Best Act-On Alternatives in 2026
A sourced shortlist of the top Act-On competitors: Adobe Marketo Engage, Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot), Ortto and CleverTap. Each is compared with Act-On on pricing, free plan, features and fit, using dated vendor and independent sources. No rankings and no paid placement.
- Updated 10 Nov 2026Profiles verified 10 Nov 2026
- 4 alternativesEach with a full sourced profile
- Not a rankingFit depends on your priorities
- Not tested by Stack18Editorial summary of documented facts
What are the best alternatives to Act-On?
The main alternatives to Act-On covered here are Adobe Marketo Engage, Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot), Ortto and CleverTap. Adobe Marketo Engage may suit B2B marketing teams running complex lead management at scale, while Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot) may suit B2B teams already running Salesforce Sales Cloud. None is best for everyone: the right marketing automation platform depends on team size, budget and which Act-On limitation you are trying to solve.
Teams usually start looking beyond Act-On for documented reasons: annual contract required; CRM integration is an add-on on Professional. Act-On remains a reasonable fit for mid-size B2B teams wanting simpler automation than Marketo, so an alternative is not automatically better, only different.
Below, every option is compared with Act-On in one table, then described with its strengths, trade-offs and pricing, each taken from its own sourced profile. Anything the sources do not document is marked as unknown.
Why teams look for Act-On alternatives.
Each reason is a limitation documented on the Act-On profile, with its source cited there.
Scope and fit
Annual contract required.
Cost and pricing
CRM integration is an add-on on Professional.
Other trade-offs
Standard support is email-based.
According to its profile, Act-On may be less suited to: B2C mobile engagement; teams wanting monthly contracts.
Act-On vs its top alternatives at a glance.
Act-On is shown first for reference. Summaries come from each sourced profile; suitability depends on company size, budget, use case and technical requirements.
| Product | Best for | Pricing model | Starting price | Focus | Channels | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Act-On (current tool) | Mid-size B2B teams wanting simpler automation than Marketo | By active contacts, annual | $900/mo | B2B | Email, web; SMS add-on | Not documented |
 Adobe Marketo Engage | B2B marketing teams running complex lead management at scale | Quote by contacts | Not published (~$900+/mo est.) | B2B | Email, web, ads | Not documented |
 Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot) | B2B teams already running Salesforce Sales Cloud | Per org, annual | $1,250/mo | B2B | Email, forms; SMS/WhatsApp add-on | Not documented |
 Ortto | SaaS and growth teams wanting automation plus a CDP in one tool | By contacts | $237/mo (10K contacts, annual) | SaaS and B2B | Email, SMS, in-app | Not documented |
 CleverTap | Consumer app teams that want a self-serve entry plan | By MAU; quote above Core | $85/mo (Core) | B2C apps | Push, in-app, email, SMS, WhatsApp | 30 days |
Each Act-On alternative described.
Pricing, strengths and trade-offs are taken from each product's profile, where every point is linked to a dated source.
Adobe Marketo Engage
Adobe · B2B marketing automation platform
Adobe Marketo Engage is a B2B marketing automation platform for lead management, email nurturing, scoring and account-based marketing, sold in four packages priced by contact volume.
- Pricing
- Custom quote; third-party estimates start around $900 to $2,000+ a month.
- Free plan
- No
- Team size
- Mid-size teams, Large enterprises
- Mature B2B lead management, scoring and nurture.
- Packages scale from 10 marketing users upward.
- No published prices.
- Usually needs a dedicated administrator.
Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot)
Salesforce · B2B marketing automation (Salesforce)
Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement, formerly Pardot, is a B2B marketing automation product built on Salesforce, sold in Growth+, Plus+, Advanced+ and Premium+ editions per organisation.
- Pricing
- Growth+ $1,250, Plus+ $2,750, Advanced+ $4,400, Premium+ $15,000 per org per month, billed annually.
- Free plan
- No
- Team size
- Mid-size teams, Large enterprises
- Published prices for every edition.
- Native Salesforce integration and Agentforce features.
- Annual contracts are required.
- Entry edition starts at $1,250 a month.
Ortto
Ortto · Marketing automation and CDP
Ortto, formerly Autopilot, is a marketing automation platform with a built-in customer data platform, journeys, email, SMS and analytics, priced by contacts.
- Pricing
- Starter $237 and Professional $509 a month for 10,000 contacts, billed annually.
- Free plan
- No
- Team size
- Small teams, Mid-size teams, Large enterprises
- Published prices by contact tier.
- Quarterly and annual discounts.
- Pricing page shows conflicting Starter prices.
- Annual plans cannot be downgraded mid-term.
CleverTap
CleverTap · Customer engagement and retention platform
CleverTap is a customer engagement and retention platform for consumer apps, combining analytics, segmentation, CleverAI and omnichannel messaging, sold in Core, Pro and Ultimate plans.
