An Unbiased Marketing Automation Platform Comparison

A Marketer’s Guide to the Leading Platforms in 2025

The battle for “best MarTech platform” has entered a new era. It’s no longer clear where one category ends and another begins. Engagement platforms are increasingly integrated with databases. Email marketing tools can manage leads. CDPs are shipping with engagement features. And AI, of course, is everywhere.

That’s both good and bad for marketers.

On the positive side, you have a higher chance of finding the right tool for your needs and niche. It’s also getting easier to compile a best-of-breed tech stack with APIs and integrations.

However, a blurry landscape makes it harder to have confidence in your choice of tech. Vendors make big promises, so how can you be sure you’re making a smart investment?

In April 2025, we hosted a Breakfast Club in our London HQ to unpack this dilemma. Clients and tech vendors heard from Tap’s MarTech experts on the best way to navigate an increasingly complex landscape and invest in tech that powers growth.

Here are the key takeaways from the session, including an unbiased marketing automation platform comparison to help you make the right moves in 2025.

How the Right Marketing Automation Platform Pays Off

According to the latest data from Gartner, MarTech accounts for almost 24% of the marketing budget. That’s a big chunk. And it doesn’t account for non-licence costs like onboarding, training, and upskilling.

Still, there are significant benefits if you make the right decision. According to Adobe’s benchmark analysis, effective marketing automation generates:

• 25% higher revenue.
• 45% more leads in the pipeline.
• 22% more time for Sales to sell.

Other research from 2021 puts the ROI of marketing automation at around 544% – every $1 invested in marketing automation delivers $5.44 in revenue.

The Challenges and Misconceptions of Choosing the Right Platform

544% ROI sounds too good to be true. But in our experience, and evidenced by success stories shared at the Breakfast Club event, it’s entirely within reach. The trouble is that choosing MarTech is challenging from the outset. There are hurdles to navigate before you even get a chance to compare marketing automation platforms:

• Choice overwhelm: There are 14k+ marketing automation tools and countless peripheral features. How do you know you’re choosing the right one?
• Strong sell: Software sales teams will tell you their platform does everything you need and more. Can you believe them?
• Scalability: Licence fees often work on sliding scales based on seats or database sizes. What if you size badly?
• Shiny object syndrome: The misguided belief that a newer tool with more features is better than ‘old’ tech with a clunky interface.
• Upgrade blindness: Failing to investigate whether existing tech can be upgraded or reconfigured to achieve the same result.
• Use case conundrums: Buying licences for the latest and greatest tools before clarifying what they’ll actually be used for.

Unfortunately, these challenges routinely trip up even experienced marketers. Gartner estimates that most companies use around 33% of their MarTech stacks. Thankfully, there’s a relatively easy way to avoid falling into the same trap.

Start With Clear Requirements

Comparing marketing automation platforms without a goal is like test driving cars on the moon. Spec sheets and feature comparisons don’t mean much until you can test them against use cases, business challenges, customer needs, technical requirements, and cultural considerations.

Let’s come back down to earth for a minute and map your MarTech requirements.

Business Requirements

Start with what you want to deliver for the customer. For example:

• End-of-contract renewal rates are declining. We need a way to give customers relevant offers at the right time, and make it easy to renew or change their contracts.
• We have a huge product portfolio and/or a complex pricing model. How can we get relevant offers in front of the right people on their preferred channel?
• Customers buy once then disappear. We want to keep them around, and eventually up- or cross-sell.
• Our funnel seems full but conversions are low and slow. We need better customer insights and the ability to activate across the lifecycle.
• We know that personalised, always-on experiences result in higher customer value. But we don’t know our audience, so we’re stuck with batch-and-blast comms.

This is where your business case resides. Not in revenue targets (increased revenue is a result of better customer experiences) or in market share (again, you’ll gain ground by winning over customers).

