45+ Best Content Marketing Tools That You Must Use
I’ve been running content marketing campaigns for over 16 years now, and the tools I use today look nothing like what I started with. Back then, it was Google Docs, a free WordPress blog and sheer willpower. Today, a single content piece might touch 5-6 different tools before it goes live.
The problem isn’t finding tools. It’s finding the right combination that actually works together without burning your budget. I’ve tested hundreds of content marketing tools across 800+ client projects, and most of them aren’t worth your time.
Here are the ones that are. I’ve organized them by what they actually do, from design and SEO to email marketing and analytics, so you can pick exactly what your workflow needs.
Canva
Canva is much more than what you have heard of “just an online photo editor”. It is a wholesome marketing suite. With it, you can plan things with your team (using their new whiteboard template) and create photos, animations, documents, infographics, brochures and videos by collaborating with your team in real-time. But that is not it.
You can now schedule your creations to be published on social media directly from the Canva editor.
Canva offers hundreds of templates to help you create customized images that fit your company’s brand and image perfectly in minutes. With a simple drag-and-drop interface, you can add shapes, animated videos, stock photos, backgrounds, text, and more.
Canva is especially useful if your time and budget for graphic design are limited. It is loved by professional marketers worldwide due to its ease of use and huge library of assets.
I have an exclusive 45-day free trial for Canva if you are interested.
Fire Note: If Canva doesn’t fit your needs and budgets, you can try an alternative like FlexClip or WePik. Some of these may be cheaper or costlier than Canva, but overall they work the same.
SEMrush
With around 2 billion websites on the internet, it’s no surprise that the internet is a heavily competitive landscape. It’s hard to think about how to get your audience’s attention when there are thousands of other brands out there trying to do the same.
But knowing about your competitors can help you strategize your content marketing plan, and in this SEMrush can help. I’ve written a detailed SEMrush review if you want the full breakdown. SEMrush helps you understand how your competitors’ websites work so well. With its array of tools, you get analytics and activity about your competitors’ sites, offering information from their monthly website traffic to their best SEO keywords. You can even find referral pages and websites that help your competitor gain traffic.
SEMrush can also help you optimize your content for online exposure. This all-in-one SEO tool helps you track content ranking and keywords and offers other services like checking backlinks and analyzing competing websites.
SEMrush offers extra content marketing features to improve your PPC efforts, social media, and content creation. It can help you monitor competitors’ ad copies and landing pages, find keywords for PPC campaigns, create and manage social media ads, manage social media campaigns, manage your editorial plan for your web content, and much more.
SEMrush is available for a 7-day trial, which you can redeem on account creation.
Semrush packs 55+ tools into one platform. The Semrush all-in-one suite covers keyword research, site auditing, content marketing, and backlink analytics. Start with the Semrush free trial to test the site audit and e-commerce features before committing.
For dedicated SEO research: Ahrefs is the gold standard for backlink analysis and competitor research. Serpstat combines keyword clustering, SERP analysis, and site auditing at more affordable pricing. LongTailPro specializes in long-tail keyword discovery with competition scoring. And DinoRank uses TF-IDF analysis for on-page content optimization.
Fire Note: One of the best alternatives to SEMrush is Ahrefs.
While Ahrefs doesn’t offer content marketing features, you can use it for backlink analysis, link building and keyword research. It also offers other features such as a site audit to optimize your website, competitor analysis and a rank tracker to rank your website’s ranking progress on search engines.
If your needs are solely to find keyword ideas to market upon, StoryBase is another great choice. StoryBase helps you find what your audience is searching for.
ActiveCampaign
Email marketing is one of the best ways to reach out to your audience directly and ensure they engage with your content via newsletters, blog digests and personalized content recommendations. That’s why it’s important to ensure your email marketing efforts are aligned with your content strategy.
As the gold standard for email marketing software, ActiveCampaign can help you maximize the power of your email marketing campaigns.
ActiveCampaign offers all-in-one marketing services and not just sending newsletters. It has features like drag-and-drop email templates, a huge integration library, and extensive analytics and reporting capabilities, giving you great insight into how your audience engages with your content via email. With ActiveCampaign, you can also sell your products online.
Fire Note: If ActiveCampaign doesn’t work well for you, you can see other email marketing tools here.
Videvo
Videvo is a library of HD stock videos, stock music, sound effects and video templates, offering various topics and themes. If you don’t want to hire a videographer or buy a camera, Videvo is a great alternative to make videos quickly and easily. You’ll also want a solid video editing software to go with it – and put videos at the center of your content strategy.
Canva has some videos too, but the library of Videvo is better.
Fire Note: If you have different budgets and requirements, you can also try Shutterstock videos, iStock, Alamy and WeVideo.
