Salesforce marketing cloud vs Braze vs Questera: Legacy vs Modern vs Agentic customer engagement

We’ve all seen how the internet changed everything around us. Back in the day, if we wanted to talk to someone, we had to send letters and wait. Now, it takes seconds to call or message. The same thing happened with how companies connect with their customers. Not too long ago, businesses sent the same message to everyone and crossed their fingers. But times have changed. Today, they want to talk to each person in a way that feels just right.

That's what customer engagement platforms in 2025 are bringing up. In this blog, we’re doing a Braze comparison with others in the race. We’ll explore Salesforce Marketing Cloud vs Braze, add Questera customer engagement to this, and look at how customer engagement strategies are moving from old-school to agentic customer engagement.

Questera: Built for the Era of Agentic Engagement

It’s one of the most forward-thinking customer engagement platforms 2025 has to offer. What makes it stand out is its use of real AI agents that not only suggest what to do but actually carry out actions. It works fast, adjusts to each user’s behavior, and personalizes everything in real time. This kind of agentic customer engagement is helping brands grow faster with less effort and more accuracy.

Strengths:

• Real-time personalization powered by intelligent AI agents
• Automates execution across channels without manual work
• Easy to scale personalized experiences to every individual user
• Designed for fast-moving digital-first businesses

Limitations:

• May have fewer integrations as it continues to expand

Braze: The Modern Engagement Platform

Next is Braze, which often shows up in any serious Braze comparison or marketing automation platforms comparison. It focuses on real-time, cross-channel messaging with a clean and easy-to-use interface. Brands use it to send emails, push notifications, and in-app messages that feel timely and relevant. It’s a go-to for many digital-first companies looking for speed and flexibility in how they engage users.

Strengths:

• Intuitive platform for campaign building and segmentation
• Supports real-time messaging across multiple channels
• Includes AI tools that help improve timing and targeting

Limitations:

• Can lack advanced features seen in more complex legacy platforms
• Managing larger campaigns at scale may require extra effort

Salesforce Marketing Cloud: The Legacy Giant

Finally, we have Salesforce Marketing Cloud, a long-time leader in this space. It’s often the top choice for enterprises that need deep tools for email, social, advertising, and analytics. In any Salesforce Marketing Cloud vs Braze or Braze vs Salesforce Marketing Cloud discussion, Salesforce wins on features but can lose on speed and ease of use. It’s powerful but can feel heavy.

Strengths:

• Comprehensive suite of marketing tools and CRM integration
• Strong automation and reporting features
• Works well within the full Salesforce ecosystem

Limitations:

• Complex to set up and use, often needs third-party help
• Higher cost and slower execution for real-time needs

Comparative Analysis

When we talk about customer engagement platforms 2025, it’s really about how well these tools help brands connect with their customers in a personal, timely, and meaningful way. We’re going to look at four key areas: personalization, AI and automation, integration and scalability, and user experience to see how Questera, Braze, and Salesforce Marketing Cloud stack up.

1. Personalization and Customer Experience Journey

Questera customer engagement takes personalization to the next level with its smart AI agents. These agents don’t just follow scripts; they act on data in real time, adjusting every interaction to fit each person perfectly. This means every message feels like it was made just for you, and the journey changes as you do. That's the heart of true agentic customer engagement.

• AI agents deliver personalized experiences instantly
• Journeys adapt automatically based on user behavior
• No need for rigid templates or manual tweaks

On the other hand, Braze offers solid real-time personalization too, using BrazeAI to power messages across emails, push, and in-app notifications. It’s great at reacting quickly as users engage, making it a favorite in many marketing automation platforms comparison discussions. But its personalization relies on building and adjusting campaigns, so it’s not fully autonomous like Questera.

• Real-time updates across channels
• Intuitive segmentation and message targeting
• Still requires some manual campaign setup

Then there’s Salesforce Marketing Cloud, which has been a leader for years. It uses data extensions and dynamic content blocks to personalize emails and campaigns. While powerful, this method often feels slower and more complex, needing teams to set up and manage all the moving parts. This reflects the challenges in moving from legacy vs modern marketing platforms.

• Good for structured, large-scale data personalization
• Requires manual configuration for complex journeys
• Not as quick to adapt in real time

2. AI and Automation Capabilities

Next up is how each platform uses AI and automation to boost marketing efforts.

Questera stands apart by centering its whole system on autonomous AI agents. These agents don’t wait for instructions, they analyze, predict, and engage customers proactively. This makes agentic customer engagement a reality, allowing brands to keep up with fast-changing user needs without burning out their teams.