Technical Requirements

The next step is translating those business goals into technical requirements. This is where we map out the “how” behind the “what.” Technical requirements for marketing automation platforms tend to fall into 5 categories:

1. Activation:What you need to deliver optimised experiences across all channels.
2. Orchestration: How you can systematise “right place, right time” experiences across all touchpoints.
3. Content: Developing and managing a library of composable assets and templates so each experience is uniquely constructed.
4. Analytics: What you’ll measure, how you’ll measure it, and how stakeholders can access insights to make informed decisions (without you building reports 24/7).
5. Data: Your foundation for customer insight; how you’ll collect, connect, and manage data across all sources and activation platforms.

You’ll probably end up with a long wish list. Start by mapping each requirement to a clear customer outcome. Then prioritise based on impact and ease of delivery. That way you’re investing in digital transformation that drives real value for your business and customers.

Marketing Automation Platform Comparison

Now comes the part you’ve been waiting for. Of course, there’s no way to cover every platform. The marketing automation platform market is massive and getting bigger by the day.

Instead, we’ll break things down into categories that make sense, with a few examples in each. This isn’t an exhaustive list. Think of it as a high‑level compass to guide you toward the right tools.

Incumbent Hubs

These are the big names in marketing automation. The all-in-one marketing automation solutions. Think Adobe, Salesforce, Oracle, and HubSpot. They’ve been around for a while and are often deeply embedded in large organisations.

(They’re also increasingly buying up competitor platforms, usually to acquire functionality, but that’s a topic for another time).

Strengths:

• Tight integration with wider suites and clouds. If you’re already using Salesforce or Adobe for CRM, analytics, or data clouds, the marketing automation platforms slot right in.
• Huge range of features. From emails to advanced segmentation to cross-channel orchestration and offer management, almost everything is under one roof.
• Strong offer management and robust data tools. Great if you want to get granular with customer journeys and reporting.
• Loads of skilled professionals in the market. The vendors have large support teams and extensive partner ecosystems.
• Big R&D budgets. They’re often first out of the gate with AI capabilities, new channels, and new features that respond to market needs.

Challenges:

• Complexity. These platforms can do a lot, but that means a steeper learning curve and the need for specialist skills.
• Support. Getting help can be hit or miss, especially if you’re not a top-tier customer.
• Legacy architecture. Some features feel a bit clunky, and integrating new channels isn’t always straightforward.
• Time to market. Complex campaigns can take time to build and launch.
• Pricing. While you get a lot, the cost can add up fast if you need extra modules or users.

For enterprise businesses looking for a platform that scales almost infinitely and connects seamlessly to existing tech stacks, incumbent hubs are a strong bet. Just be ready to invest in setup, training, and ongoing management to get the most out of them.

CEPs

Customer Engagement Platforms (CEPs) are a more recent development. They focus on real-time, personalised interactions across multiple channels, often with a mobile-first approach. They’re all about getting messages out fast and keeping your audience hooked. Braze and Iterable are great examples of CEPs – not quite the size of heavy-hitting hubs, but still packing plenty of punch.

Strengths:

• Easy to use interfaces and streamlined data management. These platforms are designed to be intuitive and accessible.
• Real-time, scalable, and mobile-first. CEPs excel at delivering personalised experiences in the moment, across every channel.
• Wide range of easily accessed channels. From push notifications to in-app messages, you can reach customers wherever they are.
• Plenty of self-help docs. There are training pathways, forums, and community support to help you get started.
• More affordable (usually). CEPs are often friendlier on budget, with predictable licensing and upgrade bands.
• Feature releases and development roadmaps. You can expect frequent feature updates and continuous innovation from these challenger platforms.

Challenges:

• Data ingestion. Getting data in and out of these platforms is often DIY-heavy, requiring custom integrations.
• Total costs can be higher than expected. You’ll need to factor in the cost of IT and engineering resources.
• Less help available. Finding partners with genuine and varied experience in the platforms can be a challenge compared to big platforms.
• Limited offer management capabilities. CEPs may not be the best choice for complex pricing or promotional scenarios.
• Organisational change. Moving to a CEP might require a change of mindset, cost model, or ownership.
• Reporting quality. Not all CEPs offer the same level of granularity or customisations, which can limit insights.