Envato Elements
If you need more than just photos and videos, say a bundle of creative assets like photos, videos, illustrations, audio files, templates, themes, plugins, mobile apps and way more than that, then you should look no further than Envato Elements.
“Elements” has everything a business or content marketer needs to visually power a content marketing campaign. And the best part is that there are flat monthly and yearly prices, no matter what your needs are.
BuzzSumo
Termed as the world’s #1 content marketing platform, BuzzSumo should be listed in the first position in this article as well if I went per reputation instead of reader needs.
BuzzSumo is an online content marketing tool that offers content insights to generate ideas, create high-performing content, monitor your performance and identify influencers. Just by searching for a keyword or competition URL, you get to see which articles are performing well and which ones you can choose to compete with.
Fire Note: BuzzSumo also has this content ideas generator which I loved. You can use this to find dozens of blog post ideas. Learn here how you can do that.
If you are interested, you can subscribe to BuzzSumo for a free 30 days trial.
HubSpot
HubSpot’s Marketing Hub helps you organize your efforts on blogging, social media, ads, landing pages and more, aiming to help you attract a wider audience and maximize your conversion rates.
In addition, HubSpot’s CMS Hub helps you manage your website content. It’s built with both web developers and marketers in mind to streamline the creation, maintenance and optimization of your website.
Swipe-Worthy / SwipeFile.com
Both Swipe-Worthy & SwipeFile offer a collection of top Swipe files curated by the best of the content marketers and copywriting professionals that you may reuse in your content marketing strategies.
Swipe-Worthy is the better option of the two and has a collection of the top swipe files from the 80s to now. SwipeFile is brilliant as well and features the best of current landing pages, sorted by different tags.
Trello
Trello helps businesses organize and manage projects easily and transparently, increasing collaboration between team members. If you’re comparing options, I’ve reviewed the best project management tools for teams in a separate guide.
You can get set up with Trello in minutes, organizing your tasks in different lists and adding due dates, assigned people and labels. You can use it to plan your content marketing campaigns and share them with your team to take collaboration even further.
Trello is free forever to use, and their premium plans can be signed up for a free 30-day trial.
Fire Note: Other alternatives to Trello include Clickup, Productboard, Asana & Basecamp.
Google Analytics
Once your content marketing plans are in action, you need to understand how it works. Analytics tools like Google Analytics can help in this. It can help you keep track of data such as conversion rates, website visitors, clicks and SEO performance of your website.
For tracking marketing performance: Brand24 for real-time brand mention tracking across social media, news, and forums. WhatConverts for call tracking and lead attribution that ties marketing spend to actual conversions. Diginius for PPC and SEO reporting dashboards. Hollyfy for influencer and brand partnership management.
Google Analytics provides valuable data about how visitors interact with your websites, such as traffic, session duration, bounce rate, conversions, and more. By keeping an eye on your data, you’ll be on the right track to adjust and pivot your content marketing strategy to ensure it works.
Fire Note: If Google Analytics isn’t of your flavor and too complex to get through, you can try other Google Analytics alternatives like Microsoft Clarity, Fathom Analytics, Hotjar, and Cloudflare Analytics on your website.
PathFactory
You can use PathFactory if you are focusing on B2B marketing in your content marketing plan.
PathFactory is a content intelligence platform that uses artificial intelligence to provide content-related insights and helps you deliver customized content to your customers.
I love how it can help you deliver personalized content for each customer and help managers identify which channels and content have the best performance.
Sapling.ai
Written content plays a big role in your content marketing strategy. So it is important to make sure it’s correct and well-written. Bad writing and bad grammar can reflect badly on your brand.
Sapling is made exclusively for content marketers in general and businesses for being specific. You can ask your content writers to check their grammar, spelling, vocabulary, punctuation mistakes and more. It not only helps with the writing process but also cuts down on manual editing and proofreading time.
Krisp handles AI noise cancellation for podcasts and video recordings plus transcription and meeting notes. If you record interviews or webinars for content, the noise cancellation alone justifies it.
Markup Hero
Markup Hero is a screenshot and annotation tool sporting all important features to boost productivity and collaboration.
It allows you to take desktop, application or selected area screenshots using free apps & extensions for Mac, Windows, Linux and Chrome. You can capture webpages using the scrolling screenshot feature to provide comprehensive feedback on full page designs.
Markup Hero also allows you to upload and share images, websites, PDFs, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides. You can add and edit annotations at any time using text, arrows, highlighters, icons and more from any device with a web browser.
This is not it, Markup Hero also allows you to collaborate with anyone by allowing them to add their own annotations to your shared markup. You can quickly sign PDFs, permanently blur sensitive information and crop files to the perfect size using Markup Hero’s advanced toolset.
