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Compare Hightouch and ActionIQ

ActionIQ is a Traditional CDP. Hightouch a Composable CDP and is ranked the #1 CDP on G2 for fastest implementation and highest ROI.

Hightouch
ActionIQ

The world’s most innovative companies choose Hightouch as their Composable CDP

Spotify.
Warner Music Group.
PetSmart.
WeightWatchers.
Ramp.
Calendly.
GitLab.
Grammarly.
Spotify.
Aritzia.
Warner Music Group.
PetSmart.
Tripadvisor.
GameStop.
Cars.com.
WeightWatchers.
Iterable.
Ramp.
Plaid.
Calendly.
GitLab.
Malwarebytes.
Greenhouse.
Grammarly.

Hightouch and ActionIQ both are tools that allow you to sync data to downstream marketing destinations like CRM tools, email tools, and advertising platforms. Both platforms have the functionality to collect events via an SDK, resolve identities, and sync data to 200+ tools. ActionIQ's focus is on "identity resolution" solutions.

However, the devil is in the details. The architecture of each are vastly different. ActionIQ is a “traditional CDP” while Hightouch is a warehouse-centric, “composable CDP”.

Composable CDP Architecture Diagram

Traditional CDP Architecture Diagram

This architectural difference leads to massive differences in cost, implementation time, and usability despite the fact both platforms allow you to do a similar thing at a high-level.

Compare Hightouch and ActionIQ

FunctionalityHightouchActionIQ
Data Collection
Client-side, server-side, & other 3rd-party sources
Client-side, server-side, & other 3rd-party sources
Data Storage
Your existing data infrastructure (data warehouse, data lake, or database)
ActionIQ's managed infrastructure (less mature data warehouse option available)
Data Retention
Unlimited lookback & history
Variable
Data Schema
Controlled by you (supports any custom entity or object)
Flexible but must involve an ActionIQ engineer to edit a schema.
Audience Management
No-code audience builder (supports any online or offline data stored in your data warehouse)
No-code audience builder (offers some functionality to leverage data in your data warehouse)
Journey Orchestration
Yes
Yes
Identity Resolution
No-code tool to define exact or fuzzy-match rules to build owned identity graphs within your data warehouse
Deterministic IDR managed in ActionIQ's infrastructure
Identity Graph Storage Location
Lives in your warehouse
Owned by ActionIQ
Reverse ETL
Core sync engine that integrates with existing toolsets & workflows
Basic features supported - limited functionality for data teams. (not a core sync engine)
Real-Time Audience Computation
Dependent upon data landing in the warehouse
Yes (limited to clickstream/behavioral data with no time-based lookbacks)
Real-Time Streaming (Event Forwarding)
Yes
Yes
Low-Latency Profile API
Yes
Yes
Streaming Reverse ETL
Yes
No
Data Activation Flow
Warehouse to destination (no data is stored in Hightouch)
ActionIQ to destination or data warehouse to destination
Activation Destinations
250+
200+
Source of Truth
Single: Your owned data warehouse
Multiple: ActionIQ & your owned data warehouse
Security & Compliance
Data lives in your infrastructure (can be configured to be GDPR, CCPA, & HIPAA compliant)
Data can live in your infrastructure or ActionIQ managed-infrastructure (can be configured to be GDPR, CCPA, & HIPAA compliant)
Pricing
Unbundled: individually priced features with no MTU billing
Bundled (variable-based pricing)
Proof of Concept (POC)
Less than 1 month
4-6+ months

Pros and Cons of Hightouch

Pros

  • Most powerful point & click audience builder (supports any offline & online customer data)
  • Warehouse-native campaign analytics to experiment, measure & analyze audiences
  • Publicly available customer support metrics (99% CSAT Score)

Cons

  • Newer vendor in the CDP market
  • Must have actionable data available in a data platform

Pros and Cons of ActionIQ

Pros

  • Integrates with some data warehouses
  • Audience builder is easy & intuitive to use
  • Supports real-time journeys and triggers
  • More flexible than traditional CDPs

Cons

  • Setting up new integrations requires you to submit support tickets
  • Migrating to hybrid or warehouse-only architectures requires significant engineering effort
  • Identity graph is owned by ActionIQ
  • Documenation is only available to paying customers

Should I Buy Hightouch or ActionIQ?

When deciding whether to invest in a Hightouch (a Composable CDP) or ActionIQ (a Traditional CDP), it's important to consider the unique needs of your business. Although a packaged Traditional CDP might appear simpler, Composable CDPs are more flexible and scalable.

The main areas Hightouch wins against ActionIQ are:

  1. Implementation Time: With Hightouch you are live at the time of contract signature. With ActionIQ, there is typically a 6-12 month implementation process after contract signature
  2. Flexibility: With Hightouch, you can use any data in your data warehouse vs ActionIQ where you can only use data that has been collected into your CDP
  3. Source of Truth: With Hightouch, your retain a single source of truth in your cloud data warehouse

While ActionIQ can be a decent option for companies looking to implement a more legacy solution, most data-focused companies are now adopting Composable CDPs, such as Hightouch, because they offer greater flexibility, security, time-to-value, and interoperability at a far lower cost. If you’re interested in learning more about the Composable CDP, book a demo with one of our solution architects today to see how we can help.

200%

boost in
engagement


PetSmart logo.

1 day

migration


Minno logo.

52%

increase
in ROAS


Lucid logo.

Start syncing data in minutes

Check out this 5 minute interactive demo to learn how you can sync customer data to any business tool.

Hightouch Audiences user interface.

Recognized as an industry leader by industry leaders

Iterable logo.

Technology Partner
of the Year

Hightouch doesn’t store your data

Composable CDPs are more secure because no duplicate storage is required. Instead, we simply read from your data warehouse, where it stays safe and sound.


Connect to 200+ tools

Send any data to any tool. Skip building and maintaining pipelines, uploading CSVs, and having data silos across marketing, sales, customer success, finance, and analytics.

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