I Tried All Pardot Alternatives For You: Top 8 Picks (2025)

Ever built a simple automation in Pardot and felt like it took way more steps than it should? A lot of teams ended up in the same spot. Pardot had power, but it also came with a heavy setup, slow workflows, and a level of complexity that didn’t always match what day-to-day marketing teams actually needed.

And now, with Pardot being folded into Marketing Cloud, the uncertainty around its future isn’t helping. Users are dealing with slower updates, more enterprise-oriented features, and rising costs tied to the larger Salesforce ecosystem.

The good news: you don’t have to stay inside that bubble.

There are tools that give you the same (or better) automation capabilities, without the steep learning curve, the extra fees, or the “ask your Salesforce admin” bottleneck.

In this guide, we’ll break down the best Pardot alternatives – including simpler options, more flexible platforms, and one pick that matches what most Pardot users wished the product had become.

Let’s dive in.

TLDR: Top Pardot Alternatives

#	Alternative	Best For	Top Feature	Free Tier?	Starting Price
1	Encharge	Marketing automation & behavior-based emails	Visual Flow Builder	No	$79
2	HubSpot	All-in-one CRM + marketing	CRM + automation in one place	Yes	$0
3	ActiveCampaign	Advanced automations	Workflow builder	No	$15
4	Klaviyo	Ecommerce email + SMS	AI segmentation	Yes	$0
5	Brevo	Budget marketing automation	Multi-channel marketing	Yes	$0
6	Marketo	Enterprise B2B automation	Deep lead scoring	No	Custom
7	Mailchimp	Simple email campaigns	Easy email builder	Yes	$0
8	Zoho Marketing Automation	SMBs on Zoho CRM	Unlimited emails per plan	No	$20

Enough with all the summaries.

Let’s get going with the full guide!

What is Pardot?

Answer: Pardot was Salesforce’s B2B marketing automation platform. It handled things like email campaigns, lead nurturing, behavior tracking, scoring, and automated workflows built on top of Salesforce CRM data.

For years, it was the go to tool for companies that needed strong alignment between marketing and sales, especially in industries where Salesforce is the central system of record.

Today, Pardot is no longer a standalone product. Salesforce folded it into Marketing Cloud under the new name Account Engagement, which shifted its roadmap, pricing, and focus toward larger enterprise use cases.

What Pardot Offers (or used to)

For companies already deep in the Salesforce ecosystem, Pardot originally promised a unified view of prospects across marketing and sales.

It’s still capable, but the experience hasn’t evolved much over time — and that’s exactly why many teams have started looking elsewhere.

1. Salesforce-Connected Automation
   Pardot’s biggest strength has always been its tight link to Salesforce. It can trigger automations based on CRM activity, assign leads, update fields, and pass engagement data directly to sales teams.
2. Lead Scoring & Grading
   Pardot lets you score prospects based on engagement and grade them based on fit. It’s useful for B2B teams that want a clearer sense of which leads are actually worth passing to sales.
3. Multi-Step Nurture Campaigns
   Using Engagement Studio, you can build multi-path workflows to nurture leads over time. These flows support branching logic, time delays, and behavior-based steps.

Now, this raises the question…

Why Look For a Pardot Alternative?

Most teams don’t leave Pardot because it’s “bad.” They leave because it slowly stopped matching what day to day marketing teams actually need.

1. Laggy Salesforce integration

Many users report that Pardot doesn’t sync smoothly or consistently with Salesforce anymore. As one Reddit commenter put it:

“Sync delays with Salesforce and really poor automating choices make it a nightmare to keep up with reporting standards for the team.”

That means lead data, activity logs or campaign results aren’t always updating when they should — which wipes out one of the main reasons people went for Pardot: clean CRM-marketing alignment. When sync feels unreliable, marketing and sales teams end up working distrustfully or manually, defeating the purpose of automation.

Source: Reddit

2. Platform feels abandoned

Many users call the interface ugly, counterintuitive or “like 2012”.

Even simple tasks (sending an email, building a workflow) can feel overly complex or sluggish. Some describe it as “a nightmare” to use for regular marketing work.

For modern teams, especially smaller or scaling ones, this kind of friction kills velocity. You end up spending more time fighting the tool than using it.

