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Best Customer Data Platforms (CDP)

Alanna Iwuh
A
Researched and written by Alanna Iwuh

Customer data platforms (CDPs) are used to consolidate and integrate customer data into one single database. These tools offer marketing teams relevant insights needed to run campaigns. A CDP can grab information from online and offline sources such as websites, mobile apps, and email platforms to offer a complete view of the customer. After retrieving this data, a CDP can then help organizations predict the optimal next move with a particular customer. This allows businesses to learn what needs to be done to retain specific customers. A CDP can also be used by customer service teams to cater their support to each individual. Marketing automation software, data warehouse software, and other platforms that store data can typically integrate with a CDP.

There are a few different types of CDPs to help businesses with varying use cases. A data CDP is the most common system of unified customer data to create a single consumer profile. A campaign CDP is used for campaign management, cross-channel, and multichannel marketing hubs. And an analytics CDP is strictly for the analysis of the type of data it holds.

To qualify for inclusion in the Customer Data Platforms (CDP) category, a product must:

Provide a 360-degree view of the customer
Gather data from multiple sources into one platform, including first-party, second-party, and third-party data from online and offline sources
Unify customer profiles across systems
Connect with other systems to allow marketers to execute campaigns
Improve targeting for marketing campaigns
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Best Customer Data Platforms (CDP) At A Glance

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Learn More About Customer Data Platforms (CDP)

Customer data platforms buying insights at a glance

Customer data platforms (CDPs) help businesses collect, unify, and activate customer data across marketing, sales, service, and analytics functions. CDPs enable centralized customer data management, audience segmentation, real-time engagement, and analytics-driven personalization.

Organizations primarily use customer data platforms to create unified customer profiles, break down data silos, automate customer journeys, and deliver personalized marketing experiences across channels like email, SMS, digital ads, and ecommerce platforms.

Most cdp software follows tiered pricing models based on data volume, number of customer profiles, or usage. Entry-level CDPs typically start at $1,000 to $3,000 per month for core functionality, while mid-market to enterprise solutions range from $5,000 to $20,000 or more per month depending on advanced features, scalability, and support.

If you’re evaluating CDP software, consider your organization’s data complexity, integration needs, pricing flexibility, feature depth, ease of use, and vendor support quality. Essential questions include:

  • What is included in your pricing tiers, and how does pricing scale with data growth?
  • What onboarding, training, and customer success resources do you provide?
  • What pre-built integrations and API capabilities are available?
  • How responsive is the vendor’s customer support and technical assistance?
  • Does the CDP offer real-time engagement, personalization, or AI-driven recommendations?

G2's top-rated Customer data platforms currently include Insider, Bloomreach, WebEngage, Fullstory, and Planhat.

According to G2’s Customer Data Statistics, 94% of business leaders say understanding customer needs is essential to delivering personalized experiences, and 78% of organizations say data silos are a major challenge—further validating the need for CDPs with specialized capabilities. (Source 1)

What are customer data platforms?

G2 defines a customer data platform as a software system that collects, unifies, and organizes customer data from various sources into a single, centralized database. Its core purpose is to create a real-time, comprehensive view of each customer to help businesses deliver personalized marketing experiences and make data-driven decisions. Unlike traditional databases or marketing tools, CDP software automatically integrates both online and offline data, including first-party data such as website activity, mobile interactions, email engagement, transaction history, and sometimes third-party data from external sources.

Customer data platforms are designed to be used primarily by marketing teams, requiring minimal technical support, and offer the ability to segment customers, track behavior over time, and trigger automated actions based on that behavior. What makes a CDP unique is its ability to continuously update customer profiles as new data becomes available, structuring that information in a way that is actionable, whether for targeting ads, personalizing communications, or analyzing campaign performance.

A CDP is different from a CRM, data warehouse, or DMP. CRMs are generally focused on sales workflows and rely heavily on manual data entry, while CDPs automatically gather and maintain a broader range of behavioral and demographic data. Data warehouses are typically IT-managed systems for storing and querying historical data, lacking the real-time agility and marketing focus defining CDPs. DMPs, on the other hand, are built for advertising and primarily use anonymous third-party data to improve targeting, whereas CDPs focus on identifiable individuals and long-term relationship building.

