Top 20 marketing agency tools for 2026

A quick glance at the top marketing agency tools

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Plainly Videos - Best for data-driven video automation

Plainly Videos is one of those all-star automation tools that lets your agency take one After Effects template and turn it into hundreds of video variations using a spreadsheet or an API. You use it when you need personalized, versioned, or localized videos at scale - without manually editing every single file.

Key features

• After Effects template automation - You upload an After Effects project once, then Plainly swaps text, images, and other elements automatically based on your data.
• Spreadsheet-driven bulk rendering - You can map fields from Google Sheets/Excel to video parameters and generate lots of versions in one workflow.
• API rendering for productized workflows - Your ops (or dev) team can trigger renders via API, so personalization and always-on production run like a system, not a manual task.
• Native integrations to trigger renders - You can connect tools and trigger video creation when data changes (for example, form submissions or sheet updates).

Pricing

Pricing starts at $69/month for Starter. But, Plainly also gives a variety of tiers to choose from, like the Explorer for $134/month, the Team, starting at $259/month, or the Pro plan for $649/month. There’s also the Unlimited plan for $1500/month and the Enterprise plan, which is custom, based on volume and your agency's needs.

Hootsuite - Best for social scheduling + day-to-day social management

Hootsuite gives your agency one place to plan, schedule, publish, and manage social content across multiple channels. You use it when you want fewer tabs, cleaner collaboration, and a workflow that stays stable even when clients want “just one more post” on Friday at 6 PM.

Key features

• Unlimited post scheduling - You can build a full content calendar in one sitting and keep production moving even when the week gets chaotic.
• Unified inbox for messages - You can manage DMs and comments in one place, which stops “who replied to this?” moments before they start.
• Analytics + “best time to post” recommendations - You get performance visibility plus timing guidance, so posting becomes a full on system.
• AI assistant for captions + creative support - You can generate captions (and supporting creative elements) faster when you need speed without sacrificing consistency.

Pricing

Hootsuite pricing is per user, per month, starting with the Standard plan at $249. If you’re considering this tool, they offer a free 30-day trial, so you can give it a try. In any case, the exact price can vary based on plan and billing.

Semrush - Best for SEO research + competitor intelligence

Semrush helps you answer the questions clients love to throw at you mid-month: “What keywords should we target next?” and “Why are they outranking us?” You use this piece of marketing software to find opportunities faster, spot gaps vs. competitors, and turn SEO into a repeatable agency process.

Key features

• Keyword research with real metrics - You pull keyword ideas with search volume, difficulty, and intent signals, so your content plan becomes backed with facts.
• Keyword Gap competitor comparisons - You compare your client against up to 5 competitors and find keywords they rank for that your client doesn’t, which gives you a clean roadmap for what to build next.
• Site Audit for technical SEO - You run audits, get prioritized issues, and turn “the site is slow” into an actual fix list your client can approve.

Pricing

You can get Semrush for $199/mo or $165.17/mo when billed annually. There’s also an option of higher tiers for bigger agencies and larger reporting limits, so choose based on your agency size and needs.

Google Analytics - Best for performance tracking and proving ROI

Google Analytics shows you what’s actually happening after the click: which channels bring engaged users, which pages convert, and where people drop off. You use it when a client asks, “Is this working?” and you want an answer that’s based on behavior, not opinions.

Key features

• Event-based measurement - You track meaningful actions (scrolls, form submits, purchases) as events, so reporting maps outcomes instead of vanity metrics.
• Key events (conversions) - You mark the events that matter most, then use them as the “north star” for campaign and CRO reporting.
• Explorations for deeper analysis - You build funnels, segment users, and answer “where are we losing people?” without exporting everything to a spreadsheet.

Pricing

Google Analytics is free of charge for most agency use cases. If you’re dealing with enterprise-scale data and limits, Google Analytics 360 is the paid tier and is sold via contract.

Zapier - Best for connecting your agency stack

Zapier is the glue tool from your tech stack. You use it to connect apps and move data automatically, so your agency stops doing copy/paste tasks all week. It’s how you keep workflows running even when the team is busy and clients keep sending new requests.

