Report:
The Forrester Wave™: Digital Banking Engagement Platforms, Q2 2026
How does Forrester define the Digital Banking Engagement Platforms market in 2026?
Digital banking engagement platforms (DBEPs) are mission-critical platforms that sit alongside core processing systems as foundational technology for banks. In the AI era, banks face disruption to digital experiences and engagement models, requiring DBEP partners that help strengthen dynamism - the combination of speed and degree of change a bank can achieve. Banks need platforms that support customer needs while adjusting to emerging technologies, shifting behaviors, and rising expectations. The evaluation identifies Leaders, Strong Performers, and Contenders based on current offering strength, strategy, and customer feedback to help banking leaders select DBEP partners that fit their unique needs, capacity, talent, budget, and priorities.
Key Facts for The Forrester Wave™: Digital Banking Engagement Platforms, Q2 2026 in 2026
- Publication Date: 01-May-2026
- Document ID: 213faf96
- Summary: In our evaluation of digital banking engagement platform providers, we identified the most significant ones and researched, analyzed, and scored them. This report shows how each provider measures up and helps you select the right one for your needs.
- Authors: Peter Wannemacher
How did the Digital Banking Engagement Platforms market evolve in 2026?
- Digital banking engagement platforms (DBEPs) are mission-critical infrastructure alongside core processing platforms
- AI is disrupting digital experiences and engagement models that have worked for the past quarter-century
- Banks need partners that help strengthen their dynamism: the combination of speed and degree of change they can achieve
- 11 major vendors were evaluated across Leaders, Strong Performers, and Contenders categories
- Vendors must help banks adjust to emerging technologies, shifting behaviors, and rising expectations
- Banks' digital and technology teams vary widely in remit, capacity, talent, budget, and priorities
- The evaluation assessed vendors on current offering, strategy, and customer feedback
- Customer feedback indicators include Outstanding (double halo/Customer Favorite) and Above Average (single halo)
- Inclusion criteria required $50M+ annual revenue and enterprise-level support
- Vendor materials were evaluated as of January 27, 2026
What product features are required to be included in this year's evaluation?
- Broad, enterprise-level support. The vendor natively provides all core functions for this space and has a demonstrated track record for supporting large enterprises.
- A solution specifically built and positioned for digital banking engagement. The platform is marketed for the express purpose of engaging customers across multiple digital channels. It is not solely available as a free feature within a larger portfolio.
- Substantial revenue in the market. The vendor has at least $50 million in annual revenue from its digital banking engagement platform product in the last four quarters.
- Mindshare among Forrester's enterprise clients. Forrester clients frequently mention the product as one they are considering prior to a purchase. We have heard about the product from our clients in the form of inquiries, advisories, consulting engagements, and other interactions over the past year. Other vendors mention this vendor as a competitor.
What are the common features of top products in the Digital Banking Engagement Platforms space?
No common features specified.
Scope Exclusions
- Vendors with less than $50 million in annual revenue from digital banking engagement platform
- Solutions available solely as free features within larger portfolios rather than standalone platforms
- Platforms not specifically built and positioned for digital banking engagement across multiple channels
- Vendors lacking demonstrated track record for supporting large enterprises
- Vendors without sufficient mindshare among Forrester's enterprise clients
- Platforms focused only on single channels rather than multi-channel engagement
- Core banking platforms without separate digital engagement capabilities
Inclusion Criteria
Vendors must, among other requirements:
- Broad, enterprise-level support with native core functions and demonstrated track record for large enterprises
- Solution specifically built and positioned for digital banking engagement across multiple digital channels
- Substantial revenue: at least $50 million in annual revenue from digital banking engagement platform in last four quarters
- Mindshare among Forrester's enterprise clients through inquiries, advisories, consulting engagements
- Recognition as competitor by other vendors in the market
Offering Strengths — Relative Weighting
- Channel support — 3%
- Cross-channel journey support — 3%
- Out-of-the-box (OOTB) apps — 4%
- Application flexibility — 4%
- Application architecture structure — 5%
- Onboarding — 2%
- CX/UX capabilities — 6%
- Search functionality — 4%
- Alerts and notifications — 4%
- Messaging and chat — 5%
- Card management and credit decisioning — 4%
- Data aggregation tools — 4%
- GenAI — 6%
- Agentic AI — 6%
- Low-code tools — 6%
- Integration — 5%
- API management — 5%
- Security — 2%
- Customer-facing data management — 6%
- Delivery, testing, and upgrades — 4%
- Extensibility and agility — 4%
- Open banking and embedded finance — 4%
- Localization — 2%
- Maintenance and operations — 2%
Strategy Strength — Relative Weighting
- Vision — 20%
- Innovation — 20%
- Roadmap — 20%
- Partner ecosystem — 15%
- Adoption — 10%
- Pricing flexibility and transparency — 15%
FAQs
Q: What does this research cover?
