As a marketing manager or CMO in a B2B organization in 2023, you’re probably tired of only hearing of account-based marketing’s benefits.
To unlock them, you need to find the right account-based marketing software for your company. And I know just how frustrating that process can be.
To help simplify the process, I’ve handpicked a shortlist where I break down 12 of the best ABM platforms on the market today by ideal use case. I also highlight key differences in features, pricing, ease of use, and more.
Best Account-Based Marketing Software Shortlist
Here’s the shortlist of the best ABM tools that I’ll cover in this article, with detailed summaries below:
- Marketo Engage - Best for large teams
- HubSpot ABM - Best for growing teams
- Demandbase - Best for ABM advertising
- 6sense - Best platform for AI modeling based on intent data
- Salesforce Marketing Cloud - Best ABM and CRM combination
- Uberflip - Best for managing content throughout the entire sales funnel
- Alyce - Best for sending mail and goodies to key accounts at scale
- Apollo.io - Best for email-focused B2B sales teams
- RollWorks - Best for campaign-market alignment
- Terminus - Best for easy revenue attribution
- Adapt - Best for US sales intelligence on accounts
- Vainu - Best for account intelligence on European companies
What Is Account-Based Marketing Software?
Account-based marketing software is any software that helps marketing teams and sales teams plan, run, and measure the results of ABM campaigns.
The most typical example is a full-fledged ABM platform that includes features like sales intelligence (searchable databases with crucial data points on potential clients), content personalization, and revenue attribution.
Overview of the 12 Best Account-Based Marketing Software
Below you can find my hand-picked top 12 ABM software. I’ve highlighted the ideal use case or standout strength for each option to help you find what might work best for you.
1. Marketo Engage - Best for large teams
Marketo was one of the originators within the ABM software industry, with early products tackling things like lead insights, sales cycle analytics, and more. These products were later bundled into a single platform called Marketo Engagement, which became Adobe Marketo Engage after the acquisition in 2018.
Why I picked Marketo Engage: Because of its long history and backing by Adobe, Marketo Engage is a feature-rich ABM platform that lives up to the mark in every area of ABM from account identification (with AI-powered tools), to lead generation, campaign implementation (with content personalization), tracking, analytics, and more.
Overall, it’s a cohesive platform with good integrations and is especially suited for large teams that need things like robust user roles and access management.
Marketo Engage Standout Features and Integrations
Features include multi-channel content personalization (from email to websites and beyond), full-fledged user and permission controls, and multi-touch revenue attribution.
Integrations include Salesforce, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, LinkedIn, and the Adobe Experience Cloud.
Pricing and plans: Marketo Engage offers customized pricing upon request.
Pros:
- Great access management features for large marketing and sales teams.
- Impressive content personalization.
- Complete overview across multiple channels.
Cons:
- The onboarding costs are expensive and pricing is unclear.
- The user experience can feel a bit disjointed.
- Sales intelligence data isn't entirely up to date.
2. HubSpot ABM - Best for growing teams
HubSpot has long been a player in the B2B marketing and customer relationship management industry, yet only launched its ABM capabilities in 2020. But thanks to the robust marketing automation capabilities and analytics features already available, it’s already become a solid alternative to more established ABM platforms.
Why I picked HubSpot ABM: Many smaller B2B marketing teams rely on HubSpot to both manage leads in the CRM and handle email marketing campaigns. For those that do, it might be a natural choice to use it for ABM capabilities as well.
HubSpot ABM Standout Features and Integrations
Features include a full-fledged CRM, email marketing management tools, multi-channel attribution, lead-to-account matching, and team management.
Integrations include Facebook Ads, Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, AirCall, Census, RollWorks, and Slack.
Pricing and plans: To access HubSpot’s ABM features, you need the professional marketing hub plan which starts at $890/month.
Pros:
- CRM and email marketing tools are built into the platform.
- Great onboarding and follow-up support.
- Good tools for separating campaigns and teams by region.
Cons:
- Limited flexibility and customizability for advanced users.
- Reporting is a bit clunky and not as powerful as some alternatives.
- Email builder is awkward and limited.
3. Demandbase - Best for ABM advertising
Demandbase is a complete ABM platform that's been around since 2007, and has evolved with the industry to become one of the market leaders.
Why I picked Demandbase: Not only is Demandbase a well-established ABM platform, they’ve continued to evolve and add more features over the years. The result is a well-rounded platform suitable for a variety of different use cases.
