What Is Growth Hacking?
Growth hacking is a digital marketing method focused on rapid business expansion through cost-effective experiments. It helps marketers quickly identify and scale strategies that drive customer growth while discontinuing ineffective approaches.
Although many associate growth hacking with startups, businesses of all sizes can use these techniques to grow their brands.
Further reading: 9 Ultimate Growth Hacking Strategies + Examples
What to Look for in Growth Hacking Tools
Growth hacking tools help marketers plan, execute, and monitor campaigns aimed at customer acquisition and revenue generation. These tools keep the focus on the most effective methods for scaling a business.
Consider these key factors when evaluating growth hacking software. These criteria help narrow the selection and ensure a strong return on investment (ROI):
- Scalability: The tool should adapt to the changing needs of a growing business
- Ease of Use: Growth hacking emphasizes speed, so the chosen tool should be simple to learn and implement
- Integrations: Seamless integration with existing systems provides immediate access to necessary information
- Customer Support: Reliable assistance reduces downtime caused by technical issues or questions
To streamline your decision-making, this article provides a list of the top growth hacking tools available today.
1. Site Audit
Semrush’s Site Audit tool identifies and fixes technical SEO issues that lower your search rankings and hurt user experience. It flags problems like slow page speed and disorganized page structures. Fixing these issues can increase web traffic, brand credibility, and conversions.
Site Audit scans a website for more than 140 common technical issues. It generates a detailed report and provides guidance on how to address each problem.
To begin, enter your domain and click “Start Audit.”
The default settings are suitable for most users. Advanced users can adjust crawler and other configurations.
After finalizing settings, click “Start Site Audit.” The tool then scans your website and delivers a full report within 24 hours. Larger websites may take longer to audit.
The report’s top section displays your site’s overall health score. A higher score means fewer critical issues. Below the health score, you’ll find “Thematic Reports” that highlight specific SEO concerns.
Click on any report for more detail, or click the “Issues” tab to view all detected problems.
The tool classifies issues into three categories:
- Errors: Critical problems that require immediate attention
- Warnings: Medium-level issues to address after fixing errors
- Notices: Minor deviations from SEO best practices
For more information about a specific issue, click “Why and how to fix it.” The explanation includes a description of the problem and a recommended solution.
After fixing errors, click “Rerun campaign” to scan your site again and confirm that issues are resolved.
The “Progress” tab shows historical data, allowing you to track improvements over time. You can customize this data to focus on specific issues.
What We Like
Site Audit provides detailed and actionable recommendations for addressing technical SEO issues. These insights help prevent missed errors and improve your site’s search engine visibility.
Pricing
Site Audit is included in all Semrush plans. Plans differ in the number of projects, keywords tracked, and reports generated.
- Pro: $139.95/month
- Guru: $249.95/month
- Business: $499.95/month
2. Organic Research
Semrush’s Organic Research tool streamlines competitor analysis. It reveals which keywords competitors rank for, helping you refine your own SEO strategy. By identifying high-impact keywords, you can target terms that drive significant growth.
To use it,enter a competitor’s domain and click “Search.”
In the summary dashboard, navigate to the “Positions” tab to see all the keywords your competitor ranks for. Filter these keywords by position, search volume, keyword difficulty, search intent, or SERP features.
To export the keyword list, click “Export.”
Further reading: Organic Keywords: What Are They & How to Find Them
What We Like
The Organic Research tool’s extensive keyword filtering capabilities help you quickly pinpoint high-value search terms.
Pricing
Organic Research is included with all Semrush plans, with varying limits on projects, tracked keywords, and reports:
- Pro: $139.95/month
- Guru: $249.95/month
- Business: $499.95/month
3. Link Building Tool
Securing quality backlinks from reputable websites enhances your brand’s credibility and improves search engine rankings. Semrush’s Link Building Tool identifies new link building opportunities and simplifies the outreach process.
To use it, enter your domain and click “Start Link Building.” (If you haven’t used the tool before, select “+ Create project” and follow the prompts.)
Add up to 10 target keywords and up to 10 competitors.
Click “Start Link Building” to generate a list of potential linking domains. Review each domain’s Authority Score (AS) to gauge quality.
Remove unsuitable prospects or mark promising ones as “In Progress.”
In the “In Progress” tab, set your outreach strategy and contact site owners by clicking “Contact.”
What We Like
The Link Building Tool organizes the outreach process. You can easily track each opportunity’s status, from “In Progress” to “Monitor.”
Pricing
Link Building is included in all Semrush plans, each with different project, keyword, and report limits:
- Pro: $139.95/month
- Guru: $249.95/month
- Business: $499.95/month
4. HubSpot Marketing Hub
HubSpot Marketing Hub is an all-in-one marketing platform that attracts, engages, and converts website visitors. For example, you can create branded contact forms to capture leads.
