Act-On Software vs Pardot comparison

Act-On Software and Salesforce are both solutions in the Marketing Automation category. Act-On Software is ranked #15, while Salesforce is ranked #7 with an average rating of 7.8. Act-On Software holds a 2.1% mindshare in MA, compared to Salesforce’s 3.2% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Act-On Software users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 91% of Salesforce users who would recommend it.

Act-On Software

Read 7 Act-On Software reviews

560 Views
493 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Pardot

Read 12 Pardot reviews

1,019 Views
1,009 Comparison Views

91% willing to recommend

Act-On Software

Pardot

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 6, 2025

Pardot and Act-On Software are competing marketing automation platforms for businesses focused on engagement and lead conversion. Pardot is favored for its CRM integration and detailed analytics, while Act-On offers a robust choice with comprehensive campaign management tools.

Features: Pardot offers strong Salesforce integration, advanced analytics, and data-driven decision facilitation. Act-On includes adaptive marketing techniques, integrated webinar management, and a diverse set of features for campaign management. The key difference is Pardot's CRM focus compared to Act-On's campaign management capabilities.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Pardot provides a straightforward deployment process with Salesforce support, ideal for existing CRM users. Act-On offers flexible deployment with dedicated customer support and onboarding resources, benefiting a broader business structure.

Pricing and ROI: Pardot requires a higher investment aligned with its CRM benefits, with a significant ROI for Salesforce users. Act-On provides a cost-effective solution with competitive pricing, delivering good ROI across diverse business needs.

To learn more, read our detailed Act-On Software vs. Pardot Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Act-On Software vs. Pardot

March 2026

Download the complete report

Helped 884,873 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Act-On Software

Ranking in Marketing Automation

15th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Pardot

Ranking in Marketing Automation

7th

Average Rating

7.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Marketing Automation category, the mindshare of Act-On Software is 2.1%, up from 0.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Pardot is 3.2%, down from 3.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Marketing Automation Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Pardot	3.2%
Act-On Software	2.1%
Other	94.7%

Marketing Automation

Featured Reviews

it_user82449

Business Systems Manager at a consultancy with 501-1,000 employees

The adaptive nurturing, segmentation, multiple lead scoring rules, and simple CRM integration stood out the most.

The CRM integration with Act-On is better with Salesforce and had more value for sales representatives than it did with Microsoft Dynamics CRM; that was MS CRM's downfall. Act-On Anywhere is a nice feature for general users, but the tracking in CRM is lost, and Marketing team subject lines do not carry over on the email templates.

Read full review

Vikram Rawani

Pardot Consultant at Target

Offers an easy initial setup phase and good ROI

With Pardot, users can do the segmentation based on their requirements. You can segment your prospects based on their interests, locations, companies, or the sales cycle. You can also use the engagement studio to create a journey for the people you have segmented with the help of automation feature of the tool. The aforementioned area consists of the most useful features I found in the tool apart from its out-of-the-box features. The integration between Pardot and Salesforce is beneficial if you know how to share the leads that a company finds useful so that they don't have to invest in manual work or do anything blindly to reach out to leads. Users can segment the leads using the features that the tool provides. I recommend the product to those who plan to use it. If a business is into B2B marketing and can afford to purchase Pardot, then they should buy it. If the product of a company is good, then Pardot can help multiply such an organization's ROI. Based on the product and how the sales and marketing team works, the tool can be useful. In short, the tool can be as good as the person who is using it. I rate the tool a nine out of ten.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"It is now much easier for us to send and segment emails, analyze our results and make smarter decisions."

"Before I joined, my company used a larger, more expensive but more popular software, and after switching to this, my team can still do everything it needs to for cheaper."

"Our organization was operating blindfolded before implementing Act-On."

"It has made email marketing quicker and easier."

"Pardot directly integrates with CRM, specifically Salesforce, which has an excellent R&D team."

"It's easy to create email templates and landing pages."

"The most valuable feature is the customization of the solution."

