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”.
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
| Functionality | Hightouch | ActionIQ |
|---|---|---|
| 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:
- 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
- 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
- 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.
