Putting marketing automation on the same contact record as your sales pipeline solves a real problem: marketing stops emailing people the sales team has already closed, sales can see what a prospect has read before the call, and nobody is reconciling two lists of the same customers. When it works it is genuinely better than a CRM and an email tool held together by a connector.
The catch is pricing. Marketing automation is almost always the feature that lives on a higher tier, and on some platforms the step up is very large. We have ranked these on what the automation actually does, and on where exactly the price jumps, because that is the number that decides this.
Platform or CRM plus a separate email tool?
The argument for one platform is shared data. Marketing and sales working from the same contact record means suppression lists take care of themselves, a rep can see which emails a prospect opened before dialling, and lead scoring can use pipeline outcomes rather than guesses. It also removes the connector, which is usually the fragile part of a two tool setup and the thing that breaks quietly rather than loudly. For a business where marketing generates leads that a sales team then works, this integration is the whole point.
The argument against is cost and depth. A dedicated email marketing tool is typically priced on contacts rather than users and is often far cheaper for a business that sends a newsletter to a large list but has a small sales team, and the specialists tend to be better at campaign building and deliverability than a CRM's marketing module. So the honest test is the shape of your business: many contacts and few salespeople favours a CRM plus a specialist email tool, while a modest list worked hard by several salespeople favours a platform. Work out the total for both at your real numbers, and pay particular attention to which tier the automation you actually need sits on, since that is where the platforms make their money.
How we assessed these tools
Every product here was judged on the things that actually decide whether software works for a UK business: the real published price excluding VAT, how it handles HMRC obligations such as Making Tax Digital, RTI or CIS where relevant, the depth of the core job it is bought for, how quickly a non specialist can get productive, and the quality of UK support. We read each vendor's own pricing pages rather than repeating third party figures, and we weight verified user ratings from people who run these tools day to day.
We also try to be honest about fit rather than crowning a single winner, because the right tool for a ten person business is rarely the right tool for a two hundred person one. Each entry below carries its real starting price, its current Assaylist rating and a clear note on who it suits and where it falls short, so you can match the software to your own situation rather than to an average. Where we earn a commission from an outbound link we say so, and it never changes the order of this list.
The best options ranked
1. HubSpot CRM
HubSpot is the most complete sales and marketing platform for a UK small business, and the free CRM underneath makes it easy to start. Marketing, sales and service all work from one contact record, which is exactly the integration this category exists to provide.
What you get: The CRM that made a genuinely capable free tier standard. Free forever at the core, with Sales, Marketing and Service Hubs that scale into a serious platform as you grow. It holds a 4.0 out of 5 rating across 242 reviews on Assaylist.
Pricing: The plans run Free at free, Sales Hub Starter at £15, Sales Hub Professional at £77 and Sales Hub Enterprise at £135 per user per month, excluding VAT.
Why we rate it:
- The strongest free CRM tier on the market
- Sales, marketing and service on one record
- Huge app marketplace and partner network
- Clean enough to adopt without training
Bear in mind: the step from free or starter into the tier with real automation is the steepest jump on this list.
Read our full HubSpot CRM review →
2. Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM delivers workflow automation, email and lead scoring at a fraction of what the better known platforms charge, and connects to the wider Zoho suite including a dedicated campaigns product. For a business that wants platform capability without platform pricing, this is the value answer.
What you get: A capable CRM that consistently undercuts the big names on price while matching much of the functionality. Strongest for businesses already using or open to the broader Zoho suite. It holds a 4.0 out of 5 rating across 248 reviews on Assaylist.
Pricing: The plans run Free at free, Standard at £12, Professional at £20 and Enterprise at £35 per user per month, excluding VAT.
Why we rate it:
- Strong capability at a value price
- Deep customisation
- Free edition for micro teams
- Native Zoho suite integration
Bear in mind: the breadth needs more configuration than a focused tool before it feels tailored to how you sell.
Read our full Zoho CRM review →
3. Salesforce Sales Cloud
Salesforce is the configurable standard for a business that will keep growing and is prepared to resource it properly. Almost anything you want to automate can be automated, which is both the attraction and the warning: this is a platform you invest in rather than switch on.
What you get: The market leading CRM platform, unmatched in configurability and ecosystem, aimed at businesses that will invest in shaping it. Per user pricing that climbs steeply with capability. It holds a 4.1 out of 5 rating across 232 reviews on Assaylist.
Pricing: The plans run Starter Suite at £20, Pro Suite at £80, Enterprise at £135 and Unlimited at £240 per user per month, excluding VAT.
Why we rate it:
- Unmatched configurability
- Enormous ecosystem and partner base
- Powerful reporting and forecasting
- Scales to the largest organisations
Bear in mind: it needs ongoing administration, and the real cost includes configuration and often a consultant.
