Digital marketing tools: the 30 best by category, free and paid

Digital marketing tools are software and platforms that automate, organize and measure the promotion of a business online, such as SEO, email marketing, social media, ads and data analysis. They do not replace strategy: they help you carry it out with less effort and decide based on data, not guesswork.

Their use is already common, but not always complete. According to the RD Station Marketing and Sales Panorama 2026, a survey of around 3,000 Brazilian professionals, 74% of marketing teams use artificial intelligence, but only 36% use marketing automation tools in their routine.

Below, we bring together 30 digital marketing tools organized by category, point out which ones have a free plan and show you how to choose the right ones for your business stage.

What are digital marketing tools?

In practice, each digital marketing tool takes care of one stage of the funnel: attracting visitors, turning visitors into contacts, converting contacts into customers and measuring what worked. That is why they are usually organized by function, such as analytics, SEO, email, social media, automation and ads, rather than by brand.

This division helps because marketing work is broad: a marketing professional has to think about communication with the customer across several channels, formats and scenarios. Without tools, much of the time goes into gathering and interpreting data by hand. With them, repetitive tasks become automatic and decisions rely on numbers, which helps both the professional and the digital entrepreneur build a marketing strategy that attracts customers.

The 30 best digital marketing tools by category

The tools below cover the main areas of digital marketing, from data analysis to ads. The selection criteria were to cover every stage of the funnel, to include at least one free option or free account in each category and to keep the tools from the original article that are still relevant. Use the table for a quick overview, then check the details of each one.

Data analytics tools

Analytics tools show what is working in your strategy: where visitors come from, what they do and how many become customers. They also help you understand your target audience and plan actions that deliver results, based on KPIs rather than assumptions.

1. Google Analytics 4

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is Google’s free tool for measuring website traffic, visitor behavior and conversions. It replaced the previous version (Universal Analytics) and organizes data by events, which makes it easier to track actions such as clicks, sign-ups and purchases.

With Google Analytics, you understand what worked and what did not, what the traffic sources are and which conversions each channel generates.

2. Google Search Console

Search Console is the free tool that shows how Google sees your site: which searches it appears for, in what position, how many clicks it gets and whether there are indexing errors.

With that information, Google Search Console shows what to improve to gain rankings and attract customers through organic search.

3. Google Tag Manager

Google Tag Manager lets you install and manage tracking codes, such as GA4 and ad pixels, without editing your site’s code. It is free and reduces the need for a developer with every new campaign.

4. Looker Studio

Looker Studio is Google’s free tool for building dashboards that combine data from multiple sources, such as GA4, Search Console, spreadsheets and ad platforms. It helps you track your digital marketing metrics in one place.

5. Microsoft Clarity

Microsoft Clarity is a free heatmap and session recording tool. It shows where visitors click, how far they scroll and where they give up, which helps you find navigation problems.

SEO tools

SEO tools help you choose keywords, understand the competition and improve your Google rankings.

Thinking about SEO means thinking about organic traffic, keywords, search engine algorithms and a consistent optimization routine.

6. Semrush

Semrush is an SEO and content marketing platform that compares your site with your competitors’. It shows the keywords each site ranks for, the search volume of each term and opportunities for your content strategy.

It has a free account with a limited number of queries per day.

7. Ahrefs

Ahrefs is best known for its backlink analysis, showing which sites link to yours and to your competitors. It also offers keyword research and trending topics.

Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, the free version, lets you analyze your own site after verifying ownership.

8. Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO is a WordPress plugin that checks whether your text is optimized for search engines. It points out adjustments to the URL, title, meta description, keyword usage and readability. It has a free version and a paid version.

9. Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is a free Google Ads tool that suggests keywords and estimates search volume. It works for planning both content and paid media campaigns. To use it, you only need a Google Ads account, with no need to run ads.

10. Google Trends

Google Trends shows how interest in a topic changes over time and across regions. It is free and helps you spot trends and seasonality before planning content and campaigns.

Email marketing tools

Email marketing tools let you send campaigns, segment contacts and automate communication with each lead.

Sending emails is not enough: you need to understand the customer journey and the sales funnel to guide each contact to the moment of purchase. HubSpot and RD Station, which also send emails, are in the automation category.

11. Hotmart Send

Hotmart Send is Hotmart’s email marketing tool, an all-in-one platform for creators who want to create, sell and scale digital products. It lets you organize contacts, build forms, send campaigns and set up automations, with AI support to write your emails. See how Hotmart can be part of your email marketing strategy.

It is integrated with Hotmart Pages, so contacts captured on your pages go straight to your list. It has a free plan, with a monthly sending limit, and paid plans with more features.

12. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is one of the best-known email marketing tools in the world. It offers an email editor, list segmentation and open and click reports.

It has a free plan, but contact and sending limits were reduced in 2026. Check the current conditions before building your list there.

