Finding the right CRM with built-in marketing automation is a commercially significant software decision for any growing business.
In this article, we explore the best CRM with marketing automation features that can help enhance your business operations.
When sales and marketing share data and automate lead nurturing, segmentation, and campaign tracking in one platform, teams work more efficiently.
Choosing the wrong system often means paying for separate tools that don't integrate well, leading to duplicated contacts and inconsistent reporting.
I evaluated 11 CRM platforms with genuine marketing automation features. Each was ranked based on automation depth, CRM usability, pricing, scalability, and fit for different business types.
Recommendations are based on pricing, product documentation, feature analysis, and hands-on evaluation. If you want contacts, pipelines, email sequences, lead scoring, and campaign workflows all in one place, this list will help you compare key options.
TL;DR: ActiveCampaign is the top pick for most businesses needing robust marketing automation inside a CRM. HubSpot is best for teams new to CRM. Brevo offers strong value for tight budgets. For ecommerce, Omnisend and Klaviyo stand out. When evaluating options, consider the best CRM with marketing automation that fits your specific business needs.
Ranked List
- 🏆 ActiveCampaign — Best for advanced customer journey automation.
- HubSpot — Best for all-in-one growth marketing.
- Brevo — Best for affordable multichannel campaigns.
- Omnisend — Best for ecommerce email automation.
- Salesforce Sales Cloud and Marketing Cloud — Best for enterprise-scale customer engagement.
- Zoho CRM — Best for budget-friendly business automation.
- Pipedrive — Best for sales-focused pipeline automation.
- Klaviyo — Best for data-driven ecommerce marketing.
- EngageBay — Best for startups needing affordability.
- HighLevel — Best for agencies managing clients.
- Freshsales — Best for AI-powered sales automation.
Quick Comparison Table of the Best CRM With Marketing Automation
| Platform | Best For | Starting Price (per month) | Free Plan | Automation Depth | CRM Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ActiveCampaign | Best overall automation + CRM | ~£23/mo (Starter) | No (14-day trial) | Advanced | Yes |
| HubSpot | Beginners and scaling teams | Free CRM; paid from ~£18/mo | Yes (limited) | Moderate to advanced | Yes |
| Brevo | Budget-conscious teams | Free; paid from ~£19/mo | Yes | Moderate | Yes |
| Omnisend | Ecommerce (Shopify/WooCommerce) | Free; paid from ~$16/mo | Yes | Ecommerce-focused | Basic |
| Salesforce | Enterprise/complex workflows | From ~£20/user/mo (Starter) | No (30-day trial) | Very advanced | Yes |
| Zoho CRM | Value and customisation | Free (3 users); paid from ~£12/mo | Yes (limited) | Moderate | Yes |
| Pipedrive | Sales-first teams | From ~£14/mo | No (14-day trial) | Basic to moderate | Yes |
| Klaviyo | Ecommerce (data-driven) | Free (250 contacts); paid from ~$20/mo | Yes | Ecommerce-focused | Basic |
| EngageBay | Budget all-in-one | Free; paid from ~$12.74/mo | Yes | Moderate | Yes |
| HighLevel | Agencies (white-label) | From $97/mo | No (14-day trial) | Advanced | Yes |
| Freshsales | Simple CRM + light automation | Free; paid from ~£7/mo | Yes | Basic to moderate | Yes |
Finding the best CRM with marketing automation software can significantly impact your sales performance.
1) ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign stands out in CRM and marketing automation software for its deep automation builder and a usable CRM pipeline.
Best for: Businesses needing advanced, multi-step marketing automation with integrated sales CRM and willing to invest time in setup.
Overview: ActiveCampaign combines email marketing, marketing automation, a visual CRM with pipeline management, lead scoring, site tracking, and SMS marketing.
The best CRM with marketing automation can automate repetitive tasks and improve efficiency.
The automation builder supports conditional logic, split actions, goal tracking, and predictive sending.
While not the simplest to learn, its automation capabilities at this price point are unmatched, making it the best CRM marketing automation software in our list.
Why it ranks here: No other marketing automation CRM platform in this range provides such granular automation alongside a functional CRM.
The visual automation builder supports complex, branching workflows responding to contact behaviour, deal stage changes, and custom fields.
This integrated approach removes the need for separate tools and avoids data sync issues.
Main features:
- Visual automation builder with 900+ pre-built recipes
- CRM with deal pipelines, win probability, and task management
- Lead and contact scoring
- Site and event tracking
- Conditional content in emails
- SMS marketing
- Landing pages (on higher plans)
- 950+ integrations
The best CRM with marketing automation allows for seamless integration of marketing campaigns.
