B marketers. Leveraging artificial intelligence, it enables faster and more precise campaign creation, measurement, and refinement. Its world-class support and seamless CRM integration make it a perfect fit for marketing professionals seeking a unified platform to streamline operations.
Best for teams that are
Mid-sized B2B marketing teams needing advanced lead scoring
Companies needing flexible integration with various CRMs
Skip if
Small businesses with limited marketing budgets
Users wanting a built-in free CRM included
Expert Take
Our analysis shows Act-On distinguishes itself with a unique 'Active Contacts' pricing model that charges only for the people you actually email, offering significant savings for companies with large but partially inactive databases. Research indicates it is particularly strong for regulated industries, boasting verified HIPAA compliance and ISO 27001 certification. While the interface is aging, the deep native integrations with Salesforce and SugarCRM make it a powerful tool for aligning sales and marketing teams.
Pros
Active Contacts pricing model saves money
Native bi-directional CRM integrations
HIPAA compliant and ISO 27001 certified
Highly rated customer support
Intuitive email and form builders
Cons
User interface feels dated and disjointed
Reporting lacks advanced customization
Steep learning curve for some features
Recent failed acquisition creates uncertainty
Template editing can be cumbersome
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
8.8/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Marketing Automation Platforms with CRM Integration. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
8.7
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the breadth of automation features, AI capabilities, and multichannel engagement tools suitable for mid-market to enterprise needs.
What We Found
Act-On provides a comprehensive suite including automated buying journeys, AI-powered content generation and lead scoring, and multichannel execution (email, social, SMS), though some specific workflows like template editing are reported as less streamlined than competitors.
Score Rationale
The score reflects a robust feature set that covers all essential automation needs, slightly tempered by user feedback regarding the complexity of certain workflows.
Supporting Evidence
Includes AI features for content creation, lead scoring, and email sending. One of the most notable features is the integration of AI for content, lead scoring, and email sending.
— marketingguys.com
Features include automated buying journeys, website visitor tracking, and AI-driven content and scoring. Platform features include: • Automated and adaptable buying journeys • Deep integrations with leading CRM systems... • Website visitor engagement tracking and intent reporting
— g2.com
9.0
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We assess the company's longevity, financial stability, and industry standing.
What We Found
Founded in 2008, Act-On is a long-standing player in the market; however, a planned $53.2 million acquisition by Banzai was cancelled in mid-2025 due to funding issues, creating some recent corporate volatility despite their continued independent operation.
Score Rationale
The score remains high due to its established history and strong client base, but is capped by the recent instability surrounding the failed acquisition deal.
Supporting Evidence
A planned acquisition by Banzai International was terminated in June 2025. Banzai International's $53.2 million acquisition of Portland's Act-On Software unraveled after the Seattle-area company's funding fell through
— geekwire.com
Act-On was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Act-On Software is a software-as-a-service product for marketing automation... founded in 2008.
— en.wikipedia.org
8.6
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We look for an intuitive user interface, ease of adoption, and quality of customer support.
What We Found
Users consistently praise the platform's ease of use and the quality of customer support, but frequently cite the user interface as 'dated' or 'disjointed' compared to modern SaaS standards.
Score Rationale
While support is best-in-class, the recurring user complaints about a dated interface prevent this category from scoring in the 9s.
Supporting Evidence
Customer support is frequently highlighted as helpful and accessible. Customer support is very helpful and they have office hours where you can join and get live help with your account.
— g2.com
Users report the interface can feel dated and unintuitive. While the platform is feature-rich, the user interface can feel dated and unintuitive at times, especially for new users.
— g2.com
9.4
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We evaluate pricing models for flexibility, transparency, and ROI relative to competitors.
What We Found
Act-On utilizes a distinctive 'Active Contacts' pricing model, charging only for contacts engaged during the month rather than the total database size, which offers significant savings for businesses with large databases.
Score Rationale
This score is exceptional because the Active Contacts model directly addresses a major pain point in the industry (paying for inactive leads), offering superior value.
Supporting Evidence
Pricing starts at approximately $900 per month. Starting at $900 per month.
— trustradius.com
Pricing is based on active contacts engaged in a month, not total database size. Active Contacts are based on the number of contacts you engage within a given month — not the size of your database.
— act-on.com
9.5
Category 5: Security, Compliance & Data Protection
What We Looked For
We examine adherence to critical data security standards like HIPAA, SOC 2, and ISO certifications.
What We Found
Act-On stands out with ISO 27001 certification and full HIPAA compliance, making it a verified choice for healthcare and highly regulated industries.
Score Rationale
The combination of ISO 27001 and HIPAA compliance is a strong differentiator, justifying a near-perfect score for security-conscious buyers.
Supporting Evidence
Data centers are SOC 2 compliant. In the meantime, the center that keeps all our data is also SOC 2 compliant.
— act-on.com
Act-On achieved ISO 27001 certification and HIPAA compliance in 2023. Act-On Software has earned HIPAA compliance... In 2022, Act-On earned ISO 27001 certification
— act-on.com
8.9
Category 6: Integrations & Ecosystem Strength
What We Looked For
We assess the depth and quality of native integrations with CRM and other business tools.
