Act! vs Salesforce: CRM Platform Comparison
Compare Act! and Salesforce side by side. See pricing, features, and integrations to choose the right CRM platform for your needs.
Act! and Salesforce are both CRM platforms, but Salesforce costs less to start at $25/mo versus Act!'s $30/mo entry plan, while Act! offers more pricing tiers, five versus Salesforce's four. Salesforce emphasizes AI-powered analytics and pipeline tracking, while Act! bundles CRM and email marketing for small and midsize businesses.
Key takeaways
- Salesforce's entry plan, Starter Suite, costs $25/mo, while Act!'s entry plan, Advantage Standard, costs $30/mo.
- Act! offers five pricing tiers, from Advantage Standard at $30/mo up to Enterprise Engagement priced by contacting sales, compared to Salesforce's four tiers up to Unlimited at $350/mo.
- Act!'s Advantage Standard plan includes 2,500 email sends per month, while its Advantage Ultimate plan includes 50,000 sends per month.
- Salesforce lists Einstein AI-powered analytics and predictions as a feature, while Act! lists marketing automation and lead scoring instead.
- Slack is the only integration listed by both Act! and Salesforce on their own vendor pages.
Reviewed and updated September 4, 2026
Act! vs Salesforce: CRM Platform Comparison
Sales teams evaluating customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking tools often narrow their shortlist to Act! and Salesforce. Both target the same job, but they cater to different workflows and budgets. This comparison covers pricing, features, and integrations so you can pick the right fit.
The Quick Answer
By each vendor's own wording, Act! lists full-featured crm and mobile app and email marketing, while Salesforce lists lead, account, and contact management and opportunity and pipeline tracking. A capability both offer can appear under different names, so read both feature lists below.
Salesforce offers a lower entry point at $25/mo compared to Act! at $30/mo.
If your priority is organizing contacts, tracking deals, and forecasting revenue, both tools target it. The right choice depends on your budget, team size, and the specific capabilities you need most.
Understanding the Core Difference
Act! is Act! is a CRM and marketing automation platform for small and midsize businesses that unites sales, marketing and customer management in one platform. It is sold as Act! Advantage cloud plans and an Act! Premium Desktop on-premises edition.
Salesforce is The world's leading CRM platform offering a comprehensive suite of sales, service, marketing, and commerce tools. Known for extensive customization, AI-powered insights via Einstein, and a vast ecosystem of third-party integrations through AppExchange.
The two platforms take different approaches to solving the same core challenge.
Pricing Comparison
Act! Advantage Standard
Starter Suite
Act! Pricing (as of September 2026)
| Plan | Price | Emails |
|---|---|---|
| Act! Advantage Standard | $30/mo | Basic Email Marketing (includes 2,500 sends/mo) |
| Act! Advantage Professional | $45/mo | Email Marketing Plus (includes 25,000 sends/mo) |
| Act! Advantage Ultimate | $60/mo | Marketing Automation (includes 50,000 sends/mo) |
| Act! Premium Desktop | $40/mo | - |
| Enterprise Engagement | Contact Sales | - |
Source: Act! Pricing
Salesforce Pricing (as of September 2026)
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Starter Suite | $25/mo |
| Pro Suite | $100/mo |
| Enterprise | $175/mo |
| Unlimited | $350/mo |
Source: Salesforce Pricing
Pricing Analysis
Salesforce offers the lower entry point ($25/mo vs $30/mo). Teams watching their budget will appreciate the savings, especially when starting out.
Act! offers 5 pricing tiers compared to Salesforce's 4, giving you more granularity as you scale.
Features Breakdown
- Full-featured CRM and mobile app
- Email marketing
- Interactive quotes and payments
- Online appointment scheduling
- Forms, surveys, website chat and event management
- Reports and interactive dashboards
- and 4 more listed below
- Lead, account, and contact management
- Opportunity and pipeline tracking
- Einstein AI-powered analytics and predictions
- Sales forecasting and territory management
- Workflow automation and approval processes
- Customizable dashboards and reports
- and 2 more listed below
Act! Key Features
- Full-featured CRM and mobile app
- Email marketing
- Interactive quotes and payments
- Online appointment scheduling
- Forms, surveys, website chat and event management
- Reports and interactive dashboards
- Marketing automation
- Lead scoring
- Project management
- Accounting integration
Salesforce Key Features
- Lead, account, and contact management
- Opportunity and pipeline tracking
- Einstein AI-powered analytics and predictions
- Sales forecasting and territory management
- Workflow automation and approval processes
- Customizable dashboards and reports
- AppExchange marketplace
- Mobile CRM app for iOS and Android
The two lists below are a diff of each vendor's own feature list by exact wording, so a capability both tools offer can appear on either side under a different name.
Listed only by Act!
- Full-featured CRM and mobile app
- Email marketing
- Interactive quotes and payments
- Online appointment scheduling
- Forms, surveys, website chat and event management
- Reports and interactive dashboards
- Marketing automation
- Lead scoring
- Project management
- Accounting integration
Listed only by Salesforce
- Lead, account, and contact management
- Opportunity and pipeline tracking
- Einstein AI-powered analytics and predictions
- Sales forecasting and territory management
- Workflow automation and approval processes
- Customizable dashboards and reports
- AppExchange marketplace
- Mobile CRM app for iOS and Android
Integration Ecosystem
Act! Integrations
Act! connects with: Outlook, Google Contacts, Slack, Eventbrite, SurveyMonkey, Wufoo, BigCommerce, Ecwid, Shopify, Volusion, Facebook, Freshdesk, Zendesk, FreshBooks, QuickBooks Online, Xero.
