Best B2B Lead Nurturing Software (2027)
Most B2B buyers aren’t ready to talk to sales the day they download your guide or sign up for a webinar. If nobody follows up with something useful, that lead goes cold and your sales team never hears the name again.
Lead nurturing software sends the right follow-up at the right time and tells sales who is warming up. The trouble is that prices run from about $14 a month to well over $1,000, and the features that matter most to B2B teams, like lead scoring and CRM sync, often sit in a higher tier than the one on the banner.
Quick answer
HubSpot Marketing Hub is the best all-round B2B pick if you want CRM and nurturing together, from $800 a month on Professional. ActiveCampaign is the best value, with multi-step automation from $15 a month. Salesforce Account Engagement suits Salesforce users from $1,250 a month, and Zoho Marketing Automation has the lowest entry price at $14.
Key takeaways
- Zoho Marketing Automation starts at US$14 a month billed annually for 1,000 contacts.
- ActiveCampaign includes multi-step automation on every plan, from $15 a month billed yearly.
- HubSpot Marketing Hub Professional starts at $800 a month plus a required $3,000 onboarding fee.
- Salesforce Account Engagement starts at $1,250 a month with 10,000 contacts on an annual contract.
- Adobe Marketo Engage publishes no prices; all four packages are quote only.
Our picks at a glance
| Pick | Best for | Starting price for nurture automation | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. HubSpot Marketing Hub | B2B teams wanting CRM and nurturing in one | $800/month (Professional) | Up to 300 workflows |
| 2. ActiveCampaign | Small B2B teams on a budget | $15/month (Starter, billed yearly) | Multi-step automation on every plan |
| 3. Salesforce Account Engagement | Companies already on Salesforce | $1,250/month (Growth+, billed annually) | 10,000 contacts included |
| 4. Act-On | Mid-size teams that want scoring included | $900/month (Professional) | Priced on active contacts |
| 5. Adobe Marketo Engage | Enterprise and account-based marketing | Quote only | Lead and account nurturing |
| 6. Zoho Marketing Automation | Lowest entry price | $14/month (Standard, billed annually) | Scoring from $22/month |
| 7. Brevo | Email-first nurturing | $18/month (Standard) | Unlimited multi-step workflows |
Lowest published price on each vendor's pricing page in November 2026, at the contact count each page lists; Marketo is quote only and not shown.
How we chose
We compared each vendor’s published pricing page as listed in November 2026. We did not run campaigns in any of these tools.
- Multi-step nurture automation, and which plan first includes it.
- Lead scoring and CRM or sales alignment, which B2B teams need to hand off warm leads.
- Published starting monthly price, with quote-only tools ranked lower.
- How many contacts and users the starting plan covers.
- Contract terms and required fees, such as onboarding.
The best B2B lead nurturing software for 2027
1. HubSpot Marketing Hub: Best for B2B teams wanting CRM and nurturing in one
HubSpot’s Marketing Hub Professional starts at $800 a month (the page also shows $890 depending on billing term), with 3 core seats, 2,000 marketing contacts and up to 300 workflows. A one-time $3,000 onboarding fee is required. Starter is listed at $20 per seat a month, with a new-customer offer of $7 shown in November 2026.
Pros
- Marketing, sales and service on one shared CRM.
- Professional adds unlimited email automation actions and omni-channel automation.
- A free plan for up to 2 users to test the CRM.
Cons
- Real nurture workflows start at the $800 Professional tier.
- Required $3,000 onboarding on Professional and $7,000 on Enterprise.
- Starter allows one simple workflow per form, up to 10 actions.
Key facts: Professional from $800/month, 2,000 contacts; Enterprise from $3,600/month, 10,000 contacts.
2. ActiveCampaign: Best for small B2B teams on a budget
ActiveCampaign includes multi-step marketing automation on every plan, starting at $15 a month billed yearly for 1,000 contacts on Starter. Plus is $49 and Pro is $79, and lead scoring and pipelines come through its Enhanced CRM add-on on Plus and above.
