1
Kissmetrics
Behavioral analytics and engagement platform
Paid
Kissmetrics is a behavioral analytics platform that tracks individual user behavior across devices and sessions. Helps understand the customer journey and optimize conversions.
10 Best Marketing Tools in 2026
By Toolradar Team · Updated February 2026
Marketing automation and analytics
Key Takeaways
- Kissmetrics is our #1 pick for marketing in 2026.
- We analyzed 9 marketing tools to create this ranking.
- 4 tools offer free plans, perfect for getting started.
How the Top Marketing Tools Compare
The marketing category is highly competitive in 2026, with Kissmetrics and Venngage both scoring 0/100 on Toolradar's editorial assessment, followed closely by Page Optimizer Pro at N/A/100. The tight scores reflect how mature this market has become.
Pricing varies significantly among the top picks: Venngage (freemium (free tier available)) offers free access, while Kissmetrics and Page Optimizer Pro require a paid subscription. Teams on a budget should start with Venngage, which scores null/100 despite its free tier.
2
Venngage
Infographic and visual content maker
Freemium
Venngage is an online infographic and visual content creation tool. Helps businesses create infographics, reports, presentations, and social media graphics with templates.
3
Page Optimizer Pro
On-page SEO optimization tool
Paid
Page Optimizer Pro (POP) is an on-page SEO tool that analyzes top-ranking pages and provides specific recommendations to optimize your content for better rankings.
4
Litmus
Email testing and analytics platform
Enterprise
Litmus is an email marketing platform focused on email testing, analytics, and collaboration. It helps teams create error-free, optimized emails that render perfectly across all clients.
5
Sprinklr
Unified customer experience management
Enterprise
Sprinklr is a unified customer experience management platform that helps enterprises manage customer-facing functions across marketing, advertising, research, care, and engagement.
6
Tagembed
Collect, Curate, Customize & Embed Social Media Feeds
Freemium
Social media aggregator that lets you collect, curate, and embed social media feeds and reviews from 20+ platforms onto any website. Supports Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, Google Reviews, and more. Offers customizable themes, content moderation, analytics, shoppable galleries, and team collaboration features.
7
TrustPulse
Leverage social proof and FOMO to instantly increase trust, conversions, and sales on your website.
Freemium
TrustPulse is a social proof and FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) marketing platform designed to help businesses increase website conversions and sales. It works by displaying real-time customer activity on your site, such as recent purchases, sign-ups, or demo registrations, creating a sense of trust and urgency among visitors. The platform is ideal for marketers, small businesses, bloggers, and growing enterprises looking to boost their conversion rates. It helps overcome visitor skepticism by showcasing that other real people are engaging with your brand, leading to an immediate lift in various conversion behaviors. With a simple setup, no coding required, and flexible design options, TrustPulse aims to make social proof accessible and effective for any website.
8
Pixieset
All-in-one platform for photographers to manage client galleries, websites, and business operations.
Freemium
Pixieset is a comprehensive platform designed specifically for modern photographers to streamline their workflow and grow their business. It offers a suite of integrated products including client photo galleries for sharing, delivering, proofing, and selling photos, a website builder for creating professional portfolios and blogs, and an online store for selling prints and digital downloads. Beyond client-facing tools, Pixieset also provides Studio Manager, a business management solution for booking clients, sending invoices, and managing contracts. The platform aims to simplify the entire photography business process, allowing photographers to focus on their craft while providing a seamless and professional experience for their clients. It caters to a wide range of photography genres, from weddings and portraits to commercial and events.
9
inRiver
Turn data chaos into revenue streams with connected, scalable, and optimizing PIM software.
Paid
Inriver is a comprehensive Product Information Management (PIM) solution designed to help businesses manage, enrich, and distribute product information across all sales channels. It acts as a single source of truth for product data, ensuring consistency and accuracy throughout the product lifecycle. The platform integrates PIM, Product Data Syndication, and Digital Shelf Analytics into a single, composable system. This PIM software is ideal for global brands and enterprises looking to streamline their product content operations, reduce errors, and accelerate time-to-market. It leverages AI-powered workflows to optimize content and provides a flexible data modeling platform to adapt to evolving business needs. Inriver helps companies create compelling product experiences, ultimately leading to increased revenue and operational efficiency.
Best Marketing For
Related Categories
What is Marketing Software?
Marketing software encompasses tools for reaching, engaging, and converting customers across channels—SEO, social media, content, advertising, and automation. The landscape is vast, from point solutions (SEO tools, social schedulers) to all-in-one platforms (HubSpot, Salesforce Marketing Cloud).
The modern marketing stack has exploded in complexity. Most teams use 5-15 marketing tools, creating integration challenges and data silos. The trend is toward consolidation—platforms that combine multiple functions—or best-of-breed tools with strong integrations.
Marketing automation has become table stakes. Tools that automatically segment audiences, trigger campaigns, and personalize content are no longer enterprise-only. The bar keeps rising for what's possible without technical resources.
Editor's Take
“After evaluating 9 marketing software? tools, Kissmetrics stands out. For budget-conscious teams, Venngage (null/100, free tier available) delivers strong value. The competition is fierce — the gap between top tools is narrower than ever, so the best choice comes down to your team's specific workflow and priorities.”
