The Complete Marketing Automation Buyer's Guide
Independently reviewed. 100 tools compared. Updated January 2026.
Buyer's Guide
1What marketing automation actually does
Marketing automation sends the right message to the right person at the right time automatically. It covers email sequences, lead scoring, behaviour-triggered campaigns, and CRM updates based on contact actions. The key is that it runs without manual intervention once configured.
2The 5 things to evaluate before choosing
First, assess trigger and condition depth for if-then logic. Second, check CRM integration or built-in CRM capability. Third, evaluate contact scoring and sales alert features. Fourth, test the landing page and form builder. Fifth, research the platform deliverability reputation.
3Questions to ask every vendor
What is the deliverability rate across your customer base? Can automations be migrated from my current platform? What happens to my data on cancellation? Are there limits on automation steps or trigger events?
4Mistakes that cost companies money
Choosing a tool with more features than the team can operationalise. Not testing deliverability before migrating the full list. Underestimating time to build effective automation sequences. Choosing on subscriber cost alone without checking which features are in each tier.
Top 10 Tools
Editorial picks. Not paid placements. Affiliate Disclosure