Salesforce Integrations
Salesforce connects with: Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Outlook, Mailchimp, DocuSign, Zapier, Tableau, MuleSoft.
Shared Integrations
Both tools integrate with: Slack.
Integrations listed only by Act!: Outlook, Google Contacts, Eventbrite, SurveyMonkey, Wufoo, BigCommerce, Ecwid, Shopify, Volusion, Facebook, Freshdesk, Zendesk, FreshBooks, QuickBooks Online, Xero.
Integrations listed only by Salesforce: Google Workspace, Microsoft Outlook, Mailchimp, DocuSign, Zapier, Tableau, MuleSoft.
Use Case Recommendations
Best Fit for Act!
- Budget-conscious teams looking for an affordable CRM platform
- Teams that need a wide feature set (10 capabilities listed)
- Organizations with complex tech stacks needing broad integration support (16 integrations)
- Enterprise buyers who prefer custom pricing and dedicated support
Best Fit for Salesforce
- Budget-conscious teams looking for an affordable CRM platform
- Sales teams tracking deals from first touch to close
- Managers who need pipeline visibility and forecasting
- Growing teams that need scalable contact management
Feature Comparison Summary
| Feature | Act! | Salesforce |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $30/mo | $25/mo |
| Top Tier Price | Contact Sales | $350/mo |
| Total Features Listed | 10 | 8 |
| Integrations | 16 | 8 |
| Founded | N/A | 1999 |
Getting Started Checklist
- Define your customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking requirements and monthly budget
- Estimate your expected contacts and deals to find the right tier
- List the integrations your team currently relies on
- Sign up for free trials or demos of both platforms
- Run a small test with each tool before making a commitment
- Evaluate the onboarding experience and support quality
Final Thoughts
Act! and Salesforce both serve the customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking market. Salesforce offers a more accessible entry point at $25/mo, while Act! starts at $30/mo. Your decision should weigh pricing against the specific features that matter most for your workflow.
Start with a trial of each to see which platform fits your team's daily process. The best tool is the one your team actually uses consistently.
Pricing and features verified as of September 2026. Visit Act! and Salesforce for current information.
Frequently asked questions.
Frequently asked questions- Which CRM is cheaper, Act! or Salesforce?
- Salesforce's entry-level Starter Suite plan is cheaper at $25/mo compared to Act!'s Advantage Standard plan at $30/mo. However, Act! offers five pricing tiers versus Salesforce's four, giving more granularity as a team's needs grow.
- What integrations do Act! and Salesforce share?
- Slack is the only integration listed by both Act! and Salesforce on their own vendor pages. Act! additionally integrates with tools like Outlook, QuickBooks Online, and Shopify, while Salesforce integrates with Google Workspace, Mailchimp, DocuSign, Zapier, Tableau, and MuleSoft.
- Does Act! or Salesforce include AI features?
- Salesforce lists Einstein AI-powered analytics and predictions as a built-in feature on its own product pages. Act!'s feature list does not mention AI capabilities, focusing instead on marketing automation, lead scoring, and project management.
- How many pricing plans does each CRM offer?
- Act! offers five pricing tiers: Advantage Standard, Advantage Professional, Advantage Ultimate, Premium Desktop, and Enterprise Engagement, which requires contacting sales. Salesforce offers four tiers: Starter Suite, Pro Suite, Enterprise, and Unlimited, ranging from $25/mo to $350/mo.
- What email marketing capacity comes with Act!'s plans?
- Act!'s Advantage Standard plan includes Basic Email Marketing with 2,500 sends per month, while the Advantage Ultimate plan includes Marketing Automation with 50,000 sends per month. The middle tier, Advantage Professional, includes Email Marketing Plus with 25,000 sends per month.
About the author.
Tim Carden is CMO / CTO at RevenueFlow, which builds and operates outbound revenue engines for B2B companies. Studied at McGill University.
Tim Carden · CMO / CTO
Connect on LinkedIn →Explore more.
Ready to scale your outreach?
We build GTM engines that book real meetings. See the receipts.
Related articles.
AroundDeal vs Salesflare: Data Enrichment Tool vs CRM Platform Comparison
Compare AroundDeal (data enrichment tool) and Salesflare (CRM platform) side by side. See pricing, features, and integrations to decide which one, or both, your stack needs.
Evaboot vs Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales: Data Enrichment Tool vs CRM Platform Comparison
Compare Evaboot (data enrichment tool) and Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales (CRM platform) side by side. See pricing, features, and integrations to decide which one, or both, your stack needs.
Agile CRM vs Copper: CRM Platform Comparison
Compare Agile CRM and Copper side by side. See pricing, features, and integrations to choose the right CRM platform for your needs.
Agile CRM vs LeadIQ: CRM Platform vs Data Enrichment Tool Comparison
Compare Agile CRM (CRM platform) and LeadIQ (data enrichment tool) side by side. See pricing, features, and integrations to decide which one, or both, your stack needs.
Kommo vs Luru: CRM Platform vs Sales Engagement Platform Comparison
Compare Kommo (CRM platform) and Luru (sales engagement platform) side by side. See pricing, features, and integrations to decide which one, or both, your stack needs.
Agile CRM vs Capsule CRM: CRM Platform Comparison
Compare Agile CRM and Capsule CRM side by side. See pricing, features, and integrations to choose the right CRM platform for your needs.