Pros
- Multi-step automation from $15, one of the lowest prices here.
- Site and link tracking on every plan.
- Pro adds predictive sending and attribution tracking for $79 a month.
Cons
- Lead scoring and pipelines require a paid add-on.
- Starter includes one user seat.
- Salesforce and other premium CRM integrations are Enterprise only.
Key facts: Starter $15, Plus $49, Pro $79 per month, billed yearly for 1,000 contacts.
3. Salesforce Account Engagement: Best for companies already on Salesforce
Marketing Cloud Account Engagement, formerly Pardot, starts at $1,250 per org per month for Growth+, billed annually with 10,000 contacts. Growth+ lists lead nurturing and scoring, and Plus+ ($2,750) adds AI-powered scoring.
Pros
- Built to work inside Salesforce CRM.
- 10,000 contacts on every edition except Premium+.
- Lead scoring and grading for sales handoff.
Cons
- Annual contract required on every edition.
- Highest published entry price on this list.
- Less useful if your sales team isn’t on Salesforce.
Key facts: Growth+ $1,250, Plus+ $2,750, Advanced+ $4,400, Premium+ $15,000 per month, billed annually.
4. Act-On: Best for mid-size teams that want scoring included
Act-On’s Professional plan starts at $900 a month on an annual contract and includes lead scoring and automated engagement programs. It prices on active contacts, meaning the contacts you email in a month, not your whole database.
Pros
- Scoring and nurture programs included from the first paid plan.
- Active-contact pricing helps if you keep a large database but email part of it.
- CRM integration is included on Enterprise.
Cons
- Annual contract required.
- CRM integration is an add-on on Professional.
- Final price varies with add-ons and setup, per the page.
Key facts: Professional from $900/month; Enterprise custom; calculator defaults to 2,500 active contacts.
5. Adobe Marketo Engage: Best for enterprise and account-based marketing
Marketo Engage comes in Growth, Select, Prime and Ultimate packages, all priced by quote. Its feature table lists intelligent cross-channel nurturing, scoring and routing, and native CRM integration with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics and Veeva, and Prime adds lead- and account-based marketing.
Pros
- Deep nurture, scoring and routing features.
- Native integration with three major CRMs.
- 10 users on Growth and 25 on higher packages.
Cons
- No published price, so you can’t compare without a sales call.
- Built for larger marketing teams.
- Account-based features start at Prime.
Key facts: Four packages; pricing by quote; 20,000 to 50,000 daily API calls by package.
6. Zoho Marketing Automation: Best for the lowest entry price
Zoho Marketing Automation starts at US$14 a month billed annually for 1,000 contacts on Standard, with 10 users and a basic automation builder with templates. Lead scoring and advanced automation with reports come with Professional at US$22, and Enterprise at US$44 adds lead attribution.
Pros
- Lowest published starting price here.
- 10 users even on Standard.
- Free onboarding and unlimited emails, per the page.
Cons
- Scoring requires the Professional plan.
- Standard’s automation builder is basic.
- Best fit if you already use other Zoho apps.
Key facts: Standard US$14, Professional US$22, Enterprise US$44 per month, billed annually for 1,000 contacts.
7. Brevo: Best for email-first nurturing
Brevo’s Standard plan costs $18 a month (or $16.17 a month billed yearly) and adds unlimited automated multi-step workflows, web and event tracking and A/B testing. Contact scoring and 10 seats come with Professional at $499 a month.
Pros
- Cheap entry to multi-step automation.
- Web and event tracking can trigger nurture emails.
- Free plan available to start.
Cons
- Contact scoring jumps to $499 a month.
- The Sales Essentials CRM add-on costs $27.92 a month.
- Starter at $9 does not include marketing automation.
Key facts: Starter $9, Standard $18, Professional $499 per month (monthly billing).