Read our full Salesforce Sales Cloud review →
4. Capsule CRM
Capsule is the pick for a small UK business that wants light marketing capability without a platform project. It handles contacts, pipeline and straightforward email well, and its simplicity is why teams that abandoned a heavier CRM actually keep using it.
What you get: A UK built CRM that keeps things simple and affordable, with a free plan for two users and clean per user tiers above it. Popular with small businesses that find the big platforms overkill. It holds a 4.0 out of 5 rating across 286 reviews on Assaylist.
Pricing: The plans run Free at free, Starter at £14, Growth at £27 and Advanced at £42 per user per month, excluding VAT.
Why we rate it:
- Genuinely free for two users
- Simple enough for any small team
- UK built with UK support
- Clean Xero and QuickBooks integration
Bear in mind: the marketing side is deliberately light, so a serious campaign operation will need a specialist tool alongside.
Read our full Capsule CRM review →Comparison at a glance
Here is how the shortlist compares on what it is best for, the starting price excluding VAT and the current Assaylist rating.
| Software | Best for | Starting price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| HubSpot CRM | Best overall platform | From £15 per user / month | 4.0 |
| Zoho CRM | Best value | From £12 per user / month | 4.0 |
| Salesforce Sales Cloud | Best for scaling up | From £20 per user / month | 4.1 |
| Capsule CRM | Best simple option | From £14 per user / month | 4.0 |
How much should you budget?
Two costs matter here and they behave differently. CRM seats are priced per user per month, typically twelve to twenty pounds excluding VAT at entry and thirty to fifty at the tier where automation lives, so that half of the bill scales with your team. Marketing automation is often priced on contacts rather than users, so that half scales with your list. A business with four salespeople and forty thousand contacts and a business with twenty salespeople and two thousand contacts will get very different answers from the same price list.
Build both numbers at your real figures before choosing. The platform route usually looks expensive on the CRM line and reasonable on the marketing line; the CRM plus specialist email tool route usually looks the reverse. And identify precisely which tier holds the automation you actually need rather than the one you would like, because on the larger platforms that single decision moves the annual cost more than any other choice you make here.
Our verdict
For most UK small businesses wanting sales and marketing on one record, HubSpot is the strongest platform and the free CRM makes it painless to start. Go in with the paid tier prices in front of you, because the jump into real automation is the steepest here and it is the entire commercial model rather than an accident.
Zoho CRM is the value answer and gets you most of the way for a fraction of the cost, particularly alongside other Zoho apps. Salesforce is the right call only if you will resource the administration it needs, and Capsule is the honest choice for a small team that wants light marketing without a platform project, paired with a specialist email tool if campaigns become serious.
The bottom line
Decide by the shape of your business rather than the feature list. Many contacts and few salespeople favours a CRM plus a dedicated email tool priced on list size. A modest list worked hard by several salespeople favours a single platform. HubSpot is the strongest platform for most, Zoho the best value, and Capsule the right answer for a small team that has failed at heavier CRMs before. Whichever way you go, find the tier your required automation lives on and price that, not the entry plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best CRM with marketing automation in the UK?
HubSpot is the most complete platform for UK small businesses, putting marketing, sales and service on one contact record with a free CRM underneath. Zoho CRM offers similar breadth at considerably lower cost, and Salesforce is the choice for businesses that will resource proper configuration.
Is an all in one CRM cheaper than separate marketing tools?
It depends on the shape of your business. CRM seats are priced per user, marketing automation is often priced per contact, so a business with a large list and a small sales team frequently pays less with a separate email tool. Build both totals at your real user and contact numbers before deciding.
What does marketing automation in a CRM actually do?
Typically email campaigns and sequences, lead scoring, form capture, and workflows that trigger on contact behaviour or pipeline stage. The advantage over a separate tool is shared data: suppression handles itself, and a salesperson can see what a prospect engaged with before making the call.
Which tier includes marketing automation?
Rarely the entry one. On most platforms genuine automation sits on a mid or upper tier, and on HubSpot in particular the jump from the free or starter product into real automation is the largest single price step in the category. Identify the tier you actually need before comparing headline prices.
Can a simple CRM handle email marketing?
For straightforward needs, yes. Capsule handles contacts, pipeline and basic email well and is far easier to adopt than a full platform. If campaigns become a serious part of how you generate business, pair it with a dedicated email marketing tool rather than expecting the CRM to grow into one.
Prices were checked against each vendor's UK pricing on 7 August 2026 and exclude VAT unless stated. Vendors change pricing, so confirm the current figure on the vendor's own site before you buy. Some links are commercial; where we earn a commission it never affects our ratings or the order of this list.
