Editor's note, November 1, 2026: Rebuilt from our 2021 list of 250+ tools: now 12 standout sales and marketing tools, one for each main job, with prices checked on 31 October and 1 November 2026 and links to our category pages for more options.
How we choose: we research each tool on its own site, check prices at the source and read what users say in public reviews. Our method
For most growing businesses, the best sales and marketing tool to start with is HubSpot. Its free CRM puts leads, deals and marketing emails on one shared contact record, so sales and marketing work from the same data. If your team mainly sells and wants a fast pipeline, choose Pipedrive instead. Add ActiveCampaign to nurture leads by email, and Apollo.io to find new prospects.
You do not need dozens of tools to grow. You need one tool for each main job, connected so data flows between them: a CRM, a way to find and contact prospects, email automation, measurement, and a few tools that save time. That is how this list is built, with one standout pick per job. It replaces our old list of more than 250 tools.
For more options in each area, browse our categories: CRM, lead generation, sales engagement, marketing automation, email marketing, SEO, analytics, social media, content marketing, productivity and customer support. If sales and marketing in your company work from different data, start with our guide on aligning sales and marketing. Prices below were checked on 31 October and 1 November 2026.
The list at a glance
| # | Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan | Team |
|---|
| 1 |  HubSpot CRM | Sales and marketing working from one shared contact record | Free; Starter starts at $7/mo/seat (limited-time new-customer price with an upfront annual payment; normally $20/month per seat) | Yes | Sales |
| 2 |  Pipedrive | Sales teams that run their week from a deal pipeline | €14 per seat per month (Lite) | No | Sales |
| 3 |  ActiveCampaign | Email marketing automation for small and mid-sized businesses | $15 per month, billed yearly | No | Sales and marketing |
| 4 |  Apollo.io | Finding B2B prospects and contacting them from one tool | $49 per seat per month (Basic) | Yes | Sales |
| 5 |  Google Analytics | Free website and campaign analytics | Free | Yes | Marketing |
| 6 |  Semrush | SEO, competitor research and AI search visibility | $117.33 per month, billed yearly (SEO) | Yes | Marketing |
| 7 |  lemlist | Personalised cold email and LinkedIn outreach | $55 per month, billed yearly (Email) | No | Sales and marketing |
| 8 |  Leadfeeder | Seeing which companies visit your website | $79 per month, billed yearly | Yes | Sales and marketing |
| 9 |  Calendly | Booking sales meetings without email back-and-forth | $10 per seat per month | Yes | Sales and marketing |
| 10 |  Zapier | Connecting your sales and marketing tools without code | $19.99 per month, billed yearly | Yes | Sales and marketing |
| 11 |  Canva | Creating marketing visuals without a designer | $18 per month for one person | Yes | Marketing |
| 12 |  Buffer | Simple social media scheduling at a low price | $5 per channel per month, billed yearly | Yes | Marketing |
How we chose
We ranked each tool on the five points of our published method, in this order. First, fit: how central the job is to growing a B2B business and how well the tool does that job, with tools that serve both sales and marketing ranked first. Second, the features that matter for that job, such as a shared contact record, pipelines, automation, prospect data and reporting, taken from each vendor's own documentation and pricing page. Third, price and how clearly it is stated, including free plans, trials and the cost of the plan you will really need. Fourth, what users report in public reviews on G2. Fifth, whether the product is actively developed.
Every tool was researched on its own website and pricing page and in public reviews on G2. Because this list spans several categories, it shows one standout per job rather than ranking close rivals against each other. Our category pages compare more tools within each area.
Best for sales and marketing working from one shared contact record
1. HubSpot CRM
Sales- Starting price
- Free; Starter starts at $7/mo/seat (limited-time new-customer price with an upfront annual payment; normally $20/month per seat)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- No
- Price checked
- October 31, 2026
The best starting point for most growing businesses. The CRM is free for 2 users with no time limit, and HubSpot's marketing, sales and service tools all build on the same record when you are ready to pay.