You can instantly share your markups in email, Slack, SMS, social media and anywhere else you communicate using built-in share-links with thumbnail previews.
Markup Hero is free to begin with and the premium plans cost just $4 per month.
Buffer
Buffer is one of the best social media automation tools that automates the posting process on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. You can create time slots to post on each platform daily and create a queue that allows you to schedule posts for months in advance.
You can also create campaigns across all platforms, follow their performance, and check important data from individual posts, such as click-through rates, views and reach. Keeping an eye on this data will help you fine-tune your social media strategy to have the widest possible reach. You can signup for Buffer here.
Fire Note: Other alternatives to Buffer include SocialPilot, ContentStudio and HootSuite.
Clearscope
Clearscope is a content optimization platform that helps you write clear and targeted copies. You can use it to create highly relevant content for your audience, combining advanced SEO practices with readability and relevancy.
Bonus Content Marketing Tools
Writecream
Writecream is an AI content creation platform offering tools for blog writing, social media copy, email outreach, and even AI-generated voiceovers. Its icebreaker feature generates personalized outreach messages for LinkedIn and email campaigns. Available through lifetime deals, Writecream packs multiple AI tools into one platform at a budget-friendly price. This page covers the content tools, icebreaker feature, voiceover capabilities, pricing, and output quality.
WordHero
WordHero is an AI writing tool that generates marketing copy, blog content, and social media posts using templates and AI models. Available primarily through lifetime deal purchases, it offers unlimited content generation at a one-time cost. The output quality varies by template, and human editing is always necessary. This page covers WordHero's content templates, AI quality, interface, pricing, and how it compares to more established AI writing tools.
TubeOnAI
TubeOnAI summarizes YouTube videos, podcasts, and audio content into concise notes using AI. Extract key points, generate transcripts, and create content from video sources. Supports 50+ languages. Saves hours of watching long videos when you just need the essential takeaways.
Squirrly SEO
Squirrly SEO is a WordPress plugin that uses AI to guide your SEO strategy with real-time content optimization, keyword research, and performance tracking. It's designed for non-technical users who want actionable SEO guidance. This page covers Squirrly's features, AI recommendations quality, pricing, and how it compares to Yoast SEO and Rank Math.
PublishPress Planner
PublishPress Planner adds editorial calendar functionality to WordPress, helping content teams plan, schedule, and manage their publishing workflow. It includes content status tracking, editorial comments, and notifications. This page covers its planning features, team collaboration tools, pricing, and how it compares to other WordPress editorial calendar solutions.
Pabbly
Pabbly offers a suite of business tools covering email marketing, subscription billing, form building, and workflow automation. The standout feature is Pabbly Connect, an automation platform similar to Zapier but with lifetime pricing that eliminates monthly subscription costs. For small businesses looking to automate workflows without recurring fees, Pabbly presents compelling value. This page covers the product suite, pricing, integrations, and limitations.
MailPoet
MailPoet lets you create and send email newsletters directly from your WordPress dashboard without needing a third-party email service. It handles subscriber management, automated emails, and WooCommerce email customization. This page covers MailPoet's features, deliverability, pricing, and how it compares to external email platforms like Mailchimp and MailerLite.
MailerLite
MailerLite is an email marketing platform that offers exceptional value for small businesses and creators. With a generous free plan, intuitive drag-and-drop editor, and automation features that rival more expensive competitors, it's one of my top recommendations for businesses starting with email marketing. This page covers MailerLite's email builder, automation workflows, landing pages, pricing, and how it compares to ConvertKit and Mailchimp.
FS Poster
FS Poster is a WordPress social media auto-posting plugin that shares your content across multiple social networks automatically. It supports Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, and more. Schedule posts, customize messages per platform, and track click analytics from your WordPress dashboard. This page covers supported networks, scheduling features, customization options, analytics, pricing, and how it compares to alternatives.
CartFlows
CartFlows is a WordPress sales funnel builder that creates optimized checkout flows, order bumps, upsells, and one-click order additions for WooCommerce. It replaces the default checkout with conversion-optimized pages. This page covers CartFlows features, funnel templates, pricing, and how it compares to other WooCommerce funnel builders and dedicated solutions like ClickFunnels.
Blogify
Blogify is an AI-powered content creation tool that helps bloggers and content creators generate articles, optimize for SEO, and publish faster. This page covers Blogify's AI writing capabilities, content templates, SEO features, pricing, and how it compares to other AI writing tools for blog content creation in the current market.
