ActiveCampaign vs Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (Pardot)
Side-by-side from the Top 11 rankings of The 11 Best Email Marketing Software and The 11 Best Marketing Automation Software (2026). Last verified June 4, 2026.
The short answer
ActiveCampaign ranks higher on Top 11 (#1 vs #5) for Small business owners and marketers choosing email marketing tools (Mailchimp alternatives) / Marketing managers choosing marketing automation platforms (HubSpot vs Marketo vs ActiveCampaign vs Klaviyo). Unmatched automation and integrated CRM make it the top choice for businesses ready to scale their marketing efforts.
At a glance
| ActiveCampaign | Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (Pardot) | |
|---|---|---|
| Top 11 rank | #1 / The 11 Best Email Marketing Software | #5 / The 11 Best Marketing Automation Software (2026) |
| Score (out of 9.4) | 9.2 | 8.4 |
| Best for | Advanced automation & CRM | Salesforce-centric B2B marketing |
| Pricing | $$ ($29 to $479+/mo) | $$$$ ($1,250 to $15,000/mo) |
| HQ | Chicago, USA | Atlanta, USA |
| Founded | 2003 | 2007 |
ActiveCampaign
Unmatched automation and integrated CRM make it the top choice for businesses ready to scale their marketing efforts.
www.activecampaign.comSalesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (Pardot)
The best choice for B2B teams on Salesforce, offering unmatched CRM integration for sales alignment.
www.salesforce.com/products/marketing-cloud/account-engagement/See full entry in The 11 Best Marketing Automation Software (2026)
Methodology and scoring weights live at /methodology. No vendor pays for placement — see about.