Pardot vs. HubSpot vs. Marketo: A Marketing Automation Comparison
This blog comes from research provided by our friends at Software Advice, a service that recommends products and collects reviews. After seeing the data they gathered to compare these marketing automation vendors, Software Advice chatted with Luke Wallace, one of their CRM researchers, who helped them put this comparison together. Marketing automation is worth considering for any nonprofit or business that is outgrowing mass email and looking for ways to streamline their communication and outreach processes.
Q: After comparing Pardot to HubSpot and Marketo, what were some of your big takeaways?
A: Pardot, Marketo, and HubSpot are recommended by similar numbers of users. For example, 80 percent of Pardot users recommend it, while HubSpot and Marketo are recommended by 98 and 79 percent of users, respectively. However, the three differ in cost. While Pardot is on par with Marketo’s pricing, HubSpot costs less than both. The biggest difference between the three is the business size they serve. While HubSpot and Marketo focus on (but aren’t strictly limited to) small to midsize businesses, Pardot caters to both SMB and enterprise buyers.
See Software Advice’s full comparison of Pardot vs Marketo
Q: What are some ways marketing automation vendors are seeking to differentiate themselves from their competition?
A: There are a few ways vendors seek to separate themselves from the herd. Some develop more intelligent systems that “learn” and adjust as businesses evolve. For instance, some vendors offer systems with predictive capabilities, which help companies boost lead generation and nurturing and deliver more personalized marketing content. Other vendors offer solutions tailored to specific industries, while still others generate software that’s flexible so that it can be customized to suit the needs of various business types.
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Q: What would you advise someone evaluating marketing automation today?
A: Don’t be distracted by bells and whistles you don’t need. Instead, look for features and functionality that best fit your business process. That said, also keep in mind where your business will be in the future: Look for the functionality you know you’ll eventually need, and consider systems that are customizable and scalable so that they can grow with you. Finally, don’t assume that marketing automation software is a replacement for people. Even the most advanced systems still require a human element to produce relevant, meaningful and personalized content for customers.
While this comparison is helpful in determining which marketing automation solution is best, there is a lot of work to be done before and after this step. Check out our previous posts on our journey from mass email to marketing automation and how to pick a marketing automation solution for more information.
Are you wondering if your organization is ready to implement a marketing automation solution? Download our marketing automation comparison report to get a better sense of the right platform for your organization and if you're ready.
