It’s not hard to find a list of the top customer engagement tools available on the market. The problem is that most lists neglect the main differentiator – how platforms address diverse user needs.
We’ve improved this. Our list is curated considering three key layers of customer engagement software, each serving specific use cases throughout the main business development stages.
We strongly recommend getting to know the methodology of our approach first. However, if you prefer to skip to the list of solutions right away, we won’t hold you back.
How to choose the right customer engagement tool for your needs
At Pushwoosh, we’ve identified three main layers of a successful customer engagement platform:
- The data layer
This is a foundation for every user engagement solution. Here, we collect, organize, and effectively manage customer data. Thanks to software with a robust data layer, you’ll be able to understand your customers’ preferences, behaviors, and needs to further personalize and target your marketing communications.
- The action layer
This is a set of features dedicated to turning the collected data into engaging communications. Here, pay close attention to the number of messaging channels a customer engagement solution offers as well as the technical capabilities it offers when it comes to campaign automation and optimization.
- Analytics & prediction layer
The final layer is about analyzing customer interactions with your messaging and predicting future trends based on existing user behaviors. To make data-driven decisions and further enhance your marketing efforts, look for platforms with strong analytics capabilities.
Do I need all three layers?
In some cases, investing in the right all-in-one tool may be a better option than dispersing your customer engagement efforts across several different platforms, each requiring its own integration, specialist, adoption path, maintenance, etc.
In other situations, you may be better off paying for a single engagement solution based on the layer you need the most instead of investing in an all-in-one platform you won’t use to its fullest potential.
To make a well-grounded decision, you will need to assess:
🛠️ Your current martech stack
Do you already have some tools covering the needs on each level? ➜ Opt for a specific functionality you’re missing.
Are you looking for a first-ever solution to take charge of all customer engagement tasks for you? ➜ All-in-one customer engagement software will be the best option!
🎯 Your business needs and team’s expectations
Do you operate in a field that requires precise targeting? ➜ Focus on the data and analytics layers.
Has your marketing team been complaining about the lack of resources lately? ➜ An automated solution may take some load off your shoulders!
Are you planning to scale in the near future? ➜ Choose a tool that can grow alongside your operation.
💧 Company resources you currently have
Can you afford to add another expense to your budget? ➜ Replacing several specialized solutions with a single comprehensive one can be more cost-efficient.
Do you have a team member with the right expertise? ➜ Most of the customer engagement platforms from the analytics layer require a dedicated expert to set up and manage, while all-in-one software tends to be easier to navigate.
How much are you willing to spend on automating customer engagement? ➜ Afully-featured engagement tool can cost an arm and a leg, so a dedicated platform may be a safer bet.
But for now, let’s see the top customer engagement solutions for each layer and different use cases:
21 best customer engagement tools to choose from
1. Pushwoosh: All-in-one customer engagement software
Capterra score: 4.5/5 ⭐
Best for: Driving cross-platform user engagement through omnichannel communication and precise personalization
Price from: $0/month
Pushwoosh is one of the best customer engagement platforms for businesses that want to leverage the omnichannel approach to communication with mobile users. Pushwoosh connects audiences via push notifications, in-app messages, emails, SMS, and WhatsApp, unifying user data on one platform and allowing you to create segments as simple or elaborate as you wish.
Reasons to choose Pushwoosh for customer engagement:
🔗 Collect and connect all user data on one platform – keep track of user behavior and attributes with Pushwoosh’s built-in features. Expand your knowledge of the customer by receiving data from integrated event monitoring and analytics tools.
↪️ Easily build intricate engagement workflows with Pushwoosh Customer Journey Builder – a powerful visual tool to help you map out and navigate your campaigns.
🌐 Reach users across multiple platforms and devices – stay consistent in your interactions to maximize engagement.
👩🏻🦰 Personalize your messaging with real-time behavior-based segmentation – reaching beyond simple targeting and improving your brand presence;
📊 Access in-depth post-messaging analytics – focus on what matters most for your campaigns and make data-driven decisions with our visual data dashboards.
