The 6 best content marketing software platforms in 2026

Kenneth Pangan
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Kenneth Pangan

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Katelin Teen

Last edited January 16, 2026

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Content marketing can feel like a juggling act. It's not just about writing a few blog posts: you have to handle ideation, creation, planning, distribution, and then try to figure out if any of it is actually working. It's a full-time job just managing the workflow, never mind creating content that people see and that drives growth.

This is where content marketing software comes in, and thankfully, the tools have gotten much more powerful. We're talking about platforms that can help streamline the entire process. And with AI now in the mix, things have completely changed. Modern tools can help you scale high-quality content in ways that just weren't possible a couple of years ago. We should know, we built the eesel AI blog writer to solve this exact problem for ourselves.

So, if you're looking for the right platform to upgrade your content game in 2026, you're in the right place. We've looked at the best options out there to help you find the perfect fit.

What is content marketing software?

At its core, content marketing software is a tool or platform that helps you manage your content from start to finish. Think of it as a central hub for everything from brainstorming that next big idea to analyzing how your published pieces are performing.

Its main job is to bring all the scattered parts of your content strategy: planning, writing, collaborating, publishing, and analytics, into one organized system. This saves you from the chaos of juggling a dozen different spreadsheets, documents, and apps.

An infographic showing the five core functions of content marketing software: planning, writing, collaboration, publishing, and analytics.
An infographic showing the five core functions of content marketing software: planning, writing, collaboration, publishing, and analytics.

These tools come in all shapes and sizes. You have all-in-one platforms like HubSpot that try to do everything, specialized SEO suites like Semrush that are all about data, organizational tools like CoSchedule that keep your team on track, and powerful AI content generation tools like the eesel AI blog writer that focus on creating great content, fast.

How we chose the best content marketing software

To cut through the noise, we focused on what really helps teams grow. We wanted to find tools that are genuinely useful, not just flashy. Here’s what we looked for when building this list:

An infographic detailing our four key criteria for choosing the best content marketing software: core features, AI capabilities, user experience, and value for money.
An infographic detailing our four key criteria for choosing the best content marketing software: core features, AI capabilities, user experience, and value for money.

  • Core features: Does the tool do the basics well? We looked for platforms that handle key tasks like content planning, team collaboration, and distribution without being a pain to use.
  • AI capabilities: Let's be real, AI is a huge part of content now. We checked how well each platform uses AI to actually help with creating, optimizing, or repurposing content, rather than just using it as a buzzword.
  • User experience: You shouldn't need a special degree to use your marketing software. We prioritized tools with clean, intuitive interfaces that marketers can start using right away.
  • Value for money: Is it worth the price? We weighed the features against the cost to see if the platform offers a real return on your investment, whether you're a small startup or a large company.

A quick comparison of the top content marketing software in 2026

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, here's a quick side-by-side look at our top picks. This should give you a general idea of where each tool shines.

PlatformBest forStandout featureStarting price (billed annually)
eesel AI blog writerScaling SEO blog content with AIAutomatic asset generation & social embedsFree to try; $99/month for 50 blogs
HubSpot Content HubAll-in-one marketing & CRMTightly integrated customer platform$9/month per seat
ContentlyEnterprise content creation at scaleVetted network of 165,000+ freelancersCustom pricing
SemrushData-driven SEO & competitive analysisAI Visibility & comprehensive keyword data$165.17/month
CoScheduleContent planning & team organizationCentralized visual marketing calendarFree plan available; paid starts at $19/month per user
JasperAI-assisted copy with brand controlsJasper IQ for brand voice & knowledge$59/month per seat

The 6 best content marketing software platforms in 2026

Alright, let's get into the details. Here’s our breakdown of the best content marketing software you can get your hands on this year.

Reddit
I run a digital marketing agency and have worked in b2b marketing for 15 years. I've been an individual contributor, Director, VP, and now a CEO. Throughout my career, I've used pretty much every saas tool you can think of. I just started using reddit for business, so I figured I'd put together a list of my favorites with the hope it helps you at some point. My gift as a newbie.

1. eesel AI blog writer

A screenshot of the eesel AI blog writer, a content marketing software, showing the dashboard for generating a new blog post.
A screenshot of the eesel AI blog writer, a content marketing software, showing the dashboard for generating a new blog post.

Why we picked it: The eesel AI blog writer is more than just a writing assistant; it’s a content engine. You give it a keyword, and it gives you back a complete, SEO-optimized blog post that's ready to publish. We built it to solve our own content scaling problems, and it’s the tool we used to grow our blog's impressions from 70,000 to over 750,000 in just three months. It's made for teams that want to produce high-quality content that ranks, without spending hours finding images, formatting drafts, and doing manual research.

Pros: Its biggest strength is creating entire, media-rich articles in minutes. The content isn't just a wall of text. It automatically includes AI-generated images, finds and embeds relevant YouTube videos, and even pulls in real Reddit quotes to add social proof. Plus, it’s optimized for Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), getting your content ready for the future of AI search.