Demandbase Standout Features and Integrations
Features include a complete account-based advertising platform, cross-channel attribution reports, account-level insights, account identification, and predictive scoring.
Integrations include Adobe Analytics, Amazon Redshift, Alyce, Drupal, LinkedIn, Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce, Oracle Eloqua, Reachdesk, Sendoso, Uberflip, and VWO.
Pricing and plans: Demandbase offers customized pricing upon request.
Pros:
- Set up account-based advertising campaigns quickly.
- Modern user interface that's easy to use.
- The onboarding wizard teaches you how to use the software.
Cons:
- Solutions are separate by default (unless you pay a premium for the whole package).
- Not true personalization for ad campaigns — Demandbase only supports account targeting.
- The default reports can be hard to digest for the average marketer.
4. 6sense - Best platform for AI modeling based on intent data
6sense first launched in 2013 as a predictive intelligence platform for sales and marketing. It has since expanded its features, but the strength still very much lies in its AI-based modeling and forecasting tools, which are quite easy to use.
Why I picked 6sense: The platform has a healthy customer reputation, with many B2B marketers and sales managers especially pleased with its revenue forecasting features. If you’re in an industry where moving fast is key, this data can help you interpret campaign results at a quicker pace.
6sense Standout Features and Integrations
Features include intuitive revenue forecasting, real-time account prioritization, trending accounts dashboard, sales activation, and website personalization.
Integrations include Oracle Eloqua, HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics, Marketo, Salesforce Pardot, SalesLoft, and Sendoso.
Pricing and plans: Custom pricing is available upon request.
Pros:
- Better data quality than many competitors in company and contact databases.
- Real-time dashboards help your sales development reps (SDRs) prioritize the right accounts.
- Alerts help sales staff follow up quickly.
Cons:
- There’s no way to break down interactions by intent.
- Limited customization of SDR reports.
- Limited integrations.
5. Salesforce Marketing Cloud - Best ABM and CRM combination
Salesforce is one of the most widely used CRM tools on the market today, but not everyone knows that it also has robust ABM features.
Why I picked Salesforce: You may already be using the Salesforce CRM to manage customer relationship data. So if you build out your ABM campaigns inside this platform, you can avoid having to onboard all of your sales reps into a completely new tool.
Salesforce marketing cloud Standout Features and Integrations
Features include a built-in CRM, ChatGPT-powered smart assistance, a drag-and-drop automation builder, email marketing, and content personalization.
Integrations include LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Marketo Engage, 6sense, HubSpot, Demandbase, and Workato.
Pricing and plans: To access the AI-powered Einstein component, you need the Salesforce Marketing Cloud Corporate plan which starts at $3,750/month* (only available with annual billing).
Pros:
- Built into the Salesforce CRM.
- Easily design automated ABM campaigns with a drag-and-drop-builder.
- Smooth content and web personalization using CRM data.
Cons:
- Aspects of the interface are clunky and dated.
- The contact search function is limited.
- Support and support materials are underwhelming.
6. Uberflip - Best for managing content throughout the entire sales funnel
Uberflip isn't just a digital content experience platform — it also has a comprehensive website analytics suite that's suitable for ABM campaigns.
Why I picked Uberflip: While many ABM platforms offer some level of content personalization features, the interfaces are often dated, clunky, and not that easy to use. If your campaign priority is purely digital channels, Uberflip gives you the ability to easily create, manage, and track personalized content for all your accounts.
Uberflip Standout Features and Integrations
Features include content personalization, website analytics, engagement tracking, content management, and ROI reporting.
Integrations include Salesforce, Salesforce Pardot, Hubspot, Mailchimp, and Optimizely.
Pricing and plans: Custom pricing is available upon request.
Pros:
- User interface is very easy to understand and master.
- Native website analytics help you track account interactions and ROI.
- Plenty of CRM integrations.
Cons:
- Limited content format options (PDF, blog posts, video).
- Not all integrations are equally robust.
- Limited customization available for reporting and processes.
7. Alyce - Best for sending mail and goodies to key accounts at scale
If you have a very limited target market and key accounts you must land to grow, a corporate gifting platform like Alyce can be the difference maker.
Why I picked Alyce: If you’re looking to grab the attention of busy C-level executives, sales emails, cold calls, and ads often aren’t enough. Alyce makes it easy to start and track personalized direct mail and gifting campaigns at scale to help you stand out from the crowd.
