15 Best Salesforce Marketing Cloud Competitors for Omnichannel Retail in 2025

TL;DR

• Salesforce Marketing Cloud still leads in scale but struggles with retail-specific needs.
• Retailers now want faster activation, unified loyalty, and measurable outcomes.
• The best Salesforce Marketing Cloud competitors connect data, channels, and stores in one platform.
• Voyado stands out as the most practical choice for omnichannel retail teams.
• You’ll see which alternatives fit best and how to choose what drives value fastest.

Salesforce Marketing Cloud has long been the go-to for enterprise marketing. But for retailers, it often feels heavy. Projects drag, integrations pile up, and connecting store and online data takes too long.

That’s why more retail teams are exploring Salesforce Marketing Cloud competitors built for real speed. These tools help you move faster, personalize better, and prove results without endless setup or service costs.

Today, you’ll find the top alternatives to Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Salesforce Data Cloud, each compared by outcomes, not just features.

Let’s look at when it’s time to make the switch and what really matters when choosing a new platform.

When to replace Salesforce Marketing Cloud and what to look for

Salesforce Marketing Cloud may still be a major player, but it’s not always the best fit for retail.

If your team spends more time managing systems than marketing, or if your in-store and online data never seem to align, it might be time to rethink your setup.

Common signs it’s time to switch

When these issues appear, they don’t just waste time. They directly affect how your customers experience your brand. The longer it takes to activate data or test offers, the harder it is to keep shoppers engaged.

What to look for instead

• Unified profiles and consent across e-commerce and stores.
• Loyalty built in, not bolted on. Points, tiers, vouchers, and rewards that work everywhere.
• Real-time orchestration for browse, cart, and restock events.
• Holdout testing and offer controls to protect margins.
• Predictive segments and product discovery hooks that drive conversion.
• Transparent pricing without hidden data or integration costs.

Retail moves fast. Your customer platform should, too. The right Salesforce Marketing Cloud competitors make it easier to connect your data, activate campaigns in real time, and prove impact on revenue.

Next, let’s look at the best Salesforce Marketing Cloud competitors in 2025 and how they compare for omnichannel retail.

The best Salesforce Marketing Cloud competitors in 2025

Choosing the right marketing cloud can make or break your customer engagement strategy. Retailers need more than automation. They need results.

The best Salesforce Marketing Cloud competitors help your team move faster, connect every touchpoint, and grow loyalty without the delays and service costs that often come with Salesforce.

Here’s how the top alternatives compare for omnichannel retail in 2025.

Let’s start with the enterprise-ready platforms:

1. Voyado – Retail CRM, loyalty, and omnichannel activation in one

Voyado helps omnichannel retailers connect every step of the customer journey. From first purchase to loyalty reward, your data, messaging, and store triggers all live in one place. It gives your team everything they need to deliver smarter campaigns and see results faster.

Best for: Omnichannel retailers that need loyalty and personalization to work seamlessly across ecommerce and POS.

Core strengths: Native loyalty engine, predictive audiences, site and app personalization, POS prompts, holdouts and cohort lift, fast rollouts.

Limitations: Not built as a generic enterprise suite for non-retail verticals.

Pricing note: Transparent retail packaging with lower SI reliance.

Integrations: Major ecommerce, POS, and ad platforms.

2. Adobe Journey Optimizer (AJO)

Adobe Journey Optimizer gives enterprise teams deep personalization power inside the Adobe Experience Cloud. It combines audience data, content, and delivery in one flow so you can create connected experiences across every channel.

Best for: Enterprises already invested in Adobe Experience Cloud.

Strengths: Deep web personalization when paired with Adobe Experience Platform and Target.

Limitations: Complex setup. Loyalty and store connections often need extra integrations.

Pricing note: Suite-based pricing; expect additional service costs.

Integrations: Excellent within the Adobe ecosystem, with other tools supported via partners.

3. Oracle Responsys

Oracle Responsys (Campaign Management) gives large retailers and enterprise marketers advanced control over multichannel campaigns. It’s part of the Oracle CX suite, helping teams manage cross-channel communication, measure performance, and handle scale.

Best for: Enterprises within the Oracle ecosystem.

Strengths: Scalability and enterprise-level controls.

Limitations: Slower speed to value. High reliance on integrators and service teams.

Pricing note: Enterprise contract structure.

Integrations: Oracle CX, Commerce, and data tools.

4. Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Insights brings marketing automation into the Microsoft ecosystem. It connects customer data, insights, and workflows across CRM, ERP, and retail POS systems to deliver personalized engagement.

Best for: Microsoft-centric retailers using Dynamics ERP and CRM.

Strengths: Works natively with Dynamics data and Power Platform.

Limitations: Web personalization and retail loyalty require additional setup.

Pricing note: Based on tenant capacity and add-ons.

Integrations: Microsoft stack and POS partners.

5. Zeta Global

Zeta Global combines marketing automation, CRM capabilities, and cross-channel engagement in one AI-driven platform. It helps enterprise retailers personalize every customer interaction with real-time data and predictive analytics.

Best for: Enterprise retailers wanting AI-driven automation and a full customer data foundation.

