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Research reportPublished by Spotsaas Research · October 2026

Marketing Operations & MarTech Benchmarks 2026

20 metrics on marketing spend, martech stack complexity, email performance, content ROI, paid acquisition, and attribution.

20
Benchmarks
10
Published sources
2026
Edition
Marketing AutomationEmail Marketing
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Executive summary

What the data shows

This report compiles 20 benchmarks from 10 independently published sources to give marketing automation and email marketing buyers a data-grounded view of where the market stands in 2026. Below are the four findings that matter most for software evaluation and budget planning.

1

Average martech stack has 91 tools — up from 56 in 2020 — but utilisation is only 33%

2

Marketing budgets dropped to 7.7% of revenue, the lowest in a decade

3

Email ROI remains king at $36 per $1 spent, but average open rates fell to 21%

4

Only 18% of marketers can confidently attribute revenue to specific campaigns

Key statistics

MarTech by the numbers

The headline figures, each attributed to the published report it came from.

91
Average tools in a martech stack
Up from 56 in 2020; 33% utilisation — Chiefmartec 2025
7.7%
Marketing budget as % of revenue
Lowest in a decade — Gartner CMO Spend 2025
$36
Email ROI per $1 spent
Litmus State of Email 2025
18%
Marketers who can attribute revenue
To specific campaigns — Demand Gen Report 2025
21%
Average email open rate
Down from 25% in 2022 — Mailchimp 2025
$6,400
Average customer acquisition cost (B2B SaaS)
First Page Sage / Profitwell 2025

Every figure sourced from a published report with disclosed methodology. Full citations in the downloadable report.

Report contents

What you get in the full report

Six sections beyond the figures above, in a print-ready PDF.

Executive summary
A one-page overview of every key finding, written for executives and procurement leads.
Year-over-year trends
How each metric has shifted since 2023 — where marketing automation and email marketing is improving and where it's stuck.
Per-section recommendations
What these benchmarks mean for your buying decisions, with specific next steps per metric.
Visual charts and tables
Every statistic presented as a chart or comparison table — ready for your internal presentations.
Full source citations
All 10 sources listed with report name, publisher, year, and sample size where available.
Print-ready PDF
Formatted for printing or screen sharing — no extra design work needed.

Research methodology

How this report was compiled

This report aggregates 20 metrics from 10 independently published industry sources released between Q3 2024 and Q2 2025. Every statistic is attributed to its original source with the publication year, publisher name, and — where disclosed — sample size and research methodology.

Source selection criteria. We include a metric only when it meets three requirements: (1) it comes from a named, publicly available report, (2) it is based on a disclosed methodology with a sample size of at least 200 organisations or 1,000 professionals, and (3) it is directly relevant to marketing automation and email marketing software evaluation or operational planning.

Verification process. Where two sources report different figures for the same metric, we note the range in the full report and display the figure from the most recent or most methodologically rigorous source. We do not average conflicting figures.

Editorial independence. Spotsaas does not generate primary research data. We aggregate, verify, and contextualise published benchmarks to help software buyers understand market baselines. No vendor paid for inclusion or positioning in this report.

Transparency

Sources cited in this report

The 10 published reports behind every figure above.

Chiefmartec 2025Gartner CMO Spend 2025Litmus State of Email 2025Demand Gen Report 2025Mailchimp 2025First Page Sage / Profitwell 2025

Full citations with report titles, publishers, publication dates, and sample sizes are included in the downloadable report.

Everything above, plus the full analysis

Everything above — plus year-over-year trend analysis, per-section recommendations, visual charts, and the complete source list. Free, instant, no sales calls.

  • 20 benchmarks with full citations
  • Year-over-year trend comparisons
  • Per-section buying recommendations
  • Print-ready charts and tables
PDF · FreeMarTech Benchmarks

Where should we send it? Free · arrives in seconds · no spam.

We email it to you — one-click unsubscribe anytime.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

How many tools are in the average martech stack in 2026?
The average martech stack contains 91 tools, up from 56 in 2020, according to Chiefmartec's 2025 Marketing Technology Survey. However, utilisation is only 33% — two-thirds of martech spend goes to tools that are underused or redundant.
What percentage of revenue do companies spend on marketing?
Marketing budgets dropped to 7.7% of company revenue in 2025, the lowest level in a decade, according to Gartner's annual CMO Spend Survey. This is down from 9.1% in 2023 and 11% in 2020, driven by increased CFO scrutiny on marketing ROI.
What is the ROI of email marketing in 2026?
Email marketing delivers $36 for every $1 spent according to Litmus's 2025 State of Email report, making it the highest-ROI marketing channel. However, average open rates have fallen to 21% (down from 25% in 2022) as inbox competition and privacy features increase.
Can marketers attribute revenue to campaigns?
Only 18% of marketers can confidently attribute revenue to specific campaigns according to the 2025 Demand Gen Report. Multi-touch attribution remains the biggest measurement challenge, with 64% of teams still relying on first-touch or last-touch models.

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