Data layer solutions: Deep dive into customer insights
Customer Data Platforms (CDPs)
CDPs centralize customer data from multiple sources, creating a unified customer profile. As a result, we can build more personalized and targeted marketing strategies, improving customer interactions and overall engagement effectiveness. CDPs provide the critical data foundation necessary for informed decision-making in customer engagement efforts.
Here are some of the best customer data platforms on the market:
2. Segment.io – a leader in CDPs
G2 Score: 4.6/5 ⭐
Best for: Centralizing and managing customer data for targeted marketing strategies.
Price from: $0/month
Segment.io is a robust and popular CDP specialized in organizing customer data from multiple sources. It excels in integrating diverse data for real-time insights and actions, enhancing personalized marketing and customer experiences.
Key functionalities:
- Contextualized customer data accesses customer insights from all the relevant data sources, enabling a deeper understanding of each customer’s relationship with a website.
- Standardized data view allows to align multiple teams of different backgrounds with a shared data dictionary.
Limitations and considerations:
- Complex setup and implementation: Initial integration is sometimes referred to as “confusing”, and the documentation could be simplified for non-tech users.
- Cost for SMBs: With a free Segment account, you are only entitled to two data sources, 1000 visitors/mo, and one data warehouse destination. The next pricing tier starts at $120/month, and many users report it’s costly compared to other similar solutions.
3. Bloomreach – personalized customer experiences
G2 Score: 4.6/5 ⭐
Best for: Unifying online and offline customer data for personalized marketing in e-commerce.
Price from: N/A – custom pricing based on customer size, data usage, etc.
Bloomreach CDP is adept at integrating online and offline data to create a unified customer profile. It specializes in e-commerce, personalizing customer experiences across channels. , utilizing AI for effective journey orchestration and quick campaign deployment, making it a valuable tool for data-driven marketing strategies.
Key functionalities:
- Seamless integration of online and offline customer data.
- AI-powered personalization and campaign orchestration for faster and more precise campaign deployment.
- Multichannel marketing capabilities including email, SMS, and push notifications.
Limitations and considerations:
- Custom pricing: The tailored pricing model, while flexible, may be challenging for businesses to estimate costs upfront.
- Technical expertise: Utilizing the full scope of Bloomreach's capabilities may require a certain level of technical knowledge or dedicated staff.
4. mParticle – data integration and management
G2 Score: 4.4/5 ⭐
Best for: Leveraging first-party data for product and marketing campaign optimization.
Price from: $0/month for first 60 days, then – value-based custom pricing.
mParticle effectively aggregates data from various sources, providing a unified view of customers. It allows marketers to gather and analyze customer data to improve conversion, user retention, and time-to-monetization.
Key functionalities:
- Comprehensive data aggregation from multiple sources and touchpoints within a single profile.
- Real-time data processing and integration makes contact management simple.
- Visual personalization tools – similar to Pushwoosh, mParticle allows for designing multi-step customer journeys for better customer experiences.
Limitations and considerations:
- Limited integrations: Some crucial native connections (e.g. Salesforce Service Cloud) are missing, which can be problematic for enterprise customers.
- Challenging segmentation: Audience segments are often limited in terms of variables which can cause targeting issues.
- Unreliable UI: Navigating mParticle dashboards may be challenging, resulting in more time and resources spent on the platform than needed.
Customer feedback platforms
Customer feedback tools help you understand what your users value and how to tailor your offerings to meet customer expectations. In return, you can expect enhanced customer satisfaction, fostered loyalty, and, ultimately, better user engagement and business growth.
5. Survicate – multichannel feedback collection
G2 Score: 4.6/5 ⭐
Best for: Collecting and analyzing targeted user feedback for website and app improvements.
Price from: $0/month, paid plans starting at around $59/month.
Survicate is a versatile customer feedback tool designed for gathering data through various survey methods, including website, in-app, and email surveys. It's well-suited for businesses seeking to understand customer behavior and preferences, improve user experience, and make data-driven decisions for website and app enhancements.
Key functionalities:
- Multichannel feedback collection is possible, as Survicate allows you to embed surveys across websites, apps, and emails.
