The 10 Most OVERRATED Software in Online Marketing (And What to Use Instead)

In the fast-paced world of online marketing, software tools promise to be game-changers. They claim to save time, boost conversions, and make marketing effortless. But let’s be real—some of these tools are just overhyped, overpriced, and underwhelming.

If you’re tired of throwing money at software that doesn’t deliver, this list is for you. We’re breaking down the 10 most overrated online marketing tools and suggesting smarter alternatives.

Avoid these 10 OVERRATED software at all costs!

1. Hootsuite

Hootsuite's combination of high pricing and software bloat make it a poor choice as a social media management software.

Why It’s Overrated: Hootsuite was once the go-to for social media management, but it’s become bloated with features most people don’t need. Plus, its pricing keeps rising while competitors offer better user experiences and more affordable options.

The interface can feel clunky and outdated, and many users report frequent issues with scheduled posts failing or integrations breaking.

For a tool that charges premium prices, these frustrations make it hard to justify the investment, especially when there are simpler and more cost-effective alternatives available.

What to Use Instead: Try Buffer for simple scheduling or Publer for a budget-friendly alternative with similar features.

2. SEMrush

Why it's Overrated: SEMrush is often considered an overrated software because, despite its extensive features, it comes with a steep learning curve and an expensive price tag that may not justify its value for smaller businesses or individual users.

While it offers a wide range of SEO, PPC, and content marketing tools, many of its data points—such as keyword difficulty and traffic estimates—are not always accurate, leading to potential misinformed decisions. Additionally, SEMrush can feel bloated with features that most users don’t fully utilize, making it unnecessarily complex compared to more streamlined alternatives.

Competitors like Ahrefs or Ubersuggest often provide similar insights with a more user-friendly experience at a lower cost.

Ultimately, while SEMrush is powerful, it is not always the best choice for those seeking cost-effective, accurate, and user-friendly SEO tools.

What to Use Instead: Ubersuggest (by Neil Patel) is a cheaper and more beginner-friendly alternative.

3. ClickFunnels

While clickfunnels is a good tool, its use can be replicated for a fraction of the price using other softwares.

Why It’s Overrated: 

ClickFunnels is often seen as an overrated software because, while it promises an all-in-one funnel-building solution, its high price and limited customization options make it less appealing than other alternatives.

The platform is marketed as an easy-to-use tool for creating sales funnels, but its drag-and-drop builder can be clunky and restrictive, making it difficult for users who need more design flexibility. Additionally, many of its features, such as email marketing and automation, are basic compared to standalone tools that offer better functionality at a lower cost. ClickFunnels also locks users into its ecosystem, making integration with other software more challenging unless you upgrade to higher-tier plans.

Given the availability of more affordable and flexible alternatives like WordPress with Elementor, Kartra, or GrooveFunnels, ClickFunnels often fails to justify its hefty subscription fee, making it an overrated choice for many businesses.

What to Use Instead: Kartra offers more flexibility, or you can build your own funnel using WordPress + Elementor + a checkout system like ThriveCart.

4. HubSpot

Hubspot can be a poor choice because many of its key features are locked behind expensive paywalls.

Why It’s Overrated: HubSpot is often considered an overrated software because, while it markets itself as an all-in-one CRM and marketing solution, its high costs and tiered pricing structure can make it an expensive choice, especially for small businesses.

Many of its core features, such as email marketing, automation, and reporting, are locked behind costly upgrades, making it difficult to scale without significant investment.

Additionally, while HubSpot aims to be user-friendly, its interface can become overwhelming due to the sheer number of tools, many of which lack the depth and customization found in dedicated alternatives like Salesforce, Mailchimp, or Pipedrive.

The platform also locks users into its ecosystem, making it challenging to switch to other solutions without losing data or workflows.

Given the availability of more affordable and specialized alternatives, HubSpot’s reputation as a must-have business tool is often overstated.

What to Use Instead: Brevo (formerly Sendinblue) or ActiveCampaign offer similar automation capabilities at a fraction of the cost.