Why it's on the list
HubSpot covers both sales and marketing on one database, from a free start. The free CRM covers 2 users and 1,000 contacts with no expiry and includes a deal pipeline, email tracking, a meeting scheduler and shared dashboards, and the free Marketing Hub plan adds email marketing, forms and landing pages. Starter normally costs $20 per seat per month; on 1 November 2026 new customers were offered $7 per seat with an upfront annual payment. G2 reviewers praise ease of use, and the most common complaint is that automation and custom reporting sit on the pricier Professional tiers.
Pros
- Free CRM for 2 users, with no time limit
- Sales and marketing activity on the same contact record
- Email marketing, forms and landing pages on the free marketing plan
- More than 2,000 apps in the HubSpot Marketplace
Cons
- The free CRM stops at 2 users and 1,000 contacts
- Marketing automation workflows need Marketing Hub Professional, from $800 per month plus onboarding
- Starter's low price is a limited-time offer for new customers
Who it's for
Small and mid-sized B2B businesses that want one system for leads, deals and campaigns and want to start free.
Who should skip it
Teams that only need a sales pipeline, or that need advanced automation on a small budget.
More about HubSpot CRM: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for sales teams that run their week from a deal pipeline
2. Pipedrive
Sales- Starting price
- €14 per seat per month (Lite)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- October 31, 2026
A focused sales CRM that is quick to learn, built around a visual pipeline, and includes Nova meeting intelligence on every plan.
Why it's on the list
Pipedrive centres on a visual pipeline where deals move through stages, with activity reminders, goals and forecasting reports. Nova prepares a brief before calls, transcribes them and drafts CRM updates afterwards on every plan. There is no free plan, but every plan has a 14-day trial without a card, and Lite cost €14 per seat per month billed annually on 31 October 2026. G2 rates it 4.3 out of 5, with ease of use and customisation the most common praise and add-on costs a common complaint.
Pros
- Visual pipeline that G2 reviewers call intuitive
- Nova meeting briefs and recaps on every plan
- More than 500 integrations
- 14-day trial on every plan, no card needed
Cons
- No free plan
- Lead capture, email campaigns and projects are paid add-ons
- Email automation starts on Growth, €39 per seat billed annually
Who it's for
Owner-led and growing sales teams that sell in clear stages and want reps to adopt the CRM quickly.
Who should skip it
Businesses that want marketing email in the same system. HubSpot covers more.
More about Pipedrive: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for email marketing automation for small and mid-sized businesses
3. ActiveCampaign
Sales and marketing- Starting price
- $15 per month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- October 31, 2026
The pick here for email marketing automation. It suits teams that want to nurture leads with behaviour-based emails, with an optional CRM add-on.
Why it's on the list
ActiveCampaign's visual builder handles multi-step automations with multiple triggers, and it offers more than 950 ready-made automation recipes plus an AI automation builder. On 31 October 2026, Starter cost $15 per month for 1,000 contacts billed yearly, and Plus at $49 added landing pages, cross-channel messaging, unlimited automation actions and the optional CRM add-ons. There is no free plan, but there is a 14-day trial without a card. G2 rates it 4.4 out of 5 from about 14,800 reviews, with automation the top praise and the learning curve and price the main complaints.
Pros
- Detailed, behaviour-based automation
- More than 950 automation recipes
- Optional CRM add-ons with deals and lead scoring
- 14-day trial without a card
Cons
- No free plan
- Starter allows only 5 actions per automation
- Learning curve and rising price as contacts grow, per G2 reviewers
Who it's for
B2B and online businesses that want to nurture leads automatically after they sign up.
Who should skip it
Teams that only send a monthly newsletter. A simpler tool with a free plan is enough.
More about ActiveCampaign: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for finding B2B prospects and contacting them from one tool
4. Apollo.io
Sales- Starting price
- $49 per seat per month (Basic)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
A fast way to start outbound sales. A free plan, a large contact database and built-in sequences cover prospecting and first outreach in one tool.