"The solution can be easily integrated with Salesforce."

"Campaign tracking is a valuable feature."

"Our ROI is huge, not just in cost avoidance, but also in increased sales."

"The product is stable."

More Pardot pros

Cons

"One area of improvement would be ability to use dynamic content fields. It is available, but not to the fullest extent where it would help me."

"The solution lacks integration with Instagram, which is our top problem with the product."

"The reporting features of the Pardot system could be improved to provide better and more data."

"The user interface could be made more intuitive and user-friendly."

"Pardot needs many improvements in terms of email design and design studio functionalities."

"For new people, the installation of the tool can be difficult."

"Needs to improve list building."

"When it comes to integration with third-party tools, Pardot's APIs are not that robust."

"The solution is quite expensive, at least, for smaller teams."

More Pardot cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"We pay about $4000 a month."

"It is a competitively priced product, considering what it provides."

"The price of this solution is expensive. However, you are going to receive good value for money. They could improve by reducing the price."

"In terms of pricing, Pardot is cheaper than Marketing Cloud."

"Make sure you do not pay for features that you may not need."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Marketing Automation solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

884,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Computer Software Company

15%

Retailer

11%

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	1

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	4
Midsize Enterprise	4
Large Enterprise	5

Questions from the Community

Ask a question

Earn 20 points

What do you like most about Pardot?

It has no limit for sending marketing emails.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Pardot?

Pardot was somewhat costly for our requirements, nonetheless, the capacities of the item were limited.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Pardot?

Pardot needs many improvements in terms of email design and design studio functionalities. It lacks a robust design studio, limiting our ability to perform various design activities efficiently. Yo...

See all answers

Comparisons

Marketo vs Act-On Software

Compared 17% of the time

Oracle Eloqua vs Act-On Software

Compared 17% of the time

HubSpot Marketing Hub vs Act-On Software

Compared 14% of the time

Salesforce Marketing Cloud vs Act-On Software

Compared 12% of the time

SAS Marketing Automation vs Act-On Software

Compared 10% of the time

More Act-On Software Competitors

Marketo vs Pardot

Compared 31% of the time

Oracle Eloqua vs Pardot

Compared 22% of the time

HubSpot Marketing Hub vs Pardot

Compared 19% of the time

Salesforce Marketing Cloud vs Pardot

Compared 15% of the time

Klaviyo vs Pardot

Compared 10% of the time

More Pardot Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Marketing Automation

February 2026

Download Act-On Software product report

Buyer's Guide

Pardot

March 2026

Download Pardot product report

Overview

Act-On Software is a marketing automation company delivering innovation that empowers marketers to do the best work of their careers. Act-On is the only integrated workspace that powers the customer experience from end-to-end, from brand awareness and demand generation, to retention and loyalty. With Act-On, marketers can drive better business outcomes and see higher customer lifetime value. Act-On is squarely focused on the success of its customers and offers consultant level quality with everyday customer support. Act-On Software has been recognized for its superior product and rapid business growth by Deloitte, Forbes, and Inc. Magazine. For more information, visit www.act-on.com.

Act-On Software

Pardot, a salesforce.com Company, is an easy-to-use B2B Marketing Automation suite that helps sales and marketing teams maximize efficiency and increase revenue. Pardot's lead management software features CRM integration, email marketing, lead nurturing, lead scoring, and ROI reporting to help marketing and sales teams work together to generate and qualify sales leads, shorten sales cycles, and demonstrate marketing accountability.

Salesforce

Sample Customers

NYU, Tableau, Xerox, ASPCA, Lego Education, Hoopla, Avery Dennison and SolarWorld.

Arketi Group

Buyer's Guide

Act-On Software vs. Pardot

March 2026

Free Report: Act-On Software vs. Pardot

Find out what your peers are saying about Act-On Software vs. Pardot and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.

DOWNLOAD NOW

884,873 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Act-On Software vs. Pardot report.

See our list of best Marketing Automation vendors.

We monitor all Marketing Automation reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.