Pros:
- Exceptional automation depth at mid-market pricing
- Usable CRM, not just an add-on
- Strong segmentation and tagging
- Good deliverability
- Large integration library
Cons:
- Steeper learning curve than tools like HubSpot or Brevo
- CRM features less mature than Salesforce or Pipedrive
- Landing page builder only on higher plans
- Contact-based pricing can become expensive as your list grows
- No free plan (14-day trial only)
Pricing/trial/refund note: Plans start from around £23 per month (Starter, billed annually) for up to 1,000 contacts. Pricing increases with contact count and feature tier. The CRM is included on all plans; advanced features require higher tiers.
A 14-day free trial is available. No permanent free plan. Check the official pricing page for current rates.
Choose it if: You want the most capable automation builder available without moving to enterprise pricing. Ideal for marketing teams needing complex, behaviour-driven workflows tied to a sales pipeline.
Avoid it if: You want a plug-and-play system with minimal setup, or your main need is a deep CRM email marketing automation with only basic email marketing.
2) HubSpot
HubSpot is the most recognised name in CRM and offers smooth onboarding for teams new to CRM and marketing automation.
Best for: Beginners and growing teams seeking an easy-to-use sales and marketing automation software CRM with scalable marketing tools.
Overview: HubSpot's free CRM covers contact management, deal tracking, email tracking, and basic forms. The Marketing Hub adds email automation, workflows, landing pages, ad tracking, social media tools, and reporting. All modules integrate well, allowing marketing, sales, and service data to flow through one system.
Why it ranks here: HubSpot balances usability and capability better than most competitors. The free tier enables quick adoption.
Paid Marketing Hub tiers provide real automation depth, including multi-step workflows, lead scoring, and attribution reporting. However, costs rise sharply after the Starter tier.
Main features:
- Free CRM with unlimited users
- Email marketing and automation workflows
- Landing pages and forms
- Lead scoring (Professional tier and above)
- Attribution reporting
- Ad management
- Blog and SEO tools
- 1,500+ integrations via App Marketplace
Pros:
Identifying the best CRM with marketing automation is essential for improving your marketing strategies.
When considering options, it's crucial to identify the best CRM with marketing automation that aligns with your goals.
- Excellent onboarding and learning resources
- Functional free CRM
- Intuitive interface
- Strong integration ecosystem
- Robust reporting and attribution on higher plans
Cons:
- Pricing jumps significantly from Starter to Professional (from £18/mo to £700+/mo)
- Marketing contacts model can be confusing and costly
- Advanced automation is only on higher tiers
- Annual contracts are standard for higher plans
- Migrating away can be complex due to ecosystem lock-in
Pricing/trial/refund note: The free CRM is available indefinitely. Marketing Hub Starter starts at about £18 per month. Professional begins at around £702 per month (billed annually). Pricing is based on marketing contacts.
A 14-day free trial is available for some features. Always check HubSpot's website for up-to-date pricing.
Choose it if: You want a small business CRM with marketing automation your team will adopt and plan to expand into sales, service, and CMS tools under one vendor.
Avoid it if: You need advanced automation on a limited budget, as the jump from Starter to Professional is substantial.
3) Brevo
Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is a strong option for teams needing CRM, email marketing, and automation on a limited budget.
Best for: Budget-conscious small businesses and freelancers seeking email marketing, automation, and CRM in one package.
Overview: Brevo provides a free plan with unlimited contacts (limited by email sends), a built-in CRM with pipeline management, transactional email, SMS and WhatsApp campaigns, and a marketing automation builder.
Automation workflows include lead scoring, if/then branching, and behaviour-triggered sequences.
Why it ranks here: Brevo avoids the common cost trap of contact-based pricing.
You pay based on email volume, not list size, so growing your database doesn't automatically increase costs.
The CRM is basic but covers the essentials.
Main features:
- CRM with deal pipelines and task management
- Email marketing with drag-and-drop builder
- Marketing automation with visual workflow editor
- SMS and WhatsApp marketing
- Transactional email and SMTP relay
- Landing pages (on Business plan)
- Lead scoring
- Segmentation and contact management
Pros:
- Unlimited contacts on all plans, including free
- Predictable, volume-based pricing
- Solid automation for the price
- Multi-channel (email, SMS, WhatsApp)
- GDPR-friendly with EU data hosting
Cons:
- CRM is less advanced than dedicated platforms
- Automation logic is simpler than ActiveCampaign
- Free plan includes Brevo branding and a 300 email/day limit
- Reporting is basic compared to HubSpot or Salesforce
- Landing page builder is on higher plans only
Pricing/trial/refund note: The free plan allows 300 emails per day with unlimited contacts. Starter begins at around £19 per month for 5,000 emails. Business plans start from about £49 per month, adding automation, landing pages, and A/B testing.
