French alternatives to American marketing giants: the complete guide

Mailchimp, HubSpot, Typeform, Intercom. These names have dominated the marketing tools landscape for a decade. Yet, a fundamental shift is underway. French companies are seeking French alternatives to American marketing giants. And they’re finding them.

According to a study by the DGE (General Directorate for Enterprises), 67% of French SMBs plan to repatriate their data to European providers by 2026. The reasons are multiple: GDPR compliance, digital sovereignty, French-language support, and often pricing more suited to the French market.

Why French companies are leaving American giants

The problem of data transfer to the United States

Since the invalidation of the Privacy Shield in 2020 by the European Court of Justice, the transfer of personal data to the United States remains legally unstable. The new Data Privacy Framework of 2023 is already being challenged in court.

For a French company, using Mailchimp or HubSpot involves transferring customer data to American servers. In case of dispute, the CNIL can impose fines of up to 4% of global annual revenue.

Several companies have already been sanctioned:

• A Lyon SMB: 180,000 euros fine for non-compliant transfer
• A Parisian e-commerce company: 95,000 euros for using Google Analytics
• A marketing agency: 45,000 euros for storing data on US servers

The real cost of American solutions

American giants practice pricing designed for the US market. A HubSpot Marketing Hub Professional license costs $890 per month, approximately 820 euros. For a French SMB with 10,000 contacts, the annual bill exceeds 15,000 euros.

To this price, add hidden costs:

• Training in English or through certified partners (1,500 to 5,000 euros)
• Integrations requiring specific development
• Customer support in offset time zones
• Billing in dollars with exchange rate fluctuations

User experience designed elsewhere

American solution interfaces are designed for English-speaking teams. French translations are often partial or approximate. Customer support responds from Ireland or the Philippines, rarely from France.

For an SMB marketing team, these daily frictions accumulate and impact productivity.

French alternatives by category

French alternatives for email marketing

Sendinblue (now Brevo)

Founded in Paris in 2012, Brevo has established itself as the French alternative to Mailchimp. With more than 500,000 business customers, the platform offers:

• Email marketing and automation
• SMS marketing
• Live chat
• Integrated CRM

Strengths: servers hosted in France, French customer support, pricing based on sends rather than number of contacts.

Pricing: free up to 300 emails/day, then starting at 19 euros/month.

Sarbacane

Created in Hem (Nord) in 2001, Sarbacane is one of the oldest French emailing players. The solution primarily targets SMBs and mid-sized companies with advanced automation needs.

Strengths: personalized support, templates adapted to the French market, native integration with French management tools.

Pricing: starting at 59 euros/month for 5,000 contacts.

Mailjet

Although acquired by Mailgun (US), Mailjet maintains a strong presence in France with teams in Paris. The platform excels in large-scale transactional sending.

French alternatives for forms

Skedox

Skedox offers a different approach: rather than multiplying tools, the platform unifies contact forms, newsletter management, and user feedback in a single interface.

Strengths:

• No-code form creation in 5 minutes
• Data hosting in France
• Native GDPR compliance
• Affordable pricing for SMBs

It’s the ideal solution for companies that want to simplify their stack while remaining sovereign. Test Skedox for free to see the difference.

123FormBuilder (with European hosting)

Offers advanced forms with conditional logic and multiple integrations.

French alternatives for CRM

Sellsy

Founded in La Rochelle in 2009, Sellsy has become a French CRM reference. The platform covers:

• Contact and opportunity management
• Billing and accounting
• Project management
• Customer support

Strengths: complete ecosystem designed for French SMBs, native integration with French banks and accounting tools.

Pricing: starting at 29 euros/user/month.

Axonaut

Created in Toulouse in 2017, Axonaut specifically targets small businesses and freelancers. The simplified interface allows managing clients, quotes, invoices, and projects without prior training.

Pricing: starting at 34.99 euros/month (unlimited users).

noCRM.io

Based in Paris, noCRM.io stands out with its lead-focused approach rather than contacts. The philosophy: less administrative input, more time to sell.

Pricing: starting at 22 euros/user/month.