Cons: While it's highly effective for blogs and articles, it’s not built for creating short-form copy for social media posts or ads. It also doesn't have built-in calendar or project management features, so if you need an all-in-one tool for every single marketing task, you might consider pairing it with a platform like HubSpot.

Pricing: You can try it completely free. The paid Early Bird plan starts at $99 per month, which gets you 50 blog credits.

2. HubSpot Content Hub

A screenshot of the HubSpot Content Hub landing page, an example of an all-in-one content marketing software.
A screenshot of the HubSpot Content Hub landing page, an example of an all-in-one content marketing software.

Why we picked it: HubSpot is the premier choice for businesses that want a single, integrated platform where their content marketing, sales, and customer service all live together. If you’re looking for a single source of truth for every customer interaction, HubSpot's Content Hub is a powerful and reliable option that powers thousands of successful companies.

Pros: The seamless integration with HubSpot's Smart CRM is its main advantage. It lets you create personalized content and nurture leads within a mature ecosystem. The platform comes with robust SEO tools, a flexible CMS, and advanced AI features like Content Remix, which helps you easily repurpose existing assets into new formats. Their AI agents are also incredibly capable, helping generate drafts for blog posts, landing pages, and even podcasts.

Cons: HubSpot offers tiered plans to match different team sizes and needs. While the platform is a significant investment for enterprise-level scale, it provides an unmatched ecosystem that grows with you. Smaller teams can benefit from starting with the core tools, and as they scale, they can unlock more specialized enterprise features to meet their evolving requirements.

Pricing:

  • Free tools: $0 with essential features.
  • Starter: Begins at $9 per seat per month (billed annually).
  • Professional: Starts at $450 per month for three seats.

3. Contently

A screenshot of the Contently homepage, an enterprise content marketing software that connects businesses with freelance creatives.
A screenshot of the Contently homepage, an enterprise content marketing software that connects businesses with freelance creatives.

Why we picked it: Contently is built for large, enterprise teams that need to produce a high volume of quality content while staying on-brand and compliant. It features a curated network of over 165,000 freelance creatives: writers, editors, and designers, all managed through their platform.

Pros: The Contently AI Studio offers a neat hybrid approach, combining AI for things like brand voice and SEO with human oversight from a dedicated managing editor. This is a huge benefit for businesses in regulated industries like finance or healthcare that need strict compliance tools, like plagiarism scanners and word blacklists. It also provides strong analytics to help you prove your content's ROI.

Cons: This is a true enterprise solution, and the positioning reflects that. It's not typically an option for small or medium-sized businesses. The pricing model is based on an annual subscription plus a separate budget for the content you commission, which is more involved than a simple per-seat plan.

Pricing: Pricing is custom and provided after you book a consultation with their sales team.

4. Semrush

A screenshot of the Semrush landing page, a data-driven content marketing software and SEO tool.
A screenshot of the Semrush landing page, a data-driven content marketing software and SEO tool.

Why we picked it: Most people know Semrush as an SEO tool, but it has evolved into a comprehensive content marketing platform. It’s a great choice for marketers who love data and want to base their content strategy on deep keyword research, competitor analysis, and performance tracking.

Pros: The amount of data available is extensive. With a database of over 25 billion keywords, you can find content gaps and opportunities you’d never spot otherwise. The SEO Writing Assistant gives you real-time feedback on your content as you write, and their new AI Visibility toolkit helps you track when your brand gets mentioned in AI models like ChatGPT.

Cons: The platform offers a lot of information, which can lead to a learning curve for new users. While it has an AI content generator called ContentShake AI, it is primarily focused on optimizing text rather than producing a complete, media-rich article from the ground up.

Pricing:

  • Semrush One Starter: Starts at $165.17 per month (billed annually).
  • Pro+: Starts at $248.17 per month (billed annually).

5. CoSchedule

A screenshot of the CoSchedule landing page, a content marketing software focused on team organization and planning.
A screenshot of the CoSchedule landing page, a content marketing software focused on team organization and planning.

Why we picked it: CoSchedule is all about one thing: getting your team organized. Its Marketing Calendar is one of the best out there for teams who want to manage deadlines and projects effectively. It gives you a single, visual command center for your entire content strategy, from blogs and emails to social media campaigns.

Pros: The drag-and-drop calendar is super intuitive and makes it easy to plan and reschedule content. It has some useful features like ReQueue, which automatically re-shares your best evergreen content, and a Social Inbox to manage engagement in one place. Its AI assistant can also help with drafting social media copy and brainstorming headlines.

Cons: While it's a fantastic planner, its features for actually creating and analyzing content aren't as deep as what you'd find on more comprehensive platforms like HubSpot. It works best as a project management hub for your content team, rather than an end-to-end solution for creation and optimization.

Pricing:

  • Free calendar: $0 for individual users with limited social publishing.
  • Social calendar: Starts at $19 per user per month (billed annually).
  • Content calendar & Marketing Suite: Requires custom pricing.