Amelia
Amelia is a WordPress booking plugin that handles appointment scheduling, event management, and payment processing from a single interface. It's designed for service-based businesses like salons, clinics, consultancies, and fitness studios. With automated reminders, calendar sync, and customer management, Amelia streamlines the entire booking workflow. This page covers Amelia's features, customization options, pricing, and integration capabilities.
Here are some other content marketing tools that you can try based on your needs as they may arrive:
Toolset handles custom content types, custom fields, and template assignments without code. If your content marketing strategy involves structured data like case studies, testimonials, or product catalogs, Toolset builds the architecture while you focus on writing.
- Pixabay, Pexels and Unsplash – for free photos and videos available for commercial use.
- Sendfox for your email marketing campaigns if your budget is tight. Available only for a $49 one-time.
- CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer can help you write awesome headlines.
- SimilarWeb can give you insights into your competitor’s traffic.
- AddToAny, ShareThis, Shareaholic and uSocial to add social sharing and follow icons to your website and landing pages.
- Exploding Topics can help you find the trending topics around which you can plan your content marketing strategies.
- Here are some AI content writing tools that can help you in the way.
How to Build Your Content Marketing Stack
You don’t need all 45 tools on this list. In fact, trying to use too many tools at once is one of the fastest ways to burn out your team and your budget. Here’s how I’d approach it based on your stage.
If you’re just starting out: Canva (free plan) for visuals, Google Analytics for tracking, Buffer (free plan) for social scheduling, and one grammar tool like Sapling. That’s it. Four tools, zero cost. Focus on creating consistently good content before you invest in anything else.
If you’re scaling: Add SEMrush for competitive research and keyword planning, ActiveCampaign for email automation, and BuzzSumo for content discovery. This stack covers creation, distribution and measurement. Budget around $200-350/month total.
If you’re running a team: Bring in Trello or ClickUp for workflow management, Clearscope for content optimization, Envato Elements for unlimited creative assets, and PathFactory if you’re doing B2B. Your team will spend less time on logistics and more time on content that actually moves the needle.
The biggest mistake I see is teams buying expensive tools before they’ve figured out their content marketing plan. Get your strategy right first, then pick tools that support it.
What is the best free content marketing tool?
Canva’s free plan is the single most useful free content marketing tool. You get access to thousands of templates, a drag-and-drop editor, social media scheduling and basic brand kit features. Pair it with Google Analytics (free) and Buffer’s free plan, and you have a solid content marketing stack at zero cost.
What tools do professional content marketers use?
Most professional content marketers use a combination of SEMrush or Ahrefs for SEO research, Canva or Adobe Creative Suite for design, ActiveCampaign or HubSpot for email automation, Buffer or SocialPilot for social scheduling, and Google Analytics for performance tracking. The exact stack depends on budget and team size.
How much should I spend on content marketing tools?
Start with free tools and only invest when you hit a clear limitation. A solid mid-level stack (SEMrush + ActiveCampaign + Canva Pro + Buffer) runs about $200-350 per month. Enterprise teams with BuzzSumo, Clearscope and PathFactory can expect $500-1,000+ per month. The key is ROI: if a tool saves your team 10+ hours per month, it’s worth the investment.
Is SEMrush or Ahrefs better for content marketing?
SEMrush is better for content marketing because it includes content marketing features like topic research, SEO writing assistant and content audit tools. Ahrefs is stronger for pure backlink analysis and keyword research. If content marketing is your primary focus, go with SEMrush. If you’re more focused on link building and technical SEO, Ahrefs is the better choice.
Do I need a separate SEO tool and content marketing tool?
Not necessarily. SEMrush combines both SEO and content marketing features in one platform, which is why I recommend it as the first paid tool for most content marketers. However, if you want deeper content optimization, adding Clearscope or NeuronWriter on top of your SEO tool can significantly improve your content’s search performance.
For content optimization specifically: NeuronWriter uses NLP to optimize content for search intent. Rank Prompt suggests semantic improvements based on top-ranking pages. SiteGuru runs automated SEO audits with prioritized fix lists. Screpy monitors Core Web Vitals, uptime, and SEO health in one dashboard. RankAtom tracks keyword rankings with daily updates at budget pricing. Serpple focuses on SERP tracking with competitor movement alerts. Labrika provides technical SEO scoring with AI recommendations.
CapCut handles video content creation for free. AI auto-captions, background removal, and templates for social media make it the fastest way to produce short-form video content at scale.
Piktochart creates infographics, reports, and presentations from data. Upload a spreadsheet and it generates visual charts and infographics automatically. Content marketers use it to turn boring data into shareable visual assets.
Fotor handles quick image editing, collage making, and design with AI enhancement. Batch-process product images, create social headers, and touch up photos without Photoshop.