Pardot vs Marketing Cloud: Which to Choose for your Marketing?

If you’re new to Pardot (MCAE) and as B2B marketing becomes increasingly sophisticated, choosing the right marketing automation platform is crucial for your success.

“We’re expanding our B2B marketing efforts and need to choose between Pardot and Marketing Cloud. Which platform will better serve our needs and integrate with our existing Salesforce setup?”

Let’s dive into a comprehensive comparison that will help you make an informed choice.

Core Features Comparison

Let’s examine the key features that distinguish these two platforms and their specific capabilities.

Pardot (Marketing Cloud Account Engagement)

The B2B-focused platform offers these core capabilities:

• Engagement History: Track prospect interactions and engagement
• Email Marketing: B2B email campaign capabilities
• Forms & Landing Pages: Lead capture and conversion tools
• Dynamic Lists: Automated list management
• Automation Rules: Marketing automation workflows
• Scoring & Grading: Lead qualification tools
• ROI Reporting: Campaign performance tracking
• Salesforce CRM Integration: Native sync capabilities

Marketing Cloud

The B2C-oriented platform provides these primary features:

• Email Studio: Base email marketing capabilities
• Journey Builder: Multi-channel customer journey orchestration
• Mobile Studio: SMS and mobile messaging
• Advertising Studio: Digital advertising management
• Social Studio: Social media marketing and engagement
• Personalization: AI-powered personalization tools
• Datorama: Marketing analytics and intelligence
• Interaction Studio: Real-time personalization

Integration Capabilities

Both platforms offer different integration approaches, tailored to their primary use cases:

Pardot (MCAE)

• Native Salesforce CRM Integration: Pardot is seamlessly integrated with Salesforce CRM, providing automatic syncing of leads, contacts, and opportunities in real time.
• Pre-Built Connectors: Pardot offers third-party connectors (such as with GoToWebinar, Google Ads, and few other platforms) for seamless integration with external tools.
• Pardot API: Beyond that Pardot offers a robust REST API that allows businesses to programmatically access and manage data

Marketing Cloud

• Marketing Cloud Connect: This integration allows syncing of data between Marketing Cloud and Salesforce CRM, enabling features like lead and contact management, email engagement tracking, and reporting.
• Pre-Built Connectors: Marketing Cloud offers pre-built connectors for social media (Social Studio), ad networks (Advertising Studio) , and Salesforce clouds like Service and Commerce Cloud for seamless integration.
• Marketing Cloud API: Marketing Cloud offers robust API support (REST/SOAP) for custom integrations, allowing businesses to integrate with third-party platforms or Salesforce CRM for advanced functionality.

Data Model and Structure

Each platform uses a distinct data structure to serve its primary audience:

• Pardot: Aligns with Salesforce’s B2B data structure (Leads, Accounts, Opportunities)
• Marketing Cloud: Uses a contact-centric data model focused on individual consumers

Pricing: Pardot vs. Marketing Cloud

The platforms follow distinctly different pricing approaches based on their intended use cases and target markets.

Pardot’s Edition-Based Pricing

Pricing is structured around editions (Plus, Advanced, Premium) that include:

• One price per organization
• Available automation features
• Contacts volume allowance

Compare the costs based on the default number of contacts:

Keep in mind that you can purchase additional contacts at any time – in blocks of 10,000 contacts per block.

Here’s our dedicated guide to Pardot (MCAE) pricing.

The prices shown are accurate as of early 2025.

Marketing Cloud’s Edition-Based Pricing

Marketing Cloud is structured around editions (Professional, Corporate, Enterprise) that include:

• One price per organization
• Available automation features
• Contacts volume allowance

Compare the costs based on the default number of contacts:

You would typically need to upgrade to a higher-tier plan to increase your contact capacity.

The prices shown are accurate as of early 2025.

Whether you choose Marketing Cloud or Pardot, you can start with a lower edition and expand as your needs grow.

Decision Making

Understanding when to use each platform is crucial for making the right choice for your business needs.

When to Choose Pardot

Pardot is the better choice when:

• Your focus is B2B marketing
• You use Salesforce as your CRM
• You want to nurture B2B leads
• You want to better align sales and marketing
• You want to do Account-Based Marketing (ABM)

When to Choose Marketing Cloud

Marketing Cloud is more suitable when:

• Your focus is B2C marketing
• You need multi-channel consumer engagement
• You handle large-scale consumer communications
• You want to do social media marketing
• You require advanced journey orchestration

Summary

After reviewing all the features, pricing, and capabilities, you might still be wondering which platform is the best fit. Let’s simplify the decision with some key questions:

Choose Pardot if you answer “Yes” to these questions:

1. Does your business sell high-value solutions that require buy-in from multiple stakeholders?
2. Is your sales process managed with Leads and Salesforce Opportunities?
3. Do you need tight alignment between marketing and sales teams?
4. Is account-based marketing (ABM) part of your strategy?

Choose Marketing Cloud if you answer “Yes” to these questions:

• Do you sell products that customers buy instantly maybe even across various channels?
• Is e-commerce a significant part of your business?
• Do you need sophisticated consumer journey orchestration?
• Is social media marketing central to your strategy?

Ready to take your marketing automation to the next level? Contact our team for personalized guidance on choosing and implementing the right solution for your business.