16 Best Inbound Marketing Tools for Diverse Needs

Do you spend a lot of time chasing growth opportunities instead of attracting them? Imagine if your potential customers came to you rather than you chasing them. If this feels like an ideal scenario, you need to start looking at inbound marketing. 

Inbound marketing works like a powerful magnet that attracts prospects to your business. Whether a small business owner or a solo entrepreneur, you must have top inbound marketing software in your toolkit to grow. But with so many tools, how do you pick the winners?

In this article, we’re diving deep into the world of inbound marketing tools and sharing the best free and paid options. So, let’s begin. 

Why is Inbound Marketing Important?

Inbound marketing works organically and helps your target audience find you – whether through a catchy Instagram post or a top-ranked Google article. It isn’t just about grabbing eyeballs; it’s about drawing in genuinely interested folks for free.

Here are some outstanding benefits of optimizing your online marketing campaigns for inbound channels:

Whether you are executing product marketing for SaaS startups on LinkedIn or relying on Instagram to promote your B2C consumer product organically, an inbound marketing strategy in place can help you achieve the desired goals. 

And using the right inbound marketing tool is crucial for ensuring you can do this faster and better.

Types of Inbound Marketing Platforms

Inbound marketing platforms are like jigsaw puzzle pieces – they fit together to create a beautiful picture. When different types of tools work together, they make it easier to reach out to customers and keep them coming back for more. Let’s break down the different types:

• Marketing automation platforms. They help you automate recurring tasks to ensure the right message reaches the audience at the right time; 
• Search engine optimization tools. They make discovery easier by bringing your website in front of prospects when they search online; 
• Social media management tools. They help you manage all your social media handles from a single screen – you can post, track, and monitor different platforms easily; 
• CRM platforms. They help you keep track of your customers’ details and chats, all in one place, helping you improve customer relationships by personalizing conversations based on past interactions; 
• Landing page builders. Helps you create web pages that make visitors want to stick around or share their details with you; 
• Content marketing tools. They help you create valuable articles, videos, and posts that your audience is looking for and appreciates; 
• Website analysis solutions. Tells you who’s visiting your website and what they’re doing there.

16 Best Inbound Marketing Tools You Must Check Out

In 2024, hundreds of inbound marketing tools promise the moon. But which ones are truly essential for your marketing toolkit? We’ve done some market research and found top marketing software tools to power your inbound marketing efforts: 

• Sender
• HubSpot
• Talkroute
• Inboundio 
• Mailchimp
• ClickUp
• Talkroute
• LeadFeeder
• Cloudtalk
• Surfer
• HelpCrunch
• Unbounce
• Hootsuite
• Google Analytics
• SEMRush
• Buffer
• Moz

1. Sender — Inbound Marketing Software for Ecommerce and B2C

Sender is an omnichannel marketing automation platform for ecommerce brands looking to manage inbound marketing campaigns from a single dashboard. 

Set up high-converting sign-up forms and popups to capture leads from your website. Then, use its segmentation capabilities to categorize inbound leads into behavioral segments for targeted and personalized communication. 

Use Sender’s visual automation builder to set up any automated campaign, whether it’s lead nurturing, follow-ups, welcome series, or even SMS campaigns.

Design responsive email campaigns with its drag-and-drop builder and library of readymade email templates. Use its reporting and analytics dashboard to get a bird’s eye view of all key metrics and campaign KPIs and optimize all your campaigns for the best results.

Sender’s Key Features

• No-code, drag-and-drop email editor with template library; 
• Behavioral segmentation for personalizing your campaigns; 
• High-converting signup form and popup builder; 
• Automation builder for email marketing and SMS automation;
• Exceptional deliverability.

Sender Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Omnichannel approach to lead nurturing	No landing page builder
Responsive and quick support team	Sender branding in free plan
Visual automation builder for email & SMS campaigns

Sender Plans & Pricing

• Forever free plan for up to 2,500 subscribers and 15,000 emails per month; 
• Paid plans start from $15 per month for up to 2,500 subscribers and 30,000 monthly emails.

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2. HubSpot — CRM Lead Management System & Marketing Automation

HubSpot is a feature-rich inbound marketing automation software that helps businesses connect and manage their leads and customers better with its CRM, forms, marketing automation, dashboard & reporting capabilities.

One of HubSpot’s key features is its built-in CRM which enables you to manage all customer & business data from one place.

