Looking to simplify how you attract and follow up with leads? Marketing automation can help. These tools let you send timely emails, manage contact data, and track what your audience does—without needing to do everything manually. In this guide, we’ll break down the best marketing automation tools for lead generation. We’ve looked at ease of use, key features, and how well each one supports lead growth.
Let’s take a closer look at the top options.
1. HubSpot
HubSpot is one of the most well-known marketing automation platforms. It offers tools for email marketing, CRM, landing pages, and lead tracking—all under one roof. It works well for both small businesses and large companies.
What makes HubSpot stand out is how easy it is to use. You can build automated email sequences with simple drag-and-drop tools. It tracks how leads interact with your website and emails. As a lead becomes more engaged, HubSpot scores them, helping your team know when it’s time to follow up.
HubSpot also connects with its built-in CRM, so all your contact info stays organized. You’ll know which emails a lead opened, what pages they visited, and if they’ve talked with sales. This level of insight helps your team stay one step ahead.
While HubSpot has a free version, many advanced features are only available in paid plans, which can get pricey as you grow.
2. ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign is designed for businesses that want strong automation without giving up control. It offers robust email sequences, custom tagging, lead scoring, and CRM tools.
The platform focuses heavily on creating detailed customer journeys. You can set up workflows that respond to clicks, page visits, or form fills. Each step is easy to visualize, making it simple to follow how leads move through your funnel.
ActiveCampaign also includes sales tools like deal tracking and pipeline management. This helps marketing and sales stay on the same page.
It’s not the easiest tool to learn, especially if you’re new to automation, but once you get the hang of it, it’s powerful and flexible. Pricing is fair for what you get, and the tool grows well with your business.
3. Mailchimp
Mailchimp began as an email marketing service but has grown into a full-featured platform. It includes landing pages, customer journeys, basic CRM tools, and of course, email automation.
For small teams or solo marketers, Mailchimp is a great starting point. It has an easy setup process and a clean interface. You can create automated sequences, such as welcome emails or follow-ups after someone downloads a resource.
While Mailchimp offers a generous free plan, advanced automation features are limited unless you upgrade. It’s best for businesses that need simple automation and aren’t ready for more complex tools.
Still, it’s a reliable option with a big name behind it and lots of helpful templates and support.
4. GetResponse
GetResponse combines marketing automation with landing pages, webinars, and even eCommerce features. It’s great for marketers who want an all-in-one platform.
Its automation builder is easy to use and supports actions like sending emails, moving contacts between segments, and scoring leads. You can also create forms and landing pages to collect leads, all without needing separate tools.
GetResponse is especially good if webinars are part of your lead strategy. You can invite, remind, and follow up—all from the same system.
Its pricing is competitive, and it often includes more features at a lower cost than some competitors. It might not have the brand power of others, but it’s a strong, reliable tool.
5. Zoho Marketing Automation
Zoho Marketing Automation fits naturally into the larger Zoho ecosystem. If you already use Zoho CRM or other Zoho tools, this platform integrates well.
It offers automation features like behavior tracking, lead scoring, and personalized journeys. You can see how leads move through your funnel and adjust messages based on their actions.
The tool also connects with email, social media, and other channels, so your lead generation efforts stay coordinated. It’s not the flashiest platform, but it gets the job done.
Zoho is also known for offering good value. The pricing is accessible for smaller teams, and it can scale up if your needs grow.
6. Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)
Brevo is a marketing platform that balances ease of use with advanced automation capabilities. It’s ideal for small to medium-sized businesses looking to automate emails, manage contacts, and track interactions—all without a steep learning curve.
One of Brevo’s standout features is its transactional email support, which is useful for eCommerce or any business that sends receipts, confirmations, or alerts. Beyond email, it also supports SMS campaigns and basic chat features.
Its automation builder is clean and straightforward. You can set up workflows based on email activity, website behavior, or even contact data. For example, if someone opens an email but doesn’t click, you can follow up with a different message a few days later.
Brevo offers a generous free plan, and its paid plans are reasonably priced. While it may not be as powerful as HubSpot or ActiveCampaign, it covers the essentials well and is a solid choice for growing teams.
7. Moosend
Moosend is another strong option, especially for businesses focused on email marketing and lead nurturing. It offers email automation, landing pages, and a visual workflow editor that makes building campaigns simple.
Moosend is known for its affordability. Even at lower price points, it includes features like behavioral email triggers, product recommendations, and A/B testing. It also allows for segmentation based on a wide range of actions and attributes.
While it doesn’t include a full CRM system, it integrates with several popular CRMs, eCommerce platforms, and website builders. This makes it flexible for many use cases.
If you’re a small business looking for a user-friendly and cost-effective tool, Moosend is worth considering.
8. Drip
Drip is built with eCommerce businesses in mind. It helps online stores engage shoppers with personalized messages based on browsing and purchase behavior.
The platform integrates deeply with eCommerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce. You can set up automations that respond to cart abandonment, product views, or past purchases.
Drip focuses on making automation simple and visual. You can build workflows that feel like conversations, adjusting based on how each customer behaves.
It’s more specialized than general platforms like Mailchimp or GetResponse, but if you’re in retail or online sales, Drip offers features that are tailor-made for boosting lead conversion and retention.
9. Keap (formerly Infusionsoft)
Keap is a platform that blends CRM, marketing automation, and payment tools. It targets service-based businesses that want a single system for client communication, lead nurturing, and invoicing.
Keap includes powerful automation tools with triggers based on customer behavior, email engagement, or form submissions. You can create detailed workflows to guide leads through your sales process, follow up after calls, or send reminders about appointments.
While Keap offers a lot, it’s more complex than some competitors. New users might find the interface overwhelming at first. However, once you get the hang of it, the system can handle both marketing and client management in one place.
Keap’s pricing starts higher than many others, but it can replace several other tools you might be paying for separately.
10. ConvertKit
ConvertKit is a favorite among creators—bloggers, authors, and online educators. It offers automation, email campaigns, and landing pages, all focused on building relationships with an audience.
Its automation tools are built around email engagement and subscriber activity. You can tag contacts, move them between lists, and trigger sequences based on clicks or purchases.
ConvertKit keeps things simple. The visual automation editor makes it easy to see what’s happening and where subscribers are in a funnel. It lacks some advanced features, but for creators focused on nurturing leads and promoting content, it gets the job done.
Pricing is reasonable, especially for small lists, and the platform offers strong support and a helpful community.