By pulling together fragmented data from across platforms such as websites, mobile apps, social channels, and offline sources, a CDP empowers marketers to better understand customer journeys, personalize experiences, and drive long-term customer value.

The global customer data platform market is experiencing rapid growth as businesses prioritize unified customer data management and personalized marketing strategies. According to Fortune Business Insights, the CDP market was valued at USD 2.65 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow from USD 3.28 billion in 2025 to USD 12.96 billion by 2032, reflecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.7% during the forecast period. (Source 3)

G2 currently covers 263 CDP products, with 1,521 reviews published in the last 12 months, making it one of the most reviewed and comprehensive software categories on our platform. (Source 2)

What are the top reviewed customer data platforms on G2?

G2 scores the top-rated customer data platforms using a proprietary algorithm that evaluates real-user satisfaction ratings and overall popularity based on review data. Here are the five highest-rated CDP products on G2 in this category:

1. Insider

  • Number of Reviews: 765
  • Satisfaction: 100
  • Market Presence: 99
  • G2 Score: 100

2. Bloomreach

  • Number of Reviews: 463
  • Satisfaction: 76
  • Market Presence: 93
  • G2 Score: 85

3. WebEngage

  • Number of Reviews: 174
  • Satisfaction: 84
  • Market Presence: 70
  • G2 Score: 77

4. Fullstory

  • Number of Reviews: 179
  • Satisfaction: 74
  • Market Presence: 77
  • G2 Score: 75

5. Planhat

  • Number of Reviews: 312
  • Satisfaction: 79
  • Market Presence: 64
  • G2 Score: 71

These rankings are determined by combining verified user ratings and publicly available web search popularity data:

  • The Satisfaction Score measures user satisfaction with software products based on user feedback, review quality, quantity, and recency. It helps buyers easily understand how well a product meets user expectations. (Source 2)
  • The Market Presence Score measures a product's prominence in its market. It combines data from G2 user reviews and external sources, focusing primarily on product-specific factors to reflect real-world popularity and vendor influence. (Source 2)
  • G2 ranks products using a unique scoring system called the G2 Score, calculated from real user reviews, online data, and social signals. This score makes it easy to compare and evaluate different software products within each G2 category. (Source 2)

Customer data platform pricing and cost considerations

Customer Data Platform (CDP) pricing can vary widely based on vendor offerings, business size, data volume, and the required features. Most CDPs follow a tiered pricing model, with costs typically scaling based on the number of customer profiles, data processed, or additional features like real-time personalization, advanced analytics, or integrations.

According to G2 data, the average annual price per license for CDPs is approximately $1,294.70. Pricing generally ranges from a minimum annual price of $598.80 per license to a maximum of $4,272.00 per license, depending on the product edition and feature set.

Entry-level CDPs for small to mid-sized businesses often start around $600 to $1,200 per year per license. These plans typically include core features such as data collection, customer segmentation, and basic integrations with marketing tools.

Pricing can increase significantly for mid-market and enterprise-grade organizations, with advanced plans reaching $4,000 or more per year per license. Higher pricing reflects support for larger data volumes, additional users, enhanced privacy and compliance features, AI-powered recommendations, and extensive customization options.

Beyond subscription costs, businesses should consider additional fees such as:

  • Data storage overages
  • Access to premium analytics or reporting modules
  • API usage beyond included limits
  • Implementation and onboarding services (which may range from several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars)

When evaluating CDP pricing, it’s important to factor in not only the base subscription fees but also the total cost of ownership. This includes internal resource requirements, training, integration complexity, and potential cost savings from replacing multiple disconnected systems with a unified customer data platform.