- Easy-to-follow metrics the platform provides include NPS, CSAT, and CES
Limitations and considerations:
- Complex integration setup: Survicate integrates with multiple providers catering to the remaining two layers of your customer engagement needs. However, enabling those integrations and getting the most out of them may require tech expertise or enhanced support.
- Limited customization: You can customize your survey to match your brand’s identity, yet, not every preference can be met due to the platform’s limitations.
6. Typeform – interactive forms and surveys
G2 Score: 4.5/5 ⭐
Best for: Creating engaging, interactive surveys and forms for enhanced user feedback
Price from: $0/month for limited features, then starting from $22/month
Typeform is recognized for its user-friendly and interactive approach to surveys and forms. Marketers love it for making customer surveys more engaging and conversational. This platform is ideal for businesses looking to collect feedback, conduct research, or generate leads in a more interactive and visually appealing way.
Key functionalities:
- Interactive form design makes surveys more engaging, increasing the chances of successful submission.
- Customization and branding for matching brand aesthetics and enhancing brand presence in surveys and forms.
Limitations and considerations:
- Price disparity: Enterprise companies need to be ready to pay a custom fee to unlock special features like advanced analytics and priority support.
7. SurveyMonkey – in-depth customer feedback
G2 Score: 4.4/5 ⭐
Best for: Gathering and analyzing customer feedback for data-driven decision-making.
Price from: $0/month for basic functionalities, then $30/month per user
SurveyMonkey is a survey creation tool with over 17 million MAUs. The tool is known and loved for its user-friendly interface and ready-made templates. With SurveyMonkey, you can collect, manage, and analyze customer feedback efficiently.
Key functionalities:
- Online customer survey builder can also create user forms, improving UX and engagement.
- Built-in market research solutions for data-driven decision-making.
- The easy-to-navigate interface can be an advantage for new marketers and established businesses alike.
Limitations and considerations:
- Advanced features accessibility: Some of the more advanced features and integrations may require a premium plan, potentially limiting access for users on basic plans.
8. Qualaroo - targeted customer insights
G2 Score: 4.3/5 ⭐
Best for: Collecting contextual and emotional customer insights for sentiment analysis.
Price from: Starts at $69/month with a 15-day free trial available.
Qualaroo is a specialized tool for capturing targeted, contextual customer feedback. It excels in providing deep insights into user experiences and sentiment, relying on AI-powered analytics for better judgment.
Key functionalities:
- Gather product feedback is possible directly in-app or from the customers’ websites.
- Sentiment analysis powered by IBM Watson extracts emotional insights from open-ended survey responses.
- Diverse survey formats including NPS, CSAT, CES, exit-intent surveys, etc.
Limitations and considerations:
- Short trial period: Some users may find the 15-day trial period insufficient.
- Lacks social media feedback analysis: Qualaroo does not analyze customer emotions from feedback on social media platforms.
- The interface of the primary dashboard and survey editor may be considered dated.
Action layer solutions: Meeting the customers where they are for the best engagement
Email marketing tools
Email is one of the most effective channels for sending personalized communications. Choose an email marketing provider that allows for a high level of customization, ensuring that messages resonate with recipients and bring higher engagement and conversion.
9. GetResponse – email marketing automation
G2 Score: 4.3/5 ⭐
Best for: Automating your email marketing efforts with ease.
Price from: $0/month, paid plans start at $12/mo
GetResponse is an email marketing tool dedicated to providing advanced automation and optimization features. It is ideal for businesses looking to create sophisticated marketing campaigns with ease. Both SMBs and enterprise companies can leverage GetResponse to improve their customer engagement.
Key functionalities:
- AI Email Creator creates entire email marketing campaigns in a few clicks.
- Simple marketing automation workflows can be created in a few steps within the platform.
- Contact scoring and tagging identify users most likely to churn or engage with your brand.
Limitations and considerations:
- Rigid email editor: You can work within a pre-established grid only, which significantly limits customization.
- High custom pricing plans for enterprise companies.