Alyce Standout Features and Integrations
Features include direct mail design, mailing list management, gift status tracking, conversion tracking, and warehouse and fulfillment.
Integrations include Demandbase, 6sense, RollWorks, Salesforce, Hubspot, Eloqua, and Salesloft.
Pricing and plans: Custom pricing is available by request.
Pros:
- Robust integrations with CRMs and ABM platforms.
- Support for one-to-one and one-to-many ABM campaigns.
- Easy to set budgets and gift amounts by campaign.
Cons:
- Somewhat limited gifting options, especially internationally.
- Limited built-in reporting.
- No automated follow-up options.
8. Apollo.io - Best for email-focused B2B sales teams
Apollo.io is a sales intelligence platform that takes particular pride in the accuracy of its company and contact information.
Why I picked Apollo: Apollo has earned a reputation as one of the most reliable databases specifically for email addresses of key decision makers in important companies. If your ABM campaigns rely heavily on email outreach, it could be a good fit.
Apollo.io Standout Features and Integrations
Features include a company database with verified email addresses, multivariable search, email sequence management, automated sales meeting scheduling, and more.
Integrations include Salesforce, Hubspot, Sendgrid, Mailgun, Gmail, Outlook, and LinkedIn.
Pricing and plans: Apollo offers a freemium plan with up to 50 contacts, and the standard plan starts at $49 per month ($39 billed annually).
Pros:
- Best database of professional emails.
- Powerful search features make it easy to find who you’re looking for.
- Email sequence builder is easy to use and master.
Cons:
- Doesn’t integrate with some major CRMs.
- It only supports G Suite and Microsoft-connected emails out of the box.
- Can crash or hang up during larger requests (without data loss).
9. RollWorks - Best for campaign-market alignment
RollWorks is a complete ABM platform with built-in sales intelligence, account grading, account-based advertising, account engagement, and revenue attribution tools.
Why I picked RollWorks: The account grading tool makes it easy to effectively implement your account-based marketing strategy without wasting any budget on poor ICP matches.
RollWorks Standout Features and Integrations
Features include account grading, the opportunity timeline, account-level intelligence, revenue attribution, and built-in email and ad campaign management.
Integrations include Salesforce, Hubspot, Marketo Engage, Oracle Eloqua, LinkedIn, Facebook Ads, Uberflip, Microsoft Dynamics, Drift, and Google Analytics.
Pricing and plans: Custom pricing is available upon request.
Pros:
- Great for prioritizing important accounts at scale.
- Advertising tools make it easy to boost awareness among target accounts.
- Account progression reports are comprehensive and easy to follow.
Cons:
- Limited control over and insight into audience targeting and bidding.
- Advertising reports show minimal data beyond actions and ROI.
- Some third-party integrations require you to reorganize your data in that platform first.
10. Terminus - Best for easy revenue attribution
Terminus was one of the first all-in-one ABM solutions when it launched back in 2014, with founder Sangram Vajre a long-time evangelist of the ABM approach to B2B marketing.
Why I picked Terminus: As veterans in the industry, the Terminus team has put together a solution with extensive features across all stages of ABM over the past nine years. In particular, a well-developed attribution and analytics suite stands out. It's a comprehensive solution but might be too powerful for many SMBs or companies that aren't fully committed to ABM yet.
Terminus Standout Features and Integrations
Features include lead analysis, account insights, predictive scoring, prioritized accounts, website personalization, email campaigns, chatbot, account-targeted display campaigns, and ROI tracking.
Integrations include Salesforce, Hubspot, Oracle Eloqua, Microsoft Dynamics, Outreach, Salesloft, Uberlift, PathFactory, and Crossbeam.
Pricing and plans: Terminus offers custom pricing upon request.
Pros:
- Supports cohesive 1:1 ABM campaigns across multiple channels including display, email, and more.
- Features robust integrations with most CRMs.
- Revenue attribution is easy to set up and revenue dashboards are comprehensive.
Cons:
- Doesn’t track all relevant full-cycle sales rep actions.
- No campaign grouping available.
- Dashboard and report customization is limited.
11. Adapt - Best for US sales intelligence on accounts
Adapt is a B2B contact and company database provider with solid accuracy — especially when it comes to US companies.
Why I picked Adapt: Instead of having to do target account and contact research separately, you can do both with a reliable dataset in Adapt.
Adapt Standout Features and Integrations
Features include company and contact databases, multivariable search, contact enrichment, internationalization, and lead analysis.