French alternatives for user feedback

Screeb

A Parisian startup specializing in in-app feedback collection. Screeb helps understand user behavior and collect contextual feedback.

Strengths: easy integration, behavioral analytics, GDPR compliance.

Skedox

In addition to forms, Skedox integrates customizable feedback widgets. Each user feedback is automatically linked to the corresponding contact profile, allowing a unified view.

French alternatives for marketing automation

Plezi

Founded in Paris in 2015, Plezi positions itself in B2B marketing automation. The platform automates lead generation and nurturing without requiring technical expertise.

Strengths: content recommendation algorithm, dashboard adapted to French B2B marketing teams.

Pricing: starting at 299 euros/month.

Webmecanik

French open source marketing automation solution. Webmecanik offers an alternative to Marketo and Pardot with on-premise or French cloud hosting.

Comparison: French vs American solutions

Email marketing: Brevo vs Mailchimp

Criterion	Brevo	Mailchimp
Data hosting	France	United States
French support	Yes	Limited
Price 10,000 contacts	39 euros/month	$100/month
GDPR compliance	Native	Requires configuration
SMS included	Yes	No

Verdict: Brevo offers better value for the French market, with guaranteed GDPR compliance.

CRM: Sellsy vs HubSpot

Criterion	Sellsy	HubSpot
Data hosting	France	United States
Integrated billing	Yes	Via third-party app
Price team of 5	145 euros/month	$450/month
French interface	Complete	Translated
FR phone support	Included	Extra charge

Verdict: Sellsy covers the specific needs of French companies (billing, VAT, formats) at one-third the price.

All-in-one solution: Skedox vs American stack

Criterion	Skedox	Typeform + Mailchimp + Hotjar
Hosting	France	United States
Number of tools	1	3
Monthly price	Starting at 9 euros	$150+
Native integrations	Yes	Via Zapier
Support	French	Multi-country

Verdict: A unified French platform costs less and simplifies compliance.

How to successfully migrate to French alternatives

Step 1: Audit existing setup

Before any migration, list:

• Tools currently used
• Volume of data to migrate (contacts, history, templates)
• Critical integrations to maintain
• Features actually used

Step 2: Define selection criteria

Prioritize according to your constraints:

• GDPR compliance (mandatory for personal data)
• Available budget
• Ease of migration
• Customer support quality
• Solution scalability

Step 3: Test before migrating

Most French alternatives offer free trials. Take advantage of them to:

• Evaluate interface ergonomics
• Test importing your existing data
• Check customer support quality
• Measure performance (loading time, deliverability)

Step 4: Migrate progressively

A sudden migration multiplies risks. Proceed in stages:

1. Weeks 1-2: import historical data
2. Weeks 3-4: parallel operation of both solutions
3. Weeks 5-6: progressive user switchover
4. Weeks 7-8: deactivation of old solution

Step 5: Train teams

Tool change requires support. Plan for:

• An initial training session (2 hours is usually enough)
• Internal documentation adapted to your processes
• An internal champion for common questions

The concrete advantages of a French ecosystem

Support in your time zone

Technical problem at 9 AM? You get a response before noon. No need to wait for the California support team to wake up.

Billing in euros, no surprises

No more budget variations due to exchange rates. French solutions bill in euros, with clearly identified and recoverable VAT.

Features adapted to the market

Legal notices, data formats, bank integrations: French solutions understand the specifics of the French market.

Local partner ecosystem

Need support? French agencies and consultants master these tools and can intervene quickly.

Conclusion: French alternatives to American giants are mature

The time when French solutions were compromises is over. French alternatives to American marketing giants now offer equivalent, even superior functionality for certain use cases.

The advantages are clear:

• Guaranteed GDPR compliance
• Data hosted in France
• Responsive French-speaking customer support
• Pricing adapted to the French market
• Local partner ecosystem

Migration requires an initial effort, but the long-term benefits far exceed this investment. Every month spent with data stored in the United States represents an avoidable legal and financial risk.

Ready to take back control of your marketing data? Discover Skedox, the French platform that unifies forms, newsletter, and feedback in a simple and sovereign solution. Your data stays in France, your budget stays under control.