10. Mailchimp – user-friendly email campaigns
G2 Score: 4.3/5 ⭐
Best for: SMBs looking to master the basics of email marketing
Price from: $0/month, paid plans start at $9.99/month
Mailchimp is a popular email marketing platform, easily recognized for its signature design and font. While the platform describes itself as an all-in-one marketing suite, most users still rely on Mailchimp mainly for email communications because the rest of the stack is rather basic compared to dedicated automation solutions.
Key functionalities:
- Intuitive visual email builder makes it easy to create emails even for a complete novice.
- Robust segmentation opportunities enable improved personalization.
- Helpful analytics and reporting for driving data insights from the campaign performance.
Limitations and considerations:
- Limited automation in the free version: You will be able to set up basic segments but nothing beyond that.
- Scalability concerns: Enterprises with extremely large customer bases may find it difficult to scale with Mailchimp, particularly because of the platform’s limited ability to manage vast amounts of data efficiently.
- Basic analytics: If you are looking for a deep, comprehensive analysis of your email campaigns' performance, you may find Mailchimp’s reports somewhat shallow.
11. ConstantContact – effective email marketing
G2 Score: 4/5
Best for: Small businesses and nonprofits seeking an easy-to-use email marketing solution
Price from: $12/month with a 14-day free trial present
Constant Contact is recognized for its simplicity and effectiveness in email marketing and beyond. The tool enables list management, segmentation, and personalization, improving targeted communications. In addition to its email marketing capabilities, Constant Contact offers a suite of integrated tools to enhance digital marketing efforts, including SMS and social media engagement solutions.
Key functionalities:
- Simple integration of social media marketing solutions.
- Built-in basic marketing CRM can handle different types of engagement campaigns.
Limitations and considerations:
- Limited functionality of the Lite plan: While not the cheapest solution on the market, Constant Contact comes off as lacking in its baseline features, available for $12/mo.
- Basic automation and segmentation: Do not expect intricate targeting and personalization, but it will deliver your emails to the right recipients.
Multichannel messaging platforms
Of course, there’s more to marketing communications than just email. Mobile and web pushes, in-app messages, SMS, and WhatsApp – all these are crucial for ensuring the omnipresent experience and meeting your customers where they expect to hear from your brand.
Below are some industry-leading tools that’ll help you reign across the channels.
12. Appcues – in-app messaging for better product adoption
G2 Score: 4.6/5 ⭐
Best for: Improving customer engagement by enhancing user onboarding experience
Price from: $249/month subject to change based on MAUs, free trial available
Appcues specializes in enhancing in-app user experience, particularly focusing on user onboarding, feature adoption, and engagement within apps. It’s a no-code solution, making it popular with marketing teams without a dedicated tech specialist.
Key functionalities:
- A wide range of in-app communications, like feature announcements, guided onboarding, feedback collection, and more.
- Web and mobile experiences are supported.
- No-code design solution for visually pleasing, branded experiences.
Limitations and considerations:
- Price may be too high for beginner teams and startups: The lack of a free trial and the MAU-based cost model may result in unexpected expenses.
- Learning curve: The tool tries to be intuitive, yet many customers report issues with the initial setup as well as occasional downtime in operations that negatively impacts user experience.
13. PushOwl – mobile push notifications solution for e-commerce
G2 Score: 4.5/5 ⭐
Best for: E-commerce businesses driving customer engagement through mobile push notificationsю
Price from: $0/mo for up to 500 impressions, then custom pricing based on impressions and additional features
Among Shopify users, PushOwl is a popular choice for automated mobile push notifications. The platform is well-integrated with e-commerce businesses and knows how to address their major pain points.
Key functionalities:
- Customizable mobile push notifications for various marketing campaigns.
- Abandoned cart reminders to re-engage potential customers.
- Segmentation and personalization for targeted communication.