Check Brevo's pricing page for current details.
Choose it if: You have a tight budget, a large contact list, and need email, automation, and basic CRM without per-contact fees.
Avoid it if: You require advanced CRM features, deep reporting, or complex automation workflows.
4) Omnisend
Omnisend is purpose-built for ecommerce and offers pre-built automation workflows for online stores on Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and similar platforms.
Best for: Small to mid-sized ecommerce stores seeking revenue-focused automation without complex setup.
Overview: Omnisend combines email marketing CRM, SMS, push notifications, and basic customer profiles in a single platform for online retailers. Its automation library covers abandoned cart recovery, welcome series, browse abandonment, order follow-ups, and re-engagement sequences.
The CRM features are lighter than traditional CRM automation software, but segmentation and purchase-behaviour tracking fit ecommerce needs well. The marketing automation platform with CRM integrates deeply with major ecommerce platforms, pulling in product, order, and browsing data for segmentation and personalisation.
Main features:
- Pre-built ecommerce automation workflows
- Email, SMS, and web push notifications
- Product recommender blocks in emails
- Customer lifecycle segmentation
- Revenue attribution per campaign and automation
- Direct integrations with Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Wix
- A/B testing
- Pop-ups and signup forms
Pros:
- Fast setup for ecommerce automation
- Free plan includes basic automation
- Strong revenue reporting and attribution
- Simple, clean interface
- Good Shopify and WooCommerce integration
Cons:
- Minimal CRM automation software features compared to general-purpose CRMs
- Not suitable for B2B, services, or non-ecommerce businesses
- SMS pricing is separate and can add up
- Advanced segmentation requires higher plans
- Limited deal pipeline or sales team features
Pricing/trial/refund note: Free plan includes up to 250 contacts, 500 emails per month, and basic automation. Standard plans start at about $16 per month for 500 contacts. Pricing is in USD; UK users should consider exchange rates and VAT. Always check Omnisend's pricing page for current figures.
Choose it if: You run an ecommerce store and want to set up key automations quickly with minimal technical effort.
Avoid it if: You need a full-featured CRM automation software with deal pipelines, B2B lead management, or non-ecommerce workflows.
5) Salesforce Sales Cloud And Marketing Cloud
Salesforce is the industry standard for enterprise CRM, offering highly configurable automation and reporting, but at a complexity and price point that excludes most small businesses.
Best for: Mid-market and enterprise organisations with dedicated admin resources seeking advanced CRM and multi-channel marketing automation.
Overview: Salesforce Sales Cloud delivers deep CRM functionality, including pipeline management, forecasting, territory management, and custom objects. Marketing Cloud adds journey building, email automation, audience segmentation, advertising studio integration, and analytics.
Together, these form a powerful CRM and marketing automation solution, but setup and ongoing management require significant investment. Salesforce is the benchmark for CRM depth and customisation, supporting complex workflows across sales, marketing, service, and custom processes.
Main features:
- Fully customisable CRM with custom objects and fields
- Journey Builder for multi-step, multi-channel campaigns
- Lead scoring and grading
- Advanced reporting and dashboards
- AppExchange marketplace with thousands of integrations
- AI-powered features via Einstein
- Territory and forecast management
- Data Cloud for unified customer profiles
Pros:
- Unmatched CRM customisation and depth
- Scales to any business size or complexity
- Extensive integration ecosystem
- Strong compliance and security credentials
- Advanced analytics and AI features
Cons:
- Expensive, especially when combining Sales Cloud and Marketing Cloud
- Complex setup requires admin or consultant support
- Marketing Cloud pricing is opaque and usually requires a sales conversation
- High lock-in due to customisation
- Overkill for small businesses and solo operators
Pricing/trial/refund note: Sales Cloud Starter starts at about £20 per user per month. Professional and Enterprise tiers are higher. Marketing Cloud pricing varies and typically requires a quote. A 30-day free trial is available for Sales Cloud. Verify current pricing directly with Salesforce.
Overall, the best CRM with marketing automation serves as a backbone for sales and marketing teams aiming to optimise their processes.