Streamline sales process and stay organized by adding company and contact records with a single click, logging sales activities automatically, and easily keeping records up to date.

HubSpot also offers a range of marketing automation features to help businesses nurture and score leads, personalize email communication at scale, and more.

HubSpot Key Features

• Intuitive drag-and-drop builder for landing pages, forms, and emails; 
• Email & text marketing automation;
• Lead tracking & lead nurturing;
• Comprehensive CRM management & reporting;
• Organic social media marketing and scheduling.

HubSpot Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Feature-rich all-in-one portal	Expensive
Rich library of training resources	Customization can be costly
Good customer support	Might be overwhelming for beginners

HubSpot Plans & Pricing

• 14-day free trial is available; 
• Paid plans start at $18 per month for up to 1000 marketing contacts.

Looking for a tool precisely for lead nurturing? Check out this list: 13 Best Lead Nurturing Software in 2024 (Free & Paid)

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3. Talkroute — Virtual Phone System for Businesses

Talkroute emerges as a quintessential virtual phone system, engineered to redefine the way businesses communicate in the digital age.

Tailored for both startups and established enterprises, Talkroute’s suite of advanced communication tools facilitates seamless interaction with customers, ensuring no call or message goes unnoticed.

Its arsenal of features, including Virtual Phone Numbers, Voicemail to Email, Text Messaging (SMS & MMS), and Call Routing & Forwarding, empowers businesses to create a robust, customer-centric communication framework.

A cornerstone of Talkroute’s offering is its ability to provide businesses with an array of phone numbers (local, toll-free, and vanity), thereby establishing a nationwide presence or reinforcing a local identity.

This versatility is complemented by sophisticated call routing and forwarding mechanisms that ensure every call reaches its intended recipient, thereby enhancing the efficacy of customer engagement strategies.

With Talkroute, businesses are equipped with a powerful tool that streamlines communication processes, enhances customer engagement, and ultimately drives business growth in a competitive digital landscape.

Talkroute’s Key Features

• Virtual phone numbers;
• Call routing & forwarding;
• Voicemail to email;
• Text messaging (SMS & MMS);
• Call stacking & transfer.

Talkroute Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Quick and straightforward setup	More extensive CRM integration desired by some businesses
Wide range of local, toll-free, and vanity numbers	Rates and coverage of international calls may vary
Easily scales with your business

Talkroute Plans & Pricing

• A 7-day free trial is available with limited features;
• Paid plans start at $19/month for 1 number, unlimited texts, 500 minutes, email support, and advanced functionalities.

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Inboundio — Inbound Marketing Tool with Competitor Analysis

Inboundio is designed for small business owners who want to manage different aspects of their inbound marketing funnel. From CRM to email marketing, it helps you automate campaigns based on your needs. 

Set up conversion funnels easily and market them via social media or email. The drag-and-drop features make it easy to create and launch landing pages and email campaigns within a few minutes. 

One of Inboundio’s noteworthy features is its analytics dashboard, which tells you about the performance of your inbound efforts. Through the integrated features, you can also score leads, set them up for drip nurturing campaigns, and promote social sharing. 

Key Features

• Intuitive CRM dashboard with funnel visualization; 
• Social media posting and scheduling features; 
• Drag-and-drop landing page and email builder; 
• Behavioral lead scoring and drip campaigns; 
• Real-time analytics dashboard. 

Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Drag-and-drop builder	Basic and non-intuitive interface
In-built CRM & lead scoring	Limited landing page builder capabilities
Social media marketing features	Costly

Plans & Pricing

• No free or trial plan is mentioned on the website; 
• Paid plans start at $27/month for up to 3,000 monthly emails

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Mailchimp — Email Marketing Automation Platform

Mailchimp is a popular email marketing automation platform used by ecommerce brands, coaches, and consultants to stay connected with their audience. 

With Mailchimp, you can schedule emails, set up simple automations, and drip campaigns from a single dashboard. You can set up landing pages to grow your email list and schedule follow-up campaigns with its automation builder. 

It also has a landing page builder with templates for different industries and requirements. There’s an analytics dashboard that gives you insights into how your automations are performing, too. 