Key features

• Multi-step workflows (Zaps) - You can trigger one event and run multiple actions, so a single lead can flow through your entire process without manual handoffs.
• Logic controls (Filters + Paths) - You can route leads based on rules (country, budget, service), so your automation behaves like a real process, not a straight line.
• Built-in utilities (Formatter, etc.) - You can clean and reshape data mid-workflow, so your CRM doesn’t fill up with messy fields and inconsistent formats.
• Zapier Tables + Forms - You can store lightweight data and collect submissions inside Zapier when you want a simpler setup that still automates easily.

Pricing

Zapier has a free plan (includes Zaps, Tables, and Forms with a monthly task limit). Paid plans scale up based on task volume and features, but the starting price is $19.99/mo for the Professional plan.

Trello - Best for lightweight project delivery

Trello helps you keep client work moving without overcomplicating your process. You use it when you want a clear workflow everyone actually follows, especially when you’re juggling multiple clients and deliverables.

Key features

• Boards, lists, and cards - You can turn “we need to launch this” into a visible flow (Backlog → In progress → Review → Done) that your team can run daily.

• Built-in automation (Butler) - You can automate repetitive steps like assigning owners, moving cards, and setting due dates, so the board stays clean without constant babysitting.

• Views and structure upgrades in paid tiers - You can add more planning power (like advanced planning and fields) when your board starts feeling like a spreadsheet in disguise.
  
  

Pricing

Trello has a free plan, and the Standard plan starts at $6 per user/month.

Sprout Social - Best for social publishing and client-ready reporting

Sprout Social is a digital marketing agency tool you use when social needs to feel like an operation, not just a bunch of posts. It pulls publishing, engagement, and reporting into one place, so you can stay consistent and prove impact without rebuilding the story every month.

Key features

• Publishing + content calendar - You plan, schedule, and manage social content in a structured calendar, so “what’s going out this week?” is always clear.

• Smart Inbox - You manage messages and engagement in one stream, which keeps responses fast and handoffs clean across your team.

• Reporting that doesn’t need babysitting - You pull performance insights you can reuse across clients.

• Social listening (on higher plans) - You track conversations and sentiment around a brand, so you catch issues early and find content angles you can act on.

Pricing

Pricing starts at $199 per user/month, billed annually. It’s a per-seat tool, so the cost grows with team size.

Canva - Best for fast, on-brand creative production

Canva is the tool like no other. You open it when you need good-looking creative, fast: social posts, ads, one-pagers, pitch visuals, and client-ready assets. You use it to keep output consistent without waiting on a full design sprint.

Key features

• Templates + brand consistency - You start from a solid layout, apply your brand kit, and keep everything looking “agency-made,” even when you’re moving fast.

• Collaboration + commenting - You can get feedback directly on the design, so approvals don’t get lost in email threads.

• One-click resizing + multi-format exports - You can turn one concept into multiple platform sizes (and export clean versions) without rebuilding the design each time.

Pricing

Canva has a free plan, and paid plans start with Canva Pro at $14.99 USD per month.

Active Campaign - Best for email automation + lifecycle marketing

ActiveCampaign helps you run email like an agency system. You use it to segment audiences, trigger automations, and keep leads moving based on what they actually do: clicks, site visits, form fills, and sales activity.

Key features

• Automations builder - You build if/then workflows that send the right message at the right moment, without you manually pushing buttons every week.

• Segmentation that stays clean - You slice contacts by behavior and attributes, so campaigns feel targeted instead of generic.

• Email + landing pages in one flow - You create campaigns and connect them to funnels, so handoffs don’t break between “lead captured” and “lead nurtured.”

• CRM-style pipelines (on some plans) - You track deals and stages, so marketing and sales follow the same story.

Pricing

Pricing typically starts around $15/month for the Starter plan and scales mainly by contact count and plan level.

Mailchimp - Best for quick email campaigns

Mailchimp is what you use when you need to ship clean emails fast. Think newsletters, promos, and simple automations, without turning email marketing into a whole engineering project. It’s a solid “get it out the door and make it look good” tool for a lot of agency client setups.