You can then nurture those leads with personalized email sequences. The drag-and-drop editor and built-in email templates simplify the process.
You can automate email campaigns with customizable workflows to ensure that leads receive the right message at the right time. Adding HubSpot’s live chat to your site also routes leads and customers to the correct team members, improving user experience.
What We Like
HubSpot Marketing Hub supports every phase of the customer journey. It provides a range of tools in one platform, maximizing your ROI.
Pricing
HubSpot offers a free plan that allows one email automation, 2,000 monthly email sends, and limited form functionality. Paid options include:
- Starter: from $20/month
- Professional: from $890/month
- Enterprise: from $3,600/month
Further reading: How to Win People Over with Compelling Email Content
5. ActiveCampaign
ActiveCampaign provides automation tools that enable growth through personalized customer journeys. Personalized experiences increase conversions and repeat sales, boosting your marketing ROI.
Leverage your customer and subscriber data to create tailored emails and nurture sequences. The platform includes more than 250 email templates and a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface.
Like HubSpot, ActiveCampaign supports marketing workflows. Choose from pre-made workflows or build your own. You can also A/B test your workflows to identify what drives the most engagement.
ActiveCampaign offers customizable templates for landing pages, making it simple to experiment with different messaging and designs.
What We Like
ActiveCampaign provides over 800 pre-built marketing workflows. Combined with A/B testing, it lets you quickly identify effective strategies.
Pricing
ActiveCampaign offers a free 14-day trial and paid plans:
- Starter: $19/month
- Plus: $59/month
- Professional: $89/month
- Enterprise: $159/month
6. Optimizely
Optimizely helps businesses run tests on their websites. Its visual editor allows you to create different layouts and text variations without coding. The platform supports team collaboration by letting you log ideas, manage experiment backlogs, prioritize tests, and communicate with stakeholders.
It includes shared workspaces, experimentation calendars, and a results repository to keep everyone informed.
What We Like
Optimizely’s personalization features combine first- and third-party data. This lets you deliver tailored user experiences that boost revenue.
Pricing
Optimizely’s pricing is not publicly listed. Contact the sales team for a quote.
Further reading: 20+ SEO Experiments to Get More Organic Traffic
7. VWO
VWO is an experimentation platform for web and mobile app optimization. It includes both a visual and a code editor, supporting users of all skill levels. You can run A/B, split, and multivariate tests to identify what resonates with visitors.
VWO’s detailed reports show experiment outcomes in one place. VWO Personalize enables custom experiences based on user data. VWO Insights provides heatmaps, session recordings, and surveys to understand user behavior and optimize site design.
Session recordings reveal how users navigate your site, while heatmaps highlight the elements that attract the most attention. This information helps you improve conversions by removing obstacles and emphasizing valuable content.
What We Like
VWO’s data-driven approach lets you learn from customers and adjust your website accordingly. Its AI-powered copy generator speeds up experiment launches, and the interface is beginner-friendly.
Pricing
VWO pricing depends on the product and the number of monthly tracked visitors. VWO Testing and VWO Insights include free starter plans. VWO Personalize and VWO Rollouts require a paid subscription.
8. Hotjar
Hotjar offers three core tools: Observe, Ask, and Engage.
- Observe: View session recordings and heatmaps to understand user behavior.
- Ask: Collect visitor feedback using pop-ups and surveys. This helps you fine-tune your marketing strategy and maintain customer engagement.
- Engage: Conduct 1:1 interviews with customers or use Hotjar’s participant pool of over 200,000 people from 130 countries and 25 industries.
Further reading: The Complete Guide to (Effective) Customer Analysis
What We Like
Hotjar simplifies qualitative research. Its AI Survey feature automatically generates surveys based on your goals and summarizes results. Faster insights help you quickly refine strategies and grow your brand.
Pricing
All Hotjar products have a free Basic plan. Paid plan prices vary by product:
Observe:
- Plus: $39/month
- Business: $99/month for 500 daily sessions
- Scale: $213/month for 500 daily sessions
Ask:
- Plus: $59/month
- Business: $79/month for 500 monthly responses
- Scale: $159/month for 500 monthly responses
Engage:
- Plus: $49/month for 36 yearly interviews
- Business: $550/month for 144 yearly interviews
- Scale: Custom pricing
9. Mouseflow
Like Hotjar’s Observe, Mouseflow provides session recordings and heatmaps for user behavior analysis. It also helps gather feedback and tracks user journeys.
This includes showing you where visitors drop off, the percentage of drop-offs, conversions per stage, and a friction score that highlights potential user frustrations.
What We Like
Mouseflow’s form analysis feature reveals where users abandon lead capture forms. You can optimize these fields to increase form completions and generate more leads.