Avoid it if: You are a small team or solo operator without the budget or resources for complex setup and ongoing administration.
6) Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM combines depth, flexibility, and value, making it a cost-effective option for businesses wanting robust CRM features with marketing automation.
Best for: Small to mid-sized businesses seeking a customisable CRM with integrated marketing automation at a competitive price.
Overview: Zoho CRM offers pipeline management, lead scoring, workflow rules, email marketing, segmentation, and analytics. For deeper marketing automation, Zoho Marketing Automation (formerly Zoho MarketingHub) is available as part of Zoho One, which bundles 40+ apps for a single per-user price.
The CRM includes basic automation rules, blueprint process management, and integrations with Zoho Campaigns for email marketing. The Zoho ecosystem is both its strength and a source of complexity.
Zoho CRM delivers more CRM depth per pound than most competitors. The free plan supports up to three users, and paid plans are competitively priced. The ability to add tools like social media, helpdesk, and invoicing within the Zoho ecosystem is a key advantage.
Main features:
- CRM with deal pipelines, forecasting, and territories
- Workflow automation and blueprint process management
- Lead scoring and assignment rules
- Email integration and basic email marketing
- Segmentation and custom modules
- Zoho One ecosystem access (40+ apps)
- AI assistant (Zia) for predictions and anomaly detection
- REST API and custom functions
Pros:
- Very competitive pricing
- Free plan for up to three users
- Deep customisation options
- Large ecosystem of connected Zoho apps
- Good for businesses wanting to stay within one vendor
Cons:
- Interface can feel dated compared to HubSpot or Pipedrive
- Marketing automation requires separate Zoho products or Zoho One
- Learning curve increases with multiple Zoho apps
- Support quality varies by plan
- Some advanced features less polished than single-purpose competitors
Pricing/trial/refund note: Free plan supports up to three users with basic CRM features. Standard plans start from about £12 per user per month (billed annually). Zoho One bundles all apps for about £37 per user per month. A 15-day free trial is available. Confirm pricing and VAT on Zoho's website.
Choose it if: You want a customisable CRM with a broad ecosystem at a lower price and are comfortable with initial setup and configuration.
Avoid it if: You need a simple, all-in-one platform that works out of the box without navigating multiple products.
7) Pipedrive
Pipedrive is built for sales teams, with marketing automation available through add-ons and integrations rather than as a core feature.
Best for: Sales-focused teams needing an intuitive pipeline CRM, willing to add marketing automation via integrations.
Overview: Pipedrive’s visual pipeline is among the cleanest in the CRM market. Drag-and-drop deal management, activity-based selling, and clear reporting make it popular with sales teams focused on closing.
Marketing automation is not native to Pipedrive, but the Campaigns add-on provides basic email marketing. Integrations with tools like Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, and Zapier extend automation capabilities.
Pipedrive suits teams prioritising sales process management who plan to add marketing tools via integrations. The core product remains fast and usable by focusing on sales functions.
Main features:
- Visual sales pipeline with drag-and-drop deals
- Activity-based selling methodology
- Email tracking and templates
- Campaigns add-on for basic email marketing
- Workflow automation for sales tasks
- LeadBooster add-on (chatbot, web forms, prospector)
- Smart Docs for proposals
- 400+ integrations via Marketplace and Zapier
Pros:
- Excellent sales pipeline usability
- Fast setup, minimal learning curve
- Clean, focused interface
- Good mobile app
- Strong fit for small sales teams
Cons:
- Marketing automation requires add-ons or integrations
- Campaigns add-on is basic compared to dedicated email tools
- No free plan
- Reporting is adequate but not as deep as HubSpot or Salesforce
- Not ideal for teams focused mainly on marketing automation
Pricing/trial/refund note: Plans start at about £14 per user per month (Essential plan, billed annually). Advanced and Professional plans offer more automation and reporting. The Campaigns add-on is priced separately. A 14-day free trial is available. Check Pipedrive's pricing for current details.
Choose it if: You need a clean, usable sales CRM and are happy to connect third-party tools for marketing automation.
Avoid it if: You require robust, built-in marketing automation without relying on add-ons or separate platforms.
8) Klaviyo
Klaviyo is the leading email and SMS marketing automation platform for data-driven ecommerce brands, especially those on Shopify, with CRM-like customer profiles built for retail.
Best for: Ecommerce brands seeking advanced segmentation, predictive analytics, and revenue attribution tied directly to purchase data.