Key features

• Email builder + templates - You can build polished campaigns quickly, even when clients demand edits right before send time.

• Audience segmentation - You can target sends by tags, behavior, and list data, so you’re not blasting one generic email to everyone.

• Basic automations - You can set up welcome series and simple follow-ups that keep leads warm with no manual sends.

Pricing

Mailchimp has a free plan, and paid plans start with an entry tier for $6.50 per month and scale mainly by contact count and features, so it could be an easy add to your marketing stack.

HubSpot - Best for CRM + marketing ops in one place

HubSpot is the marketing agency tool you use when a client needs one connected system for leads, email, pipeline, and reporting. It keeps the story consistent from “new lead” to “closed deal,” which makes your monthly calls way easier to defend.

Key features

• Customer Relationship Management (CRM) + pipeline tracking - You track every lead, deal stage, and owner in one place, so follow-ups don’t disappear into inboxes.
• Marketing automation - You run email sequences, lead nurturing, and simple workflows that move leads forward without manual chasing.
• Forms + landing pages - You capture leads cleanly and push them straight into the CRM with proper source data attached.
• Reporting dashboards - You build a single reporting view for marketing + sales, so clients stop asking for “one more spreadsheet.”

Pricing

HubSpot has a free CRM, and paid plans start with Starter tiers that scale based on seats and features (pricing changes by product and bundle).

Slack - Best for team communication and faster client delivery

Slack helps agencies stay aligned. Team collaboration and communication? The answer is Slack. You use it to keep conversations organized by client, project, or function.

Key features

• Channels that mirror your agency structure - You can create channels by client, campaign, or squad, so context stays in one place and handoffs feel clean.
• Huddles + quick calls - You can resolve small questions fast without scheduling a formal meeting and losing half your work day.
• Searchable history + pinned context - You can find old decisions, links, and files quickly.

Pricing

Slack has a free plan, and paid plans typically start around $7–$8 per user/month (depending on billing).

Copy.ai - Best for AI-assisted copy

This is one AI tool that's great for content creation. When content demands stack up, this is where Copy.ai comes in. Think ads, landing pages, cold emails, social media platform copy, etc. You use it when you want AI-powered speed and consistency with your output.

Key features

• Pre-built workflows for content generation - You can generate first drafts for ads, emails, and landing pages without starting from a blank page every time.
• Brand voice consistency - You can steer outputs toward a consistent tone and structure.
• Team-friendly content production - You can standardize how your team creates copy for content marketing, which cuts down on rewrites and keeps reviews focused on strategy.

Pricing

Copy.ai offers paid plans that start with an entry tier for $29/mo, and pricing varies by plan and usage.

Google Trends - Best for spotting demand

Google Trends shows you what people are searching for over time, by region, and by related topics. You use it when you need to check if an idea makes sense before you write the briefs, design the ads, and commit a month of budget.

Key features

• Trend history over time - You see if interest is rising, falling, or purely seasonal, so you don’t mistake a yearly spike for real growth.
• Region + city-level interest - You spot where demand lives geographically, which helps when you’re planning localized campaigns or testing new markets.
• Related queries and topics - You find terms people also search for, which gives you better angles for SEO pages, ads, and content clusters.

Pricing

Google Trends is free to use.

Brand24 - Best for brand monitoring + social listening

Brand24 helps you track brand mentions across social media, news, blogs, and the wider web. You use it when a client cares about reputation or competitor noise, and you need receipts fast.

Key features

• Mention tracking across channels - You see where your brand gets discussed, so you stop finding issues a week late.

• Sentiment and trend signals - You spot positive/negative swings early, which helps with PR, campaign timing, and crisis avoidance.

• Alerts and notifications - You get pings for spikes or important mentions, so you can react before the client forwards you a screenshot.

• Competitor monitoring - You track competitor mentions too, so you can compare share of voice and steal angles that are already working.
  
  

Pricing

Brand24 is a paid tool, and plans typically start around $199/month and $149 per month when billed annually.

