Tool Comparisons

    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.

    September 4, 20265 min read
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    The short answer

    Compare Act! and Salesforce side by side. See pricing, features, and integrations to choose the right CRM platform for your needs.

    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

    $30/moAct! entry plan

    Act! Advantage Standard

    $25/moSalesforce entry plan

    Starter Suite

    Entry pricing for Act! and Salesforce, as published on each vendor's own pricing page.

    Act! Pricing (as of September 2026)

    PlanPriceEmails
    Act! Advantage Standard$30/moBasic Email Marketing (includes 2,500 sends/mo)
    Act! Advantage Professional$45/moEmail Marketing Plus (includes 25,000 sends/mo)
    Act! Advantage Ultimate$60/moMarketing Automation (includes 50,000 sends/mo)
    Act! Premium Desktop$40/mo-
    Enterprise EngagementContact Sales-

    Source: Act! Pricing

    Salesforce Pricing (as of September 2026)

    PlanPrice
    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

    Act! lists
    • 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
    Salesforce lists
    • 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
    What Act! and Salesforce each list on their own pages. The split is by exact wording, so a capability both offer can appear on both sides under different names.

    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

    FeatureAct!Salesforce
    Starting Price$30/mo$25/mo
    Top Tier PriceContact Sales$350/mo
    Total Features Listed108
    Integrations168
    FoundedN/A1999

    Getting Started Checklist

    1. Define your customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking requirements and monthly budget
    2. Estimate your expected contacts and deals to find the right tier
    3. List the integrations your team currently relies on
    4. Sign up for free trials or demos of both platforms
    5. Run a small test with each tool before making a commitment
    6. 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.

    Act!SalesforceCRM PlatformComparisoncrm
    Byline

    About the author.

    Tim Carden

    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

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