Strengths: Advanced analytics, real-time personalization, and predictive scoring. Combines marketing automation, CRM capabilities, and cross-channel marketing inside one interface.

Limitations: Can require technical setup and a longer onboarding for complex enterprise data environments.

Pricing note: Custom enterprise pricing based on usage and channels.

Integrations: Major e-commerce, CRM, and analytics tools.

Now, let’s take a look at Omnichannel and retail-focused platforms.

6. SAP Emarsys

SAP Emarsys supports omnichannel retailers with built-in blueprints for campaigns, e-commerce journeys, and retention programs. It’s designed to help marketing teams deliver measurable outcomes faster without relying heavily on IT.

Best for: Retailers using SAP Commerce or broader SAP systems.

Strengths: Campaign blueprints and e-commerce playbooks built for online stores.

Limitations: Loyalty features can vary. POS use cases may need workarounds.

Pricing note: Tiered model; strongest value when used with other SAP tools.

Integrations: SAP native, Shopify, and Magento.

7. Bloomreach Engagement

Bloomreach Engagement helps catalog-rich brands personalize shopping journeys across channels. It combines a customer data platform, marketing automation, and product recommendations in one tool.

Best for: Catalog-rich brands needing product-led messaging.

Strengths: Real-time segmentation, dynamic recommendations, and personalization.

Limitations: Loyalty and store activation need third-party integrations.

Pricing note: Modular pricing; costs depend on data volume.

Integrations: Bloomreach Discovery and major e-commerce platforms.

8. Insider

Insider delivers personalization across web, app, and messaging channels. It helps retailers use real-time data to improve customer engagement and drive conversion through AI-powered segmentation.

Best for: Web and app personalization with strong experimentation features.

Strengths: On-site widgets, mobile channels, and AI-based segmentation.

Limitations: Loyalty and POS connections require partner integrations.

Pricing note: Channel-based pricing; professional services are common.

Integrations: Web, mobile, and CDPs.

Finally, here are the mid-market and growth-oriented platforms:

9. Braze

Braze focuses on real-time messaging and mobile-first marketing automation. It lets retail marketing teams build personalized journeys and connect push, email, and in-app experiences with minimal coding.

Best for: App-heavy brands needing rapid mobile campaigns.

Strengths: Stream triggers, in-app, push, experimentation, and cross-channel messaging.

Limitations: Loyalty and POS require partners and often need dedicated data engineering support.

Pricing note: Event and MAU-driven; overages can add up quickly.

Integrations: Strong mobile SDKs, CDPs, and data pipelines.

10. Iterable

Iterable gives marketers a visual way to create, test, and scale automated customer journeys. It’s flexible enough for growth teams that want to personalize campaigns using real-time data and custom objects.

Best for: Growth teams running sophisticated multi-branch journeys.

Strengths: Data-rich templates, catalog-driven messaging, and detailed testing.

Limitations: Loyalty and POS features are not native and can increase build time.

Pricing note: Seat and usage-based pricing; services may vary by project.

Integrations: Ecommerce, CDPs, and ad audiences.

11. MoEngage

MoEngage helps retail marketers turn behavioral data into engagement. It combines analytics, push, email, and SMS channels to create cross-channel marketing workflows that scale globally.

Best for: Mobile-centric retailers in APAC and global markets.

Strengths: Analytics with orchestration, push, email, and SMS.

Limitations: Loyalty and in-store triggers depend on partner integrations.

Pricing note: Usage tiers with regional pricing packages.

Integrations: Apps, data tools, and ecommerce systems.

12. CleverTap

CleverTap is built for mobile-led brands focused on retention. It helps teams understand user behavior, create funnels, and deliver real-time personalized experiences across app and web.

Best for: App-driven commerce with a retention focus.

Strengths: Funnels, cohorts, and real-time customer interactions.

Limitations: Web and store activation take more effort. Loyalty often requires add-ons.

Pricing note: Event and user-based pricing.

Integrations: Mobile SDKs and analytics.

13. Klaviyo

Klaviyo helps ecommerce teams connect store data with marketing automation. It’s designed for speed, making it easy to launch personalized email and SMS campaigns that drive quick wins.

Best for: DTC and mid-market retailers on Shopify and similar platforms.

Strengths: Fast setup, deep Shopify data sync, and strong templating.

Limitations: Less suited for enterprise omnichannel scale. Loyalty add-ons are needed for POS.

Pricing note: Based on list size and SMS usage.

Integrations: Shopify and app ecosystems.

14. Optimove

Optimove helps retail marketers turn customer insights into predictable revenue. Its CRM marketing platform uses AI to segment audiences, measure uplift, and optimize retention programs.

Best for: Brands focused on predictive CRM and uplift measurement.

Strengths: Experimentation tools, uplift science, and precise micro-segmentation.

Limitations: Broader channel use may need add-ons. Loyalty integrations depend on partners.

Pricing note: Premium model; expect service costs.

Integrations: Data sources, email, push, and ad audiences.

15. Cordial

Cordial gives mid-market and enterprise retailers flexibility in how they manage and activate data. It helps teams create timely, personalized campaigns across email, SMS, and mobile apps without complex setup.