Source: Reddit 1, Reddit 2, Reddit 3

3. High cost for low value

Pardot is often described as “the most expensive item in our tech stack”. The complaints aren’t only about the license price:

• Additional hidden fees (or “consulting/setup” costs) often show up.
• As your contact list grows or you need more automation, costs rise steeply.
• Compared to newer tools, many teams feel they’re paying for heavy infrastructure and complexity they no longer need.

That makes Pardot a tough sell when lighter, cheaper alternatives offer 80-90% of its functionality, with way less hassle.

Source: Reddit, Trustpilot

… And all of this makes people switch

Pardot once delivered serious value by combining Salesforce CRM + marketing automation. But over time, that value became more about legacy inertia than active benefit. Sync issues, hidden costs, outdated UI, and stagnation turned “enterprise-grade automation” into “expensive legacy burden.”

So lots of folks aren’t going after new features. They just want: something that works cleanly with Salesforce, doesn’t fight them every time they build a flow, doesn’t surprise them with costs, and keeps getting better.

That’s why we believe tools like Encharge (built around real-world marketing needs, not legacy baggage) are catching on with former Pardot users much faster these days.

Listed: 8 Best Pardot Alternatives for Better Email Automation

Currently, these are the best Pardot alternatives: Encharge, HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, Klaviyo, Brevo, Marketo, Mailchimp, Zoho.

Let’s explore them one by one!

1. Encharge

Pardot users are going through a strange transition right now. The product is being pulled deeper into Marketing Cloud, updates are slower, and everything feels a bit heavier than it used to. A lot of teams are suddenly asking the same question: “Is this still the right tool for us?”

That’s one of the reasons Encharge keeps showing up in conversations. It feels like the direction Pardot should have gone — modern, fast, clean automation with a Salesforce sync you don’t have to babysit, and pricing that makes sense as you grow.

If you’ve ever felt like Pardot required a Salesforce admin just to update a nurture flow, Encharge is the opposite experience. It gives marketing teams control again, without the enterprise weight or onboarding fees.

→ Encharge x Salesforce Integration Page

Why Choose Encharge Over Pardot?

Pardot’s core idea is strong, but the complexity, slow UI, and Salesforce dependency make it tough for teams that want to move fast. Encharge keeps the power, without the friction.

Encharge gives you visual, behavior-based automation that’s actually enjoyable to work with. You get a clean flow builder, clear reporting, and the freedom to build campaigns without waiting on an admin.

Unlike Pardot, you won’t run into onboarding fees, consulting packages, or hidden add-ons. Pricing is simple, predictable, and doesn’t explode when your contact list grows.

Support is another major difference: Encharge responds quickly, with real humans, on every plan. No long waits, no checking back the next day — just straightforward help when you need it.

Here’s what most teams coming from Pardot love about the switch:

• Reliable Salesforce two-way sync – Simple to set up, fast, and consistent.
• No onboarding fees – Get going without paying for “implementation.”
• Modern visual automation builder – Build flows in minutes, not hours.
• Smoother day-to-day use – No more waiting for an admin to help.
• Predictable pricing – No surprise add-ons or forced upgrades.

Key Features of Encharge

Encharge covers everything Pardot does well, but with a modern interface and a faster workflow. You get strong automation, segmentation, behavior triggers, and a CRM-friendly data model.

• Flow Builder – Build automation sequences visually.
• Behavior Emails – Trigger emails based on real user actions.
• Salesforce Integration – Clean, reliable two-way sync.
• User Segments – Segment people by behavior, traits, and activity.
• Lead Scoring – Identify your highest-intent users automatically.
• Email Builder – Drag-and-drop editor, simple, and effective.

Here’s a view of how Encharge segments users by behavior and traits:

Pros & Cons of Encharge

Pros	Cons
✅ Clean, intuitive automation builder	❌ No permanent free plan
✅ Predictable pricing with no add-ons	❌ Advanced reporting still expanding
✅ Reliable Salesforce two-way sync
✅ No onboarding or implementation fees
✅ Fast, helpful support on every plan

Encharge Pricing

• Growth – $79/month (annual) → Flow Builder, segmentation, behavior emails, unlimited team members, support.
• Premium – $129/month (annual) → Adds Salesforce integration, transactional emails, event-based segmentation, custom objects.
• Enterprise – Custom → For large lists, includes dedicated account manager + free onboarding.

