Looking at marketing automation platforms for B2B is a headache. Every vendor claims they’re “personalized,” “omnichannel,” and “built for growth.” But you want real answers, not a wall of buzzwords. This guide is for marketers and decision-makers who need to cut through the noise and actually choose the right tool—whether that’s Iterable or one of its many competitors.
Let’s get into how to truly compare options, what matters, and what’s just sales fluff.
1. Get Clear on Your Actual Needs (Not Their Feature List)
Before you even start poking around vendor websites, write down what you actually need. Not what the vendors say you should want—what your business needs to do.
Ask yourself: - Are you mostly sending newsletters, or do you need complex, multi-step nurture sequences? - Do you want account-based marketing (ABM) features? - How many contacts are in your database, and how fast is it growing? - Do you need tight integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, or a homegrown CRM? - How technical is your team? Are you hoping for “it just works” or do you want to tinker? - Any “must-haves” like GDPR, SSO, or on-premise options?
Pro tip: Most teams overestimate the complexity they need. Be honest about how much segmentation, automation, and data you’ll actually use. Paying for features you never touch is a classic marketing waste.
2. Identify the Real Competitors
Iterable sits in a crowded field, but not every tool is a direct competitor. For personalized B2B marketing automation, you’re usually looking at:
- Iterable: Known for cross-channel automation, strong data model, and flexible workflows.
- HubSpot Marketing Hub: Friendly UI, good for inbound, but complex B2B use cases can get clunky (and expensive).
- Marketo (Adobe): The old guard—lots of features, but can feel dated and heavy to manage.
- Salesforce Marketing Cloud: Deep CRM integration, but the learning curve is steep, and “personalization” can be a stretch.
- ActiveCampaign: Cheaper, solid for smaller teams, but less robust for large B2B orgs.
- Braze, Pardot, Customer.io: Each has strengths, but may be more B2C-leaning or lightweight for true B2B complexity.
Ignore the endless “top 10” lists. Focus on the 2-3 that actually fit your use case and budget.
3. Compare the Essentials: What Actually Matters
Here’s what to actually dig into (and what to ignore) when comparing Iterable and its competitors:
a. Data Model & Personalization Power
- Can you use all your data? Some platforms (like Iterable) let you build workflows with just about any data point—custom fields, events, attributes. Others are surprisingly rigid.
- True personalization: Can you run campaigns based on behavior, not just static fields? Look for things like behavioral triggers, dynamic content, and conditional logic.
- Lead/account hierarchy: For B2B, you want to segment by account, not just individual contact.
b. Integration with Your Stack
- Native integrations: Does it play nicely with your CRM, analytics, and ad tools? Iterable is decent here, but some competitors (like Salesforce) are best-in-class for their own ecosystem.
- API access: If you need custom stuff, check how open the API is and whether there are hidden “premium” tiers for integrations.
- Data sync speed: Real-time, or hours-old? Stale data means missed opportunities.
c. Workflow Builder & Usability
- Is the UI understandable? Iterable’s workflow builder is visual and flexible, but if your team hates it, you’ll never use the advanced stuff.
- Can non-technical folks actually build campaigns, or will every change need IT?
- Testing & QA: Can you A/B test easily? Can you preview or simulate flows before launching?
d. Deliverability & Compliance
- Email/SMS deliverability: Ask for real stats, not just “99% deliverability” claims.
- Compliance: GDPR, CCPA, SOC 2, and industry-specific needs—double-check, especially if you’re global or enterprise.
e. Pricing Transparency
- Pricing model: Contacts, emails sent, “active users,” or something else? Iterable and HubSpot, for example, can get pricey as you scale.
- Hidden fees: Are integrations, API access, or advanced features extra?
- Contract flexibility: Annual only, or can you pay month-to-month?
f. Support & Community
- Is support included, or a paid add-on?
- Quality of documentation and community forums: Especially if you want to DIY.
4. What’s Hype, What’s Real, and What to Ignore
Let’s be blunt—most platforms promise the moon. Here’s how the marketing claims stack up:
The Hype: - “AI-powered personalization!” Most B2B teams use rule-based triggers, not true AI. Don’t pay extra for AI features you’ll barely touch. - “All-in-one platform!” The jack-of-all-trades pitch usually means mediocre at everything, great at nothing. - “Omnichannel engagement!” SMS, push, WhatsApp, and direct mail in one? Maybe. But if your audience doesn’t use these, you’re just buying noise.
What’s Real: - Iterable is genuinely strong at cross-channel workflows and handling complex customer data. HubSpot’s strengths are ease of use and inbound, but gets expensive fast. Marketo is powerful but will eat your team’s time. - Integration gaps and clunky UIs kill more projects than missing features ever will.
What to Ignore: - “We’re the #1 vendor in [insert category].” Awards and Forrester waves are nice, but only matter if you need ammo for your boss. - Feature checklists. Everyone has “advanced segmentation” and “A/B testing.” The devil is in how easy it is to actually use.
5. Pressure-Test Shortlisted Platforms
Once you’ve narrowed it down to 2–3 options, here’s how to actually compare them:
a. Run a Real-Life Pilot
- Don’t just watch a sales demo. Insist on a trial or sandbox—load in your own data, build a sample workflow, and see where it breaks.
- Pick a real campaign your team runs today and try to rebuild it.
- Have both a marketer and a technical person play with it. What’s easy? What’s a pain?
b. Check References—Not Just Vendor-Provided Ones
- Ask in communities (like r/marketingautomation, LinkedIn groups, even cold LinkedIn DMs to users).
- What do people actually complain about? Long support response times? Hidden costs? Constant bugs?
c. Grill the Sales Rep
- Get direct answers on deliverability, downtime, and roadmap.
- Ask for a side-by-side of what isn’t included. If they dodge, that’s a red flag.
d. Total Cost Calculation
- Price out all-in: base cost, add-ons, integration fees, support, and onboarding.
- List how much time your team will spend learning and maintaining the platform. Sometimes the “cheaper” tool ends up costing you more in headaches.
6. Don’t Overthink: Make the Call and Iterate
You’ll never find the “perfect” platform. Every tool has quirks, and your needs will change. The key is to pick something that covers your must-haves, fits your team’s skills, and won’t box you in six months from now.
Keep it simple: - Get buy-in from the people who’ll actually use the platform day-to-day. - Don’t get paralyzed by FOMO or feature lists. - If you outgrow the tool in two years, that’s a good problem—you’re scaling.
Bottom line: Comparing Iterable and its competitors for personalized B2B marketing automation isn’t about who shouts loudest. It’s about what fits your real-world needs, your team, and your budget. Keep it simple, test with your own data, and don’t get distracted by shiny features you’ll never use. Make a call, get moving, and tweak as you go. That’s how you actually get value from marketing automation—no hype required.