5. Yoast SEO Premium

Yoast SEO's premium subscription is an additional cost that does not provide much when it comes to value

Why It’s Overrated: Yoast SEO Premium is often considered overrated because, despite its paid features, it doesn’t offer enough value beyond the free version to justify the cost. While it includes functionalities like internal linking suggestions, a redirect manager, and multiple focus keywords, many of these features can be replicated with free plugins or manual SEO strategies.

The real strength of Yoast lies in its free version, which already provides essential on-page SEO tools like meta tag optimization and readability analysis.

Additionally, its keyword optimization suggestions are often simplistic and do not account for modern search engine algorithms that prioritize content quality over rigid keyword placement.

Given the availability of alternative SEO plugins like Rank Math, which offers more advanced features for free, Yoast SEO Premium feels like an unnecessary upgrade that doesn’t significantly improve search rankings.

What to Use Instead: Stick with the free version or use Rank Math, which provides more features without the hefty price tag.

6. Kajabi

Kajabi is expensive and lacks key customization options offered by its competitors.

Why It’s Overrated: Kajabi is often considered overrated because, while it markets itself as an all-in-one platform for course creators, its high price and limited customization make it less appealing than other alternatives.

The platform is expensive compared to competitors, making it a costly option for beginners or small businesses. While it offers built-in tools for website building, email marketing, and course hosting, these features often lack the flexibility and depth of standalone solutions like WordPress, ConvertKit, or Teachable.

Additionally, Kajabi’s design customization is restrictive, limiting users who want more control over branding and user experience.

The platform also locks users into its ecosystem, making migration difficult if they decide to switch. With more affordable and flexible alternatives available, Kajabi’s reputation as the ultimate course platform is often overstated.

What to Use Instead: Teachable or Podia offer better affordability and ease of use.

7. Mailchimp

Mailchimp provides poor bang for your buck within the email marketing niche.

Why It’s Overrated: Mailchimp is often considered an overrated software because, despite its popularity, it comes with significant limitations that make it less appealing compared to other email marketing platforms. While it offers a free plan, its features are quite restricted, and as businesses grow, the pricing becomes expensive relative to competitors that provide more advanced automation and segmentation tools at lower costs.

The platform’s automation capabilities are basic compared to alternatives like ActiveCampaign or ConvertKit, which offer more sophisticated workflows and personalization options. Additionally, Mailchimp’s user interface can be unintuitive, making it frustrating for users who need a more streamlined experience. Its customer support is also known to be lacking, especially for free and lower-tier users.

Given these drawbacks, many marketers find that Mailchimp doesn’t live up to its hype, making it an overrated choice in the email marketing space.

What to Use Instead: MailerLite or ConvertKit offer better automation and pricing structures.

8. Sprout Social

Sprout Social charges a premium for features that constantly underdeliver.

Why It’s Overrated: Sprout Social is often considered an overrated platform because, despite its sleek interface and social media management tools, its high cost and feature limitations make it less practical for many businesses.

While it offers scheduling, analytics, and engagement tools, these features are available in more affordable alternatives like Buffer or Hootsuite, often with better scalability.

Sprout Social’s pricing is steep, especially for teams, as it charges per user rather than per account, making it expensive for growing businesses. Additionally, its reporting and analytics, while visually appealing, do not always provide deeper insights beyond what native social media platforms already offer for free. Customer support can also be inconsistent, with slower response times for lower-tier users.

Given the availability of cheaper and equally capable alternatives, Sprout Social's reputation as a top-tier social media management tool often feels overstated.

What to Use Instead: Later or SocialBee provide similar features at a lower cost.

9. Google Ads (For Beginners)

Google ads is a good platform, but comes with a steep learning curve.

Before we get started, I fully recognize that this is a controversial take, because frankly, Google ads is a very good platform that can drive tons of traffic and purchases in the right hands. However, it can be quite a handfull for beginners, and an expensive one at that.