Social media tools

Social media tools help you plan, schedule and analyze posts across several profiles at the same time. To use social media in favor of sales, you need solid social media management, with planning, consistency and interaction with followers. For more options, see this guide to social media tools.

13. Meta Business Suite

Meta Business Suite is Meta’s free tool for managing Facebook and Instagram in one place. It lets you schedule posts, reply to messages and comments and track metrics for both networks.

14. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a platform for managing several social networks from a single dashboard. It lets you schedule posts, monitor mentions and work as a team with approval workflows. The free plan ended in 2023; today there is a free trial and paid plans.

15. mLabs

mLabs is a Brazilian social media management tool. It brings together post scheduling, an editorial calendar, an inbox and reports. It works by subscription, with a trial period.

16. BuzzSumo

BuzzSumo finds the content with the most engagement on a topic and the profiles that most influence each subject. It helps you follow what influencers, competitors and related brands publish, and spot topics with potential. It works with paid plans and offers a free trial.

17. Emplifi

Emplifi is a social media management and analytics platform aimed at companies and agencies. It lets you benchmark performance against competitors, track ads, schedule posts and set up automatic replies. It works with paid plans, after a demo.

Marketing automation and CRM tools

Automation tools run repetitive tasks, such as sending emails, qualifying leads and moving contacts through the funnel, and the CRM organizes the relationship with each customer. With them, you can test approaches, personalize communication and save time. Learn more about lead scoring to prioritize the contacts most likely to buy.

18. RD Station

RD Station is a Brazilian marketing and sales automation platform. RD Station Marketing brings together landing pages, pop-ups, email marketing, lead management and nurturing flows, and can be tried for free. RD Station CRM organizes deals and has a free plan for small teams.

19. HubSpot

HubSpot is a platform that integrates CRM, email marketing, automation and customer service. It lets you build nurturing funnels, segmented lists and reports for campaign data analysis, as well as manage social networks and scheduling in one place. It has free tools and paid plans.

20. Zapier

Zapier connects apps that do not talk to each other and automates tasks between them. For example, it can send each new form lead to a spreadsheet or notify your team when a sale happens. It has a free plan with a limited number of automations.

21. WhatsApp Business

WhatsApp Business is WhatsApp’s free app for companies. It lets you create a business profile, a product catalog, quick replies, automatic away messages and labels to organize conversations.

CRO and landing page tools

CRO (conversion rate optimization) tools show what helps or hurts conversion, and landing page tools let you build pages focused on a single action. Attracting visitors is not enough: you need to analyze the journey and adjust your pages. Learn more about how to create a landing page and how sales pages work.

22. Hotmart Pages

Hotmart Pages is Hotmart’s page builder, for creating capture, sales and thank-you pages without coding. It offers ready-made templates, forms and pop-ups integrated with Hotmart Send, and publishing on your own domain or a free domain.

It has a free plan, with a limit on published pages, and paid plans with more pages and features such as A/B tests.

23. Hotjar

Hotjar shows visually how your audience behaves on your site: what they visit most, the path they take and the most clicked elements. It also lets you create quick surveys for visitors. It has a free plan with limits.

24. BDOW! (formerly Sumo)

BDOW!, the new name of the former Sumo (SumoMe), creates pop-ups and forms to capture visitors’ emails. The tool was acquired by Showit in 2024 and changed its name, but it keeps a free plan for one site, plus paid plans with more features.

Artificial intelligence tools for marketing

Generative AI tools help you produce text, ideas, scripts and analyses in less time. According to the RD Station 2026 Panorama, generative AI for content creation is the most common use among marketing teams (51%), followed by data analysis and reporting (31%).

The main barrier to moving forward is a lack of knowledge about the technology and the tools, cited by 46% of professionals, ahead of lack of budget (39%). That is why it is worth starting with one tool and learning to use it well, always reviewing what it produces.

25. ChatGPT

ChatGPT, from OpenAI, is an AI assistant that generates and reviews text, suggests content ideas, writes scripts and helps analyze data. It is useful for drafts of posts, emails and copywriting, as long as the result is reviewed. It has a free version and paid plans.

26. Gemini

Gemini is Google’s AI assistant, integrated with tools such as Gmail, Docs and Sheets. It helps you write, summarize, research and organize information in the same environment where you already work. It has a free version and paid plans.

Design and video tools

Design and video tools let you create graphics, presentations and short videos without depending on a designer for every piece. They are especially useful for anyone who produces social media content often.

27. Canva

Canva is a design platform with thousands of templates for posts, stories, presentations, ebook covers and short videos. It has AI features to generate and edit images and text. The free version covers much of what you need, and the paid one unlocks more features and elements.

28. CapCut

CapCut is a video editor for mobile and desktop, widely used for short social media videos. It offers cuts, automatic captions, effects and ready-made templates. It has a free version and a paid version with extra features.