— Toolradar Editorial Team · February 2026
Key Data Points
9+
Tools analyzed on Toolradar
4
Offer free or freemium plans
N/A/100
Top editorial score
According to Toolradar's analysis across 9+ products, 44% offer free or freemium plans. The top-rated tools average a score of 0/100, with Kissmetrics leading at /100.
Key Marketing Tool Categories
SEO Tools
Keyword research, rank tracking, site audits, and backlink analysis. Ahrefs, SEMrush, and Moz lead.
Social Media Management
Scheduling, analytics, and engagement across platforms. Hootsuite, Buffer, and Sprout Social.
Marketing Automation
Email sequences, lead nurturing, and campaign orchestration. HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, and Marketo.
Content Marketing
Content planning, creation, and distribution. CMS, content calendars, and AI writing tools.
Advertising & Paid Media
Ad management, optimization, and attribution across channels. Google Ads, Meta, and cross-channel tools.
Conversion Optimization
Landing pages, A/B testing, and heatmaps. Unbounce, Optimizely, and Hotjar.
Who Uses Marketing Software?
Marketing tools serve different roles and specializations:
Marketing Teams: Campaign execution, content creation, and channel management. Need tools that enable collaboration and efficiency.
Growth Teams: Experimentation, optimization, and channel expansion. Need analytics, testing, and automation capabilities.
Content Marketers: Content strategy, SEO, and publishing. Need keyword research, content optimization, and distribution tools.
Marketing Leaders: Strategy, attribution, and team management. Need reporting, budgeting, and cross-channel visibility.
Small Business Owners: Wear multiple hats, need simple all-in-one tools. Complexity is the enemy; simplicity enables execution.
How to Choose Marketing Tools
Build a stack that enables your team without creating chaos:
- 1Start with strategy, not tools. What channels matter for your business? What's your team's capacity? Buy tools for strategies you'll actually execute. Unused subscriptions waste money.
- 2Evaluate integration capabilities. Your marketing tools need to talk to each other and your CRM. Native integrations beat Zapier workarounds. Check data sync frequency and depth.
- 3Consider consolidation vs best-of-breed. All-in-one platforms (HubSpot) reduce complexity but may sacrifice depth. Best-of-breed tools excel in specific areas but create integration needs. Match to your team size and sophistication.
- 4Calculate actual ROI. Marketing tools promise results; few deliver consistently. Start with trials, measure impact, and keep only what works. A $300/month tool needs to drive $300+ in value.
- 5Plan for team adoption. The best tool is worthless if your team doesn't use it. Evaluate learning curve and training needs. Simple tools that get used beat powerful tools that don't.
Marketing Software Market in 2026
Consolidation continues—HubSpot, Salesforce, and Adobe compete for marketing suite dominance. AI is transforming content creation, personalization, and analytics. Privacy changes (cookie deprecation, Apple tracking prevention) are forcing adaptation. First-party data strategies are essential. Video marketing tools are growing with TikTok's influence. The gap between enterprise and SMB tooling is narrowing.
Related Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Ahrefs vs SEMrush: which is better?
Both are excellent SEO platforms. Ahrefs has the best backlink database and is often preferred for link building and competitive analysis. SEMrush offers more breadth—PPC, social, content—making it better for all-in-one needs. For pure SEO, many prefer Ahrefs. For broader marketing, SEMrush wins. Both are expensive (~$100-400/month); choose based on your primary use case.
Is HubSpot worth the cost for small businesses?
HubSpot's free tools are genuinely valuable for small businesses—CRM, forms, email, and basic automation at no cost. The paid Marketing Hub gets expensive fast ($800+/month for real features). It's worth it when you need sophisticated automation and have the capacity to use it. Many small businesses find the free tier plus a dedicated email tool (Mailchimp, ConvertKit) sufficient.
What's the best social media management tool?
Buffer is simplest and most affordable for small teams. Hootsuite handles more complex needs and team collaboration. Sprout Social has the best analytics and reporting. Later specializes in visual platforms (Instagram, TikTok). For most small businesses, Buffer provides the best value. Enterprise teams often prefer Sprout Social.
How many marketing tools do I actually need?
Most effective small marketing teams use 3-5 core tools: email/automation platform, SEO tool, social scheduler, analytics, and CRM. Adding tools adds complexity; remove tools that aren't providing clear value. The 'marketing stack' has gotten bloated—fight the urge to add every shiny tool.
Are AI marketing tools worth using?
For specific tasks, yes. AI writing tools (Claude, ChatGPT) accelerate content creation with human editing. AI design tools (Canva AI, Midjourney) speed up visual creation. AI analytics can surface insights. Be skeptical of 'AI' marketing tools that just wrap ChatGPT—you can often do the same thing directly for less.
Quick Facts About This Category
#1
Kissmetrics
Top rated
4
Free Tools
With free or freemium plans
9
Tools Reviewed
In this category
2026
Last Updated
February
Related Categories
Explore specialized subcategories:
Our Ranking Methodology
At Toolradar, we combine editorial expertise with community insights:
40%
Editorial Analysis
Features, UX, innovation
30%
User Reviews
Real feedback from verified users
15%
Pricing Value
Cost vs. features offered
15%
Integrations
Ecosystem compatibility
Have experience with these tools?
Your review helps thousands of others make better decisions.