Salesforce, Braze, and Klaviyo Compared: Which Marketing Automation Tool Wins?

In today’s fiercely competitive digital landscape, marketing automation tools are indispensable for businesses aiming to deliver personalized customer experiences, streamline campaigns, and optimize performance. Among the most prominent platforms in this space are Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Braze, and Klaviyo. Each offers powerful capabilities, but their strengths, use cases, and pricing models vary significantly.

In this detailed comparison, we explore how these platforms stack up across key factors like features, ease of use, integrations, scalability, support, pricing, and ideal customer profiles. By the end, you’ll have a clearer understanding of which tool might best fit your marketing goals in 2025.

1. Overview of the Platforms

Salesforce Marketing Cloud

Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SFMC) is a robust and enterprise-level marketing automation platform that forms part of the broader Salesforce ecosystem. It’s built for large-scale B2C and B2B operations, offering comprehensive tools for email, social, mobile, advertising, and web personalization.

Braze

Braze is a customer engagement platform focused on real-time messaging and dynamic personalization across channels like push, email, in-app, and SMS. It’s highly favored by mobile-first brands and fast-growing consumer tech companies.

Klaviyo

Klaviyo is an email and SMS marketing platform that’s especially popular with eCommerce brands. Known for its user-friendly interface and deep Shopify integration, Klaviyo allows small to mid-sized businesses to launch highly targeted campaigns quickly.

2. Key Features Comparison

3. Ease of Use

Salesforce Marketing Cloud

• Learning Curve: Steep
• Why: SFMC is feature-rich but requires substantial onboarding and training. It’s ideal for teams with technical support or marketing operations specialists.

Braze

• Learning Curve: Moderate
• Why: Its Canvas Flow Builder is intuitive for experienced marketers but can be complex for beginners. However, real-time capabilities and smart targeting features are relatively easy to learn with proper guidance.

Klaviyo

• Learning Curve: Low
• Why: Klaviyo’s UI is extremely user-friendly, making it a favorite among small eCommerce brands with lean teams. Drag-and-drop builders and easy integrations mean you can be up and running in hours.

4. Integrations and Ecosystem

Salesforce Marketing Cloud

• Seamless integration with Salesforce CRM, Sales Cloud, and Service Cloud.
• Supports a wide range of 3rd-party tools like Google Ads, Facebook, Shopify, and more through MuleSoft or native connectors.
• Ideal for organizations already using Salesforce across departments.

Braze

• Offers flexible API connections.
• Integrates with Snowflake, Segment, Amplitude, mParticle, and other modern data tools.
• Well-suited for mobile-first apps and consumer tech platforms that rely on CDPs.

Klaviyo

• Primarily integrates with eCommerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, and Magento.
• Also connects with Facebook, Google, Zendesk, and Stripe.
• Perfect for DTC brands and small-to-mid-sized online retailers.

5. Data Management and Segmentation

Salesforce Marketing Cloud

• Features advanced segmentation using Audience Builder.
• Stores customer data across various studios and via Data Extensions.
• Einstein AI enhances data insights for hyper-targeted personalization.

Braze

• Designed for real-time data ingestion and segmentation.
• Users can create audience segments on the fly using behavior- and event-based triggers.
• Perfect for time-sensitive, personalized mobile campaigns.

Klaviyo

• Leverages historical and real-time data for predictive segmentation.
• Ecommerce-focused filters like average order value, purchase frequency, and cart abandonment are pre-built.
• Highly effective for small teams wanting quick wins with data.

6. Automation and Journey Building

Salesforce Marketing Cloud

• Journey Builder is powerful and supports cross-channel customer journeys.
• Combines behavioral triggers with AI predictions for personalized journeys.
• Setup complexity can require consulting assistance.

Braze

• Canvas Flow Builder enables highly visual journey design.
• Real-time decisioning and testing at each node.
• Great for time-sensitive campaigns like flash sales or behavioral nudges.

Klaviyo

• Offers Flow Builder for automating email/SMS based on customer actions.
• Simpler than Braze and SFMC but very effective for eCommerce triggers like “first-time purchase” or “abandoned cart.”

7. Reporting and Analytics

Salesforce Marketing Cloud

• Provides robust reporting tools, including Datorama dashboards.
• Real-time campaign performance, attribution models, and AI insights.
• Designed for enterprises needing granular analytics.

Braze

• Features customizable dashboards and real-time campaign tracking.
• It encompasses tools such as Report Builder and Outcome-Based Optimization.
• Powerful if you have analysts or BI tools to dig deeper.

Klaviyo

• Easy-to-read dashboards with revenue attribution.
• Tracks email open rates, AOV, repeat purchase rate, and more.
• Perfect for marketers looking for instant insights without a data team.

8. Customer Support and Community

Salesforce Marketing Cloud

• 24/7 enterprise support, dedicated account managers, vast partner network.
• Strong user community and Salesforce Trailhead for learning.

Braze

• Email and chat support depending on the plan tier.
• Good documentation and active Slack communities for user support.

Klaviyo

• Email and chat support; high customer satisfaction ratings.
• Extensive documentation and video tutorials.

9. Pricing Comparison

10. Ideal Use Cases

Use Salesforce Marketing Cloud if:

• You’re an enterprise with a large marketing team and need multi-channel orchestration.
• You already use Salesforce CRM and want tight integration.
• You prioritize deep analytics, AI, and full campaign lifecycle management.

Use Braze if:

• You’re a mobile-first brand or digital product company.
• Real-time personalization and engagement are top priorities.
• You need to build complex journeys and leverage CDP integrations.

Use Klaviyo if:

• You’re an eCommerce business using Shopify or WooCommerce.
• You want quick wins from automated flows and prebuilt templates.
• You prefer transparency in pricing and ease of use.

Which Marketing Automation Tool Wins?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer. The right platform depends on your specific business needs, team size, customer base, and growth stage.

• Salesforce Marketing Cloud wins for enterprise-grade capabilities, multi-channel orchestration, and deep CRM integration.
• Braze leads in real-time engagement, mobile-first execution, and modern tech integrations.
• Klaviyo excels for eCommerce brands seeking ease of use, affordable pricing, and powerful automation with minimal setup.

My Takeway:

Choosing between Salesforce, Braze, and Klaviyo isn’t just about features; it’s about fit. If your business requires scale, complex journeys, and enterprise-level tools, Salesforce Marketing Cloud is the go-to. For real-time engagement and mobile-centric campaigns, Braze stands out. If you’re an eCommerce store looking for simplicity and strong ROI, Klaviyo will likely deliver the best value.