How much does B2B lead nurturing software cost?
The gap between the cheapest plan and the plan with lead scoring is the number to watch.
| Tool | Cheapest nurture plan | Plan with lead scoring |
|---|---|---|
| Zoho Marketing Automation | $14/month | $22/month |
| ActiveCampaign | $15/month | $49/month plus Enhanced CRM add-on |
| Brevo | $18/month | $499/month |
| Act-On | $900/month | $900/month |
| Salesforce Account Engagement | $1,250/month | $1,250/month |
Prices are from each vendor’s pricing page in November 2026 and are based on the contact counts each page lists. HubSpot and Marketo are left out of this table because the pages read did not clearly tie scoring to one tier or did not publish a price.
What features matter most for B2B lead nurturing?
B2B deals involve several people and long gaps between touches, so look for these features before you compare price:
- Multi-step workflows that branch on behavior, such as a pricing-page visit.
- Website and event tracking to trigger the next message.
- Lead scoring so sales sees who is warming up.
- Two-way CRM sync so reps and marketing see the same history.
- Reporting that ties nurture emails to pipeline, not just opens.
Software only sends what you give it. Our guide to mid-funnel content for nurturing leads covers what to put in each email, and this piece on mid-funnel content that converts leads into customers shows how to move readers toward a sales call.
Do you need a separate tool if you already have a CRM?
Maybe not. If your sales team lives in Salesforce, Account Engagement or Marketo connect natively. If you are on HubSpot’s CRM, Marketing Hub shares the same records. Smaller teams can often start with ActiveCampaign or Zoho and add a CRM add-on later. For the bigger picture, see our report on workflow automation trends.
Which lead nurturing software should you start with?
- B2B team that wants marketing and sales on one CRM: HubSpot Marketing Hub.
- Small team that needs automation this month: ActiveCampaign.
- Sales already runs on Salesforce: Salesforce Account Engagement.
- Mid-size team that wants scoring without add-ons: Act-On.
- Enterprise running account-based marketing: Adobe Marketo Engage.
- Tightest budget, or already on Zoho: Zoho Marketing Automation.
- Email-first team with simple nurture flows: Brevo.
Start a trial or demo with two tools, build one real nurture sequence in each, and check contract terms before you commit.
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Frequently asked questions
What's the best lead nurturing software for B2B?
HubSpot Marketing Hub is a strong all-round choice if you want marketing and sales on one CRM, starting at $800 a month for Professional. ActiveCampaign is the best value for small teams, and Salesforce Account Engagement fits companies already on Salesforce.
What is the cheapest B2B lead nurturing software?
Among the tools compared, Zoho Marketing Automation has the lowest published price at US$14 a month billed annually for 1,000 contacts. ActiveCampaign starts at $15 a month billed yearly and Brevo's automation plan starts at $18 a month.
Which lead nurturing tools include lead scoring?
Act-On includes lead scoring on its $900-a-month Professional plan, Zoho adds it at US$22 a month, and Salesforce Account Engagement lists scoring on Growth+. ActiveCampaign offers it through a paid Enhanced CRM add-on, and Brevo includes contact scoring at $499 a month.
How much does HubSpot lead nurturing cost?
HubSpot Marketing Hub Professional, where multi-step workflows open up, starts at $800 a month with 2,000 marketing contacts. A one-time $3,000 onboarding fee is required.
Is Pardot the same as Salesforce Account Engagement?
Yes. Salesforce renamed Pardot to Marketing Cloud Account Engagement. Editions start at $1,250 per org per month, billed annually.
Does Marketo publish its pricing?
No. Adobe lists four Marketo Engage packages, Growth, Select, Prime and Ultimate, and asks you to request pricing for each.
What is the difference between lead nurturing and email marketing?
Email marketing sends campaigns to a list. Lead nurturing sends a sequence of messages based on each lead's behavior and stage, often with scoring that alerts sales when a lead is ready.