What are digital marketing tools?

Top 10 Free Digital Marketing Tools to use are apps that help you attract, engage, sell, and retain business online. You’ve likely heard the term thrown around a lot, and that’s because it can include apps in any category related to marketing, from social media to advertising to content optimisation. You get the idea. It’s a broad-reaching term.

Whether you’re starting your first business or you’re looking to scale an existing one, you likely need a collection of digital marketing tools—a digital marketing tech stack—to help you succeed.

Overwhelmed by Digital Marketing Tools? Here’s a Curated Guide You’ll Actually Use

As someone who can easily spend an entire weekend fine-tuning my Notion dashboards or crafting the perfect email blast for my sister-in-law’s food blog, I’m no stranger to geeking out over digital tools. In fact, I love exploring new platforms that promise to make marketing more efficient, creative, or data-driven.

But even as a marketing professional and self-declared tech enthusiast, I’ll admit—it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

With thousands of digital marketing tools available, all claiming to be the secret ingredient to elevate your strategy, where do you even begin? You don’t have time to test every tool. So the real question becomes: Which tools are actually worth your time, energy, and attention?

To help you cut through the noise, I’ve pulled together a carefully curated list of over 20 of the best digital marketing tools — spanning everything from SEO and automation to content creation and analytics.

These recommendations are based on a combination of personal use, expert insights, and the hands-on experience of thousands of marketers (including the extensive testing done by teams like Zapier and ours at Hawkeye Digi Creators.

Introduction: Why Free Tools Are a Smart Choice in 2025

Top 10 Free Digital Marketing Tools to Use and Digital marketing is more essential than ever for businesses, freelancers, and startups. But you don’t always need expensive tools to succeed. In 2025, a range of high-quality digital marketing tools are available completely free of charge, allowing you to plan, execute, and monitor your marketing campaigns efficiently.

At Hawkeye Digi Creators, we work with these tools regularly for our internal projects and client success. Whether you’re starting out or trying to scale without increasing your budget, this list of the top 10 free tools will help you manage SEO, social media, content, email marketing, and analytics effectively.

Tool	Main Features	Best Used For
Google Analytics 4 (GA4)	Tracks user behavior, sessions, traffic sources, conversions.	Website traffic analysis, conversion tracking, marketing campaign insights.
Canva (Free Plan)	Templates for social media, banners, posters, presentations.	Designing posts, brand identity, ads, and digital graphics.
Ubersuggest	Keyword research, SEO audit, content ideas, domain overview.	SEO planning, blogging, content optimization.
ChatGPT (Free Plan)	AI writing assistant, blog generation, ad copy creation, idea brainstorming.	Content writing, ad generation, FAQs, customer service automation.
Buffer (Free Plan)	Schedules social media posts, basic analytics, up to 3 accounts.	Consistent posting, time-saving social media management.
Google Keyword Planner	Search volume, keyword ideas, CPC, competition data.	PPC campaigns, blog topic research, SEO planning.
Mailchimp (Free Plan)	Email templates, automation, audience segmentation, analytics.	Email marketing campaigns, newsletters, promotional emails.
Grammarly (Free)	Grammar check, tone detection, writing clarity, browser extension.	Content writing, emails, blogs, reports.
MozBar	Chrome extension for on-page SEO, domain/page authority, link metrics.	Competitor research, SEO audits, link building strategy.
AnswerThePublic	Keyword visualization based on user questions and search trends.	Blog and content ideation, long-tail keyword research.

“Marketing is no longer about the stuff you make, but the stories you tell.”

How to Use These Tools Together for Maximum Results

If you’re just getting started or want to build an integrated digital marketing strategy, consider using these tools in a coordinated way:

Plan Content & Keywords
Use Ubersuggest, Google Keyword Planner, and AnswerThePublic to find high-traffic and low-competition keywords and topics.
Create Content Efficiently
Use ChatGPT for writing blogs and email copy. Then polish the content with Grammarly to ensure readability and professionalism.
Design Visuals That Stand Out
Use Canva to create eye-catching designs for your blog, social media, and ads.
Schedule and Manage Social Media
Use Buffer to post consistently across platforms, maximizing reach with minimal effort.
Analyze and Optimize Performance
Use Google Analytics 4 and MozBar to understand what’s working and improve SEO performance.
Engage Your Audience Through Email
Build a subscriber list and use Mailchimp to nurture leads and convert visitors into customers.

1. Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Google Analytics 4 is the industry-standard tool for understanding how users interact with your website. It provides detailed insights about your visitors — such as their location, device, page behavior, traffic source, and engagement levels.

With GA4, you can set up event tracking to monitor clicks, video views, downloads, and more. This tool is especially important for understanding which parts of your website are converting and which are underperforming.

If you’re running campaigns through Google Ads, social media, or organic traffic strategies, GA4 allows you to track how each channel performs and how users behave after landing on your website.

Track, Analyze & Grow — All in One Dashboard

Google Analytics 4 is the upgraded version of the classic Google Analytics. It’s now powered by AI-based insights, making it smarter than ever.

What You Can Do:

Monitor where your traffic comes from
Understand user behaviour (scrolls, clicks, exits)
Set goals and conversion tracking
Analyze performance across devices and channels

Pro Tip: Use GA4 with Google Tag Manager for deeper data and custom event tracking.

Best For: Website owners, performance marketers, data-driven businesses

2. Canva (Free Plan)

Canva is an essential tool for creating high-quality visual content for social media, blogs, advertising, and branding. Its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface makes it accessible to people with no design background.

The free version offers a wide range of templates, fonts, colors, and elements to help you produce professional graphics. It’s widely used for creating Instagram posts, Facebook banners, YouTube thumbnails, and infographics.

With Canva, you can maintain a consistent brand identity across all marketing platforms while saving time and money on professional design.

Create Stunning Designs Without Hiring a Designer

Design is the face of your brand, and Canva makes it incredibly easy — no design background needed.

Features You’ll Love:

250,000+ free templates for social media, ads, banners, and more
AI-powered Magic Design and background remover
Schedule posts directly to Instagram/Facebook (in Canva Pro, but limited in Free)

Best For: Social media managers, content creators, marketing agencies

3. Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest is a free SEO tool developed by Neil Patel that helps businesses and marketers improve their website’s search engine visibility. It offers keyword suggestions, search volume data, competition analysis, and domain overviews.

Using Ubersuggest, you can research content ideas, optimize blog titles, and find keyword opportunities that align with your industry. It’s an excellent tool for those looking to improve organic traffic through SEO without investing in expensive software.

Its user-friendly interface makes it a go-to for beginners and small agencies alike.

SEO Made Simple — Even for Beginners

Created by digital marketing expert Neil Patel, Ubersuggest is a freemium SEO tool that provides immense value even in its free plan.

Why It’s a Game-Changer:

Keyword suggestions + search volume + CPC data
Domain overview and backlink data
Content ideas based on trending topics

Pro Tip: Use Ubersuggest to find low-competition, high-traffic keywords for your blog.

Best For: SEO beginners, content marketers, small agencies

4. ChatGPT (Free Plan)

ChatGPT is a conversational AI tool that can help you with a wide range of marketing tasks. From writing blog content and product descriptions to generating advertising copy and replying to customer queries, ChatGPT can save hours of work.

The free version gives you access to powerful natural language capabilities that are useful for brainstorming content ideas, creating outlines, drafting social media posts, and automating content tasks.

At Hawkeye Digi Creators, we often use ChatGPT to assist in generating first drafts of client blogs, social media calendars, and campaign slogans.

Generate Content, Ideas, and Strategies Instantly

ChatGPT is your 24/7 AI assistant. Use it to:

Draft blog posts
Generate ad copy and captions
Brainstorm campaign ideas
Create customer support replies

Best For: Digital agencies, bloggers, entrepreneurs, educators

? Did you know? Hawkeye Digi Creators uses AI like ChatGPT for faster and smarter content production.

5. Buffer (Free Plan)

Buffer is a social media scheduling and automation platform that allows you to publish posts consistently across different platforms. It supports Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Pinterest.

In its free version, you can connect up to three social profiles and schedule up to 10 posts per account. This is ideal for small businesses or individual creators who want to maintain an active presence on multiple platforms without logging in to each one daily.

Buffer also offers basic analytics to help track engagement and optimize future posts.

Plan, Schedule & Automate Social Media Effortlessly

Consistency is key in social media — and Buffer helps you maintain it with ease.