Overview: Klaviyo pulls in real-time ecommerce data to drive targeted email and SMS automation. Customer profiles include purchase history, browsing behaviour, predicted lifetime value, and churn risk scores.
The automation builder supports branching logic, A/B testing, and conditional splits based on ecommerce events. While not a traditional CRM, Klaviyo's customer data and segmentation go deeper than many general CRM tools for ecommerce.
Klaviyo’s core strength is its data engine, building rich customer profiles and using predictive modelling to identify high-value customers, likely churners, and optimal send times.
Main features:
- Ecommerce-native customer profiles
- Predictive analytics (CLV, churn risk, next order date)
- Email and SMS automation with branching workflows
- Dynamic product recommendations
- Revenue attribution per flow and campaign
- Deep Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce integration
- Signup forms and pop-ups
- A/B and multivariate testing
Pros:
- Excellent ecommerce segmentation and predictive analytics
- Detailed, actionable revenue reporting
- Deep Shopify integration
- Free plan for small lists
- Strong community and learning resources
Cons:
- Not a general-purpose CRM (no deal pipelines or sales team features)
- Pricing rises quickly as lists grow
- Primarily USD pricing; UK users must consider exchange rates
- SMS costs are separate and vary by region
- Less suitable for B2B or service-based businesses
Pricing/trial/refund note: Free plan covers up to 250 contacts and 500 email sends per month. Paid plans start from about $20 per month for 251 to 500 contacts. Pricing increases with list size; SMS is priced separately. All pricing is in USD. Check Klaviyo’s pricing calculator for current rates.
Choose it if: You run an ecommerce store, especially on Shopify, and want advanced segmentation and predictive customer analytics in your marketing automation.
Avoid it if: You need a traditional CRM with pipelines, deal tracking, or B2B lead management.
9) EngageBay
EngageBay positions itself as an affordable HubSpot alternative. It bundles CRM, marketing automation, helpdesk, and live chat into one platform at a lower price point.
Best for: Small businesses and startups that need an all-in-one CRM with marketing automation and can't justify HubSpot's pricing.
Overview: EngageBay includes a CRM with deal tracking, email marketing, landing pages, web forms, automation workflows, live chat, and a helpdesk module. The automation builder supports sequences, lead scoring, and tag-based segmentation.
It covers a wide range of features for the price. Individual components are less refined than those of dedicated tools.
For teams needing the basics of CRM, marketing, and support in one affordable platform, EngageBay fills a clear gap.
Why it ranks here: EngageBay offers more features per pound than any other all-in-one platform on this list. The free plan supports up to 250 contacts with email marketing and CRM access.
Paid plans are priced well below HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, and Salesforce equivalents. The trade-off is polish: the interface, automation builder, and reporting are functional but not as slick or deep as higher-priced competitors.
Main features:
- CRM with deal pipelines and contact management
- Email marketing with templates and sequences
- Visual automation builder
- Landing pages and web forms
- Lead scoring
- Live chat and helpdesk
- Appointment scheduling
- Social media management (on higher plans)
Pros:
- Very affordable, even on paid plans
- Free plan includes CRM, email, and basic automation
- All-in-one platform reduces tool sprawl
- Helpdesk and live chat included
- No per-contact pricing surprises on lower tiers
Cons:
- Interface feels less polished than competitors
- Automation builder is functional but limited in complexity
- Reporting is basic
- Smaller integration library than HubSpot or ActiveCampaign
- Support responsiveness can vary
Pricing/trial/refund note: The free plan supports up to 250 contacts with basic CRM and email marketing. Paid plans start from approximately $12.74 per user per month (Basic, billed biennially).
Growth and Pro plans add more automation, reporting, and contact capacity. Pricing is in USD. Check EngageBay's website for the latest rates.
Choose it if: You are on a strict budget and need CRM, marketing automation, and support tools in one place without paying HubSpot or ActiveCampaign prices.
Avoid it if: You need advanced automation workflows, deep reporting, or a polished user experience that matches premium platforms.
10) HighLevel
HighLevel is a white-label marketing automation and CRM platform built for agencies. It allows agencies to offer CRM, funnels, email, SMS, and automation to their clients under their own brand.
Best for: Marketing agencies that need a white-label CRM and automation platform to resell or manage for multiple client accounts.
Overview: HighLevel bundles CRM, pipeline management, email and SMS marketing, funnel builders, booking calendars, reputation management, and automation workflows into a single platform. Agencies can brand it as their own and replace multiple tools like ClickFunnels, Mailchimp, and Calendly.