• Autonomous AI agents handle engagement independently
• Predictive modeling anticipates customer actions
• Automates complex tasks with minimal human input

Braze, in this Braze comparison, uses BrazeAI mainly for optimizing content and campaign timing. It helps marketers fine-tune their efforts but still requires their involvement to direct and approve strategies.

• AI-powered content generation and timing
• Supports marketers with actionable insights
• Less autonomous compared to Questera

Meanwhile, Salesforce Marketing Cloud brings AI into the mix through tools like Agentforce, which provide insights and recommendations. However, the platform leans heavily on human teams to define and implement strategies, keeping it closer to traditional marketing automation tools.

• AI assists with insights and strategy suggestions
• Relies on manual input for execution
• Better suited for larger enterprise teams

3. Integration and Scalability

When it comes to connecting with other systems and growing with your business, each platform has its strengths.

Questera offers over 75 integrations right out of the box. It’s built to work smoothly with many popular apps and services, making it easy to fit into any tech stack. This flexibility helps businesses scale without worrying about clunky setups or missing links.

• Wide range of ready-to-use integrations
• Designed for seamless connectivity
• Scales easily with business growth

Braze also supports many integrations, offering flexible options to plug into existing tools and channels. It’s well-liked for being developer-friendly but sometimes needs additional work to connect more complex systems.

• Supports diverse integrations with ease
• Flexible but may require custom work for some setups

Salesforce Marketing Cloud shines within its own ecosystem. It integrates deeply with Salesforce’s suite of products, which is great if you’re fully invested there. However, connecting to outside platforms can be more complex and costly, often requiring specialized resources.

• Strong integration within Salesforce ecosystem
• External integrations may need extra support
• Built for large enterprises with bigger teams

4. User Experience and Accessibility

Finally, how easy is it to get started and run campaigns on these platforms?

Questera is designed with user experience in mind. Its AI agents take on much of the heavy lifting, so marketers can focus on strategy rather than technical details. Creating, adjusting, and scaling campaigns happens faster and smoother, making it accessible for teams of all sizes.

• User-friendly interface with AI-driven execution
• Fast campaign setup and real-time adjustments
• Ideal for marketers who want speed and simplicity

Braze is known for its clean, intuitive interface. It makes building campaigns and segmenting users straightforward, which is why it often appears in Braze comparison reviews as one of the easiest modern platforms to use. Still, some advanced features require learning and practice.

• Intuitive UI for campaign management
• Good balance of power and ease of use

On the other hand, Salesforce Marketing Cloud offers a powerful but complex interface. It provides lots of features but with a steeper learning curve. For many companies, mastering it means investing time and training, a common challenge in the world of legacy vs modern marketing platforms.

• Comprehensive tools with higher complexity
• Longer onboarding and training time
• Best suited for experienced teams

Which Platform Is Right for You?

Choosing the right tool from the customer engagement platforms 2025 depends on how fast you want to grow, how you handle data, and how much hands-on work your team wants to do.

If your brand is focused on growth, has strong data insights, and wants to move fast without drowning in setup tasks, then Questera customer engagement is the clear winner. It’s built on agentic customer engagement, meaning its smart AI agents do most of the work for you. No need to build journeys manually or tweak campaigns every week. In every marketing automation platform comparison, Questera stands out for its speed, personalization, and ease of use. It’s perfect for teams that want results without the fuss.

If you’re a mobile-first brand that likes hands-on control, Braze might be your thing. It supports real-time personalization and works well across push, in-app, and email. Many Braze comparison writeups highlight its user-friendly setup. But it still asks for a lot of input and campaign work.

And if you’re a big enterprise already using Salesforce, Salesforce Marketing Cloud may feel familiar. It works best when paired with other Salesforce tools. But it’s more complex, slower to set up, and suits teams with lots of resources. In the Salesforce Marketing Cloud comparison, it still holds value, but feels more like the old school in the legacy vs modern marketing platforms debate.

So whether you're picking between Salesforce Marketing Cloud vs Braze, or doing a full Braze vs Salesforce Marketing Cloud check, don’t miss where things are going next. For the next generation, Questera leads the way.

Agentic Platforms Are the New Standard

We’re in a new era now. Today, agentic customer engagement is taking the lead. Brands want speed, smart decisions, and real results without wasting time. That’s where Questera customer engagement is making the biggest impact. Its AI agents think ahead, act fast, and let teams focus on bigger goals. Among all the customer engagement platforms 2025, Questera stands tall. You’ll see it in every marketing automation platform comparison and every honest Braze comparison.

While others still need teams to do the heavy lifting, Questera is already on the move. In this shift from legacy vs modern marketing platforms, Questera is showing us what’s next, and it’s only getting started.