Content marketing suites offer marketing teams, external agencies and freelancers a common work platform and are a central component of the content technology stack in the company. Traditionally, content marketing tools are characterized by a high level of functionality. And that can be pricy. But how much do they actually cost? We asked 15 providers what their content marketing tools cost and what the costs of the software solution are composed of.
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Content marketing suites, also known as content marketing tools, offer companies numerous functions for creating, managing and optimizing content, from blog posts and the latest social media video to keyword research and analytics features. The advantage of a content marketing suite is its centrality. The platform is the hub of content marketing and can be used across teams. This also makes it easy to coordinate outsourced content processes – for example, when companies commission PR agencies to create content. However, the high level of functionality naturally also entails costs. Various factors influence the level of the content marketing tools costs. In our market overview of content marketing suites, we therefore asked 15 providers which aspects play a role in the pricing of their software solutions.
Content marketing tools cost – these factors influence the price
The functions of a software solution are only one criterion that comes into consideration when selecting a suitable software for a company. Last but not least, it is often the price that is decisive in the end – especially if the necessary functions are congruent. Various aspects come into play for the pricing approach of content marketing tool providers:
- The starting price per month (or per year)
- The number of users who are to have access to the content marketing platform
- The costs for the setup of the content marketing platform
- The number of texts covered in the respective packages of the solution
These four points are directly related to the cost of a content marketing suite. In addition, however, companies should also factor the (minimum) contract term and the duration of the setup into their decision. When comparing the 15 providers, we also asked the software manufacturers for exemplary costs for different company sizes, because the size of the company can also influence the level of costs.
Those who test shall commit – is there a free version?
Anyone who wants to use software in content marketing naturally asks themselves: Is the solution on the shortlist really the right one? A test of the software can help to get a first impression. We have therefore asked which providers make a version of the software available free of charge. As a rule, these versions come with limited functions. However, designated demo versions can also provide all functions free of charge for a limited period of time. Here it depends on the provider. However, our comparison shows that a free version is available for very few solutions. Some manufacturers offer the option of receiving a test version upon request.
Content marketing suites start with these costs
The starting price is a fixed figure that companies can use as a guide when selecting software. We have queried the minimum price per month that marketers should expect. The price range varies considerably: The most cost-effective solution in terms of the starting price is 46 euros per month. A content marketing platform, on the other hand, costs 12,000 euros per month. Excluding this exception, however, the average starting price is around 255 euros. One provider also charges in US dollars. Here, the monthly costs amount to a minimum of 108 US dollars.
Number of users and texts
The number of users and the number of texts that can be created in a package also influences the price of the content marketing suites. In our query, we took into account the included users and texts in the basic package of the respective provider. There are considerable differences in the number of users. While four of 15 providers cover two users as standard in the basic package, two providers cover only one user. One provider allows 26 users in the basic version and another even 200 users. In the case of texts, on the other hand, the software providers generally have no limits. Of the eight content marketing tool providers who provided information on the number of texts included, six offer unlimited text creation.
Setup costs, setup and contract duration
In addition to the minimum monthly costs and the costs depending on the number of users and texts, there are usually also expenses for the setup of the content marketing tool. Here, too, there are major differences depending on the provider. While around half of the providers do not estimate any additional costs for the setup of the solution, the setup price for the other manufacturers is sometimes in the four-digit range. Three providers state that the setup costs are incurred individually, on request or depending on the project size.
In terms of setup time, almost all solutions are up and running very quickly. Most tools can be used immediately after installation. For other providers, setup takes a few minutes. Only three software providers state that they need more time for setup, depending on the size of the project, or 90 days for onboarding. The minimum contract term, on the other hand, is 12 months in most cases.
The average content marketing tool costs provide an overview
The sometimes significant differences between each content marketing tool make it difficult to compare the solutions. We therefore asked the tool providers about the average costs of their solutions. However, only a few software vendors provide concrete information here as well. Among those that did provide precise information, the cost range is between €249 and €2,400. For better differentiation, we also asked to what extent the costs change with the size of the company. However, the software providers that provided specific information only explicitly stated higher costs for companies with more than 1,000 employees in one case. For the most part, the providers state that the costs are individual – or that the size of the company does not play a role.
Conclusion
The pricing approaches of the content marketing tool providers are similar overall. The decisive factors are above all the number of users and texts to be covered by the tool. As a rule the costs for a content marketing suite are individual in the end. This depends not least on which functions the selected tool should contain and how high the effort for the setup of the solution is. The following applies here: The more functions and the higher the setup effort, the higher the content marketing tools costs are likely to be.