What We Found
The platform offers deep, native bi-directional synchronization with major CRMs including Salesforce, SugarCRM, Microsoft Dynamics, and NetSuite, facilitating strong sales and marketing alignment.
Score Rationale
The score reflects strong native support for the most critical enterprise CRMs, ensuring seamless data flow without third-party middleware.
Supporting Evidence
Integrates with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and NetSuite. their enterprise plan allows for integration with Salesforce Microsoft Dynamics and Netswuite.
— youtube.com
Offers native integration with SugarCRM for bi-directional sync. Act-On's native integration with Sugar enables the bi-directional synchronization of leads, contacts... and web form details.
— marketplace.sugarcrm.com
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
A planned acquisition by Banzai International was cancelled in 2025 due to funding failures, potentially indicating market volatility.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
FluentCRM is a unique marketing automation solution specifically designed for WordPress. It integrates seamlessly with over 45 e-commerce, lead generation, membership, and LMS plugins, effectively addressing the industry's need for a unified and efficient CRM system. It's a perfect fit for those wanting to boost their B2B marketing efforts using a platform that integrates with their existing WordPress site.
FluentCRM is a unique marketing automation solution specifically designed for WordPress. It integrates seamlessly with over 45 e-commerce, lead generation, membership, and LMS plugins, effectively addressing the industry's need for a unified and efficient CRM system. It's a perfect fit for those wanting to boost their B2B marketing efforts using a platform that integrates with their existing WordPress site.
CRM INTEGRATION PRO
AFFORDABLE PRICING
Best for teams that are
WordPress users wanting self-hosted automation
Course creators and membership sites using WordPress
Skip if
Enterprises needing cloud-based, high-volume SaaS
Users without a WordPress website
Expert Take
Our analysis shows FluentCRM fundamentally disrupts the marketing automation market by removing the 'success tax' of per-contact pricing. Research indicates its custom database architecture allows it to run smoothly on WordPress without the bloat typically associated with plugin-based CRMs. Based on documented features, it offers a rare combination of deep e-commerce data access and flat-rate pricing that SaaS competitors cannot match.
Pros
Flat annual pricing with unlimited contacts
Deep native integration with WooCommerce & LMS
Full data ownership and GDPR compliance
Fast VueJS-powered single page interface
Advanced visual automation workflow builder
Cons
Requires external SMTP service for delivery
No autosave in email editor
Setup requires technical knowledge of Cron jobs
Limited native integrations outside WordPress
Sending speed depends on server resources
This score is backed by structured Google research and verified sources.
Overall Score
8.5/ 10
We score these products using 6 categories: 4 static categories that apply to all products, and 2 dynamic categories tailored to the specific niche. Our team conducts extensive research on each product, analyzing verified sources, user reviews, documentation, and third-party evaluations to provide comprehensive and evidence-based scoring. Each category is weighted with a custom weight based on the category niche and what is important in Marketing Automation Platforms with CRM Integration. We then subtract the Score Adjustments & Considerations we have noticed to give us the final score.
8.8
Category 1: Product Capability & Depth
What We Looked For
We evaluate the breadth of automation features, segmentation logic, and campaign management tools available directly within the WordPress dashboard.
What We Found
FluentCRM provides a comprehensive visual automation builder, 360-degree contact views, and dynamic segmentation that rivals standalone SaaS platforms. It supports unlimited email campaigns, sequences, and tag-based logic, though it relies on external SMTP services for delivery.
Score Rationale
The score is high due to its robust feature set that mirrors expensive SaaS tools, but is slightly capped by its dependency on external SMTP services and limited conditional logic compared to enterprise giants.
Supporting Evidence
The platform allows for unlimited contacts and email campaigns without tier-based restrictions. You'll own and manage an unlimited amount of data through an intuitive dashboard... As long as you have hosting space, you can keep storing as much data as you want.
— wpmanageninja.com
Features include a visual automation builder, email sequencing, and 360-degree contact overview with purchase history. With FluentCRM, send email campaigns to targeted audiences, send sequential emails, onboard your new customers even automate your full email marketing with a powerful automation visual automation builder.
— fluentcrm.com
9.3
Category 2: Market Credibility & Trust Signals
What We Looked For
We assess user adoption rates, developer reputation, community activity, and verified ratings across third-party platforms.
What We Found
The product is developed by WPManageNinja, a highly reputable team, and powers over 70,000 businesses with a 4.8/5 star rating on the WordPress repository. It has a large, active community and consistent update history.
Score Rationale
A score of 9.3 reflects its dominant position in the WordPress CRM niche, backed by tens of thousands of active installs and near-perfect user ratings.
Supporting Evidence
The plugin maintains a 4.8 out of 5-star rating on the official WordPress plugin repository. Ratings: 4.8
— wordpress.org
FluentCRM is currently active on over 70,000 WordPress installations. Active installations: 70,000+
— wordpress.org
8.9
Category 3: Usability & Customer Experience
What We Looked For
We examine the interface speed, ease of setup, and workflow intuitiveness for users of varying technical skill levels.