The automation builder supports triggers from forms, calls, SMS replies, booking actions, and pipeline stage changes.
Why it ranks here: HighLevel offers more value for agencies managing multiple client accounts than any other platform on this list. Agencies can white-label the platform, create sub-accounts for each client, and manage everything from a single dashboard.
Understanding the best CRM with marketing automation tools is essential for maintaining effective customer relationships. For individual business owners or non-agency users, the interface is complex and the pricing only makes sense when spread across multiple clients.
Main features:
- White-label CRM and client portal
- Funnel and landing page builder
- Email, SMS, and voicemail drop automation
- Pipeline management with deal tracking
- Booking and calendar system
- Reputation management (review requests)
- Membership site builder
- Multi-location and sub-account management
Pros:
- Best white-label option for agencies
- Replaces multiple standalone tools
- Unlimited contacts and sub-accounts on Agency plan
- Active community and template library
- Funnel builder is competent for the price
Cons:
- Interface has a steep learning curve
- Not designed for single-business use
- Email deliverability requires careful setup (uses LC Email or Mailgun)
- Support quality is inconsistent based on user reports
- Starting price of $97/mo is high for a single business
Pricing/trial/refund note: The Starter plan is $97 per month. The Agency Unlimited plan is $297 per month and includes unlimited sub-accounts and white-labelling.
A 14-day free trial is available. All pricing is in USD. Check HighLevel's website for the latest pricing and trial terms.
Choose it if: You run a marketing agency and want to consolidate client CRM, automation, funnels, and communications under one white-label platform.
Avoid it if: You are a single business owner looking for a simple CRM with marketing automation. HighLevel's complexity and pricing structure are built for multi-client agency use.
11) Freshsales
Freshsales, part of the Freshworks suite, is a lightweight CRM with built-in email, phone, and basic automation. It suits teams that value simplicity over feature depth.
Best for: Small teams that need a simple, affordable CRM with light automation and built-in communication tools.
Overview: Freshsales includes contact and deal management, a built-in phone dialler, email tracking, basic workflow automation, AI-powered lead scoring (Freddy AI), and a visual sales pipeline. Marketing automation is lighter than ActiveCampaign or HubSpot, but it covers the basics for teams focused on CRM with email sequences and task automation.
Deeper marketing capabilities are available through Freshmarketer, a separate product in the Freshworks ecosystem.
Why it ranks here: Freshsales is a solid choice for teams that want CRM first, with just enough automation for follow-up sequences, task assignments, and lead routing. Built-in phone and email features reduce the need for separate communication tools.
The free plan is generous for very small teams.
Main features:
- CRM with visual pipeline and deal management
- Built-in phone, email, and chat
- AI lead scoring (Freddy AI)
- Workflow automation for sales processes
- Contact lifecycle stages
- Custom fields and modules
- Integration with Freshmarketer for deeper marketing
- Mobile app
Pros:
- Very affordable starting price
- Built-in phone and email reduce tool count
- Clean, simple interface
- Free plan for up to three users
- AI lead scoring available on paid plans
Cons:
- Marketing automation is basic compared to most tools on this list
- Deeper marketing requires a separate Freshmarketer subscription
- Reporting is adequate but not advanced
- Integration library is smaller than HubSpot or Salesforce
- Less suitable for teams where marketing automation is the primary requirement
Pricing/trial/refund note: The free plan supports up to three users with basic CRM features. Growth plans start from approximately £7 per user per month (billed annually).
Pro and Enterprise plans add workflow automation, AI scoring, and custom modules. A 21-day free trial is available for paid plans. Check Freshworks' pricing page for current rates, as plan names and features may change.
Choose it if: You need an affordable, easy-to-use CRM with built-in phone and email, and your automation needs are straightforward.
Avoid it if: Marketing automation is your primary requirement. Freshsales' automation is light, and adding Freshmarketer increases both cost and complexity.
How To Choose A CRM With Marketing Automation
With the best CRM with marketing automation, you can streamline your marketing processes effectively. The best CRM with marketing automation enhances your ability to track leads and analyse customer behaviour. Picking the right platform means matching the tool to your actual business needs. Don't just pick the one with the longest feature list or the most impressive demo.
Start With Your Actual Use Case
A B2B consultancy managing 200 leads has different requirements from a Shopify store with 50,000 customers. Define what you need automated before comparing features.
If your priority is abandoned cart emails and post-purchase sequences, an ecommerce-focused tool like Omnisend or Klaviyo is a better fit. If you need pipeline management with email nurturing for a sales team, ActiveCampaign or HubSpot will serve you better.