Types of customer data providers on G2

The customer data platform market has matured, leading to the emergence of different types of platforms built for specific use cases. While all CDPs collect and unify customer data, they vary in how much functionality they provide beyond data management. Most fall into one of three categories:

  • Multiple Devices CDPs: Multiple Devices CDPs are built to deliver consistent and personalized customer experiences across any device or channel. They help businesses track customer interactions across smartphones, tablets, desktops, and other connected devices to maintain a unified customer view. This type of CDP is best suited for organizations aiming to create seamless cross-device engagement, ensuring customers receive relevant messaging and experiences no matter how or where they interact with the brand.
  • Marketing Metrics-Focused CDPs: Marketing Metrics-focused CDPs provide advanced analytics and reporting capabilities that help businesses measure marketing performance and ROI. They enable organizations to track customer engagement, campaign effectiveness, and revenue attribution across multiple channels. This type of CDP is ideal for companies looking to gain deeper insights into their marketing efforts, optimize strategies, and make data-driven decisions while managing customer data in a centralized platform.
  • Recommendation Engine CDPs: Recommendation Engine CDPs use artificial intelligence and machine learning to deliver personalized content, product recommendations, and next-best actions across customer touchpoints. By analyzing customer behavior, preferences, and purchase history, they help businesses increase engagement and drive conversions. This type of CDP is well-suited for organizations aiming to enhance personalization strategies, improve product discovery, and deliver relevant experiences in real time across marketing channels.
  • Content Marketing CDPs: Content Marketing CDPs combine customer data management with content delivery tools to support personalized marketing at scale. They enable businesses to create, manage, and distribute content tailored to customer profiles, behaviors, and preferences. This type of CDP is ideal for organizations focused on automating content-driven campaigns, delivering targeted messaging across multiple channels, and driving customer engagement with personalized, data-informed content experiences.
  • Integration with AI Assistants: As businesses adopt AI-powered customer service tools, CDPs provide accurate customer profiles and history. This integration enables AI assistants to offer more relevant, efficient, personalized interactions, enhancing overall customer satisfaction.

Top customer data companies on G2 features rated by G2 reviewers

There is no single best customer data platform for every business. Different CDP features offer unique benefits depending on the organization’s goals, data complexity, and marketing maturity. These features can support users in several ways:

  • Data enrichment: Use external data sources to enhance and complete customer profiles.
  • Expandability: Add new data sources and adapt to changing data requirements over time.
  • Content marketing: Manage and deliver content as part of personalized customer journeys.
  • Multiple devices: Deliver consistent, personalized experiences across all customer devices.
  • Marketing metrics: Measure the performance and ROI of marketing programs and campaigns.
  • Predictive modeling: Forecast customer behaviors and outcomes using statistical models.
  • Recommendation engine: Suggest next-best actions or products based on customer data and AI.

Top CDP benefits identified by G2 reviewers

Effective customer data platform implementation can deliver a range of strategic business benefits, including:

Ease of Use: Users often highlight that these CDPs are intuitive and user-friendly, reducing the learning curve.

“A customer data platform is a very potent, all-in-one platform that functions smoothly like clockwork. It has proven highly capable and effective for us, and we have witnessed consistent growth in CTR using their Smart Recommender.” - Hung Ho, Digital Transformation Executive

Data Management: The ability to collect, unify, and manage customer data efficiently is a standout feature.

“A customer data platform provides analytics and insights to help businesses understand user behavior, measure the performance of their digital experiences, and make data-driven decisions for optimization and personalization.” - Hlengi Khanyile

Personalization Capabilities: Many users mention strong functionality around segmentation and delivering personalized customer experiences.

“We send personalized notifications and messages that match each user’s interests and activity. This helps us keep users returning to the app by offering them exactly what they’re looking for. Personalization has made our connection with users stronger and more meaningful.” - Sanjeev Arora, SDE - 1

Automation: Automating campaigns and data flows is frequently seen as a time-saver and a key value driver.

“The customer portals are invaluable for tracking onboarding objectives with customers, keeping everyone aligned. Its robust automation capabilities allow us to create a wide range of alerts based on real-time data, ensuring we never miss critical updates.” - Rocky Radu, Sr. Operations Engineer

Customer Support: Reviewers appreciate responsive and helpful support teams.

