Buyer’s guide · Marketing
Best Marketing Automation Software in 2026: Pricing & Comparison
We compared four marketing automation platforms on public pricing, free plans, automation depth and contact models so you can match list size and workflow needs.
HubSpot Marketing Hub if you want a free plan and self-serve Starter plus scalable Professional automation. Brevo if you prefer email-volume pricing and multi-channel starting low. Klaviyo if you run ecommerce flows with active-profile billing. ActiveCampaign if you need deep automation and contact-based plans with published examples.
Marketing automation software manages email, workflows, segmentation, and multi-channel campaigns so teams can nurture leads without manual sending.
We used the same fields for every vendor: published pricing, free plan or trial, core focus, and main limitation. Order is not a quality ranking. We sorted public $0 or published price first, quote-led last.
Compared at a glance
| Provider | Published pricing | Free plan or trial | Best for | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot Marketing Hub | Free $0; Starter from $7–$20/seat/mo; Professional from $800/mo | Free plan | All-in-one with free start | Visit → |
| Brevo | Free; Starter from $9/mo | Free plan | Volume-based multi-channel | Visit → |
| Klaviyo | Free; Email from $20/mo | Free plan | Ecommerce flows and attribution | Visit → |
| ActiveCampaign | Examples from ~$15/mo for 1k contacts (Starter) | Trial | Deep automation and CRM | Visit → |
Prices are public list prices or official examples, checked 17 October 2026; they change often and often depend on contacts or volume — confirm on the vendor’s pricing page.
The 4 companies in detail
HubSpot Marketing Hub
Best for free start and scale
Best for: teams that want to begin free and add automation on Professional.
| Published pricing | Free $0 (up to 2 users); Starter from $7/seat/mo annual or $20 monthly; Professional from $800/mo (includes seats) |
|---|---|
| Free plan or trial | Free plan |
| Core focus | Email, forms, basic automation, landing pages, CRM integration |
| Main limitation | Advanced workflows and reporting on Professional; contact and credit limits |
- Permanent free plan with no card required for basic email and forms.
- Clear path to Professional for multi-step automation and reporting.
- Professional requires onboarding fee in some cases and higher contact costs.
Brevo
Best for volume-based pricing
Best for: teams with large contact lists that send at moderate volume.
| Published pricing | Free (limited sends); Starter from $9/mo for lower email volumes |
|---|---|
| Free plan or trial | Free plan |
| Core focus | Email, SMS, WhatsApp, automation, light CRM |
| Main limitation | Advanced features and higher volumes on higher tiers; contact storage tied to send tiers |
- Pricing primarily by email volume rather than pure contact count on entry plans.
- Multi-channel (email + SMS + WhatsApp) options.
- Very high-volume or enterprise needs custom or Professional pricing.
Klaviyo
Best for ecommerce automation
Best for: Shopify and ecommerce brands that need revenue attribution and flows.
| Published pricing | Free (250 profiles); Email from $20/mo for 500 active profiles |
|---|---|
| Free plan or trial | Free plan |
| Core focus | Ecommerce flows, segmentation, SMS, revenue tracking |
| Main limitation | Price scales with active profiles; less ideal for non-ecommerce |
- Strong native Shopify integration and purchase-event flows.
- Free plan includes basic flows for small lists.
- Costs rise with active profiles; suppressed profiles are not billed but volume still scales.
ActiveCampaign
Best for deep automation
Best for: teams that need complex workflows, scoring and CRM-connected journeys.
| Published pricing | Contact-based; examples ~$15/mo Starter for 1,000 contacts (annual); scales with list size |
|---|---|
| Free plan or trial | Trial available |
| Core focus | Advanced automation, segmentation, CRM, email and multi-channel |
| Main limitation | Pricing calculator required; automation depth limited on Starter |
- Strong automation builder with unlimited actions on higher plans.
- Contact-tier examples published for planning.
- Exact price depends on contact count; confirm in the live configurator.
Kurums Match
I want to start free and grow into automation
HubSpot Marketing Hub free plan, then move to Professional for full workflows.
I have a large list but send moderately
Brevo’s volume-based model often costs less when not every contact is emailed frequently.
I run an ecommerce store on Shopify
Klaviyo is built for purchase flows and attribution.
I need complex multi-step automations
ActiveCampaign is known for deep automation; check the contact-based quote.
Buying tip
Compare on your actual contact count or monthly send volume. Contact-based and volume-based models produce very different costs at the same list size.
FAQ
Which platforms have free plans?
HubSpot, Brevo and Klaviyo offer free plans. ActiveCampaign offers a trial.
How does pricing scale?
HubSpot and ActiveCampaign use contact tiers or seats. Klaviyo uses active profiles. Brevo uses email volume on entry plans.
Is there a best for ecommerce?
Klaviyo is frequently chosen for Shopify-native flows and revenue attribution.
Disclosure: Kurums is reader-supported. Some links may be affiliate or sponsored links, marked as such; they never affect rankings or order.