Check Contact Limits And Upgrade Triggers
Many CRM platforms price by contact count, and costs can rise quickly as your database grows. Understand what triggers a price increase: some platforms count every contact, while others only count “marketing contacts” or active profiles.
Brevo's email-volume pricing avoids the contact trap. HubSpot's marketing contacts model can catch teams off guard if they don't actively manage which contacts count towards billing.
Review Automation Depth, Not Just Workflow Count
The number of pre-built automation templates matters less than what the automation builder actually lets you do. Check if the platform supports conditional branching, if/then logic, split testing within workflows, wait conditions based on behaviour, and multi-channel triggers like email, SMS, site visits, and form submissions.
ActiveCampaign leads here. EngageBay and Brevo cover the basics. HubSpot's depth depends on your pricing tier.
Assess Reporting, Attribution And Sales Visibility
Automation is only valuable if you can measure what it produces. Look for revenue attribution per workflow, campaign-level ROI tracking, and pipeline reporting that connects marketing activity to closed deals.
HubSpot and Salesforce provide the deepest attribution. Klaviyo offers strong revenue reporting for ecommerce. Pipedrive focuses on sales reporting but lacks marketing attribution natively.
Consider Lock-In, Migration And Data Portability
Switching CRM platforms is difficult. Before committing, check how easy it is to export your contact data, automation workflows, and email templates.
HubSpot and Salesforce create deep ecosystems that are hard to leave. ActiveCampaign and Brevo are easier to migrate away from. Zoho's ecosystem can create its own form of lock-in if you adopt multiple Zoho products.
Always verify that you can export contacts, deal history, and activity logs in a standard format (CSV at minimum).
Verify UK Pricing, VAT And Compliance Fit
Several platforms price in USD, so UK buyers need to account for exchange rate changes and potential VAT charges. Confirm whether the platform offers GBP billing, EU/UK data hosting, and GDPR-compliant features like consent management and data deletion requests.
Brevo and Zoho offer EU data hosting. HubSpot and ActiveCampaign provide GDPR tools but host mainly in the US unless specified. Salesforce offers UK data residency options on higher plans.
Always check the current terms rather than assuming compliance is included.
How The Tools Were Ranked
This guide to the best CRM with marketing automation is for small business owners, digital marketers, ecommerce operators, freelancers, and agencies in the UK and beyond. Every platform on this list was evaluated against the same set of criteria, weighted by relevance to the core question: which CRM with marketing automation best serves different types of users?
Automation Capability
This carried the most weight. I assessed the depth of each platform's automation builder, including conditional logic, branching, multi-channel triggers, lead scoring, and the ability to create workflows that respond to real customer behaviour.
ActiveCampaign and Salesforce scored highest here. Pipedrive and Freshsales scored lowest due to limited native automation.
CRM Depth And Pipeline Usability
A CRM that is difficult to use gets abandoned. I evaluated pipeline visibility, deal management, contact record depth, activity tracking, and how naturally marketing data connects to sales processes.
Salesforce leads on depth, Pipedrive on usability, and HubSpot on the balance between the two. Ecommerce-focused tools like Omnisend and Klaviyo scored lower because their CRM features are minimal by design.
Pricing Reality And Value
Published pricing was compared across tiers, with attention to what is actually included at each level and what triggers upgrade costs. Contact limits, email send caps, feature gating, add-on pricing, and renewal terms all factored in.
Brevo, EngageBay, and Zoho ranked well on value. HubSpot's large pricing jump between Starter and Professional reduced its value score for growing teams.
Ease Of Setup And Day-To-Day Use
I considered onboarding experience, interface clarity, documentation quality, and how quickly a typical small team could get the platform running.
HubSpot, Pipedrive, and Freshsales scored highest for ease of use. Salesforce and HighLevel scored lowest due to setup complexity.
Scalability, Integrations And Support
The ability to grow without outgrowing the platform matters. I evaluated integration ecosystems, API access, the availability of add-ons, support quality by plan tier, and whether the platform can handle increasing contact volumes and workflow complexity without requiring a complete migration.
HubSpot, Salesforce, and ActiveCampaign offer the strongest long-term scalability. EngageBay and Omnisend have more limited ceilings.
Final Verdict
Choosing the right CRM with marketing automation depends on your business type, budget, team size, and what you need the automation to do.