“While the application is intuitive, there are a lot of hidden tricks and tips. Whenever I go to my support team with the question I'm trying to answer, they do everything they can to help me answer that question.” - Tim Oliver, Product Director - Analytics & Data Science

Top customer data platform challenges identified by G2 reviewers

Implementing a customer data software can drive significant marketing and operational value, but G2 user reviews highlight several common challenges that organizations may encounter. These challenges often relate to pricing, complexity, data integration, feature limitations, and support quality. Below are the most frequently reported hurdles, along with key questions to ask vendors and practical advice to address them:

1. Pricing and cost complexity: Reviewers frequently mention that CDP software can involve high costs, especially for advanced features, data volume, or enterprise-level use cases. Unclear pricing models or additional costs for integrations and support can be a barrier.

  • Essential questions to ask your CDP vendor: What is included in your pricing tiers? Are there extra costs for data storage, API access, or integrations? How do costs scale with increasing customer profiles or data usage?
  • How to overcome the challenge: Look for transparent pricing models that clearly outline what is included. Choose vendors that offer flexible, scalable pricing options aligned with your data needs and growth plans.

2. Data complexity and steep learning curve: Customer data platforms often require technical expertise to implement and operate effectively. Users report challenges managing data integration, identity resolution, and advanced segmentation features, especially without dedicated support.

  • Essential questions to ask your CDP vendor: What onboarding, training, and documentation do you provide? Is your platform designed for marketers, or will technical teams need to be heavily involved? What customer success resources are available?
  • How to overcome the challenge: Select CDPs that emphasize ease of use, intuitive interfaces, and strong customer enablement programs. Ensure that adequate training resources are available for both technical and non-technical users.

3. Limited or underdeveloped features: Many users cite missing features, lack of customization, or limitations in reporting and analytics tools as pain points that hinder their ability to fully leverage the CDP.

  • Essential questions to ask your CDP vendor: What are your platform’s current core features, and how mature are they? Can you provide a product roadmap or outline of upcoming features? Are there limitations or known gaps in key areas like reporting, integrations, or personalization?
  • How to overcome the challenge: Select a CDP vendor that is transparent about its product capabilities and development roadmap. During evaluation, prioritize platforms that actively engage with customer feedback and release regular feature updates. Consider whether the available features align with your highest-priority use cases, and avoid over-investing in platforms that require long wait times for critical functionality.

4. Customer support quality: Reviewers frequently note slow response times or inadequate assistance when solving technical issues, which negatively impacts their experience with the product.

  • Essential questions to ask your CDP vendor: What support channels do you offer, such as email, live chat, phone, or dedicated account managers? What is your average response time for support inquiries? Do you provide guaranteed service levels through Service Level Agreements (SLAs)? What resources do you offer for onboarding, training, and ongoing customer success support?
  • How to overcome the challenge: Evaluate CDP vendors based on proven customer support performance. Look for platforms with responsive, multi-channel support and clearly defined SLAs. Prioritize vendors that offer proactive customer success programs, training resources, and dedicated support contacts to ensure your team receives guidance during implementation and ongoing use.

5. Data integration complexity: Many users report difficulties integrating their CDP with existing tools, systems, and data sources. Challenges include limited pre-built connectors, complex API configurations, custom integration requirements, and inconsistent data formatting across platforms. Without seamless integration, a CDP’s ability to unify customer data and deliver insights is significantly reduced.

  • Essential questions to ask your CDP vendor: What pre-built integrations do you offer with common tools like CRMs, marketing automation platforms, e-commerce systems, and analytics tools? How flexible is your API, and what technical resources are required for custom integrations? Do you provide support or services to help with integration setup and troubleshooting? How do you ensure data accuracy and consistency across connected systems?
  • How to overcome the challenge: Prioritize CDPs that offer a wide range of pre-built integrations with your existing tools. Confirm that the platform provides clear API documentation, integration support, and technical resources to streamline setup. Engage internal IT teams early in the evaluation process to assess technical compatibility and avoid unexpected complexity during implementation.

What are customer data platforms used for?

Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) are primarily used to unify customer data, improve marketing performance, and deliver personalized customer experiences. According to G2 reviewers, businesses rely on CDPs to collect and manage customer data from multiple sources and create a single, comprehensive customer view.