6. Jasper

A screenshot of the Jasper landing page, an AI-powered content marketing software with brand voice controls.
A screenshot of the Jasper landing page, an AI-powered content marketing software with brand voice controls.

Why we picked it: Jasper is a well-known AI content platform that’s great for marketing teams focused on keeping a consistent brand voice across a lot of content. It's particularly useful when you need to quickly generate copy for ads, social media, emails, and other short-form campaigns.

Reddit
Google’s John Mueller says AI generated content is banned on Search but I think with Jasper AI you can generate SEO optimised Content but you have to put in some efforts like at least give 30 minutes for editing the Copy by yourself.

Pros: Its key feature is Jasper IQ, which lets you create a central brand voice by feeding it your style guides and product information. The AI then uses this knowledge for all future content. They're also rolling out new features like "Content Pipelines" and "Agents" to help automate more complex marketing workflows.

Cons: The AI-generated content, especially for longer articles, often requires human editing and fact-checking to be ready for publication. Jasper is great at producing text drafts, in contrast to tools that generate complete, publish-ready articles with multimedia assets included.

Pricing:

  • Pro: Starts at $59 per seat per month (billed annually).
  • Business: Custom pricing for larger teams who need API access.

Tips for choosing the right content marketing software for your business

Feeling a bit overwhelmed by the options? Don't worry. Here are a few simple tips to help you pick the right tool for your team.

An infographic showing four tips for choosing the right content marketing software: identify your problem, consider your team, check integrations, and start with a trial.
An infographic showing four tips for choosing the right content marketing software: identify your problem, consider your team, check integrations, and start with a trial.

  • Figure out your biggest headache: What’s the main problem you’re trying to solve? If your goal is to publish more high-ranking blog content without hiring a huge team, a specialized tool like the eesel AI blog writer is a great fit. If your calendar is a mess, look at CoSchedule. If you need a mature, all-in-one system for everything, HubSpot is the industry standard.
  • Consider your team's size and skills: A small team will probably do better with a simple, focused tool that’s easy to learn. A growing company might need a platform with more complex collaboration and robust CRM integration, which is where HubSpot shines.
  • Check for key integrations: Make sure the software works well with the other tools you already use. This could be your CMS (like WordPress), your analytics platform (like Google Analytics), or your social media accounts.
  • Always start with a free trial: Never buy before you try. Almost every platform on this list offers a free trial or a free plan. Use it. This is the best way to see if the workflow clicks with your team and if the quality of the output meets your standards. You can try the eesel AI blog writer for free and generate a full article to see the results for yourself.

To see some of these AI-powered tools in action and understand how they can fit into your workflow, check out this helpful overview from HubSpot.

A video from HubSpot showcasing 10 AI content marketing software tools designed to help marketers reach their audiences on different channels.

The right content marketing software makes all the difference

Choosing the right content marketing software isn't about finding the platform with the most features. It's about finding the one that solves your most pressing problems, whether that's creating content faster, organizing your workflow, or digging deeper into your analytics.

AI-powered platforms are changing how content gets made, allowing teams of all sizes to produce better work, faster than ever. For many businesses, scaling high-quality blog content is one of the biggest things you can do for long-term organic growth.

Ready to see how AI can transform your content strategy? Generate your first complete, SEO-optimized blog post for free with the eesel AI blog writer and see the difference for yourself.


Frequently asked questions

Content marketing software helps you [manage the entire content lifecycle](https://www.salesforce.com/marketing/content-marketing-software-guide/) in one place. This includes planning what to write (ideation), creating the content, collaborating with your team, publishing it to different channels, and analyzing its performance to see what's working.
[AI-powered tools](https://www.eesel.ai/blog/ai-content-marketing-tools) can help with SEO in several ways. They can perform keyword research to find topics with high traffic potential, ensure your articles are optimized for those keywords as you write, and even generate complete, SEO-friendly blog posts. Some, like the eesel AI blog writer, also optimize for Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) to help you show up in AI search results.
Yes, many platforms offer free plans or trials. For example, CoSchedule has a free calendar for individuals, and HubSpot offers a suite of free tools. The eesel AI blog writer also has a [free trial](https://blog-generator.eesel.ai/) that lets you generate a full, publish-ready blog post to test its capabilities.
For a small business, [ease of use and value](https://www.capterra.com/content-marketing-software/) for money are often the most important features. Look for a tool that solves your biggest content bottleneck without being overly complex or expensive. A tool that automates time-consuming tasks, like content creation or social media scheduling, can provide a huge return on investment.
Absolutely. Depending on the platform, it can help you [manage social media campaigns](https://www.mailerlite.com/blog/best-content-marketing-tools), create email newsletters, build landing pages, design visuals, and track analytics across all your channels. All-in-one platforms like HubSpot cover a wide range of marketing activities, while specialized tools focus on doing one or two things extremely well.

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Kenneth Pangan

Writer and marketer for over ten years, Kenneth Pangan splits his time between history, politics, and art with plenty of interruptions from his dogs demanding attention.