Best for: Retailers that want flexible data structures in their messaging.

Strengths: Handles data feeds, product-driven content, and speed.

Limitations: Loyalty and POS need external integrations.

Pricing note: Based on message volume and data usage.

Integrations: E-commerce, data feeds, and mobile apps.

Each of these Salesforce Marketing Cloud alternatives supports parts of the customer journey differently.

If you’re looking for unified data, loyalty, and engagement in one place, Voyado remains the most complete option for omnichannel retail.

Next, we’ll explore how to choose the right platform for your business and what to prioritize during evaluation.

How to choose the right Salesforce Marketing Cloud alternative

By now, you’ve seen how each platform compares. But knowing which one fits your business is the real test. Retail teams like yours don’t just need features.

They need a solution that works across your stores, e-commerce, and loyalty programs without endless setup or heavy IT support.

What to prioritize in your shortlist

If a platform can’t deliver these outcomes, it’s not built for retail.

The best Salesforce Marketing Cloud competitors make it easy to unify data, personalize in real time, and measure what matters most: customer lifetime value (CLV).

Next, let’s see what a fast, low-risk implementation looks like when you’ve found the right platform.

Your step-by-step implementation roadmap that delivers lift fast

Once you’ve chosen your new platform, success comes down to how quickly your team can start seeing results. But you don’t need a year-long rollout to make progress.

Here’s a simple roadmap to turn your investment into measurable lift fast.

Step 1. Connect e-commerce, POS, and loyalty

Start by integrating your e-commerce store, POS system, and loyalty program data. This gives you a single source of truth for customer interactions and purchase history.

Step 2. Turn on browse and cart triggers

Activate automated workflows for browse, cart, and back-in-stock events. This builds momentum right away and helps you recover potential lost sales in the first few weeks.

Step 3. Deploy loyalty accelerators

Launch targeted offers that encourage repeat purchases. Focus on points expiry campaigns, tier upgrades, or voucher reminders to re-engage your most valuable members.

Step 4. Add on-site personalization

Once your base journeys are running, layer in personalized product recommendations and store pickup prompts. This keeps your messaging relevant and consistent across every touchpoint.

Step 5. Measure what matters

Track incremental revenue, average order value, and repeat purchase rate. These metrics prove lift early and show your team (and leadership) that the new system is paying off.

Platforms like Voyado make this easy with built-in cohort testing, holdout control, and BI-ready data exports.

You can connect your insights directly to your finance or analytics tools to validate results.

Next, learn how Voyado compares to other Salesforce Marketing Cloud competitors and why it stands out for teams that want measurable impact without extra complexity.

Why Voyado is the best Salesforce Marketing Cloud alternative for omnichannel retail

Retailers don’t need another complex enterprise suite. They need a platform built for how retail actually works, where stores, e-commerce, and loyalty programs all connect to one customer view.

That’s what sets Voyado apart from other Salesforce Marketing Cloud competitors.

Built for retail, not retrofitted for it

Most Salesforce Marketing Cloud competitors were built for general enterprise needs. Voyado was built for retail from day one.

It unifies CRM, loyalty, and marketing automation in one platform, helping your teams create personalized customer journeys that work both online and in-store.

Real-world results that prove the difference

Samsøe Samsøe used Voyado to connect online and in-store data, activate smarter segments, and trigger personalized experiences across every channel.

Within months, they achieved a 24.6% increase in average purchase value and stronger repeat sales.

That kind of lift doesn’t come from more integrations. It comes from using a platform built for how retailers actually work.

These outcomes are echoed across markets. Insights from Voyado’s Retail Radar 2025 show that 73% of total retail revenue now comes from customers engaged through loyalty and marketing communications.

Retailers who personalize across channels, using automation tools instead of siloed software, outperform those who rely on traditional marketing cloud setups.

Voyado vs. Salesforce Marketing Cloud: A quick comparison

What your next steps look like

Step 1: Assess your data connections

List where your e-commerce, POS, and loyalty data live today. Identify what’s slowing down activation or personalization.

Step 2: Map your quick wins

Start with one or two high-impact automations, like browse abandonment or tier acceleration.

Step 3: Plan a short pilot

Use Voyado’s out-of-the-box integrations to prove value in weeks, not months.

Step 4: Measure what matters

Track incremental revenue, average purchase value, and loyalty redemption health to see clear ROI.

Voyado gives your team everything you need to grow loyalty, personalize experiences, and prove results faster than any other Salesforce Marketing Cloud alternative.

Step 5. See Voyado in action

If you’re ready to connect loyalty, CRM, and marketing in one platform, book a demo to see how Voyado helps omnichannel retailers grow faster.

Further reading

If you’re exploring more ways to unify retail data, loyalty, and marketing performance, these resources can help:

• The best omnichannel e-commerce platforms – Discover tools that connect product data, inventory, and personalization across every channel.
• The best CRM software for retail – Learn what to look for when managing customer data and loyalty at scale.
• The best omnichannel CX platforms – See how leading retailers use connected data to improve customer journeys and drive higher engagement.