Best marketing automation software
If your growth runs on automated funnels, not just broadcasts, depth matters more than price. We ranked the six platforms by automation power — branching logic, CRM, segmentation — and show the real cost at 10,000 contacts.
| Score | Tool | Best for | Real cost · 10K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.7 | ActiveCampaign | Complex B2B funnels | $189/mo | Review → |
| 8.3 | GetResponse | Funnels + webinars | $65/mo | Review → |
| 8.8 | Kit | Creator automations | $139/mo | Review → |
| 8.5 | Brevo | Marketing + transactional | $49/mo | Review → |
| 9.1 | MailerLite | Value automation | $73/mo | Review → |
| 7.6 | Mailchimp | Beginners | $135/mo | Review → |
Scores shown are overall Lab Scores; this page ranks tools by automation capability.
The rankings, explained
1. ActiveCampaign — Complex B2B funnels
Deepest automation in the category: branching logic, conditional content, lead scoring and a native CRM. If automation is the point, this is the tool — you just pay the most for it.
$189/mo real cost at 10K · Visit ActiveCampaign → · Full review
2. GetResponse — Funnels + webinars
Strong visual automation plus landing pages, funnels and native webinars in one platform — excellent value if your funnels include live events.
$65/mo real cost at 10K · Visit GetResponse → · Full review
3. Kit — Creator automations
Tag-and-audience automation built for creators. Less CRM-heavy than ActiveCampaign, but ideal for content-driven, audience-first funnels.
$139/mo real cost at 10K · Visit Kit → · Full review
4. Brevo — Marketing + transactional
Capable automation with SMS and transactional flows, plus unlimited contacts — the budget pick for multi-channel automation.
$49/mo real cost at 10K · Visit Brevo → · Full review
5. MailerLite — Value automation
Surprisingly deep automation for the price. No CRM-grade logic, but for most teams it covers the workflows that matter at half the cost.
$73/mo real cost at 10K · Visit MailerLite → · Full review
6. Mailchimp — Beginners
Automation exists and is easy to start, but advanced steps are gated to higher tiers and the real cost climbs quickly as your list grows.
$135/mo real cost at 10K · Visit Mailchimp → · Full review
See the real cost at your list size
Every tool here is priced differently at scale. Compare the true monthly bill at 1K–50K subscribers.
Frequently asked
Which tool has the deepest automation?
ActiveCampaign — branching logic, conditional content, lead scoring and a native CRM go further than anything else here. The trade-off is cost: it is the most expensive at 10K.
Is expensive automation worth it?
Only if automation is your growth engine. If you mostly broadcast newsletters, MailerLite gives you surprisingly deep automation at roughly a third of ActiveCampaign’s real cost.
Affiliate disclosure: RealCostLabs may earn a commission via our links. It never affects our scores, rankings, or the prices shown. Prices verified June 2026.