Why it's on the list
Apollo combines a database that it says covers more than 240 million contacts and 30 million companies with email sequences, a dialer, enrichment and a Chrome extension for LinkedIn and Gmail. The free plan has no time limit and includes email campaigns, though only Gmail can be connected. On 1 November 2026 the price data on Apollo's pricing page listed Basic at $49 and Professional at $99 per seat per month, billed monthly. G2 rates Apollo 4.7 out of 5 from close to 10,000 reviews, while the most common complaint is data accuracy outside North America.
Pros
- Free plan with no time limit
- Prospect search, sequences and a dialer in one place
- Chrome extension for LinkedIn and Gmail
- 4.7 out of 5 on G2
Cons
- Data accuracy varies by region, per G2 reviewers
- Credits for emails and phone numbers do not roll over
- Free accounts can only connect Gmail
Who it's for
Founders and sales teams that need a steady flow of new B2B prospects and want to start outbound quickly.
Who should skip it
Teams that only work inbound leads. Leadfeeder or HubSpot may be a better first spend.
More about Apollo.io: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for free website and campaign analytics
5. Google Analytics
Marketing- Starting price
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- No
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
The default way to measure what your marketing brings in. It is free, and it connects directly to Google Ads and Search Console.
Why it's on the list
Google Analytics 4 records every interaction as an event and collects page views, scrolls, outbound clicks, site search, video engagement, file downloads and form interactions without extra code. It is free of charge, with Google Analytics 360 for large organisations at a price Google does not publish. It connects to Google Ads, Search Console and BigQuery, so you can see which campaigns lead to conversions. G2 reviewers value the depth of data and the free price, and the most common complaint is the learning curve of GA4.
Pros
- Free for most businesses
- Tracks key interactions without code changes
- Connects to Google Ads, Search Console and BigQuery
Cons
- GA4's event model has a learning curve, per G2 reviewers
- Familiar reports can be hard to find
- Numbers sometimes differ from other tools
Who it's for
Every business with a website that wants to know which channels and campaigns bring visitors and leads.
Who should skip it
Teams that need company-level B2B visitor data. Add Leadfeeder for that.
More about Google Analytics: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for sEO, competitor research and AI search visibility
6. Semrush
Marketing- Starting price
- $117.33 per month, billed yearly (SEO)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
A broad SEO platform. It covers keyword research, competitor analysis, rank tracking, site audits and visibility in AI answers, but it is a significant monthly cost.
Why it's on the list
Semrush shows which keywords, pages and backlinks drive a competitor's traffic, tracks your rankings daily and audits your site for technical issues. It now also tracks how your brand appears in AI assistants. The free plan allows 10 reports per day, paid plans have a 7-day trial, and on 1 November 2026 the SEO plan cost $117.33 per month billed annually. Adobe completed its acquisition of Semrush in April 2026. G2 rates it 4.4 out of 5 from 4,304 reviews, and price is by far the most common complaint.
Pros
- Keyword, competitor, backlink and rank data in one place
- AI visibility tracking
- Free plan with 10 reports per day and a 7-day trial
Cons
- Price is the top complaint on G2
- Other toolkits, such as Traffic and Local, are priced separately
- Learning curve for beginners
Who it's for
Marketing teams and agencies that treat SEO and content as a main source of leads.
Who should skip it
Businesses that only need to check rankings occasionally. Google Search Console is free.
More about Semrush: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for personalised cold email and LinkedIn outreach
7. lemlist
Sales and marketing- Starting price
- $55 per month, billed yearly (Email)
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
A strong pick for cold outreach at volume. It combines a lead database, warm-up and multichannel sequences, and suits teams that prospect every week.
Why it's on the list
lemlist runs sequences across email, LinkedIn, calls, SMS and WhatsApp, with automatic follow-ups, a database of 650M+ leads and lemwarm email warm-up included with every seat. On 1 November 2026 the Email plan cost $55 per month billed yearly, or $69 monthly, and Multichannel cost $87 per user per month billed yearly. There is no free plan, but there is a 14-day trial with 200 credits. G2 rates it 4.6 out of 5, praising ease of use and personalisation, while complaints mention cost once credits are added.