If you want a tool that keeps you moving fast, avoids enterprise slowdown, and gives you a clean exit path from Pardot’s complexity, Encharge is the natural upgrade.

Encharge vs. Pardot: Pricing

In short: Pardot pricing is designed for large Salesforce-heavy organizations, while Encharge is built for teams that want modern automation without being locked into enterprise-level contracts or budget commitments.

Pardot starts at $1,250/month, billed annually. That’s the lowest tier. The more advanced plans climb to $2,750, $4,400, and even $15,000/month depending on the edition. You also have the additional cost of a full Salesforce setup, required seats, and the usual enterprise overhead.

Encharge starts at $79/month, with no onboarding fees, unlimited automations, and simple contact-based pricing. Even the Premium plan with Salesforce integration is just $129/month, and you’re not forced into annual contracts unless you want them.

2. HubSpot Marketing Hub

• G2: 4.4/5 ⭐
• Capterra: 4.5/5 ⭐

HubSpot is one of the most well-known Pardot alternatives – and for a lot of teams, it’s the first platform they look at when they want something easier to use, more modern, and far more polished. HubSpot brings CRM, email marketing, automation, and reporting into a single, friendly interface that most marketers can pick up without help.

Compared to Pardot’s increasingly enterprise-heavy direction, HubSpot feels light and approachable. Its automation tools aren’t as flexible as something like Encharge, but the overall experience is smoother and the UI is miles ahead of Pardot’s Aging interface.

Key Features

• Built-in CRM for unified sales and marketing data.
• Visual automation workflows that are simple to build and adjust.
• All-in-one tools for email, forms, landing pages, ads, and reporting.

Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
✅ Beautiful, intuitive UI	❌ Professional & Enterprise plans are very expensive
✅ All-in-one CRM + marketing suite	❌ Automation not as deep as Encharge
✅ Easy for teams to learn	❌ Limited flexibility unless you upgrade
✅ Strong community and support docs	❌ Pricing scales sharply with contacts

HubSpot Pricing

• Free – $0/month → CRM + basic marketing tools (1,000 contacts, 2 users)
• Starter – $15/month → Removes HubSpot branding + basic automation
• Professional – $890/month → Advanced automation, ABM tools, social scheduling
• Enterprise – $3,600/month → Custom objects, predictive scoring, advanced permissions

→ Full pricing guide for HubSpot

Pardot vs. HubSpot: Pricing

HubSpot is significantly more affordable than Pardot’s Marketing Cloud editions, especially at the lower tiers. Pardot now starts at $1,250/month on an annual contract, while HubSpot starts at $0 and remains manageable until you hit Professional.

Pardot’s Plus and Advanced tiers ($2,750–$4,400/month) cater to larger, ops-heavy organizations. HubSpot Professional ($890/month) covers most of what growing teams need without the steep Salesforce overhead.

Why switch from Pardot to HubSpot?

HubSpot is ideal if your team wants something easier to use than Pardot, with a smoother learning curve and an interface that doesn’t feel dated. It shines for small to mid-sized companies that want an all-in-one platform without Salesforce’s complexity or cost structure.

→ HubSpot Alternatives

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3. ActiveCampaign

• G2: 4.5/5 ⭐
• Capterra: 4.6/5 ⭐

ActiveCampaign is one of the most popular marketing automation tools on the market, especially for teams that want deeper automation capabilities than HubSpot but without the enterprise weight of Pardot. It’s known for its visual workflows, advanced triggers, and the flexibility to build almost any kind of automation you can think of.

Where Pardot often feels rigid or slow, ActiveCampaign gives you a faster and more customizable experience. It’s not as lightweight as Encharge and doesn’t sync as deeply with Salesforce, but for businesses that want powerful automation without stepping into Marketing Cloud territory, it’s a strong contender.

Key Features

• Visual automation builder with advanced triggers and actions.
• Deep email personalization using segmentation and dynamic content.
• CRM + sales automation on higher tiers for lead management.

Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
✅ Powerful automation builder	❌ Can feel overwhelming for beginners
✅ Strong segmentation and personalization	❌ Certain features locked behind higher plans
✅ CRM included on Plus and higher	❌ No direct Salesforce-level sync
✅ Large library of pre-built workflows	❌ Pricing increases sharply with contacts

ActiveCampaign Pricing

• Starter – $15/month → Basic email marketing tools
• Plus – $49/month → Automation + CRM
• Pro – $79/month → Enhanced orchestration, advanced tools
• Enterprise – $145/month → Enterprise support + advanced features

These prices reflect 1,000 contacts and annual billing.
As with most ESPs, pricing increases as your list grows.

→ AC Pricing Explained

Pardot vs. ActiveCampaign: Pricing

Pardot starts at $1,250/month on an annual contract, while ActiveCampaign starts at just $15/month. Even the Enterprise tier of ActiveCampaign is a fraction of Pardot’s cost.

If you don’t need deep Salesforce alignment and just want strong automations at a reasonable price, ActiveCampaign offers far better value. But for teams that want a modern workflow builder and a clean Salesforce sync, Encharge tends to be the more natural upgrade.

Why switch from Pardot to ActiveCampaign?

ActiveCampaign is ideal if your team wants powerful automations in a flexible tool without Salesforce’s heavy ecosystem. It’s a great fit for companies that like Pardot’s logic-based workflows but want something faster, modern, and far more affordable.

→ ActiveCampaign Alternatives

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4. Klaviyo

• G2: 4.6/5 ⭐
• Capterra: 4.7/5 ⭐

Klaviyo is one of the strongest email and SMS platforms in the ecommerce world. If your business runs on Shopify, WooCommerce, or BigCommerce, Klaviyo probably comes up early in the search for a Pardot alternative. It’s built around customer data, purchase behavior, and hyper-personalized flows — things Pardot does, but in a much more rigid and less modern way.

For ecommerce teams, Klaviyo feels fast, intuitive, and deeply connected to store data. But for B2B, SaaS, or multi-touch lead nurturing, it’s not as flexible as Encharge or ActiveCampaign. It shines when revenue is tied to carts, orders, and product journeys.

Key Features

• AI-powered segmentation based on real purchase behavior.
• Email + SMS automation with templates for ecommerce journeys.
• Deep integrations with Shopify and other storefronts.

Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
✅ Best-in-class ecommerce automations	❌ Not ideal for B2B or long nurturing cycles
✅ Excellent Shopify integration	❌ Custom CRM fields & objects are limited
✅ Fast, modern UI	❌ Costs rise quickly as active profiles grow
✅ Strong SMS + email in one place	❌ No Salesforce-level sync like Encharge

Klaviyo Pricing

• Free – $0/month → Up to 250 active profiles, 500 email sends, 150 SMS credits
• Email – from $60/month → 25,000 monthly emails
• Email + SMS – from $75/month → 25,000 emails + 1,250 SMS credits
• Pricing scales based on active profiles and messaging volume

Pardot vs. Klaviyo: Pricing

Pardot starts at $1,250/month and jumps quickly as you move into Plus, Advanced, or Premium tiers. Klaviyo starts at $0 and stays affordable for small and mid-sized ecommerce shops.

But Klaviyo isn’t a true Pardot replacement unless your business relies heavily on storefront activity. It outperforms Pardot in ecommerce personalization, but lacks the deep CRM alignment and Salesforce-style nurturing workflows many B2B teams need.

Why switch from Pardot to Klaviyo?

Klaviyo is a strong choice if you run an ecommerce brand and want powerful email + SMS flows without Salesforce’s complexity. Brands that care about cart recovery, browse abandonment, personal product recommendations, and purchase-driven segmentation find Klaviyo hard to beat.

→ Klaviyo Alternatives

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5. Brevo (Sendinblue)

• G2: 4.5/5 ⭐
• Capterra: 4.5/5 ⭐

Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) is one of the most affordable email and SMS platforms on the market. It’s popular among small businesses that don’t need heavy automation or Salesforce-level workflows. If Pardot feels too complex, too slow, or way too expensive, Brevo offers a lightweight alternative that’s simple to use and easy to budget for.

Brevo doesn’t come close to Pardot’s Salesforce integration or multi-touch nurturing, but it works well for teams that want clean email campaigns, basic automations, and a predictable monthly cost. It’s especially appealing to businesses upgrading from Mailchimp or those looking for a straightforward marketing tool without enterprise overhead.