Key Features

• Automation journey builder; 
• Landing page and popup form builder; 
• Behavioral segmentation and targeting; 
• Send time optimization; 
• Standard analytics for newsletters; 

Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Intuitive landing page & email builder	Predatory pricing model
Appointment scheduler	Lower-tier plans come with restrictions
Vast template library	Limited customer support

Plans & Pricing

• Free plan for up to 1,000 emails per month and 500 contacts; 
• Paid plans start from $13 per month for up to 5,000 emails/month. 

If you’re interested in more tools with superb automation capabilities, check out this article: 17 Top Email Automation Software to Grow Your Business

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6. ClickUp — Inbound Content Marketing Management Program

ClickUp is a project management and productivity tool to plan, organize, and collaborate on projects more efficiently and effectively. It offers several useful features like goals tracking, performance reporting, and documentation management to help you manage and run your inbound marketing campaigns.

View your daily tasks and Google Calendar events in one place. Set up reminders, track goals, and use time-tracking capabilities to add time-bound tasks for team members. 

ClickUp also offers customizable templates for managing your inbound marketing campaigns, including content calendars, A/B testing, campaign tracking, graphic design, promotional calendars, and SEO management.

ClickUp’s Key Features

• Drag-and-drop form builder;
• 50+ customizable dashboard widgets;
• In-built CRM features such as sales pipeline & account management;
• High-level view custom dashboards for monitoring & reporting;
• Pre-built and customizable task automations.

ClickUp Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Endless customization possibilities	Can be a little overwhelming for beginners
Rich library of premade templates	Limited mobile app functionality
Transparency and collaboration features for large teams	Occasional bugs & glitches

ClickUp Plans & Pricing

• Forever free plan with unlimited tasks and 100 MB storage; 
• Paid plans start at $7 per month for unlimited tasks and storage.

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7. LeadFeeder — Lead Generation Software

LeadFeeder is an innovative B2B inbound marketing tool that analyzes user activity on your landing pages and website. It tracks how they got there and forecasts their purchase intent to help you make data-driven lead-nurturing decisions.

LeadFeeder can track website visitors who may not have filled out a contact form or taken any other action on a website. It also updates your existing CRM data in real-time by adding fresh inputs regarding engagement for marketing teams.

LeadFeeder also integrates with your pre-existing marketing ecosystems, such as CRM systems and email marketing tools, automatically syncing data between them.

Leadfeeder Key Features

• Website visitor identification & data enrichment;
• AI-based targeting;
• Automated CRM lead syncing & lead scoring;
• Real-time lead generation;
• GDPR-compliant.

Leadfeeder Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Easy to set up	May not work well for low-ticket offers
Get high-intent visitor data	Limited to tracking website visitors only
Rich integration capabilities	Expensive pricing + no free plan

Leadfeeder Plans & Pricing

• Free plan that supports identification of 100 leads and data fetching for up to 7 days; 
• Paid plans start at $139 per month for storing unlimited visitor data.

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8. CloudTalk — Inbound Calls Solution

CloudTalk is a VoIP-based customer service software that helps businesses set up and manage inbound calling teams within an enterprise. The cloud solution is used by inbound marketers, sales teams, and customer support centers to streamline telecalling efforts.

You can make and receive calls without a landline using CloudTalk as a business phone system. Design your multi-level interactive voice response (IVR) menu to guide callers through different options.

The real-time customer card feature helps you instantly see the history of past interactions to help you personalize the calling experience and start with outbound marketing too.  

Other notable features include real-time reporting and analytics, CRM integrations, and complete call center automation.

CloudTalk’s Key Features

• Drag-and-drop smart IVR and call flow designer;
• Automatic missed call callbacks;
• Customized call queuing;
• Blacklist blocked phone numbers;
• Native integrations with Pipedrive, Hubspot, Salesforce, Zendesk, and more.

CloudTalk Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
70+ advances calling features	No free plan, only a 14-day trial
Easy integrations with other CRM and ecommerce systems	Complicated UI
Cost-effective plans and pricing	Mobile app could be more feature-rich

CloudTalk Plans & Pricing

• 14-day free trial account available to test features; 
• Paid plans start at $25/user monthly for unlimited inbound and intracompany calls.

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9. Surfer — Best for Search Engine Optimization 

Surfer is an SEO tool that helps you increase organic traffic and attract inbound leads to your website. This tool offers a content editor with a score meter to check your content drafts. 

Surfer analyzes the content ranking currently on search engines and suggests optimizations for your existing and fresh content.