Best Overall
ActiveCampaign. It offers the deepest marketing automation available at mid-market pricing, paired with a functional CRM that covers pipeline management, lead scoring, and deal tracking. If you need one platform for both marketing automation and sales CRM, this is where to start.
Best For Beginners
HubSpot. The free CRM is genuinely useful, the interface is the most intuitive on this list, and the learning resources are best in class. Be aware of the pricing jump if you need to move beyond Starter.
Best For Ecommerce
Omnisend is ideal for ease and speed of setup. Klaviyo excels in advanced segmentation and predictive analytics.
Both are purpose-built for online stores. They outperform general CRMs at ecommerce-specific workflows such as abandoned cart recovery and post-purchase sequences.
Best For Budget-Conscious Teams
Brevo suits teams with larger contact lists that want to avoid per-contact pricing. EngageBay is a good fit for those seeking an all-in-one platform—CRM, marketing, and helpdesk—at a low cost.
Both offer free plans with functional CRM and automation features.
Best For Enterprise And Complex Workflows
Salesforce stands out for customisation depth, reporting capabilities, and managing complex, multi-team workflows. The cost, implementation time, and admin overhead are significant, but for organisations needing high control, it remains unmatched.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are common questions about CRM platforms with built-in marketing automation.
Which CRM platforms offer the strongest built-in email marketing and automation features?
ActiveCampaign provides advanced automation with branching logic, conditional content, and lead scoring alongside its CRM. HubSpot delivers strong email marketing and automation on its Professional tier and above.
Brevo includes email marketing on all plans, including the free tier, with automation workflows from the Business plan.
What is the most suitable CRM with marketing automation for a small business with limited budget?
Brevo and EngageBay are strong options for small businesses on tight budgets. Brevo offers unlimited contacts with volume-based email pricing.
EngageBay provides a free plan with CRM, email marketing, and basic automation. Both avoid per-contact pricing, which can make tools like HubSpot and ActiveCampaign more expensive as lists grow.
Which CRM tools provide a free plan or trial that includes automation workflows?
HubSpot, Brevo, EngageBay, Omnisend, Klaviyo, Zoho CRM, and Freshsales all offer free plans, though automation depth varies. HubSpot's free plan includes basic automation.
Brevo and EngageBay include workflow automation on their free tiers, subject to contact or feature limits. ActiveCampaign, Pipedrive, HighLevel, and Salesforce offer free trials but no permanent free plan.
How do I compare CRM automation features such as segmentation, lead scoring and drip campaigns?
Evaluate the automation builder’s logic (branching, conditions, wait steps), segmentation options (behavioural, demographic, custom fields), and availability of lead scoring on your pricing tier.
ActiveCampaign and HubSpot Professional offer all three natively. Zoho CRM includes lead scoring from the Professional plan. Freshsales and Pipedrive provide basic scoring but have limited automation branching.
Which integrations should I look for between a CRM and marketing automation tools (for example, website forms and e-commerce)?
Look for native integrations with your website platform, form builders, payment processors, and email provider. For ecommerce, ensure the CRM can pull in order data, browsing behaviour, and product information.
HubSpot and ActiveCampaign have large general integration libraries. Omnisend and Klaviyo offer the deepest ecommerce platform integrations.
What are the typical costs and limitations when scaling marketing automation within a CRM?
The main cost drivers are contact list growth, email send volume, and feature tier upgrades. Platforms like ActiveCampaign and HubSpot raise prices as your contact count increases.
HubSpot's pricing jump from Starter to Professional is significant, moving from around £18 per month to over £700 per month. Brevo takes a different approach, charging based on email volume rather than contact numbers.
Before committing, review which features are only available on higher tiers. Key functions like lead scoring, A/B testing, and advanced reporting are often restricted to more expensive plans.
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Hi, I’m Stuart Kerr Spindlow; the publisher behind StuartKerrs.com.
I review and evaluate digital marketing software used by businesses, marketers, and website owners; including hosting platforms, website builders, email marketing tools, SEO software, analytics, and automation systems.
I hold a degree in Computer Science from The Open University and began my career working in financial technology, developing and supporting production software systems, banking intranets, and web platforms. Over the past 20+ years, I’ve tested, implemented, and analysed a wide range of digital tools across real-world business environments.
Today, this site focuses on independent, experience-led software reviews. Tools are assessed based on usability, performance, pricing transparency, long-term value, and suitability for real businesses; not vendor claims or sponsorships.
I don’t run an agency and I don’t sell services through this site. The goal is simple: publish honest, practical software reviews that help people choose the right tools with confidence.
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