Key Features

• Email + SMS marketing with simple personalization.
• Basic automation workflows (advanced in higher plans).
• Unlimited contacts on many plans — only emails sent matter.
• AI segmentation available on premium tiers.
• Transactional emails included across all plans.

Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
✅ One of the most affordable marketing platforms	❌ Automation limited on lower plans
✅ Unlimited contacts on most plans	❌ Not built for B2B nurturing or Salesforce workflows
✅ Clean interface, easy for beginners	❌ Advanced analytics only on Pro/Enterprise
✅ Good mix of email, SMS, and transactional tools	❌ Heavy senders may hit pricing walls quickly

Brevo Pricing

• Free → 300 emails/day, basic features
• Starter – from $9–$69/month → Branding removed + up to ~100K emails
• Standard – from $18–$169/month → Advanced automation, AI segmentation
• Professional – $499/month → 1M+ emails, advanced analytics
• Enterprise – Custom → Unlimited contacts, dedicated support

Brevo’s pricing is based on monthly email volume, not the number of contacts. That makes it extremely cost-effective for businesses with large lists but moderate sending frequency.

Pardot vs. Brevo: Pricing

Pardot starts at $1,250/month and requires annual contracts, Salesforce infrastructure, and additional seats. Brevo starts at $0 and scales to only $69–$169/month for most standard use cases.

The tradeoff: Brevo is far simpler but nowhere near as powerful as Pardot or Encharge. It works best for teams that want clean email/SMS campaigns and light automation without the enterprise complexity.

Why switch from Pardot to Brevo?

Brevo is a strong fit for small businesses, early-stage teams, and companies that don’t need Salesforce-level workflows. If your marketing is mostly newsletters, promos, or simple journeys, and you want to cut Pardot’s massive cost — Brevo is one of the most budget-friendly alternatives.

→ Brevo Alternatives

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6. Marketo Engage

• G2: 4.1/5 ⭐
• Capterra: 4.3/5 ⭐

Marketo is Adobe’s enterprise marketing automation platform and the closest direct competitor to Pardot in terms of scale, complexity, and target audience. If Pardot felt limiting or under-developed, Marketo is the opposite: it’s powerful, extremely customizable, and built for organizations with advanced lead management and multi-touch nurturing needs.

That said, Marketo isn’t the kind of tool you switch to for simplicity. The learning curve is steep, the setup can be heavy, and the cost is firmly in enterprise territory. But for teams who want the most customizable B2B automation engine available, Marketo remains one of the strongest contenders.

Key Features

• Advanced lead scoring & nurturing for detailed B2B funnels.
• Highly customizable automation workflows with deep branching logic.
• Robust reporting & attribution across multi-touch journeys.
• Native integrations with major CRMs including Salesforce.

Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
✅ Extremely powerful B2B automation	❌ One of the most complex platforms to manage
✅ Best-in-class lead scoring & analytics	❌ High implementation and training costs
✅ Strong Salesforce integration	❌ UI feels outdated compared to modern tools
✅ Highly customizable workflows	❌ Pricing is fully enterprise-level

Marketo Pricing

Marketo does not make pricing public, but most companies report annual contracts in the $20,000–$60,000+ range depending on contacts, modules, and service level.

• Requires annual commitments
• Implementation services strongly encouraged
• Pricing varies based on database size + add-ons

Pardot vs. Marketo: Pricing

Pardot starts at $1,250/month and scales to $15,000/month for enterprise. Marketo tends to cost even more annually, especially after add-ons, seats, and modules are included.

If your team doesn’t need extreme levels of customization and enterprise-grade analytics, Marketo is overkill. Tools like Encharge or HubSpot deliver far better value without requiring a dedicated operations team.

Why switch from Pardot to Marketo?

Marketo is a fit for large B2B organizations that need full control over complex funnels, advanced attribution, and granular lead management. If you already have a sizable ops team and want more power than Pardot can deliver, Marketo is the logical step up. For everyone else, it’s often too heavy.