Common use cases include improving customer engagement, enabling personalized marketing campaigns, and optimizing customer journeys across channels. Many businesses use CDPs to track customer behavior, automate campaign delivery, and segment audiences for targeted messaging. CDPs also support reporting, real-time analytics, and help teams make data-driven decisions.

Reviewers frequently mention that CDPs help break down data silos, connect online and offline customer interactions, and increase operational efficiency in marketing, sales, and customer service teams.

Who uses customer data platforms?

Customer data platform solutions are used by businesses to unify customer data, personalize marketing, and improve customer engagement across teams and channels.

  • Marketing teams: Use CDPs to unify customer data, segment audiences, and personalize campaigns across channels.
  • Sales teams: Access real-time customer profiles to identify leads, track activity, and deliver personalized outreach.
  • Customer experience teams: Leverage CDPs to track customer interactions and provide consistent, personalized support.
  • Data and analytics teams: Use CDPs to collect, analyze, and report on customer data from multiple sources.
  • Ecommerce and retail businesses: Rely on CDPs to power personalized product recommendations and optimize customer journeys.
  • B2B and B2C companies: Use CDPs to understand customer behavior, drive engagement, and improve marketing performance.

Common customer data platform integrations

Customer data platforms integrate with a wide range of tools to collect, unify, and activate customer data across systems. Common integrations include:

  • CRM systems: Connect customer relationship management tools to sync contact data, sales activity, and customer interactions.
  • Marketing automation platforms: Integrate with email marketing, SMS, and campaign tools to deliver personalized messaging.
  • E-Commerce platforms: Sync product data, purchase history, and customer behavior from online stores.
  • Advertising platforms: Connect with ad networks and social media channels to optimize audience targeting and ad personalization.
  • Analytics and BI tools: Feed unified customer data into reporting platforms for deeper analysis and insights.
  • Data warehouses and cloud storage: Integrate with cloud data systems to centralize large volumes of structured and unstructured data.
  • Customer support tools: Connect customer service platforms to provide personalized support based on complete customer profiles.

Future of customer data platforms

The future of customer data platforms will focus on deeper AI-driven personalization, stronger real-time data processing, expanded privacy and compliance features, and increased integration with emerging technologies to help businesses deliver more connected, predictive, and privacy-first customer experiences.

  1. AI-Powered Personalization: CDPs are increasingly integrating artificial intelligence and machine learning to deliver hyper-personalized customer experiences in real time. By analyzing behavioral signals and customer preferences, businesses can tailor content, offers, and journeys dynamically. ​
  2. Real-Time Data Activation: The growing demand for agility and responsiveness is driving CDPs to process and activate customer data instantly. Real-time decision-making helps brands respond to customer behavior as it happens, enhancing engagement and satisfaction. ​
  3. Privacy-First Data Collaboration: With increasing data privacy regulations, CDPs are adopting technologies like data clean rooms that allow companies to analyze shared data sets without exposing personally identifiable information. This approach protects user privacy while maintaining valuable insights. ​
  4. Cross-Channel Customer Engagement: CDPs are expanding beyond traditional marketing use cases, enabling personalized engagement across a growing number of touchpoints, including mobile apps, social media, e-commerce, and customer service platforms. This holistic approach ensures consistent messaging and experiences across all customer interactions. ​
  5. Integration with AI Assistants: As businesses adopt AI-powered customer service tools, CDPs play a crucial role in providing accurate customer profiles and history. This integration enables AI assistants to offer more relevant, efficient, and personalized interactions, enhancing overall customer satisfaction. (Source 4)

Sources

  1. 50+ Customer Data Statistics for Successful Marketing Plans, G2
  2. G2 reviews data: G2 reviews are sourced from verified software users and factor in satisfaction ratings, market presence, and real-time popularity data. Rankings in this guide are based on an analysis of G2 user reviews published within the last 12 months. For more details, read G2’s full scoring methodology.
  3. Customer Data Platform Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, Fortune Business Insights
  4. Customer Data Platform Growth Shifts to New Markets, CDP Institute