- Pricing
- Core from $85 a month after a 30-day trial; Pro and Ultimate by quote.
- Free plan
- No
- Team size
- Small teams, Mid-size teams, Large enterprises
- Published self-serve entry plan with a 30-day trial.
- AI tokens included on every plan.
- Entry price rose from $75 to $85 in August 2026.
- Pro and Ultimate are quote-based.
Which Act-On alternative should you choose?
No single alternative is best for everyone. Match the scenario to your own requirements, then test two or three options against a real process.
Consider Adobe Marketo Engage if you are…
- B2B marketing teams running complex lead management at scale
- Adobe Experience Cloud customers
- Marketing operations teams
Consider Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot) if you are…
- B2B teams already running Salesforce Sales Cloud
- Marketing ops teams wanting published pricing
- Enterprises using Agentforce
Consider Ortto if you are…
- SaaS and growth teams wanting automation plus a CDP in one tool
- Mid-size teams needing published pricing
- Not-for-profits
Consider CleverTap if you are…
- Consumer app teams that want a self-serve entry plan
- Fintech, gaming and ecommerce apps
- Teams wanting analytics plus engagement
Stay with Act-On if you are…
- Mid-size B2B teams wanting simpler automation than Marketo
- Teams with large but partly inactive databases
- Non-profits
How to switch from Act-On.
Moving off Act-On means exporting contacts, activity history and consent records, rebuilding journeys, scoring models, templates and forms, re-warming sending domains or IPs, and reconnecting your CRM and data sources. Run both platforms in parallel until key journeys are live. Rebuild one live journey (such as onboarding or lead nurture) in each shortlisted platform and compare results.
- Export a sample of your Act-On data and test an import into the new product.
- List the automations, integrations and permissions you would need to rebuild.
- Compare total cost for your real seat count, including add-ons and onboarding fees.
- Pilot with one team before a full cut-over.
- Check contract terms, renewal dates and notice periods with Act-On.
General guidance, not specific to any vendor. Confirm migration options with the vendors.
Act-On alternatives: questions and answers
What is the best alternative to Act-On?
No single alternative is best for everyone. The alternatives covered here are Adobe Marketo Engage, Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot), Ortto and CleverTap. Adobe Marketo Engage may suit B2B marketing teams running complex lead management at scale. Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot) may suit B2B teams already running Salesforce Sales Cloud. Ortto may suit SaaS and growth teams wanting automation plus a CDP in one tool. Test two or three against your own process before deciding.
Is there a free alternative to Act-On?
None of the alternatives covered here documents a permanent free plan. CleverTap offers a free trial. See the Marketing Automation Software category for other free options.
Which Act-On alternative is best for small teams?
Ortto and CleverTap are documented for small teams. Ortto may suit SaaS and growth teams wanting automation plus a CDP in one tool. CleverTap may suit consumer app teams that want a self-serve entry plan.
Which Act-On alternatives suit larger organisations?
Adobe Marketo Engage, Salesforce Account Engagement (Pardot), Ortto and CleverTap are documented for large enterprises as well as smaller teams. Larger rollouts should also check SSO, permissions, audit logs and contract terms on each profile.
Why do teams switch from Act-On?
The limitations documented on the Act-On profile are: Annual contract required. CRM integration is an add-on on Professional. Standard support is email-based. Whether they matter depends on your team and budget.
Who should stay with Act-On?
Act-On may still suit mid-size B2B teams wanting simpler automation than Marketo; teams with large but partly inactive databases; non-profits.
Where can I compare Act-On with a competitor side by side?
Stack18 has head-to-head comparisons for Act-On vs Adobe Marketo Engage, each with a feature table and pricing summary.
How were these Act-On alternatives chosen?
They are the products listed as alternatives on the Act-On profile and other products in the Marketing Automation Software category with overlapping use cases. They are listed in the order shown, not ranked, and no vendor paid for placement. Each profile was verified on 10 Nov 2026.
Where this shortlist comes from.
- Act-On Pricing Act-On Official Accessed 10 Nov 2026
- Marketo Pricing: Plans, Costs & Hidden Fees ZoomInfo Third-party Accessed 10 Nov 2026
- Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Pricing Salesforce Official Accessed 10 Nov 2026
- Plans & pricing Ortto Official Accessed 10 Nov 2026
- Plans and Pricing CleverTap Official Accessed 10 Nov 2026
- CleverTap renames tiers, hikes entry price to $85, adds CleverAI tokens PricingSaaS Third-party Accessed 10 Nov 2026
Alternatives are summarised from the linked profiles and their sources: all sources for Act-On and the main sources for each alternative. Confirm current details with each vendor. Stack18 has not tested these products.
Evaluating Act-On alternatives?
Compare your shortlist side by side, read the full profiles, or talk to Stack18 if off-the-shelf software is not the answer.
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