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7. Mailchimp

• G2: 4.4/5 ⭐
• Capterra: 4.5/5 ⭐

Mailchimp is one of the most well known email marketing tools, and for many teams it’s the first natural stop when they want something simpler and more affordable than Pardot. It’s designed for ease, quick setup, and getting campaigns out the door fast — which is the exact opposite of the heavy enterprise feel that many Pardot users are trying to escape from.

It’s not a full Pardot replacement for deep B2B automation or complex lead management, but if you’re looking for clean email marketing, decent automation, and predictable pricing, Mailchimp is still one of the best “lightweight” alternatives on the market.

Key Features

• Easy-to-use email builder for fast campaign creation.
• Basic and enhanced automation flows depending on the plan.
• Pre-built templates and AI tools for quick content generation.
• 300+ integrations including Shopify, Stripe, and CRMs.

Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
✅ Extremely easy to use	❌ Automations limited on lower tiers
✅ Good email builder + templates	❌ Pricing rises quickly as contacts grow
✅ Wide integration ecosystem	❌ Not built for complex B2B journeys
✅ Free plan + 14 day premium trial	❌ Salesforce integration requires workarounds

Mailchimp Pricing

Mailchimp has four plans, each with different limits on automation, sends, and seats. For 1,501–2,500 contacts, pricing starts at:

• Free – €0/month → 500 sends monthly, limited automations
• Essentials – €39.07/month → Up to 25,000 emails, 3 audiences
• Standard – €52.10/month → 30,000 emails, enhanced automations, personalization
• Premium – €258.31/month (12 month promo) → Unlimited contacts, phone support, advanced segmentation

Mailchimp also offers Pay As You Go credits for teams that only send campaigns occasionally.

Pardot vs. Mailchimp: Pricing

Pardot starts at $1,250/month and quickly climbs into several thousand per month. Mailchimp sits on the complete opposite end of the spectrum: accessible, flexible, and affordable even at higher list sizes.

But that lower cost also reflects the trade off: Mailchimp cannot replace Pardot’s deep scoring models or advanced B2B flows. It’s better suited for newsletter heavy companies, small teams, and simpler lifecycle journeys.

Why switch from Pardot to Mailchimp?

If your team is tired of complexity and cost, and you don’t need multi layered enterprise nurturing, Mailchimp is a stress free alternative. Setup is almost instant, campaigns are easy to build, and you aren’t locked into heavy annual contracts the way you were with Pardot.

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8. Zoho Marketing Automation

• G2: 4.2/5 ⭐
• Capterra: 4.3/5 ⭐

Zoho Marketing Automation is part of the larger Zoho ecosystem, which makes it especially appealing for teams already using Zoho CRM. It offers a surprisingly complete automation suite at a much lower cost than Pardot, while still giving you things like lead scoring, journey automation, and multichannel engagement.

It’s not as polished or as flexible as tools like Encharge or HubSpot, but if your company wants something budget friendly and CRM connected, Zoho hits a sweet spot.

Key Features

• Journey builder with templates for onboarding, nurturing, and re-engagement.
• Lead scoring & lifecycle management built into the CRM ecosystem.
• Multichannel marketing including email, SMS, WhatsApp, and social.
• Website behavior tracking for personalized triggers.

Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
✅ Affordable pricing with generous limits	❌ UI can feel cluttered
✅ Deep integration with Zoho CRM	❌ Automations not as smooth as modern tools
✅ Multichannel support (Email, SMS, WhatsApp)	❌ Reporting can be limited on lower tiers
✅ Free onboarding + unlimited emails	❌ Less flexible than Encharge for SaaS journeys

Zoho Pricing

Zoho uses a simple pricing structure with unlimited email sends in every plan. Below is the USD pricing for 2,000 contacts:

• Standard – $20/month (billed annually) → Basic automation, segmentation, signup forms, 10 users.
• Professional – $35/month (billed annually) → Advanced journeys, landing pages, A/B testing, 15 users.
• Enterprise – $60/month (billed annually) → Attribution, advanced triggers, custom roles, 25 users.

All plans include unlimited emails, free onboarding, 1:1 support, and access to Zoho’s wider ecosystem.

Pardot vs. Zoho: Pricing

Pardot starts at $1,250/month and jumps to $15,000/month for the enterprise tier. Zoho starts at $20/month. It’s not a typo — the price gap really is that dramatic.