Paid media tools

Paid media tools are the platforms where you create, target and track your ads. Creating the account is free, and the investment goes into delivery.

As ad costs have risen, it is worth combining paid traffic with organic channels. If you are starting out, see how to buy website traffic. At Hotmart FIRE 2026, Hotmart pointed to a 143% increase in the price per click, according to a report by Propmark.

29. Google Ads

Google Ads is Google’s advertising platform, which shows campaigns on search, on YouTube and on partner sites. It lets you advertise to people who are already searching for what you offer and track the cost and return of each campaign.

30. Meta Ads Manager

Meta Ads Manager is where you create and track ads on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. It lets you target audiences by interests, behavior and demographics, test creatives and measure the results of each campaign.

Free digital marketing tools

You can build a complete digital marketing setup using only free tools or tools with a free plan. The 100% free ones on this list are Google Analytics 4, Google Search Console, Google Tag Manager, Looker Studio, Microsoft Clarity, Google Keyword Planner, Google Trends, Meta Business Suite and WhatsApp Business.

On the other hand, Hotmart Pages and Hotmart Send, Mailchimp, HubSpot, RD Station CRM, Zapier, Hotjar, BDOW!, Semrush, Ahrefs Webmaster Tools, Yoast SEO, Canva, CapCut, ChatGPT and Gemini have free plans with usage limits. They are enough to get started and can be expanded as your business grows.

How to choose the right marketing tools for your business

To choose the right marketing tools, start from your goal, your budget and the stage of your business. Before subscribing to any tool, consider:

• what problem it solves and at which stage of the funnel;
• whether it has a free plan or trial so you can try it;
• whether it integrates with the tools you already use;
• whether the learning curve fits your time;
• whether it offers support and materials in your language.

If you are just starting

If you are just starting, you can run your marketing with free tools. A lean combination is Google Analytics 4 and Search Console to measure, Canva and CapCut to create, Meta Business Suite for social media, an AI assistant to support content production and Hotmart Pages and Send, on the free plan, to capture and nurture your first leads.

If you already sell

If you already sell, you need to understand what converts and take care of the relationship with customers. At this stage, email automations, heatmaps (Clarity or Hotjar), Looker Studio dashboards and your first ad tests on Google Ads and Meta Ads Manager come in.

If you want to scale

If you want to scale, you need to integrate data and processes. Automation and CRM tools (RD Station or HubSpot), Zapier integrations and more complete SEO tools, such as Semrush and Ahrefs, help you grow without increasing manual work at the same rate.

Hotmart marketing tools for those who sell digital products

For those who sell courses, ebooks and other digital products, Hotmart brings together marketing tools integrated with sales and delivery. That saves you from piecing together several subscriptions and integrations just to make the basics work.

The available features include Hotmart Pages, to create capture and sales pages, and Hotmart Send, for email marketing, both with a free plan. The affiliate program lets other people promote your product and earn a commission only when they sell, and automatic sales recovery contacts people who started a purchase and did not finish it.

Sales, traffic source and conversion data are gathered in reports inside the platform. To see how fees work, check the Hotmart pricing page.

Make digital marketing tools your allies

Digital marketing tools optimize tasks that would otherwise be slow and hard, and bring more reliable data for decisions. But choosing half a dozen tools is not enough: you need to use them correctly and with a clear goal.

Start with the free ones, measure the results and only then invest in the paid ones. To know what to track, review the digital marketing metrics you need to analyze.

At Hotmart, you create your free account and have pages, email marketing and an affiliate program in the same place to promote your digital products. Create my free account

References

• RD STATION. Panoramas de Marketing e Vendas RD Station 2026: o que os dados revelam. 2026. Available at: https://www.rdstation.com/blog/marketing/panoramas-marketing-vendas/
• RD STATION. Panoramas RD Station 2026: introdução e metodologia. 2026. Available at: https://www.rdstation.com/pesquisas/panorama-marketing-vendas/edicao-2026/introducao/
• RD STATION. Panoramas RD Station 2026: Inteligência Artificial em Marketing e Vendas. 2026. Available at: https://www.rdstation.com/pesquisas/panorama-marketing-vendas/edicao-2026/inteligencia-artificial/
• RD STATION. Panoramas RD Station 2026: tendências de Marketing. 2026. Available at: https://www.rdstation.com/pesquisas/panorama-marketing-vendas/edicao-2026/marketing/tendencias/
• PROPMARK. “Venda os próprios produtos e não só as marcas de outros”, diz JP Resende, CEO da Hotmart. Sep. 2026. Available at: https://propmark.com.br/digital/venda-os-proprios-produtos-e-nao-so-as-marcas-de-outros-diz-jp-resende-ceo-da-hotmart/