If you’re shopping for go-to-market (GTM) software for your B2B business, you already know the drill: every vendor promises “breakthrough results” and “seamless integrations.” Reality? Most tools are fine, some are lousy, and a few actually deliver. This guide is for founders, GTM leads, and ops folks who want to cut through the noise and figure out if Vector is the right fit—or if something else will get the job done better.
We’ll walk through a practical, step-by-step way to compare Vector with other GTM platforms, so you can make a clear-eyed call. No buzzwords, no hand-waving—just real info you can use.
1. Get Clear on What “Go-To-Market Software” Actually Means
Let’s start with the basics. “Go-to-market” software is an overloaded term. It could mean:
- Lead generation and management
- Sales engagement
- Account-based marketing
- Customer data platforms
- Revenue operations
- Analytics and reporting
Vendors love to say they do it all, but most specialize in one or two areas and slap on integrations for the rest.
Pro tip: Make a quick list of your actual pain points. What’s slowing you down? Is it lead routing? Visibility into your pipeline? Or are you still copy-pasting data between 4 spreadsheets? Don’t get distracted by features you’ll never use.
2. Understand What Vector Actually Does (and Doesn’t)
Before comparing tools, you need a clear picture of what Vector brings to the table—and where it doesn’t play.
What Vector Is Good At - Centralizing GTM data: Vector pulls in info from your CRM, marketing tools, and sales data so you get one view of accounts, contacts, and activities. - Workflow automation: Handles common GTM workflows (lead assignment, handoffs, follow-ups) without needing to duct-tape half a dozen tools together. - Reporting: Gives you dashboards that make sense to non-analysts. Not fancy, but practical.
What Vector Doesn’t Really Do - Deep marketing automation (think HubSpot, Marketo): It’s not designed for complex nurture campaigns or scoring models. - Standalone sales engagement (like Outreach or Salesloft): You won’t get high-volume sequencing or predictive dialers. - Native data enrichment or list-building: You’ll still need another tool for sourcing new contacts or company info.
Bottom line: Vector works best if you’re trying to coordinate GTM teams and get better cross-functional visibility. If you want a pure sales engagement platform or advanced marketing automation, look elsewhere.
3. Make a Shortlist of “Real” Alternatives
There are hundreds of tools that claim to be GTM platforms. Most aren’t worth your time. Here’s how to make a meaningful shortlist:
- Direct competitors: Who else solves the same core problems as Vector? Look for newer platforms (e.g., Scratchpad, People.ai, Clari) that focus on sales ops, RevOps, or GTM orchestration.
- Adjacent solutions: If you’re open to a more specialized tool, consider leading CRMs (Salesforce, HubSpot), sales engagement platforms, or data platforms. Sometimes two best-of-breed tools are better than one “all-in-one” that’s mediocre at everything.
- Ignore the noise: Skip anything that can’t clearly explain what it does in one sentence, or looks like it’s been cobbled together through endless acquisitions.
Pro tip: Don’t waste time on legacy software that only checks boxes for IT but makes your team miserable.
4. Build a Comparison Checklist (Not a Feature Dump)
Here’s where a lot of teams go wrong: they compare tools by dumping every feature into a spreadsheet, then try to score them. In practice, most of those features don’t matter.
Focus on: - Must-haves: Does the tool solve your top 2-3 pain points, right now? - Integrations: Will it actually play nice with your existing stack, or will you spend weeks getting it to work? - Ease of use: Can your team pick it up in a week, or will you need paid training and six months of change management? - Support and reliability: Is there real customer support, or just a chatbot? Do their status pages actually show uptime? - Pricing clarity: Is the pricing straightforward, or will you get nickel-and-dimed for every user and add-on?
Ignore: - Long lists of “coming soon” features - “AI-powered” claims that don’t actually solve a problem you have - Social proof based on logos from companies nothing like yours
5. Test-Drive the Top Contenders (and Be Skeptical)
Once you’ve narrowed it down to 2–3 options (Vector and a couple of others), it’s time for hands-on testing.
What to Do in a Trial or Demo:
- Set up a real workflow: Try to replicate an actual process you run (e.g., routing a lead, building a report, managing a pipeline meeting).
- Invite a few end users: See if they can figure it out without a manual.
- Push the edges: Try integrations, especially with your CRM. Does it work as advertised, or are there weird bugs and missing data?
- Check for speed: Is it fast, or does it feel like a 2008 web app?
Red flags: - Salespeople can’t answer basic technical questions (“Let me get back to you!”) - You need to talk to “implementation partners” before you can even try the product - Features are demo-only or “in beta” but not really available
6. Dig Into Pricing and Real Costs
GTM software pricing is notoriously opaque. Here’s how to avoid surprises:
- Get a detailed quote: Don’t accept “starts at $X per user.” Ask for actual pricing for your use case, with your number of users and integrations.
- Watch for hidden fees: Some platforms charge for API access, custom fields, data storage, or even support.
- Factor in set-up and ramp time: If it takes you months (and consultants) to get value, that’s a real cost. Ask for references from similar-sized companies.
- Check contract terms: Multi-year lock-ins and annual prepay are common. Don’t get bullied into a commitment you’ll regret.
Pro tip: If the vendor can’t give you a clear, line-item quote, walk away.
7. Check References—But Ask the Right Questions
References are often handpicked and coached, but you can still get value if you ask pointed questions:
- What surprised you after you bought it?
- How long did it take for your team to actually adopt the tool?
- What’s one thing you wish you’d known before signing?
- Have you had any outages or support horror stories?
If there’s hesitation or vague answers, take note.
8. Plan for Rollout—Keep It Simple
No matter which tool you choose, don’t try to roll out everything at once.
- Start with one or two critical workflows. Nail those before expanding.
- Train the team yourself (if possible). If you need outside help just to get started, that’s a warning sign.
- Set up regular check-ins. See what’s actually working and what’s just adding noise.
Summary: Don’t Overthink It
At the end of the day, the best GTM software for your business is the one your team will actually use—and that solves the problems you have today, not two years from now. Don’t get wowed by feature lists or demo-day theatrics. Pick the tool that fits your workflows, is easy to set up, and won’t give you a headache six months down the line.
Keep it simple, stay skeptical, and don’t be afraid to iterate as your needs change. Most importantly: remember that software is just a tool. The magic is still in your team.