A customer engagement platform is a set of tools that helps businesses connect, interact, and build relationships with their customers across different channels. These platforms enable companies to communicate with customers in-app, via social media, email, or through other touchpoints, helping users meet their needs and creating a smooth, positive experience. With a strong customer engagement platform and overarching engagement solutions, businesses can understand customer behavior better, personalize interactions, and make it easier for customers to see the value of their products.

Here’s a guide to the 12 best customer engagement platforms designed to improve customer experiences, especially for SaaS (Software as a Service) companies.

12 Best Customer Engagement Platforms for SaaS Companies

With so many options available, it can be challenging to pick the right customer engagement platform. Each platform offers unique features, and selecting the best one depends on your company’s needs, budget, and customer engagement goals. Here’s a look at 12 top-rated platforms and their main features.

1. Userpilot – Best In-App Engagement for Web Apps

Userpilot is a growth-focused platform for user onboarding and product analytics. Mid-size and larger SaaS companies use Userpilot for its interactive tools, like:

• UI Patterns for Interactive Tours: Userpilot offers UI elements like modals, tooltips, checklists, and banners to keep users engaged in the app.
• Contextual Triggers: You can set up events like clicks or hovers to trigger messages or onboarding steps, which can be tailored to user behavior.
• AI Writing Assistant: This tool refines in-app messages to make them more engaging and readable.
• Feature Tags and Heatmaps: Track customer interaction with specific features and view data visually.
• A/B Testing: Test different message styles to find the best way to engage users.

Pricing:

• Starter: $249/month
• Growth: $749/month
• Enterprise: Custom pricing based on features

2. UserGuiding – Best for Small Businesses

UserGuiding is a no-code tool for creating in-app guides, making it an ideal choice for smaller companies.

• Interactive Guides: Engage users with product tours, tooltips, and pop-ups.
• Onboarding Checklists: Checklists encourage new users to complete key tasks right from the start.
• Resource Center: A dedicated hub within your app for FAQs, guides, and other support materials.

Pricing:

• Basic: $89/month
• Professional: $389/month
• Corporate: $689+/month

3. Pendo – Best for Mobile Apps

Pendo provides premium tools for mobile app engagement, offering:

• Auto-Generated Guides: Use AI to create customized in-app tours.
• Flow Triggers: Set conditions for onboarding flows based on user activity.
• AI Chatbot: Provides quick answers and pulls relevant support documents.

Pricing: Pendo offers a limited free version and a Starter plan at $7,000/year.

4. MoEngage – Best for AI-Powered Messaging

MoEngage focuses on omnichannel engagement and personalized customer experiences.

• Website Personalization: Customize website content for each visitor.
• Omnichannel Campaigns: Use SMS, email, push notifications, and in-app messages to reach customers.
• AI Campaign Optimization: Leverage AI to send messages at the best time and optimize content based on user behavior.

Pricing: Offers a free plan with up to 10,000 monthly users and custom pricing for paid plans.

5. Whatfix – Best for Employee Engagement

Whatfix is designed for user onboarding and employee training.

• Interactive Walkthroughs: Provides guidance to users at key steps.
• On-Demand Support: Allows users to access help when they need it through a help widget.
• Pop-Ups and Alerts: Highlight new features and updates to keep users informed.

Pricing: Varies by usage, with internal (employee) and external (customer) options.

6. HubSpot – Best for CRM Integration

HubSpot is an all-in-one CRM platform with strong customer engagement tools.

• Centralized Customer Engagement: Manage customer interactions across channels in one place.
• Automated Customer Service: Prioritizes high-importance issues and automates ticketing.

Pricing: Plans start at $15/month for basic features, with higher tiers for more advanced tools.

7. Zendesk – Best for Omnichannel Customer Service

Zendesk helps companies engage with customers through voice, chat, and other channels.

• Integrated Voice Software: Customers can call directly from the app.
• Conversational CRM: Provides personalized interactions through chat and other channels.

Pricing: Starting at $55/month per agent for the Suite Team plan.

8. Drift – Best for Sales and Marketing Teams

Drift combines AI and chat to help sales and marketing teams engage leads.

• Customer Prospecting: Identifies high-intent customers for fast lead conversion.
• Live Chat and Chatbots: AI-powered chatbots handle simple requests, saving human reps for high-priority cases.

Pricing: Premium plan starts at $2,500/month, billed annually.

9. Kangaroo – Best for Loyalty Programs

Kangaroo focuses on building customer loyalty and retention.

• Gamification: Engages customers through contests, giveaways, and promotions.
• Marketing Automation: Helps smaller teams with streamlined marketing campaigns.

Pricing: Plans range from $59/month to $299/month.

10. Intercom – Best for Chatbots and Multilingual Support

Intercom is a widely-used customer engagement tool with a strong chatbot feature.

• Multilingual Support: Supports 45 languages.
• Seamless Handoff: AI handles preliminary support, then hands over to human agents when needed.

Pricing: Essential plan starts at $39/month per user.

11. Sprout Social – Best for Social Media Engagement

Sprout Social specializes in social media management and customer engagement.

• Brand Monitoring: Tracks mentions and provides sentiment analysis.
• Message Tagging and Case Assignment: Organizes inquiries and assigns cases to ensure prompt responses.

Pricing: Starting at $199/month per user.

12. Pushwoosh – Best for Push Notifications

Pushwoosh is known for its effective push notification system to re-engage users.

• Push Notifications: Reaches customers outside the app.
• Customer Journey Builder: Map out customer experiences and set message triggers.

Pricing: Starts at $49/month with custom pricing options available.

Why Invest in a Customer Engagement Platform?

Investing in a customer engagement platform offers significant benefits. When businesses meaningfully engage with their customers, they foster loyalty, improve retention rates, and increase customer satisfaction. Engagement platforms help guide customers, answer questions, and provide timely assistance, making it easier for users to see the value of your product or service.