Highlights:

Connect up to 3 accounts (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
Schedule up to 10 posts per account
View performance analytics and engagement

Best For: Social media teams, solopreneurs, content-driven businesses

6. Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is a research tool provided within Google Ads that helps you find keywords for your content, ads, and SEO strategies. It shows estimated search volumes, competition levels, and cost-per-click data.

While originally intended for paid ads, it’s widely used by SEO professionals to identify high-value keywords. You can use it to build blog topics, optimize page titles, and understand what users are searching for in your niche.

Pairing this tool with Ubersuggest can give you a comprehensive keyword strategy at no cost.

Discover What Your Audience Is Actually Searching For

This hidden gem inside Google Ads gives access to:

Monthly search volume
Keyword competition
Bid estimates (great for understanding value)

Pro Tip: Combine Keyword Planner + Ubersuggest for maximum keyword power.

Best For: Blog writers, SEO teams, PPC advertisers

7. Mailchimp (Free Plan)

Mailchimp remains one of the most popular email marketing tools, and its free plan is perfect for beginners or small businesses.

You can send emails to up to 500 subscribers and use built-in templates to design professional newsletters, promotions, or welcome sequences. It also offers basic automation features like sending emails based on user behavior.

Email marketing remains one of the highest ROI channels in digital marketing, and Mailchimp provides the tools you need to start building and nurturing a loyal audience.

Launch Email Campaigns That Convert

Mailchimp is the go-to for email marketing, and its free tier packs a punch:

500 contacts
Up to 3 audience segments
Drag-and-drop email builder
Basic automation workflows

Best For: Course creators, consultants, eCommerce startups

8. Grammarly

Grammarly is an advanced grammar and spell-checking tool that improves your writing across emails, blogs, ads, and social media. The free browser extension checks grammar, punctuation, sentence clarity, and tone.

This tool helps eliminate embarrassing mistakes and ensures your content is clear and professional. Whether you’re writing a blog post or responding to client emails, Grammarly ensures you present your message in the best possible way.

For marketers and businesses, consistent and error-free writing builds trust and authority.

Write Clearer, Faster, and More Professionally

Your words matter — especially online. Grammarly improves:

Grammar and punctuation
Tone and clarity
Engagement and conciseness

Best For: Content creators, marketers, professionals writing emails or blogs

9. MozBar

MozBar is a Chrome extension that provides instant SEO insights for any web page you visit. With a single click, you can view the domain authority, page authority, and backlink profile of any site.

This tool is useful for competitor research, link-building strategies, and analyzing the SEO strength of potential partner sites. It also offers on-page SEO analysis, allowing you to check whether your titles, headers, and meta descriptions are optimized.

MozBar is particularly helpful for digital marketers who want fast, accessible SEO metrics without opening a separate dashboard.

Analyze SEO Metrics in Real Time

Install MozBar to instantly get:

Domain Authority (DA)
Page Authority (PA)
Link analysis
On-page SEO data

Best For: SEO specialists, web developers, outreach marketers

10. AnswerThePublic

AnswerThePublic is a visual keyword research tool that shows real user queries based on Google autocomplete data. It helps you understand the types of questions and concerns your audience has around a topic.

When you enter a keyword, you’ll get a list of questions, prepositions, comparisons, and related terms that people commonly search for. This is extremely valuable for creating blog posts, FAQs, and long-form content that directly answers user intent.

AnswerThePublic is especially useful for generating blog content ideas that align with search trends.

Find Real Questions People Are Asking Online

This keyword visualization tool helps you create content that answers real-world queries.

Why It’s Useful:

Discover long-tail keyword ideas
Grouped by question type (what, how, why, etc.)
Uncover untapped blog topics or video titles

Best For: Content planning, blog writing, YouTube SEO

Final Thoughts: Use These Tools to Build Real Results Without Spending

Digital marketing doesn’t need to be expensive. With the right free tools, you can launch and manage high-quality campaigns, grow your audience, and build a profitable brand.

Professionals and agencies around the world trust all of the tools listed above — and best of all, they don’t require upfront investment. Whether you’re managing a website, running social media, or focusing on SEO, there’s something in this list for you.

We’re here to assist if you’re unsure where to start or need help implementing these tools.

Need Help Setting Up These Tools or Running Campaigns?

Let us handle it. From setting up analytics to full-service digital marketing, we’ve got your back.

? Contact Us Now for a free 15-minute strategy call.