If you’re running a SaaS company and “go-to-market” is more than just a buzzword for your team, you know how chaotic finding the right software stack can get. There’s no shortage of tools promising growth, but most end up being half-baked or way more complicated than they need to be.
This review is for folks who actually use the tools—not just buy them. We’re digging into Ocean, a B2B GTM platform, to see if it’s any good for SaaS teams in 2024. I’ll break down what Ocean does well, where it falls short, and how to get the most out of it if you decide to give it a spin.
What is Ocean and Who Should Care?
First up, Ocean pitches itself as an “all-in-one” B2B go-to-market platform. Translation: it tries to be the main hub for sales, marketing, and customer teams to manage leads, accounts, and deal cycles. If you’ve ever stitched together Salesforce, HubSpot, Outreach, and a stack of spreadsheets, Ocean’s promise will sound familiar: one tool to rule them all.
Who is Ocean actually for? - B2B SaaS teams (10–200 employees) who want to consolidate their GTM tools. - Revenue teams tired of switching tabs and updating data in three places. - Anyone who’s outgrown basic CRM, but isn’t ready for a $100k Salesforce bill.
If you’re running a two-person startup or a 5,000-employee enterprise, Ocean probably isn’t your best bet. It lives in that messy middle—where most SaaS companies find themselves after their first few years.
Core Features: Hype vs. Reality
Let’s cut through the marketing and look at what Ocean actually does, and where it doesn’t live up to the brochure.
1. Unified Account & Contact Management
Ocean brings your leads, accounts, and contacts into one place—think CRM, but less clunky than Salesforce and not as limited as Pipedrive.
What’s good: - Clean UI, easy to onboard new reps. No hour-long training videos needed. - Custom fields and segmentation aren’t buried in settings. - Bulk actions and quick filters make it easy to find the right accounts.
Where it stumbles: - Data import is hit-or-miss. Some CSVs just don’t play nice. - Advanced automation is basic. If you want custom triggers and workflows, you’ll have to wait for future releases (or look elsewhere).
Pro Tip: Get your data clean before you import. Ocean’s deduplication is improving, but it’s not magic.
2. Pipeline & Deal Tracking
Every GTM tool claims to offer “pipeline visibility.” Ocean actually does a decent job here, especially if you have a straightforward sales process.
What’s good: - Drag-and-drop pipeline stages that are easy to customize. - Quick deal creation and editing—no 12-step wizard. - Decent reporting out of the box: win rates, velocity, and basic forecasting.
What’s not: - No advanced forecasting or AI suggestions (yet). Don’t expect it to predict next quarter’s revenue. - Multi-product or highly custom sales processes will feel cramped.
Ignore the hype: Ocean is fine for pipeline basics. If your sales cycle is more art than science, you’ll want more flexibility or deep integrations.
3. Outreach & Task Automation
Ocean lets you send emails, schedule calls, and set reminders—standard playbook stuff.
What’s good: - Built-in templates and sequences for cold outreach. - Integration with Gmail and Outlook is smoother than most. - Tasks and reminders are front and center, not hidden behind three clicks.
Room for improvement: - No native calling or SMS. You’ll need to integrate with a third-party tool. - Limited reporting on sequence performance. You get opens and clicks, but not much else.
Reality check: Ocean can help you keep outreach organized, but it won’t replace a full-featured sales engagement tool like Outreach.io or Salesloft.
4. Integrations
Ocean promises to be your “single source of truth,” but that depends on how well it plays with your other tools.
What’s good: - Decent Zapier support for connecting to 3rd-party apps. - Native integrations with Slack, Gmail, Outlook, and a handful of marketing tools.
What’s lacking: - No deep integrations with finance or billing platforms. - Limited API access unless you’re on the top-tier plan.
Heads up: If you’re locked into a very specific stack, double-check the Ocean integrations marketplace before you commit.
5. Reporting & Analytics
You get the basics: dashboards for pipeline, activities, and team performance.
Strengths: - Pre-built dashboards are actually useful. No need to build from scratch. - Export to CSV is just one click (surprisingly rare).
Weaknesses: - Custom reports are limited—think “good enough,” not “data scientist’s dream.” - No cohort analysis or deep funnel insights yet.
Pro Tip: Export your data monthly. If you ever want to switch, you’ll thank yourself.
Pricing: Transparent, but Not Cheap
Ocean isn’t trying to win on price. Plans start around $50/user/month, with discounts for annual contracts. You’ll need to pay more for API access, advanced reporting, and priority support.
What’s fair: - No hidden fees for basic features. - Support is included—even for small teams.
What stings: - You’ll hit paywalls for integrations and custom fields faster than you think. - API and SSO cost extra.
Advice: Don’t just look at the per-seat price. Add up all the features you actually need, then compare against what you’re paying for your current stack.
Where Ocean Shines (and Where It Doesn’t)
Best For:
- SaaS teams ready to consolidate half a dozen tools.
- Sales and marketing folks who actually want to use their CRM.
- Startups and growth-stage companies with “standard-ish” B2B sales cycles.
Not Great For:
- Super-complex orgs with custom workflows, quoting, or billing needs.
- Teams that need deep analytics or AI-powered forecasting.
- Companies with heavy compliance or security requirements—Ocean’s still earning its stripes here.
Getting Started: Practical Steps
If you’re considering Ocean, here’s a no-nonsense approach:
- Trial with Real Data. Don’t just poke around with dummy accounts. Import a small real dataset and run through a week of actual sales activity.
- Map Your Workflows. Write down every step your team does in your current tools. Can Ocean handle these steps, or will you need workarounds?
- Test Integrations Early. Connect your email, calendar, and any must-have apps. If something critical is missing, don’t assume it’ll show up soon.
- Pilot with Two Teams. Sales and customer success should both test-drive Ocean. If it only works for one group, you’ll end up back in tool sprawl.
- Push Support. Open a few tickets. How fast and helpful is the response? This tells you more than any demo ever will.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Overthink Your Stack
Ocean is a solid GTM platform for SaaS teams who want to consolidate and simplify, not chase the latest shiny feature. It won’t solve every problem or make your team magically close more deals, but it will help you cut down on tool fatigue—if you keep your workflows simple.
Resist the urge to over-customize. Start with the basics, see where Ocean actually adds value, and iterate as you go. There’s no perfect GTM stack—just one that works for your team right now.