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Marketo vs SAP CRM comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on May 21, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
6.7
Marketo's ROI varies; its value depends on business needs, setup quality, and may not suit email-focused strategies.
Sentiment score
6.6
Sales and revenue increased; operational efficiency justifies costs, but Salesforce suits large organizations more than smaller ones long-term.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
5.9
Marketo's customer service receives mixed reviews, with areas for improvement in technical support, response time, and communication.
Sentiment score
7.0
Customer service is responsive and reliable, with 24/7 support, although customization and response times can vary.
I am satisfied with their response time and quality.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Marketo is highly scalable, handling large databases efficiently post-Adobe acquisition, despite longer Salesforce sync times and higher costs.
Sentiment score
8.1
SAP CRM excels in scalability, efficiently supporting numerous users and large data volumes while integrating various business functions.
We handle a huge amount of data in our CRM without any problems.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
7.6
Marketo is reliable with minor disruptions, efficient syncing, and generally rated highly for stability despite occasional Salesforce delays.
Sentiment score
8.1
SAP CRM is stable and reliable, with occasional issues, but generally offers smooth operation and minimal downtime.
Stability depends on the data center.
 

Room For Improvement

Marketo users request improvements in UI, pricing, integration, analytics, support, scalability, and features for better efficiency and functionality.
SAP CRM requires UI enhancements, better integration, real-time analytics, increased flexibility, and modern tech adoption for future growth.
Marketo filters are not very efficient, and timely updates or features could improve this aspect.
The user interface could be improved.
I am happy with SAP CRM because whenever we have requirements for changes or customization as per our needs, we get them, and the downtime is minimal.
 

Setup Cost

Marketo's pricing varies by size and features, proving costly for small businesses but relatively affordable compared to some competitors.
SAP CRM is costly, targeting large enterprises, with high setup costs but competitive features; price cuts could increase appeal.
The solution is cheaper than Alacor.
SAP CRM is not suitable for small companies because of the cost.
 

Valuable Features

Marketo excels in automation, Salesforce integration, user interface, analytics, support, integrations, and community training, enhancing marketing efficiency.
SAP CRM provides customizable reporting, seamless ERP integration, real-time data, enhancing customer management and improving business processes globally.
Marketo helps us segment leads into very specific buckets, allowing us to send the right email at the right time.
We are scoring based on behavior without pressure, and it keeps producing excellent results.
If there is any error in our machine, a log is automatically generated, and from SAP CRM, we can see that the machine has problems.
 

Categories and Ranking

Marketo
Ranking in Marketing Management
4th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
7.0
Number of Reviews
26
Ranking in other categories
Marketing Automation (2nd)
SAP CRM
Ranking in Marketing Management
3rd
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
44
Ranking in other categories
CRM (3rd), Local Government CRM (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2025, in the Marketing Management category, the mindshare of Marketo is 8.8%, down from 10.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of SAP CRM is 16.4%, down from 20.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Marketing Management Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
SAP CRM16.4%
Marketo8.8%
Other74.8%
Marketing Management
 

Featured Reviews

PradeepKumar25 - PeerSpot reviewer
Useful for lead capture and engagement across social media platforms
Before Marketo, I worked on the Oracle Eloqua platform, both B2B-based. Currently, I'm working on Salesforce Marketing Cloud. So, these are the three platforms on which I have good hands-on expertise. One key reason platforms like Salesforce Marketing Cloud are gaining traction is that they invest in marketing campaigns. They conduct many virtual and live events, aggressively marketing their products. This strategy convinces C-suite executives to buy into and implement the Salesforce platform, something that other bigger platforms lack. Most companies are migrating to Salesforce. I've migrated one of my projects from Marketo to Salesforce and encountered many opportunities where companies want to migrate from Marketo, HubSpot, or Oracle Eloqua to Salesforce. I've worked on Oracle Eloqua, which is also a B2B platform, and I've also worked on Marketo. The lead scoring, table structure, and rules we apply are quite straightforward compared to Marketo. In Marketo, it's a bit clumsy. Regarding lead scoring or moving leads through the sales funnel, Oracle Eloqua is better, but it's a bit pricey. So, Marketo ranks second in lead scoring or managing leads, and it highly depends on the respective CRM. The tool tracks significant events, such as form fills on websites or social media handles. All this data is captured and stored in Marketo for analysis. Marketo Analytics is connected with Adobe Analytics. This integration offers detailed reports on total clicks, views, form fills, subscriptions, lead conversions, and more. It's straightforward compared to Oracle Eloqua, which has its own Oracle Business Intelligence suite.Marketo's reporting tools are easy to use, making it a plug-and-play solution for anyone.
Srini-Dhanaraj - PeerSpot reviewer
The product is stable, it has a lot of features, and the user interface is excellent
SAP C4C is very simple. We used it for a simple module, like lead and opportunity. The integration capabilities on the cloud are a bit rigid. It is not flexible. When people visit websites, we take the cookies, try to create leads and communicate with them. Organizations that want to buy the product must consider their return on investment and why they need SAP. They must consider why they cannot use any other product. If the business process is complex and we need good integration, we can choose SAP. The solution is complex for businesses where people place orders and make payments. We will have to integrate the solution with a data warehouse for the communication to go in and out. I rate the product a five out of ten for such a scenario. If an organization only does sales and marketing, I rate the tool an eight out of ten.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Insurance Company
7%
Manufacturing Company
12%
Computer Software Company
9%
University
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business12
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise10
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business14
Midsize Enterprise5
Large Enterprise27
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Marketo?
One of the most important things about Marketo is its focus on GDPR compliance. It helps you follow GDPR and CAN-SPAM rules. For example, with Marketo, I won't accidentally target audiences without...
What needs improvement with Marketo?
The user interface could be improved. I would like to see an updated UI for 2025.
What is your primary use case for Marketo?
As a seasoned Marketo Expert with a decade of experience and a deep understanding of Adobe's ecosystem, I can confidently say that the primary use case for Marketo lies in empowering businesses wit...
What do you like most about SAP CRM?
Getting the right information at the right time across different programs is important. These programs lack interaction between them. IPA is a good option to bring them together.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for SAP CRM?
SAP CRM is not suitable for small companies because of the cost. It is suitable for medium and large enterprise companies.
What needs improvement with SAP CRM?
Recently, the price of SAP CRM has increased, which is one concern. Another issue is that sometimes we experience slow performance. Reports in SAP CRM itself can become very slow. Other than that, ...
 

Comparisons

 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Marketo has a customer base of thousands of companies, including Sony, Citrix, BrightTALK, Curves International, HootSuite, Hyundai, SanDisk, and Samsung Electronics.
Brau Union Osterreich AG, Nu Skin Enterprises Inc., AOK Bundesverband, RAK Ceramics, NHS 24, Wholesale Sports Outdoor Outfitters, FC Bayern Munchen AG, Tumi, The Kellogg Company, MVV Energie AG, Anglian Water Services, German Football Association (DFB), Nebraska Book Company Inc.
Find out what your peers are saying about Marketo vs. SAP CRM and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
872,837 professionals have used our research since 2012.