Pros
- Email, LinkedIn, calls and SMS in one sequence
- lemwarm warm-up included with every seat
- 650M+ lead database and email finder
- 4.6 out of 5 on G2
Cons
- No free plan
- Enrichment and intent data cost extra credits
- Setup and integrations take time, per G2 reviewers
Who it's for
Founders, SDR teams and agencies that run personalised outbound campaigns every week.
Who should skip it
Teams that send only a few cold emails a month. Apollo's free plan or Hunter may be enough.
More about lemlist: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for seeing which companies visit your website
8. Leadfeeder
Sales and marketing- Starting price
- $79 per month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
A practical way to turn anonymous B2B website traffic into named accounts for sales, with a free plan to try it.
Why it's on the list
Leadfeeder identifies the companies behind website visits, shows which pages they read and how well they fit your ideal customer profile, and sends alerts and CRM updates to Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Microsoft Dynamics and Zoho. The free Lite plan covers unlimited users and the last 100 identified companies per month, with 7 days of history. On 1 November 2026 Discover started at $79 per month billed annually. G2 rates it 4.3 out of 5 from 870 reviews, praising company identification for account-based marketing and naming data accuracy as the main complaint.
Pros
- Free plan with unlimited users
- Alerts when target accounts visit
- CRM sync with Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive and more
Cons
- Identifies companies, not individual visitors
- Data accuracy and missing decision-makers, per G2 reviewers
- Price rises with the number of companies identified
Who it's for
B2B companies with steady website traffic that want sales to follow up on interested accounts.
Who should skip it
Businesses that sell to consumers, or B2B sites with very little traffic.
More about Leadfeeder: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for booking sales meetings without email back-and-forth
9. Calendly
Sales and marketing- Starting price
- $10 per seat per month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
A simple way to turn interest into booked meetings. Routing forms send qualified leads straight to the right rep.
Why it's on the list
Calendly lets prospects pick a time from your availability, sends reminders and lets invitees reschedule themselves. Teams adds round robin scheduling and routing forms that qualify leads before they book, with Salesforce, Marketo and Pardot connections. The Free plan allows one event type, and on 1 November 2026 Standard cost $10 and Teams $16 per seat per month. G2 reviewers praise ease of use and calendar sync, and complain that useful features sit behind paid tiers.
Pros
- Free plan for one event type
- Routing forms qualify and assign leads before they book
- Connects to HubSpot, Salesforce and more than 150 other tools
Cons
- The free plan allows only one event type
- Per-seat pricing adds up for teams
- Basic reporting, per G2 reviewers
Who it's for
Sales, marketing and customer success teams that book many external meetings.
Who should skip it
Teams already using HubSpot's meeting scheduler, which is included in the free CRM.
More about Calendly: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for connecting your sales and marketing tools without code
10. Zapier
Sales and marketing- Starting price
- $19.99 per month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- October 31, 2026
The glue for a sales and marketing stack. It moves leads and data between more than 9,000 apps, so tools that lack a direct integration still work together.
Why it's on the list
Zapier builds automated workflows that start with a trigger in one app and run actions in others, such as adding a form lead to your CRM and alerting sales. It connects to 9,000+ apps and adds AI steps, tables and forms. The Free plan includes 100 tasks a month with two-step Zaps, and on 1 November 2026 Professional cost $19.99 per month billed annually for 750 tasks. G2 rates it 4.5 out of 5 from 2,108 reviews, praising ease of use and the range of apps, with cost the main complaint.
Pros
- Connects 9,000+ apps without code
- Free plan with 100 tasks a month
- AI steps, tables and forms built in
Cons
- Costs rise with task volume
- Multi-step Zaps need a paid plan
- Advanced Zaps take time to build and test, per G2 reviewers
Who it's for
Small teams that use several tools and want leads and data to move between them automatically.
Who should skip it
Teams whose main tools already integrate natively, such as an all-in-one HubSpot setup.
More about Zapier: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for creating marketing visuals without a designer
11. Canva
Marketing- Starting price
- $18 per month for one person
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
An easy way for marketers and salespeople to produce on-brand social posts, presentations and ads, with a capable free plan.