It recommends keywords, search terms, and the ideal structure for writing engaging blog posts and refining your SEO strategy. By aligning your content with Surfer guidelines, you increase its chances of ranking higher in SERPs. 

Surfer Key Features

• AI-driven content suggestions; 
• Real-time SEO analysis; 
• Content draft optimization; 
• Multi-language support. 

Surfer Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
All on-page optimization tips on a single screen	Can be time-consuming
AI-assisted drafts for content generation	No free trial
In-built keyword research tool	Expensive

Surfer Plans & Pricing

• No free plan available; 7-day money-back guarantee on all plans; 
• Paid plans start at $89 per month for up to 30 articles. 

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10. HelpCrunch — Omnichannel Customer Service Platform

HelpCrunch is a customer communication platform for omnichannel support, automation & marketing. Its AI-powered shared inbox gathers all inquiries from email, live chat, and popular messengers such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and more.

And you can manage those leads within one intuitive and easy-to-use dashboard.

HelpCrunch’s role in inbound is to generate leads and increase website customer engagement. The platform offers proactive, automated messaging through live chat widgets, email marketing tools, and chatbots. Variety of supported messengers expand your visibility and boost customer engagement.

In other words, if you are considering switching from popular, but costly Zendesk, you should look at HelpCrunch. It’s a strong alternative with affordable prices and modern UI.

HelpCrunch Key Features

• Interactive live chat for instant customer support;
• Automated email marketing campaigns;
• Social media integration for expanded customer engagement;
• Knowledge base for self-service support.

HelpCrunch Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
User-friendly interface and setup process	May lack advanced customization options in lower tier plan
Variety of support and marketing tools	Limited integrations with third-party tools
Affordable pricing plans	No free plan, only a 14-day trial

HelpCrunch Plans & Pricing

• 14-day free trial available;
• The basic plan costs $15 monthly per agent and is scaled based on usage and additional features.

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11. Unbounce — Best Landing Page Builder

Unbounce helps you build high-converting landing pages to support lead-capturing and inbound marketing efforts. At its core, Unbounce simplifies the creation of landing pages by providing a drag-and-drop builder. 

Unbounce enables even those with minimal design experience to create professional, high-converting landing pages.

Features like AI-assisted design and optimization help ensure your pages look great and are structured to drive conversions. This focus on user experience and conversion optimization makes Unbounce an indispensable tool for businesses aiming to capture leads through landing pages. 

Key Features

• AI-assisted design-builder; 
• Conversion optimization suggestions; 
• User-friendly interface; 
• A/B testing capabilities; 
• Responsive design templates. 

Pros and Cons 

Pros	Cons
Easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface	Limited content personalization features in lower-tier plan
Conversion optimization features	Can get expensive with scale
Robust A/B testing feature	Slow customer service

Pricing 

• Limited period free trial available with feature restrictions; 
• Paid plans start at $99 per month for up to 20,000 visitors and 500 conversions. 

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12. Hootsuite — Great for Social Media Management

Hootsuite is a social media management tool that helps you consistently build & grow a social media following. You can manage multiple profiles on different social media platforms from a single dashboard. 

Whether scheduling posts, analyzing social media traffic, or engaging with your audience, Hootsuite provides the tools to manage these tasks efficiently. This helps you stay closer to your audience and track your social media strategy’s effectiveness. 

Key Features

• Multi-platform scheduling; 
• Social media analytics; 
• Engagement tracking; 
• Automated post creation; 
• Integrated messaging inbox. 

Pros and Cons

Pros	Cons
Post timing optimization	No free plan available
Unlimited post scheduling on all plans	Doesn’t integrate with Google My Business profile
Integrations with Canva and stock photos for post images	Slow customer support

Pricing 

• 30-day free trial available; 
• Paid plans start at $99 per month for up to 10 accounts. 

If Hootsuite doesn’t seem to be enough for your social media management needs, check out these 26 best social media marketing tools in 2024.

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13. Google Analytics — Best for Website Analysis

Google Analytics is a web analytics tool that helps you monitor website metrics for your inbound strategy. But the platform isn’t just about tracking website traffic; it’s about understanding your audience’s behavior and preferences. 

It provides in-depth insights into how users interact with your website. From real-time user data to behavior flow and conversion tracking, it offers everything you need to gauge your website’s performance.