Notion - Best for agency documentation

Notion is where you put the stuff your agency keeps repeating: onboarding checklists, campaign SOPs, briefs, meeting notes, and internal knowledge. Task management, basically. You use it when you’re tired of answers living in people’s heads (or scattered across docs you can’t find).

Key features

• Docs + pages that act like a wiki - You can build a clean knowledge base for new hires and freelancers so they can be integrated into your workflow easily.
• Databases for repeatable delivery - You can turn services into systems: clients, projects, content calendars, tasks, and assets all tracked in one structured place.
• Templates for every workflow - You can standardize briefs, onboarding, reporting notes, and SOPs.
• Permissioned sharing - You can share pages with clients (or keep them internal) without leaking everything else, which makes collaboration easier.

Pricing

Free plan is available and paid starts with Plus for $12 per month and scales with seats.

Hotjar - Best for heatmaps and session recordings

Hotjar shows you what users actually do on a page. You use it when traffic looks fine but conversions feel weird and you need proof before you change the page (or before the client blames the ads).

Key features

• Heatmaps - You see where people click, scroll, and hesitate, so you can spot friction fast.
• Session recordings - You replay real sessions to find what’s wrong (rage clicks, dead ends, confusing forms).
• On-site feedback + surveys - You ask quick questions in the moment, so you can act based on data.

Pricing

Hotjar offers a free plan, and paid plans start with $49 per month for the Growth plan. Other plans depend on usage and added features.

Calendly - Best for scheduling meetings

Calendly helps you convert interest into meetings without friction. You send one link, prospects book instantly, clients reschedule cleanly, and your calendar stays protected with rules and buffers.

Key features

• Booking links with rules - You can set meeting types, buffers, and availability windows.
• Round-robin + team scheduling - You route meetings to the right person automatically.
• Automated reminders and follow-ups - Helps you stay notified about your schedule.
• Intake questions before the meeting - You collect context upfront (budget, goals, service interest), so calls start sharper and waste less time.

Pricing

Calendly has a free plan, and paid plans start around $10 per seat/month (billed annually) or $12 per month, with higher tiers for teams and advanced workflows.

Typeform - Best for lead capture and qualification

Typeform helps you collect better leads because the form experience feels smooth, not transactional. You use it when you want cleaner qualification data up front, so you stop wasting calls on people who aren’t a fit.

Key features

• Conversational form flow - Typeform shows one question at a time, so completion rates are usually higher.
• Logic jumps + conditional paths - You route people based on answers, so the form adapts like a smart funnel.
• Hidden fields and tracking context - You capture source, campaign, and UTM data quietly, so attribution stays intact.
• Integrations + webhooks - You push responses into your CRM, email platform, Slack, or a sheet without manual copy/paste.

Pricing

Typeform plans start at $29/month for Basic. Pricing scales with features and usage as you move up tiers.

Looker Studio - Best for client dashboards and reporting

Looker Studio turns messy channel data into one clean dashboard you can share with a client. Agencies that want reporting to feel like a system: consistent every month, easy to duplicate, and not dependent on who has the “latest spreadsheet.”

Key features

• Connects to common marketing data sources - You pull in metrics from analytics, ads, sheets, and more.
• Reusable dashboard templates - You build one solid reporting layout, then duplicate it per client and swap the data source in minutes.
• Shareable, live reporting - You send a link that stays current, so clients can check performance without asking you to “export the report again.”

Pricing

Looker Studio is free, which makes it one of the easiest wins in an agency reporting stack.

It’s time to pick the right tool to add to your marketing toolkit

In 2026, the right marketing tools keep your agency steady in production, consistent in delivery, and sharp in reporting. This guide walked through 20 tools across creative, social, SEO research, lead capture, email, analytics, automation, and insight for a good reason! Now you can upgrade one part of your software stack (or more) and feel the difference immediately.

And if you’re doing any kind of paid social at scale, you should start with Plainly. It turns one After Effects template into hundreds of variations by location, product, offer, language, or audience, without your team exporting versions all day. That’s how you keep creative fresh, test faster, and ship personalization like a system.

So book a demo today, start a free trial, and you’ll find out why 2026 is going to be your best marketing year yet.