Why it's on the list
Canva offers millions of templates and stock assets, brand kits for logos, colours and fonts, AI tools such as resizing and background removal, and social post scheduling from Pro upwards. The free plan includes 1.6M+ templates and 5GB of storage, and on 1 November 2026 Pro cost $18 per month for one person. G2 rates it 4.7 out of 5 from more than 7,800 reviews, with ease of use and templates the most common praise and limits for advanced design work the main complaint.
Pros
- Free plan with 1.6M+ templates
- Brand kits keep designs consistent
- AI resize and background removal
- 4.7 out of 5 on G2
Cons
- Limited for advanced design work, per G2 reviewers
- Pro covers one person; teams need Business
- AI features use a monthly allowance
Who it's for
Marketing teams, founders and sales reps who need visuals and decks quickly.
Who should skip it
Design teams that need advanced vector or print work.
More about Canva: pricing, features and alternatives
Best for simple social media scheduling at a low price
12. Buffer
Marketing- Starting price
- $5 per channel per month, billed yearly
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Yes
- Price checked
- November 1, 2026
An affordable social media scheduler, with a free plan for 3 channels. It suits small teams that post on LinkedIn and other networks every week.
Why it's on the list
Buffer schedules posts to LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky, YouTube Shorts and other networks from one queue, with a community inbox, analytics and an AI Assistant. The Free plan covers up to 3 channels and 10 scheduled posts per channel, and on 1 November 2026 Essentials cost $5 per channel per month billed yearly. G2 rates it 4.3 out of 5 from 1,042 reviews, praising its simple design and naming basic analytics as a weakness for larger teams.
Pros
- Free plan for up to 3 channels
- Low price per connected channel
- Supports LinkedIn and 11 other networks
Cons
- Analytics are basic for larger teams, per G2 reviewers
- Price grows with every channel you add
- Occasional failed posts reported on G2
Who it's for
Founders and small marketing teams that want a steady social presence without a big tool.
Who should skip it
Social teams that need listening and advanced reporting. Hootsuite covers more.
More about Buffer: pricing, features and alternatives
Also considered
- Hunter: A simpler email finder and verifier with a free plan. Apollo covers more of the prospecting job.
- Ahrefs: A strong alternative to Semrush for backlink and keyword research, from $29 per month for Starter.
- Mailchimp: A popular email tool with a free plan for 250 contacts, but the free plan has no automation flows and Essentials allows up to 4 flow steps.
- Hootsuite: Covers publishing, a social inbox and listening for larger teams, but starts at $99 per user per month.
- Intercom: A strong customer service platform with an AI agent, but this list focuses on finding and winning customers.
- Hotjar: Useful heatmaps and session recordings, but new users now sign up for Contentsquare instead of Hotjar.
Frequently asked questions
What are sales and marketing tools?
Sales and marketing tools are software that help a business find, win and keep customers. They include CRMs for tracking contacts and deals, prospecting tools for finding leads, email marketing and automation, SEO and analytics tools for measuring results, and productivity tools that connect it all.
Which sales and marketing tools does a small business need first?
Start with a CRM, so every lead and deal is in one place, and a free analytics tool such as Google Analytics. Then add email marketing to nurture leads. Prospecting, SEO and social tools come next, depending on where your customers come from.
What are the best free sales and marketing tools?
In this list, HubSpot's free CRM, Google Analytics, Apollo.io, Calendly, Zapier, Canva, Buffer and Leadfeeder all have free plans with no time limit. Semrush also has a free plan limited to 10 reports per day.
How much does a sales and marketing stack cost?
You can start for nothing with the free plans above. When you pay, entry plans in this list started at $15 per month for ActiveCampaign Starter (1,000 contacts, billed yearly), €14 per seat for Pipedrive Lite billed annually and $117.33 per month for Semrush's SEO plan billed annually, as checked on 31 October and 1 November 2026. Extra seats, contacts and add-ons raise the cost.
How do I connect my sales and marketing tools?
Use native integrations first, for example a CRM that syncs with your email tool and calendar. Where no direct integration exists, a tool such as Zapier can move leads and data between apps automatically.
Missing a tool?
Software companies can submit their tool for review. Whether it's added is an editorial decision. Submit a tool
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