Integrations include Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Hubspot, Zoho CRM, Outreach, Salesgear, Marketo, and Oracle Eloqua.
Pricing and plans: Freemium plan with 20 monthly credits available. The growth plan which includes CRM integration and tech data starts at $25 per month*. (Only annual billing available.)
Pros:
- Over 25 million companies and 61 million contacts.
- Supports local prospecting with state and regional options.
- Both email and phone numbers.
Cons:
- Annual contact limits are quite low for cheaper plans.
- Not clear which contacts you’ve already put on a list.
- No context for levels of engagement with the account or even specific contacts.
12. Vainu - Best for account intelligence on European companies
Vainu is a Finnish sales intelligence platform with a particular focus on Nordic and European companies. It offers a comprehensive company database complete with revenue, industry, technographic data, and key information.
Why I picked Vainu: Vainu, based in Finland, has long had a particular focus on Europe and Nordic countries, and as a result, has higher quality data sets and is better able to facilitate target recommendations for Europe-based campaigns.
Vainu Standout Features and Integrations
Features include multivariable company search, reliable contact data, and smart trigger events.
Integrations include HubSpot, Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce, and Pipedrive.
Pricing and plans: The Nordic-only plan costs €4,200 per year, while the global plan costs €12,000 per year (no monthly plans available).
Pros:
- Great data set for Nordic countries.
- Easy to identify target accounts with multi-variable search.
- Triggers can help guide your campaign in real time.
Cons:
- Key decision-maker data is only available for Finland & Sweden.
- The global plan costs more than some competitors with lackluster features.
- Company information is less accurate and expansive for US companies.
Selection Criteria for Account-Based Marketing Software
The starting point for this list is the challenges and roadblocks that marketers face when trying to implement ABM. So, first I analyzed research from 2022 on the top ABM-related challenges in B2B marketing:
Then I hand-picked software that can help solve key issues like proving ROI, sales and marketing alignment, personalization at scale, and identifying purchase-ready accounts.
I then went on to consider “regular” factors like ease of implementation, integrations, price, and customer reputation to help me finalize the top 12 and make recommendations based on use cases.
Below are the specific criteria I used to narrow my initial list of options down to the top ten options.
Features Conducive to Good Marketing-Sales Alignment
If the solution doesn’t have features that are necessary to reap the rewards of an ABM campaign without significant work on your part, it’s not included on this list.
Software Integrations
An ABM platform loses a lot of its efficacy if it doesn’t integrate with crucial sources of customer data like your CRM and email marketing platform. The options on this list all integrate with most major CRMs and a range of other marketing software.
Ease of Implementation
I’ve excluded solutions that require you to custom-code integrations or manually input data for them to work. ABM campaigns are most effective when information is shared and utilized automatically — for example, through engagement-based notifications to sales reps. The solutions on this shortlist help you implement things like this without unnecessary labor.
Value Over Price
I’m not going to lie, most ABM solutions focus on large-scale ABM campaigns and often come with price points that are hard to swallow for an SMB. But not wanting to compromise on quality, I’ve avoided trying to find cheap and unproven solutions, and instead tried to focus on high-quality options that deliver a large range of features and integrations for their price tag.
Also, don’t shoot the messenger, but most companies only offer “customized pricing”, this is pretty much standard operating procedure in the ABM niche of martech.
People Also Ask
Below, I answer some of the most commonly asked questions about the topic of ABM software.
What is account-based marketing software?
How much does ABM software cost?
What are the most common features of ABM platforms?
Is Salesforce an ABM platform?
Other Account-Based Marketing Software Options
Here are a few more worthwhile options that didn’t make the Best Account-Based Marketing Software list, but might be the right fit for your needs:
- Cognism - Best sales intelligence for startups
- Sendoso - Best for direct mail campaigns beyond gifting
- Reachdesk - Easiest corporate gifting platform to get started with
- Leadfeeder - Best for identifying leads based on website visits
- Leandata - Best for ensuring the right leads goes to the right sales rep automatically
- Metadata.io - Best for running more targeted ABM campaigns on social
- Foundry Intent - Best for tracking and acting on intent data
- Oracle Eloqua - Most powerful marketing automation features
Did You Find the Right Fit?
There are many different approaches, budgets, and levels of commitment to ABM, so no single platform can be right for everyone. Plus, ideally, you want a platform that integrates with your existing CRM and other key tools right out of the box.
I tried my best to accommodate a variety of use cases and tech stacks with this list. What did you think of it? Did you find the right fit for your use case?
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