Limitations and considerations:
- Shopify-oriented: PushOwl is primarily dedicated to Shopify stores, which limits other businesses’ experience with the tool
14. Twilio – user engagement via SMS, phone marketing, and more
G2 Score: 4.3/5 ⭐
Best for: Businesses looking for a versatile messaging solution that supports multiple formats
Price from: Free trial available, custom pricing depending on the tools used later on
Twilio is a cloud communications platform businesses use to engage with customers across multiple channels, including SMS, voice, video, and more. It is an undeniably popular solution that can be your gateway to the world of marketing communications if your budget allows it.
Key functionalities:
- Multichannel communication specialization accesses less saturated channels of SMS, MMS, and voice calls.
- Authentication and verification software adds an extra layer of security to Twilio’s customers.
Limitations and considerations:
- Complex product and pricing structure: Twilio is an ecosystem of marketing, CX, and data solutions, each coming at its own cost and limitations.
- Technical expertise required: Not only for connecting Twilio with the multiple integrations you will undoubtedly need but also to make sense of Twilio’s internal setup.
15. Webpushr - browser-based push technology
Capterra/G2 Score: N/A
Best for: Driving more web engagement via web push notifications
Price from: $0/month for up to 10k subscribers, paid plans starting from $29/month
Webpushr is a relatively new web push notification service designed to help businesses engage their website visitors effectively. It offers a straightforward setup and a user-friendly interface, making it accessible to companies of all sizes.
Key functionalities:
- Customizable web push notification prompts make the setup easy.
- WordPress plugin for a straightforward integration with WordPress and WooCommerce.
- All features are available for each pricing plan, and only the number of active subscribers affects the cost.
Limitations and considerations:
- Basic technical knowledge is needed to enable website integration and segmentation.
- Only web pushes: you will have to select additional solutions for mobile, in-app, or SMS messaging.
Remember that you don’t need a bunch of different solutions to drive customer engagement! Send email communications as well as web & app notifications, in-app messages, SMS, and WhatsApp from a single platform – Pushwoosh!
Analytics layer solutions: Tracking and understanding customer journeys
Behavior analytics tools
The first place for you to gather first-party customer data should, of course, be your website or mobile app. Fortunately, there are plenty of solutions that help you get the most out of your customer engagement strategy on the analytics layer.
Here are some of our favorites.
16. Mixpanel – advanced analytics for data-driven decisions
G2 Score: 4.6/5 ⭐
Best for: Businesses seeking in-depth user analytics for web and mobile apps.
Price from: $0/month, paid plans start at $20/month
Mixpanel is a powerful analytics platform for tracking user interactions on websites and mobile apps. It is designed to help businesses understand and optimize user behavior through data-driven insights.
Key functionalities:
- Detailed user behavior tracking and analysis.
- Cohort analysis and segmentation for targeted insights.
- Customizable dashboards and reports for tracking key metrics.
Limitations and considerations:
- Technical expertise needed: As an advanced analytical solution, Mixpanel requires a dedicated expert to set up and manage.
- No live chat support: All queries must be sent via email, which results in delays and blocks processes.
17. Hotjar – visualizing website user behavior with heatmaps and scrollmaps
G2 Score: 4.3/5 ⭐
Best for: Driving analytical insights from visual user journeys
Price from: $0/month for up to 35 daily sessions and basic capabilities, paid plans from $39/month
Hotjar offers a unique view of visualizing how customers interact with a website. The heatmaps approach quickly demonstrates the visitors’ attention span and helps businesses optimize their UI and content accordingly.
Key functionalities:
- Heatmaps visualize user interactions on the website in an easy-to-understand manner.
- Real-time user experience with the website accessible through session recordings.
- In-depth analytics and custom charts for behavior analysis.
Limitations and considerations:
- Quality > quantity data analysis: Hotjar will provide the summary of the sessions, yet it’s up to you to analyze each case individually and derive valuable insights.
- Essential features only available in paid plans: Filtering, segmentation, sentiment analysis, and other essentials aren’t available in a free plan.
Mobile app and cross-platform analytics
Tracking user behavior in mobile apps is as essential as on the web Good analytical solutions can inform you with metrics like user retention, app usage patterns, and in-app activities, enabling you to understand what keeps users engaged or causes them to churn.