What We Found
Built as a VueJS Single Page Application (SPA), the interface is exceptionally fast and responsive. However, users have reported friction with the email editor lacking autosave and the technical requirement of setting up cron jobs.
Score Rationale
While the UI is modern and fast, the lack of autosave and the technical learning curve for SMTP/Cron setup prevents a perfect score.
Supporting Evidence
Users have expressed frustration over the lack of an autosave feature in the email editor. Users are frustrated with email issues, particularly the lack of autosave leading to lost work during editing.
— g2.com
The admin dashboard is built with VueJS as a Single Page Application for fast performance. We built the application with VueJS and it's only run when you go to the admin dashboard of Fluent CRM. Also, The Admin UI is super fast as It's a SPA and communicates over ajax.
— github.com
9.6
Category 4: Value, Pricing & Transparency
What We Looked For
We analyze the cost-to-feature ratio, hidden fees, and long-term value compared to SaaS competitors.
What We Found
FluentCRM offers a flat annual fee model that includes unlimited contacts and emails, providing massive savings over subscriber-based pricing models like Mailchimp or ActiveCampaign. The pricing is transparent with no hidden upsells for core features.
Score Rationale
This category receives a near-perfect score because the flat-fee model for unlimited contacts disrupts the industry standard of penalizing growth.
Supporting Evidence
Analysis shows significant cost savings compared to Mailchimp for lists over 500 contacts. The break-even point occurs around 500 contacts, where Mailchimp's monthly fees exceed FluentCRM's annual cost.
— wpmanageninja.com
Pricing is a flat annual fee regardless of contact list size, unlike competitors. Get unlimited email marketing inside WordPress —on your terms, without the growth taxes!
— fluentcrm.com
9.1
Category 5: Integrations & Ecosystem Strength
What We Looked For
We evaluate how well the product connects with other plugins, e-commerce platforms, and external tools relevant to the niche.
What We Found
The plugin excels at deep integrations within the WordPress ecosystem (WooCommerce, LearnDash, MemberPress) but relies on webhooks or Zapier for non-WordPress tools. It reads data directly from other plugins without complex syncing.
Score Rationale
The score is anchored at 9.1 due to its best-in-class native WordPress integrations, though it loses points for relying on middleware for non-WP connections.
Supporting Evidence
External integrations often require webhooks or third-party automation tools. In order to make any type of connection to FluentCRM, webhooks via Zapier have to be used.
— convology.com
Integrates natively with over 40 WordPress plugins including WooCommerce and LearnDash. Connect your e-commerce, LMS, appointment, and project management tools with FluentCRM and get more done doing less!
— fluentcrm.com
8.7
Category 6: Scalability & Performance
What We Looked For
We assess the product's ability to handle large datasets and email volumes without slowing down the host website.
What We Found
FluentCRM uses custom database tables to prevent website bloat. While historically limited by single-threaded sending, recent updates have introduced multi-threading to improve speed, though performance ultimately depends on the user's hosting environment.
Score Rationale
A score of 8.7 acknowledges the efficient database architecture while noting that 'self-hosted' scalability is inherently tied to the user's server resources.
Supporting Evidence
Sending speed can be limited by server resources, though multi-threading options were added to address this. If FluentCRM attempts to send too many emails at once, it would take up a lot of server resources... This year, we figured that an optional setting could allow users to use more server resources to speed up their email sending.
— fluentcrm.com
Uses custom database tables to avoid bloating the standard WordPress post meta tables. It stores all the Campaign and Contact data in custom database tables, so it will not affect your WordPress database.
— wordpress.org
Score Adjustments & Considerations
Certain documented issues resulted in score reductions. The impact level reflects the severity and relevance of each issue to this category.
Setup requires technical configuration of Cron jobs and external SMTP services, which presents a steeper learning curve than cloud-based alternatives.
Impact: This issue had a noticeable impact on the score.
The selection and ranking of marketing automation platforms with CRM integration were based on a comprehensive evaluation of key factors such as specifications, features, customer reviews, and ratings. Important considerations in this category included the depth of CRM integration, automation capabilities, user interface design, and overall value for businesses. The research methodology focused on analyzing product specifications, aggregating customer feedback from various sources, and reviewing ratings to assess user satisfaction. This data-driven approach allowed for a thorough comparison of the ten products assessed, ensuring a well-rounded perspective on their performance and suitability for different marketing needs.
Overall scores reflect relative ranking within this category, accounting for which limitations materially affect real-world use cases. Small differences in category scores can result in larger ranking separation when those differences affect the most common or highest-impact workflows.
Verification
Products evaluated through comprehensive research and analysis of user feedback and industry standards.
Rankings based on in-depth analysis of features, integrations, and customer satisfaction ratings.
Selection criteria focus on automation capabilities, CRM integration effectiveness, and user experience insights.
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We may also earn commissions from other affiliate partners.
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Score Breakdown
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Deep Research
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