Inbound Marketing Solutions ? Hubspot vs. Pardot

Pardot and HubSpot are the two highest ranked marketing automation software platforms as measured by customer satisfaction and market presence, according to G2 Crowd. Both of these inbound marketing solutions have been around for almost a decade, so they?re well-established and well-liked. Over time, however, their approaches to inbound marketing have diverged, so that now the two platforms are distinctly different from one another.

If you?re considering inbound marketing solutions, either HubSpot or Pardot might be ideal for you, depending on what you want to accomplish.

In a nutshell:

• HubSpot continues to expand its reputation as the go-to, comprehensive resource for small and enterprise companies looking for powerful inbound capabilities on a limited budget.
• Pardot was purchased by SalesForce not so long ago, and is now narrowly (but deeply) focused on helping companies make the most of their marketing automation.

HubSpot Overview

Positives:

• The platform is extremely user-friendly with all-in-one simplicity, making ideas easy to implement, even for companies with limited marketing experience or staff size.
• Content creation and publishing is well-integrated across all inbound techniques ? website, blog, social media, email, lead scoring and management, landing pages, CTAs, workflow automation, etc.
• Lots of easy-to-use features and templates for building landing pages, email and reports.
• Top-notch analytics integration and reporting tools make it easy to see and understand what?s working well and what isn?t. And why.
• Free CRM included or you can integrate with salesforce.com.
• Sophisticated add-on reporting.
• Predictive lead scoring.
• Simple set up so you’re up and running in a little as 2 weeks!

Negatives:

• Can be pricey for small businesses (If you’re a small business, check out another platform, Leadin).

Pardot Overview

Positives:

• Excellent addition to your existing CRM system, if you?re using SalesForce(Pardot is owned by Salesforce.com).
• Easy to access specific projects.
• Impressive branching automation rules editor and other advanced lead and work flow management tools.
• Numerous custom fields and templates with intuitive design email features.
• Custom redirects for tracking.
• Reporting includes details about ?Prospect Activities? enabling you to follow a user through a?precise sequence of moves on your website.
• Lead scoring capabilities

Pricing

Because these platforms are designed for different uses, comparing cost isn?t really apples-to-apples.

• HubSpot aims to provide a budget-friendly entry-level ($200/month), with scalable expansion companies can grow into including Pro (from $800/month) and Enterprise (from $2,400/month).
• Pardot has a menu of features/cost options. Their Pro plan (the most popular) runs $2000/month for up to 10,000 contacts. Pardot is ranked #1 among lead management automation platforms in total cost of ownership.

Summary

Both HubSpot and Pardot are highly sophisticated, powerful inbound marketing solutions. Need help deciding? Download our FREE eBook on choosing marketing automation software or contact us to speak to an inbound marketing automation software expert.

Marketing Matters Inbound?is an inbound marketing firm specializing in online conversions, content?strategy, call-to-action mapping and traditional media placement. Our experience in?B2B digital?marketing?and traditional media allows us to deliver results through a strategic media mix. We believe in?aligning and merging marketing and sales/operations for optimal return on your marketing investment.