Planning to implement marketing automation and considering Pardot? We advice to look at resembling software to make a decision.

When customers choose marketing automation app, most often they are looking for functionality for email builder, marketing lead database, website builder, lead nurturing, A etc.

Comparing Pardot with competitors users pay attention to the automation builder, marketing lead database, help desk, conversations, survey builder, segmentation, number of triggers and actions and so on.

We’ve made a list of top 10 competitors that are very similar in cost and features to Pardot. The list is based on similarity, so if Pardot doesn’t suit you in any way, here you can easily choose the best variant for you.

E2 Shop System

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We help shops and manufacturers of all kinds and sizes work smarter for improved efficiencies, greater flexibility and bigger profits.

ActiveCampaign

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ActiveCampaign is a platform that helps businesses automate customer experiences and build meaningful connections with their customers. Since 2003, ActiveCampaign has created tools that are both powerful and easy to use – because growing businesses don't always have the time to set up new tech. Today, 80,000+ businesses use ActiveCampaign for their email marketing, marketing automation, or CRM.

EZRentOut

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EZRentOut is a cloud based equipment rental software that helps you grow your rental business by simplifying equipment bookings, inventory management and order management.

Clever Reach

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CleverReach is an international e-mail marketing company. With their cloud-based solution they help companies around the world with the creation, mailing and analysis of e-mail marketing campaigns.

Listen360

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Listen360 serves multi-location brands across the world. Our customer engagement platform is the key to listening to and learning from your customers. Through metrics and insights, we help you leverage direct customer feedback to make your products and services more meaningful to the customers you serve.

BizMerlin

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BizMerlin is the AI powered HCM system for fast growing mid-sized enterprises that need to go beyond traditional HR and use best workforce planning tool available.

UpKeep

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UpKeep is the #1 mobile-first computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) on the market, developed to simplify work orders and asset management. We are positively impacting over 500,000 users around the world, from small businesses to large enterprises including Yamaha, McDonald's, Marriott, Ecolab, Anheuser-Busch, and Unilever!

SalesForce

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Salescloud CRM Platform is the world’s most complete sales application that takes the very best consumer technologies and puts them at the fingertips of today’s sales rep. Salesforce CRM arms sales executives with an extra knowledge that cannot be obtained if you were supposed to work on your own.

Optial SmartStart

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Optial supports all kinds of audits, including internal, external, business reviews, ad hoc, risk-based or checklist based audits.

Autopilot

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Autopilot is a cloud-based email marketing and marketing automation software platform that helps companies to connect their marketing systems, automate their marketing touchpoints, and convert more customers. Autopilot's built-in integrations to marketing, messaging, lead intelligence, and CRM tools allow marketers to message consistently using email, SMS, and physical mail.

Mumara

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Mumara is an advanced level web based Email Marketing/Blasting solution which enables the user to send high speed unlimited emails with custom criteria. Mumara includes everything which is required to a perfect mailer from sending to tracking. It allows you to manage your subscription lists and keep them categorized according to your requirement. It is built using highly optimized techniques which make the performance go unbelievably fast.

How to choose Pardot substitute

Many marketing automation tools are similar to each other. Platforms with identical features can differ in cost by 2 times. The first feature you should look at is the availability of funnel builder. This is a basic feature of marketing automation apps and if it doesn’t include this feature, most likely this app isn’t formed yet. All funnel builders look almost the same. It's important not to look at the UX, but pay attention to the functionality.

In a month, you'll get used to the UI, but the lack of features will always spite you. Changing marketing automation apps is very expensive. If you have the usual email set up, it's not that difficult to switch to another tool. But if you've already configured integrations, workflow, and have complex funnels, it can take months to change the tool. That's why you should be attentive to choosing an alternative.

What to look for when analyzing the automation builder? It has 4 important features categories.

1. Triggers. For instance, "Form submit" is a trigger that launches a business process. The most often used triggers are: opening an email, clicking a link in an email, reaching a goal, adding or removing a tag, closing a deal, visiting a page, etc. In each platform for marketing automation this set is different. The more, the better.
2. Action. For example, "Send email". This is the most simple action you can have. The most often used actions are: add or remove a tag, send a text message, send a messenger message, set a salesperson task, update a transaction, notify someone by email, move a transaction to another stage, etc.
3. Delay. For instance, "Wait 2 days. Customer fill in the form on the website and get in the marketing automation app (Trigger), the software sends a Welcome email (Action). Then the app waits 3 days (delay) and sends a second email. This is the most simple automation. But there are other options. For example, "Wait until something happens". Or wait until November 30th, or wait until 9 PM in the subscriber’s time zone.
4. If/else. For instance, "If a client, has the tag "Bought product #1", send the email, if the subscriber doesn't have the tag "Purchased product #1", wait 2 days and send the email. The most often used if/else parameters are: was on the site page, bought certain items, opened certain emails, user field the contact card matches some requirements. This is information according to which you can segment the contact base.

Analyzing the automation builder, you need to look carefully at all four categories of functions. The more, the better. Often it appears that good-working marketing automation software with the biggest number of features look uncomfortable. New systems look nice, but they have few functions. You need to the tool you plan to implement very deeply. Otherwise, it will be very painful to change it in the future.

Once you've analyzed the automation builder, you understand whether there are integrations with the apps you need. Fortunately, Apiway can help you. Usually, tools like Pardot are the center of business IT infrastructure. It's kind of digital hub for all your subscriber. This kind of software is like an octopus, which is putting its tentacles into other system. App like Pardot need to integrate with most other ones. Or you’ll have to waste a lot of money and time developing custom integrations.

Also those who are looking for alternatives to Pardot use tools from other categories like email marketing software, chat on website software, CRM system, lead management software