CEP to CDP

The lines between CEPs and Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) are becoming increasingly blurred. CDPs typically focused on unifying customer data from all sources into a single view. However, some CEPs offer CDP-like capabilities, and vice versa.

Platforms like Bloomreach, Zeta, and Imagino sit somewhere on the spectrum between CEP and “traditional” CDP.

Strengths:

• Easier interfaces. They’re often using NoSQL databases for user-friendliness and accessibility.
• Industry- or market-specific developments. Bloomreach is popular in the retail sector, while Zeta has a strong North American presence.
• Broad features. For example, Bloomreach has strong content and analytics capabilities, Zeta excels in identity resolution, and Imagino enables real-time activation.
• Customer intelligence. Being a kind of “CDP plus” platform means they offer a single customer view with added flair.

Challenges:

• Niche focus. Some platforms may be inflexible or limited in their support for different business models.
• Limited support. There might be less documentation compared to larger vendors, and finding local agencies who know the platform can be a real challenge.
• Ad-hoc features. Smaller dev teams means features can sometimes feel bolted-on.

It’s worth noting that each platform in this space offers something unique in terms of features and focus areas. You’ll need to do your homework. Any reputable vendor will be happy to show you around the platform – just don’t let the sales pitch overrule your requirements.

Feature	Incumbent Hubs	CEPs	CEP to CDP
Integration	Tight integration with wider suites and clouds	Can require custom integrations	Designed for easier integration
Focus	Broad, all-in-one	Real-time, personalised engagement	Unified customer data & engagement
Channels	Wide range, but new channels can be harder to integrate	Mobile-first, easy access to many channels	Varies, often tailored to specific industries
Ease of Use	Can be complex, specialist skills needed	Intuitive interfaces	Easier interfaces, often NoSQL
Skills	Lots of skilled professionals available	Fewer skilled professionals	Limited support from local agencies
Offer Management	Strong	Limited	Varies
Innovation	Big R&D budgets, regular updates	Frequent feature releases, clear roadmaps	Can seem ad-hoc
Data	Robust data tools, SQL-based segmentation	Data ingestion can be tricky	Single customer view, customer intelligence
Pricing	Can be expensive, especially with add-ons	Often more affordable	Varies
Examples	Adobe Marketing Cloud, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, HubSpot, Oracle	Braze, Iterable, Zendesk, Twilio Segment	Bloomreach, Zeta, Imagino, Optimizely, Klaviyo
Best For	Large businesses needing scalability and suite integration	Businesses needing real-time, multi-channel engagement	Businesses needing unified data and tailored features

Practical Next Steps After Comparing Marketing Automation Platforms

Evaluate

Start with an honest look at what you already have. What’s working? What’s not? Run a capability audit on your current tech stack and data flows to understand what you’re capable of today, and what’s holding you back.

The goal is to identify gaps, overlaps, and quick wins, and bigger projects. Then you’ll know exactly where a new platform can add value, and be able to set KPIs for the project.

Prioritise

Use what you’ve learned to map your (already prioritised) business and technical requirements against the features you want in a marketing automation platform.
Using a MoSCoW matrix – Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won’t have – is a good place to start. Make sure to involve a broad cross-section of stakeholders so everyone agrees on what moves the needle for your customers and your team.

Engage

A trusted partner can provide unbiased advice and expert support throughout the project. They help you dodge the early decision missteps, navigate complex organisational change, develop processes and systems, and keep the project focused. Functionally, they help you validate options, run pilots, and build a roadmap that fits (or adapts) your culture, capabilities, processes, and budget.

Look for a local team with diverse skills and proven experience with similar challenges. Your project and business are unique. However, an experienced MarTech partner will bring relevant knowledge and skills to help you streamline the marketing automation platform comparison stage and get the right tech to power business growth.