Google Ads is often the go-to platform for online advertising, but for beginners, it can be an overrated and costly choice. While Google Ads provides access to a vast audience, its high competition, complex bidding system, and expensive cost-per-click (CPC) make it challenging for newcomers to achieve a strong return on investment (ROI). For those looking to maximize their advertising budget, alternative platforms like Bing Ads (Microsoft Advertising) and other advertising channels often provide a better bang for the buck.

The Downsides of Google Ads for Beginners

1. High Competition & Expensive CPCs

   
   

   Google Ads operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) system where advertisers bid for placements. Due to the immense competition, particularly in industries like finance, law, and e-commerce, CPCs can be prohibitively expensive. Beginners with limited budgets often struggle to compete against established businesses that have larger ad spends.

2. Steep Learning Curve & Complex Interface

   
   

   While Google Ads offers powerful tools, its interface and campaign setup can be overwhelming for beginners. Between understanding keyword match types, quality scores, ad extensions, and conversion tracking, newcomers often make costly mistakes that lead to wasted ad spend.

3. Lower ROI for Smaller Budgets

   
   

   Google’s algorithm prioritizes advertisers with larger budgets and better historical ad performance, meaning beginners with limited funds may struggle to gain traction. Without the proper optimization skills, smaller advertisers often end up spending a lot with minimal results.

4. Strict Ad Policies & Account Suspensions

   
   

   Google Ads has strict policies regarding ad content, landing pages, and account behavior. Many beginners experience sudden ad disapprovals or even account suspensions without clear explanations, making it difficult to maintain consistent ad campaigns.

   
   

Why Bing Ads (Microsoft Advertising) CAN be a Better Alternative

Bing ads can be a cheaper, higher converting alternative to google ads.

1. Lower Competition & Cheaper CPCs

   
   

   Bing Ads, now known as Microsoft Advertising, has significantly less competition than Google Ads, resulting in lower CPCs. This makes it an ideal choice for beginners looking to get more clicks without breaking the bank.

   
   

2. Higher Conversion Rates

   
   

   Bing users tend to be older, more affluent, and more likely to make purchases. Studies have shown that conversion rates on Bing can be higher than on Google, making it a more cost-effective platform for advertisers.

   
   

3. Easier Campaign Management

   
   

   Microsoft Advertising’s interface is more user-friendly, making it easier for beginners to set up and manage campaigns. Additionally, it offers similar targeting options as Google Ads, such as location targeting, device targeting, and demographic targeting.

   
   

Other Cost-Effective Advertising Alternatives

1. Facebook & Instagram AdsSocial media advertising provides advanced audience targeting based on interests, behaviors, and demographics. Facebook Ads are often more affordable and effective for brand awareness and lead generation.

2. Reddit & Quora Ads

   
   

   For niche audiences, platforms like Reddit and Quora offer lower advertising costs with highly engaged communities, making them excellent choices for driving traffic and conversions.

3. Native Advertising (Outbrain, Taboola)

   
   

   Native ads blend seamlessly with content, providing a non-intrusive advertising experience. They are generally more affordable and effective for driving content engagement.

4. YouTube & Video Advertising

   
   

   Video advertising on YouTube or TikTok can be a powerful way to engage audiences at a lower cost compared to search ads.

   
   

While Google Ads remains a powerful advertising platform, it is often overrated for beginners due to its high competition, steep learning curve, and expensive CPCs.

Platforms like Bing Ads, Facebook Ads, and native advertising provide more cost-effective alternatives with less competition and better ROI potential. For new advertisers looking to maximize their budgets, exploring these alternatives can lead to better results and more sustainable growth.

What to Use Instead: Start with Facebook Ads or organic SEO strategies before diving into Google Ads.

Final Thoughts

The right software can supercharge your marketing, but the wrong one can drain your budget and leave you frustrated. Before committing to a pricey tool, ask yourself: Do I really need all these features? Can I find a more affordable alternative?

By choosing smarter, you’ll save money, avoid frustration, and get better results from your marketing efforts.