Pricing
Mouseflow offers a free plan with limitations. Paid plans include:
- Starter: $39/month
- Growth: $129/month
- Business: $259/month
- Pro: $499/month
10. Drift
Drift helps identify, engage, and convert target customers. With a tracking code on your site, you can see visitor activity (who’s visiting, when, and what pages they view). This supports sales prioritization.
Drift’s AI chatbot guides users through the funnel, connecting them to team members for demos or support. Add the bot to existing landing pages or create new ones with a no-code builder.
What We Like
Drift personalizes user experiences from the start. Its chatbot and user tracking help you engage leads quickly and refine buyer personas.
Pricing
- Premier: Custom pricing
- Advanced: Custom pricing
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
11. GrowthOrange
GrowthOrange (formerly UpGrow) is a project management tool designed for growth teams. It centralizes experiments, results, and team assignments. Clear tagging and commenting features keep experiments on track.
You can also prioritize experiments using scoring models like ICE (Impact, Confidence, Ease).
What We Like
GrowthOrange creates a searchable database of findings. This improves team collaboration, reduces guesswork, and helps you focus on experiments that grow your customer base more effectively.
Pricing
GrowthOrange offers a free 14-day trial. Paid plans include:
- Essential: $30/month
- Advanced: $83/month
- Agency: $314/month
12. Zapier
Zapier is a no-code automation platform. It connects apps and software through simple workflows called “Zaps.” Set a trigger (e.g., a new Facebook lead) and an action (e.g., send a Slack notification). Use pre-built workflows or create your own with the drag-and-drop editor.
Zapier’s AI can also build custom workflows based on a brief description of your needs.
What We Like
Zapier’s AI and templates accelerate workflow creation. Quickly automate repetitive tasks to speed up growth initiatives.
Pricing
Zapier has a free plan with 100 tasks/month. Paid plans include:
- Professional: $29.99/month
- Team: $103.50/month
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
13. Hello Bar
Hello Bar allows you to install bars, modals, sliders, and full-screen pop-ups with one click. These CTAs help you capture leads without distracting users from their main tasks.
You can start with over 100 customizable templates that let you choose fonts, colors, and other design elements. Display different pop-ups based on location, device, or page.
Hello Bar also supports A/B testing to identify which pop-ups drive the most conversions.
Further reading: 30 Attention-Grabbing Call-to-Action Examples
What We Like
The Design Assistant feature automatically matches pop-up colors and fonts to your existing site style, creating a seamless brand experience.
Pricing
Hello Bar offers a limited free plan. Paid plans include:
- Growth: $39/month
- Premium: $69/month
- Elite: $129/month
14. Proof
Proof uses social proof and FOMO-based pop-ups to encourage visitors to take action. The platform’s features often raise conversion rates between 8% and 15%.
Key Features include:
- Hot Streaks: Shows how many people have taken a specific action recently
- Live Visitor Count: Displays how many people are currently on your site
- Recent Activity: Highlights recent customers who completed a certain action
What We Like
Proof is easy to set up with a simple copy-and-paste code. You can A/B test pop-ups and compare conversion rates with and without Proof’s tools. This helps you measure value and demonstrate ROI.
Pricing
Proof provides a 14-day free trial. Paid plans start at $29/month for 1,000 unique visitors, with prices increasing as your visitor count grows.
15. Unbounce
Unbounce helps you build and optimize landing pages quickly. Choose from a drag-and-drop landing page builder or an AI-powered builder.
Both support dynamic text replacement, adapting page copy to align with the visitor’s referral source.
You can also add pop-ups to encourage conversions. Unbounce’s AI-powered Smart Traffic feature automatically routes visitors to the landing page version that best fits their profile, increasing the odds of conversion.
What We Like
Unbounce dynamically tailors landing pages and traffic routing to user context, maximizing conversion potential.
Pricing
Unbounce offers a 14-day free trial. Paid plans include:
- Build: $99/month
- Experiment: $149/month
- Optimize: $249/month
- Agency: $499/month (billed annually)
Further reading: SEO for Landing Pages: Best Practices to Rank on SERPs
16. Instapage
Instapage is a user-friendly platform for building and A/B testing landing pages. Choose from over 200 templates or use the AI-powered content generator to write compelling copy in seconds.
Instapage supports dynamic content that changes based on the ad visitors clicked to arrive at your site.
What We Like
“Instablocks” let you save and reuse elements like signup forms or testimonial carousels. This saves time when creating multiple landing pages.
Pricing
Instapage offers a 14-day free trial. Paid plans include:
- Create: $99/month
- Optimize: $199/month
- Convert: Custom pricing
Ignite Your Business’s Growth Engine with Powerful Growth Hacking Tools
The best growth hacking tools help you work smarter as you grow your customer base.
They are not all-in-one solutions, though. Effective growth hacking still requires human insight and judgment.
If the Semrush tools seem right for your growth hacking goals, start a free trial and see how they support your business’s growth.