Marin Software vs Smartly (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Marin Software if

• Fits if you run big search and social budgets across many networks
• Works for teams that want revenue and offline data next to ad data

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you are small, at $500 a month for Connect
• Not for you if you want flexibility above Connect, as Ascend and One are 12-month contracts
• Watch out: bidding, forecasting and pacing are view-only on Connect
• Watch out: setup fees apply to non-API publishers and offline orders
• Watch out: its home page announces an acquisition, so check current terms

Pick Smartly if

• Fits if you are a large advertising team that wants creative, media and measurement together
• Makes sense if you buy through sales and a demo

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you want a price before talking to anyone: none is shown
• Not for you if you are a small team, as the site shows no self-serve or free plan
• Watch out: which channels and features come with each suite is not itemized
• Tight if you want to compare features first, since little detail is public

Marin Software

• Marin was announced as acquired by Zax Capital on its homepage; check current terms with the vendor.
• Only Connect is month-to-month; Ascend and One carry 12-month contracts.
• Connect includes 5 data sources, with more available; bidding, forecasting and budget pacing are view-only there.
• Setup fees apply to some items, marked on the comparison table, such as non-API publishers and offline orders.

Smartly

• No prices are published on the pages read; access starts with a demo request, so cost is unknown.
• Built for larger advertising teams; the site shows no self-serve or free plan.
• Which ad channels and features come with each suite is not itemized publicly.

Marin Software

Cross-publisher data collection

Aggregates data from search (Google, Bing, Yahoo Japan, Apple Search Ads), social (Meta, LinkedIn, Snap, Pinterest, TikTok), retail and display sources into one view.

Reporting and dashboards

An analytics grid, in-app dashboards, automated alerts, custom columns and, on higher tiers, white labeling and currency conversion.

Optimization and forecasting

Bidding, automated budget pacing, dynamic allocation and AI-powered forecasting. These are view-only on Connect.

Bulk campaign management

Multi-edit, bulk sheets, bulk uploads, scripts and dynamic campaigns for managing ad platforms at scale.

Revenue and offline data

Connects Google Analytics, revenue uploads and CRM data, with offline orders and call tracking noted as paid extras on the comparison table.

Smartly

Smartly Creative

Builds, personalizes and scales ad creative across platforms, with an AI Studio for personalized content and generative AI for production.

Smartly Media

Launches, manages and updates campaigns across channels with automation, aimed at scaling work without adding manual effort.

Smartly Intelligence

Brings planning, performance and measurement signals into one view to guide where to invest and scale.

Channel coverage

Solution pages cover social media, conversational commerce, connected TV across 200+ streaming services, the open web via DSPs, and video.

Team-based solutions

Separate pages for agency, performance, brand, creative and B2B teams describe how the suites fit each workflow.

Marin Software

• Connect$500

  per month and up, month-to-month

  Data collection and reporting with 5 data sources (more available), 90 days of backfill, 24 months of data retention and daily refresh. Optimization features are view-only.

• Ascend$1,000

  per month and up, 12-month contract

  Unlimited data sources, 365 days of backfill, 36 months of retention and intraday refresh. The page also describes it as a customized quote.

• One$2,000

  per month and up, 12-month contract

  Everything in Ascend with 48 months of retention. The page also describes it as a customized quote.

Smartly

Pricing could not be confirmed. See smartly.io.