Of course, Zoho does not match Pardot’s depth for complex B2B attribution or multi layered scoring. But for SMBs who want powerful automation at a sane cost, it’s one of the best value picks in the entire market.

Why switch from Pardot to Zoho?

If you want a well rounded marketing automation platform that ties into Zoho CRM, stays affordable as your list grows, and doesn’t require a full time admin, Zoho is a solid alternative. It’s especially strong for eCommerce, SMBs, and teams already inside the Zoho ecosystem.

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How We Test Pardot Alternatives

We don’t just read feature pages. We set up real automations, sync data, send test emails, and recreate the core workflows teams usually run in Pardot.

The goal is to see how each tool feels in actual day to day use.

Automation Builder Experience: 30%
How fast can you build and edit real flows without getting stuck in the tool?

Salesforce & CRM Integration: 20%
Does the sync feel reliable, fast, and easy to configure — or is it another source of stress?

Ease of Use: 15%
Can a normal marketer jump in and work confidently, or does it require an admin?

Reporting & Visibility: 15%
Are the insights clear, fast, and helpful for real decisions, or buried in menus?

Setup & Migration: 10%
How smooth is the onboarding? Can teams move over without hiring consultants?

Value for Money: 10%
Do the features match the price, or does it balloon as your contact list grows?

That’s how we separate tools that help you move faster from the ones that add another layer of friction.

→ Read our app-testing methodology

Which Pardot Alternative Is Best For You?

It really comes down to what kind of team you’re running and what pains you’re trying to escape from. Some platforms shine in e-commerce, others focus on CRM-heavy B2B, and a few try to keep things simple without sacrificing automation power.

If you’re leaving Pardot because it felt heavy, slow to evolve, or too tied up in Salesforce admin work, you’ve got options that make life a lot easier.

• Encharge is best for true automation power with 0 enterprise friction.
• HubSpot is great if you want your CRM and marketing in one place.
• Klaviyo is a monster for ecommerce retention.
• Brevo is the budget-friendly, everything-in-one place platform.
• Marketo is for teams that want even more power than Pardot, not less.
• Zoho is ideal if you live inside the Zoho ecosystem.
• Mailchimp is perfect if you just need email, fast.
• ActiveCampaign is solid if you want automation and don’t mind the learning curve.

But if what you care about most is true automation power without all the enterprise friction, there’s one option that consistently stands out.

Encharge fills that gap.

A lot of teams coming from Pardot tell us the same thing:
they expected automation to get simpler over time, not harder.

You still get the serious workflows, segmentation, and behavior-based logic that B2B teams need — but without the admin layer, the steep learning curve, or the constant back-and-forth with Salesforce setup.

What people usually love when they switch:

• The Salesforce two-way sync just works
• Pricing is transparent, so you’re not scared of growing your list
• There are no onboarding fees
• You can actually hand the automation builder to a marketer without babysitting

If you want automation that helps you move faster instead of slowing you down, Encharge is the closest thing to “Pardot done right.”

Pardot Alternatives: FAQs

1. What’s an affordable alternative to Pardot?

If you want something powerful but budget-conscious, tools like Encharge, Zoho Marketing Automation, or Brevo stand out. They offer automation, email or multichannel marketing, and segmentation at a fraction of Pardot’s cost.

Especially for small or growing teams, those options deliver core functionality without enterprise-level pricing.

2. Is there a free Pardot alternative?

Yes, some tools offer free tiers or very low-cost entry plans that cover basic marketing needs. For instance, Brevo often starts free (or very cheap) for small contact lists, and tools like Mailchimp or Zoho may offer limited free or inexpensive tiers.

These won’t match enterprise-grade automation, but for simple email marketing or small-scale campaigns, they can work well.

3. What’s the best software similar to Pardot?

That depends on what “similar” means for you:

• If you want deep CRM sync + automation without enterprise overhead, Encharge is often the best fit.
• If you’re e-commerce–focused and care about email + SMS + behavior-driven flows, Klaviyo or Brevo might suit you.
• If you want an all-in-one CRM + marketing suite in a polished UI, HubSpot Marketing Hub is a strong choice.
• If you need enterprise-level custom workflows and don’t mind complexity, Marketo Engage is closer to what big orgs use.