Marketers prioritize features for tool replacement as cost concerns rise in 2024

1. Cost and Feature Drivers

The 2024 MarTech Replacement Survey indicates that cost has become a primary concern for marketers when selecting new technology, with 61% of respondents identifying it as the most important factor, up from 37% in 2023. Despite this focus on pricing, the desire for better features remains the leading catalyst for replacing existing tools. For homegrown applications, 48% of users seek replacements to gain superior features, while 36% of those replacing commercial software do so for the same reason. Cost-related motivations for replacement are more prevalent among those switching from commercial applications, with 23% citing a need to reduce expenses.

2. Most Replaced Applications

Marketing automation platforms (MAPs) remain the most frequently replaced technology in the martech stack, a trend observed for five consecutive years. The rate of replacement for these platforms increased to 31% in 2024, up from 24% in the previous year. Other frequently replaced tools include email distribution software, CRM systems, and SEO tools. Data suggests that the typical lifespan for these applications is between three and five years, with nearly two-thirds of replaced tools having been in use for five years or less.

3. Decision-Making and Leadership

Marketing management and executive leadership are the primary drivers behind martech replacement projects, accounting for 37% and 26% of initiatives, respectively. In contrast, IT departments champion only 8% of these replacements. The survey, which included 496 respondents primarily from the B2B sector, highlights that the majority of organizations are actively evaluating their stacks, with 65% of participants reporting that they replaced at least one martech solution within the past year.