18. UXCam – the source of truth for mobile apps
G2 Score: 4.7/5 ⭐
Best for: In-depth user experience insights from mobile applications
Price from: $0/month for up to 3,000 sessions, then custom pricing
UXCam is a powerful platform that offers deep insights into user behavior within mobile apps. It provides advanced analytics and screen recording capabilities to understand how users interact with the app, identify areas for improvement, and optimize the user experience.
Key functionalities:
- User sessions’ replay provides first-hand insights into user interactions and experiences with the app.
- Automatic event tracking identifies key usage patterns and problem areas in the app.
- Heatmaps and detailed analytics provide even more context for user experience.
Limitations and considerations:
- Data privacy: Recording user sessions requires strict adherence to privacy regulations and may be seen as invasive by some users.
- Unclear pricing model: Businesses that outgrow the free plan may find it challenging to plan their budget with no clear pricing model in place.
19. Heap
G2 Score: 4.4/5 ⭐
Best for: Comprehensive automatic data capture across web and mobile
Price from: $0/month for up to 10,000 monthly sessions, then custom pricing
Heap is an advanced codeless analytics platform that enables businesses to automatically capture and analyze user interactions and events across their websites and mobile applications. With Heap, you can effortlessly track user behavior, understand customer journeys, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your digital experiences.
Key functionalities:
- Automatically captures user data, eliminating the need for manual tracking setup.
- Retroactive data analysis accesses historical data without prior tagging.
- Advanced segmentation tools and funnel analysis explain user journeys and conversion points.
Limitations and considerations:
- Difficult setup: The onboarding process may not be enough to fully understand the platform’s capabilities, which makes users struggle with finding information across technical documentation and educational product videos.
- Platform’s overall complexity: Heap provides an in-depth analysis of numerous elements, making it hard to navigate and select the essential ones.
20. Woopra
G2 Score: 4.4/5 ⭐
Best for: Real-time customer analytics across multiple touchpoints
Price from: $999/month to access all the core features
Woopra is a customer analytics and engagement platform that helps businesses understand and optimize their customer journeys. You can track individual user journeys, identify patterns, and segment your audience based on their behaviors, demographics, and other attributes.
Key functionalities:
- Real-time customer analytics across different touchpoints offer immediate insights.
- Customer journey analysis identifies key touchpoints and opportunities for engagement.
- Customizable reporting can be adjusted to suit specific business needs.
Limitations and considerations:
- Limited access to essential features in a free plan: Woopra comes with a free plan, yet the most essential tracking and reporting features are only available on the paid ones.
- Learning curve: Some of the platform’s advanced capabilities may be difficult to master.
Predictive analytics
Once you have enough data-driven insights into the current situation with your customer engagement, you can leverage predictive analytics to forecast future changes and react accordingly.
Here is one cream-of-the-crop solution just for that:
21. Amplitude – product intelligence platform
G2 Score: 4.5/5 ⭐
Best for: Companies looking to understand their user experience paths better with in-depth analytics
Price from: $0/month, paid plans start from $49/month
Amplitude provides an in-depth analytical solution to help you master the analytics layer of your user engagement. The insights will be useful to SMBs and enterprises alike, helping with customer engagement and retention.
Key functionalities:
- Industry-specific templates and automated reports for simple analytics.
- Customized goals and metrics allow for more flexibility in reporting.
- Smart alerts for any performance regressions.
Limitations and considerations:
- Complexity: Some features might be overwhelming for small businesses or beginners.
- Custom pricing: Can be a barrier for startups or businesses with limited budgets.
- Expertise: Requires a certain level of technical know-how for full utilization.
What’s the best customer engagement tool for your business?
We’ve covered quite a few user engagement solutions, all to make sure you will be able to select the best one based on your existing stack and business goals.
Regardless of the tool you select, it’s important to ensure that your customer engagement strategy addresses each of the three layers.
Especially if you are just getting started with engagement and looking for the right platform to set everything up, go with the all-in-one user engagement solution and cover all your needs at once. See it for yourself: start with Pushwoosh for free today!