A: This research evaluates the top 11 digital banking engagement platform (DBEP) providers across three categories: Leaders, Strong Performers, and Contenders. The evaluation assesses vendors on their current offering capabilities (channel support, AI features, integration, security, etc.), strategy (vision, innovation, roadmap, partnerships, pricing), and customer feedback. The report helps banking leaders understand how each vendor measures up in the AI era and select the right DBEP partner based on their unique needs, capabilities, and priorities.
Q: Who should use this research?
A: Banking executives and technology leaders should use this research when selecting or evaluating digital banking engagement platform vendors. It's particularly valuable for banks reconciling the need for bold change with practical constraints around budget, talent, and existing technology infrastructure. The report helps match specific bank needs (e.g., API-first architecture, global localization, embedded finance, AI capabilities) with vendor strengths, and provides a framework for understanding how different DBEPs can support banks' digital transformation and ability to adapt to emerging technologies like AI.
Q: What are the mandatory features of vendors included in this market?
A: To be included in this Forrester Wave evaluation, vendors must provide: (1) Broad, enterprise-level support with all core functions natively provided and demonstrated track record supporting large enterprises; (2) A solution specifically built and positioned for digital banking engagement across multiple digital channels, not just a free feature within a larger portfolio; (3) Substantial revenue of at least $50 million annually from the digital banking engagement platform in the last four quarters; (4) Significant mindshare among Forrester's enterprise clients through frequent mentions in inquiries, advisories, and consulting engagements, plus recognition as a competitor by other vendors in the market.
Q: What are some reasons for not being included in this report?
A:
- Annual revenue below $50 million from digital banking engagement platform offerings
- Platform not purpose-built for digital banking engagement (e.g., general-purpose platforms)
- Solution only available as bundled feature rather than standalone platform
- Lack of demonstrated enterprise-level capabilities or track record
- Insufficient client mindshare or market presence among Forrester enterprise clients
- Focus on single-channel solutions rather than multi-channel engagement
- Primary focus on core banking without separate digital engagement platform
- Limited or no mention by clients in purchase considerations
- Not recognized as competitive alternative by other leading vendors
Q: What should buyers consider when evaluating products in this market?
A:
- Assess your bank's current digital and technology team capacity, talent, budget, and priorities
- Determine whether your profit margins allow focus on top-line growth versus bottom-line efficiency
- Evaluate the vendor's ability to strengthen your bank's dynamism - speed and degree of change achievable
- Consider the platform's architectural approach (API-first, headless, composable) and alignment with your technical capabilities
- Review AI capabilities including both generative AI and agentic AI for end-users, developers, and bank employees
- Assess integration capabilities with your existing core platform and third-party systems
- Evaluate the vendor's innovation approach, R&D investment levels, and roadmap transparency
- Consider geographic coverage and localization needs for your markets
- Review partnership ecosystem strength and marketplace offerings
- Assess out-of-the-box capabilities versus customization requirements
- Evaluate pricing model transparency and flexibility including outcome-based pricing options
- Consider vendor's customer support quality and adoption methodologies
- Review open banking and embedded finance capabilities if relevant to strategy
Q: How has the Digital Banking Engagement Platforms market evolved in 2026?
A:
- AI is disrupting and threatening digital experiences and engagement models that have worked for the past quarter-century
- Banks seeking partners to help meet customer needs while adjusting to emerging technologies, shifting behaviors, and rising expectations
- Emphasis on bank dynamism - the combination of speed and degree of change banks can achieve
- Wide variation in banks' digital and technology teams' remit, capacity, talent, budget, and priorities
- Focus on whether profit margins afford banks the luxury of focusing on top-line rather than bottom-line results
- Emergence of agentic AI, conversational interfaces, and AI-native platforms
- Shift toward API-first, headless, and composable architecture approaches
- Growing importance of semantic layers and shared truth across banking systems
- Evolution toward open banking, embedded finance, and banking-as-a-service (BaaS)
Q: What differentiates Strength of Offering vs. Strength of Strategy?
A: Strength of Offering (vertical axis) evaluates the vendor's current platform capabilities including technical features, architecture, channel support, AI capabilities, integration tools, and out-of-the-box functionality. Strength of Strategy (horizontal axis) assesses the vendor's future direction including vision for market evolution, innovation approach and R&D investment, product roadmap clarity, partnership ecosystem strength, customer adoption methodologies, and pricing model transparency and flexibility.
Reference
- Forrester, The Forrester Wave™: Digital Banking Engagement Platforms, Q2 2026, 01-May-2026, ID 213faf96
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