You can optimize your inbound marketing strategies by using insights from Google Analytics to refine your content, enhance user experience, and ultimately drive more conversions.

Key Features

• Real-time advanced analytics; 
• Audience behavior tracking; 
• Conversion insights; 
• Custom reports; 
• Traffic source analysis. 

Pros and Cons 

Pros	Cons
Universal Analytics is 100% free	Lack of customer support on free version
Simple set up	Lack of organic keyword data within analytics
Ready-to-use reports	Can be data-heavy, making it overwhelming for beginners

Pricing 

• Free plan that supports comprehensive analytics and multiple domains/properties;
• Paid plans available for enterprise users requiring attribution modeling; starts from $12,500 per month. 

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14. SEMrush — SEO Tool for Keyword Research & Content Optimization 

SEMrush is an integrated SEO tool that helps business owners with SEO, content planning, competitor research, keyword research, and more from a single dashboard. 

SEMrush is often touted as the Swiss knife of content marketing and SEO on the internet. It has a vast internal database that you can access to research over 25 billion keywords, run website audits, and improve your content marketing game.

It’s primarily used by businesses and marketers to improve their organic reach and inbound traffic to their websites. 

You can also create and track PPC campaigns, schedule content on social media, track competitor websites, link building, and monitor your inbound traffic from different sources. 

Key Features

• Powerful keyword research tool with a massive data bank; 
• Website audit reports with 130+ checks; 
• Content optimization and recommendation engine; 
• Competitor and opportunity analysis tool; 
• Topic research and SEO writing assistant. 

Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Massive keyword database	Keyword data only covers Google SERPs
Powerful link-building features	Rough traffic data estimates
In-depth audit reports	Cluttered UI

Plans & Pricing

• Free 7-trial for testing various features; 
• Paid plans start at $140/month for up to 5 projects and track 500 keywords. 

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15. Buffer — Social Media Management Tool for Planning & Scheduling 

Buffer is an all-inclusive social media marketing platform for planning and scheduling your social media efforts.

With Buffer, you can manage all your handles from a single platform. Connect your accounts, and start building your social media calendar. If you’re a big team, the collaboration features are great to ensure everyone’s on the same page about your social media plan. 

There’s even a content ideas library and AI assistant for finding ideas and repurposing content when you need it. All in all, if social is an important part of your inbound strategy, you should think of using Buffer to streamline operations and reporting. 

Key Features

• Central dashboard for post-scheduling; 
• Calendar view for social media planning; 
• AI assistant for ideation and content repurposing; 
• In-depth analytics dashboard; 
• Collaboration features for team members

Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Reliable scheduling features	Limited support options
In-built AI tool	Social listening features need tuning
Chrome extension for resharing content	High monthly costs for multiple accounts

Plans & Pricing

• Free plan that supports up to 3 channels (platforms) with basic features and reporting; 
• Paid plans start at $5 monthly/channel with analytics and engagement tools. 

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16. Moz — SEO Toolset for Site Audits & Rank Tracking

Moz is an SEO and content marketing tool that helps businesses rank better in search results. Much like SEMrush, it is an integrated toolkit for different SEO requirements. 

With Moz, you can track your rankings, crawl and audit your website, optimize pages, find linking opportunities, and more. The best part is that you can fix technical SEO issues related to your website without having to subscribe to a different tool. 

Plus, its inbound marketing analytics dashboard gives you deep insights into your performance, competition, upcoming SERP opportunities, keyword gaps, and more. 

Key Features

• Keyword and competitor research tool; 
• Site audit and SEO reports; 
• Link research and recommendations; 
• Rank tracking across multiple search engines; 
• Site crawling and SEO troubleshooting; 

Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Fast site audit	Steep learning curve
Real-time rank tracking	Cluttered/outdated interface
Backlink recommendation tool	Costly

Plans & Pricing

• 30-day free trial for testing out the platform features; 
• Paid plans start at $39/month for 1 project/campaign and 50 keywords.

Key Takeaways

When building a toolkit for your inbound marketing efforts, you should add the right inbound marketing tools to help you achieve different goals. Test the top inbound marketing software tools mentioned above, and don’t forget to pick: 

If what you we’re looking for wasn’t on the list, consider checking out these topics:

• 16 Best Lead Generation Software & Tools (2024)
• 11 Top Email List Management Software & Best Practices
• Online Advertising: Examples & Advertisement Statistics