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Salesforce Marketing Cloud alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Salesforce Marketing Cloud: very expensive, with annual contracts, and needs specialists to implement and run. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Salesforce Marketing Cloud, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. HubSpot Marketing Hub currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1HubSpot Marketing Hub logoHubSpot Marketing HubFree plan + paidNoWeb, iOS, Android3 of 366.5
2Klaviyo logoKlaviyoFree plan + paidNoWeb, iOS, Android3 of 362.6
3Customer.io logoCustomer.ioPaidNoWeb3 of 359.6
4ActiveCampaign logoActiveCampaignPaidNoWeb, iOS, Android3 of 357.2
5SaSalesforce Sales CloudPaidNoWeb, iOS, Android4 of 447.8
  1. HubSpot Marketing Hub logo

    1. HubSpot Marketing HubTop pick

    Best for: Companies that want marketing, sales and service on one CRM platform

    Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Salesforce Marketing Cloud

    Easier to run, with marketing and CRM on one platform at lower cost.

    Pros

    • Email, forms, ads and automation on one shared CRM
    • Strong attribution and reporting
    • Free tools to start

    Cons

    • Automated workflows need the costly Professional tier
    • Pricing grows with marketing contacts and seats
    • More than a pure email tool for small senders
    Visit HubSpot Marketing Hub Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is HubSpot Marketing Hub a good Salesforce Marketing Cloud alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Free trial
    14 days
    Checked Oct 25, 2026hubspot.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Automated emails
    Professional or Enterprise only
    Checked Oct 25, 2026knowledge.hubspot.com(opens source in a new tab)
    AI writing
    AI subject lines and email copy
    Checked Oct 25, 2026hubspot.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Klaviyo logo

    2. Klaviyo

    Best for: Ecommerce brands that want automation driven by purchase and browsing data

    Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Salesforce Marketing Cloud

    Better fit for ecommerce brands that need revenue-driven automation.

    Pros

    • Deep ecommerce data, segmentation and predictive metrics
    • Strong pre-built flows for carts, browsing and win-back
    • Revenue reporting per campaign and flow

    Cons

    • Expensive for large lists
    • Overkill for non-ecommerce businesses
    • Steep learning curve
    Visit Klaviyo Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Klaviyo a good Salesforce Marketing Cloud alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Free plan
    250 profiles, 500 emails/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026klaviyo.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan channels
    Email, SMS, Customer Hub, reporting
    Checked Oct 25, 2026klaviyo.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan mobile messaging
    $5 of SMS/mobile messages per month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026klaviyo.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Customer.io logo

    3. Customer.io

    Best for: SaaS and app companies that trigger messages from product events

    PaidWeb

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Salesforce Marketing Cloud

    Flexible event-driven messaging for product companies, cheaper to start.

    Pros

    • Event-driven journeys across email, push, SMS and in-app
    • Flexible data model with real-time segments
    • Handles marketing and transactional messages

    Cons

    • Needs developer work to send events
    • Expensive step up to Premium
    • Overkill for simple newsletters
    Visit Customer.io Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Customer.io a good Salesforce Marketing Cloud alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Essentials price
    From $100/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026customer.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Premium price
    From $1,000/month billed yearly
    Checked Oct 25, 2026customer.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Startup program
    12 months free for early-stage companies
    Checked Oct 25, 2026customer.io(opens source in a new tab)
  4. ActiveCampaign logo

    4. ActiveCampaign

    Best for: Small and mid-sized businesses that rely on complex automated nurture sequences

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Salesforce Marketing Cloud

    Strong automation for mid-sized teams without enterprise contracts.

    Pros

    • One of the most flexible automation builders available
    • Built-in CRM, lead scoring and pipelines
    • Large library of integrations and automation recipes

    Cons

    • No free plan
    • Pricier than simpler newsletter tools
    • Many options make it complex for small teams
    Visit ActiveCampaign Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is ActiveCampaign a good Salesforce Marketing Cloud alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Plus plan allowance
    10,000 sends/month at 1,000 contacts
    Checked Oct 25, 2026activecampaign.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro plan allowance
    12,000 sends/month, 3 seats
    Checked Oct 25, 2026activecampaign.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Money-back guarantee
    30 days
    Checked Oct 25, 2026activecampaign.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Sa

    5. Salesforce Sales Cloud

    Best for: Larger sales organisations that need deep customisation and an admin to run it

    PaidWeb, iOS, Android

    47.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Salesforce Marketing Cloud

    If you mainly need CRM, Sales Cloud's Starter suite includes basic email marketing.

    Pros

    • Models almost any sales process with custom objects and flows
    • Largest ecosystem of integrations, consultants and trained admins
    • Strong forecasting, territory and permission controls

    Cons

    • Needs an admin or partner to set up and maintain well
    • Costs climb fast with higher editions and add-ons
    • Interface feels dense for small teams
    Visit Salesforce Sales Cloud Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.338
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Salesforce Sales Cloud a good Salesforce Marketing Cloud alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Starting price
    $25 per user/month (Starter Suite)
    Checked Oct 25, 2026salesforce.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pro Suite price
    $100 per user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026salesforce.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    30 days
    Checked Oct 25, 2026salesforce.com(opens source in a new tab)
    AI add-on
    Agentforce for Sales from $125/user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026salesforce.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Salesforce Marketing Cloud alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

HubSpot Marketing Hub logo

Best Salesforce Marketing Cloud alternative for most people

HubSpot Marketing Hub

Easier to run, with marketing and CRM on one platform at lower cost.

Klaviyo logo

Best Salesforce Marketing Cloud alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Klaviyo

Better fit for ecommerce brands that need revenue-driven automation.

ActiveCampaign logo

Best Salesforce Marketing Cloud alternative for iPhone and Android

ActiveCampaign

Strong automation for mid-sized teams without enterprise contracts.

Customer.io logo

Best Salesforce Marketing Cloud alternative for working in the browser

Customer.io

Flexible event-driven messaging for product companies, cheaper to start.

Salesforce Marketing Cloud alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Salesforce Marketing Cloud?

HubSpot Marketing Hub ranks first right now. Easier to run, with marketing and CRM on one platform at lower cost. Klaviyo and Customer.io follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Salesforce Marketing Cloud?

Yes. HubSpot Marketing Hub (free plan + paid) and Klaviyo (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Salesforce Marketing Cloud?

None of the 5 alternatives in this list is open source.

Why do people switch from Salesforce Marketing Cloud?

The complaints we hear most: very expensive, with annual contracts; needs specialists to implement and run; confusing range of products and editions.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Salesforce Marketing Cloud, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.