Tool Comparisons

    Act! vs SugarCRM: CRM Platform Comparison

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

    Comparison panel: Act! vs SugarCRM (Pricing, Features, Integration)
    September 2, 2026Updated September 4, 20265 min read
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    The short answer

    Act! costs less at entry, priced at $30/mo versus SugarCRM at $59/mo, and lists more feature and integration items on its own pages. SugarCRM lists fewer pricing tiers but focuses on accounts, leads, opportunities, and quotes for B2B growth. Choose Act! for budget-conscious teams wanting broad integrations, and SugarCRM for structured B2B sales pipeline management.

    Key takeaways

    • Act! Advantage Standard starts at $30/mo while SugarCRM Standard starts at $59/mo.
    • Act! offers 5 pricing tiers compared to SugarCRM's 3 tiers.
    • SugarCRM's plans all require a 15 user minimum across Standard, Advanced, and Premier.
    • Act! lists 10 features on its own page including marketing automation, lead scoring, and accounting integration.
    • Act! integrates with 16 tools including Outlook, Slack, Shopify, and QuickBooks Online, while SugarCRM integrates with 9 tools including NetSuite, DocuSign, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

    Reviewed and updated September 4, 2026

    Act! vs SugarCRM: CRM Platform Comparison

    Sales teams evaluating customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking tools often narrow their shortlist to Act! and SugarCRM. 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 SugarCRM lists accounts & contact management and lead & opportunity management. A capability both offer can appear under different names, so read both feature lists below.

    Act! offers a lower entry point at $30/mo compared to SugarCRM at $59/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.

    SugarCRM is SugarCRM is a sales CRM for B2B growth that manages accounts, leads, opportunities and quotes with automated follow-ups and built-in insights. Its Sugar Sell product is sold alongside Sugar Market for marketing automation and Sugar Serve for customer service.

    The two platforms take different approaches to solving the same core challenge.

    Pricing Comparison

    Pricing ladder: Pricing Comparison (Act, SugarCRM, Act Advantage Standard, Standard)

    $30/moAct! entry plan

    Act! Advantage Standard

    $59/moSugarCRM entry plan

    Standard

    Entry pricing for Act! and SugarCRM, 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

    SugarCRM Pricing (as of September 2026)

    PlanPriceContacts
    Standard$59/mo15 user minimum
    Advanced$85/mo15 user minimum
    Premier$135/mo15 user minimum

    Source: SugarCRM Pricing

    Pricing Analysis

    Act! is more affordable at the entry level ($30/mo vs $59/mo). For teams with tight budgets or those just getting started with customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking, this price difference matters.

    Act! offers 5 pricing tiers compared to SugarCRM's 3, 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
    SugarCRM lists
    • Accounts & contact management
    • Lead & opportunity management
    • Quote management
    • Activity management
    • Pipeline management
    • Business process management
    • and 2 more listed below
    What Act! and SugarCRM 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

    SugarCRM Key Features

    • Accounts & contact management
    • Lead & opportunity management
    • Quote management
    • Activity management
    • Pipeline management
    • Business process management
    • Reporting & analytics
    • Mail & calendar integration

    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 SugarCRM

    • Accounts & contact management
    • Lead & opportunity management
    • Quote management
    • Activity management
    • Pipeline management
    • Business process management
    • Reporting & analytics
    • Mail & calendar integration

    Integration Ecosystem

    Integration schematic: Integration Ecosystem (Act, SugarCRM, NetSuite, Epicor)

    Act! Integrations

    Act! connects with: Outlook, Google Contacts, Slack, Eventbrite, SurveyMonkey, Wufoo, BigCommerce, Ecwid, Shopify, Volusion, Facebook, Freshdesk, Zendesk, FreshBooks, QuickBooks Online, Xero.

    SugarCRM Integrations

    SugarCRM connects with: NetSuite, Epicor, Sage, SYSPRO, DocuSign, Dropbox, SharePoint, ZoomInfo, LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

    Integrations listed only by Act!: Outlook, Google Contacts, Slack, Eventbrite, SurveyMonkey, Wufoo, BigCommerce, Ecwid, Shopify, Volusion, Facebook, Freshdesk, Zendesk, FreshBooks, QuickBooks Online, Xero.

    Integrations listed only by SugarCRM: NetSuite, Epicor, Sage, SYSPRO, DocuSign, Dropbox, SharePoint, ZoomInfo, LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

    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 SugarCRM

    • 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!SugarCRM
    Starting Price$30/mo$59/mo
    Top Tier PriceContact Sales$135/mo
    Total Features Listed108
    Integrations169

    Getting Started Checklist

    Step sequence: Getting Started Checklist (Define customer relationship, Estimate expected contacts, List integrations, Sign up)

    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 SugarCRM both serve the customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking market. Act! offers a more accessible entry point at $30/mo, while SugarCRM starts at $59/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 SugarCRM for current information.

    Questions

    Frequently asked questions.

    Frequently asked questions
    What is the price difference between Act! and SugarCRM?
    Act! starts at $30/mo for its Advantage Standard plan, while SugarCRM starts at $59/mo for its Standard plan. Act! also offers 5 pricing tiers compared to SugarCRM's 3, giving more granularity as a team scales, and SugarCRM's plans require a 15 user minimum.
    Which CRM has more features, Act! or SugarCRM?
    Based on each vendor's own listed features, Act! lists 10 capabilities including full-featured CRM, marketing automation, lead scoring, project management, and accounting integration. SugarCRM lists 8 capabilities including accounts and contact management, lead and opportunity management, quote management, and business process management.
    Does Act! or SugarCRM have better integrations?
    Act! lists 16 integrations including Outlook, Google Contacts, Slack, Shopify, Zendesk, and QuickBooks Online. SugarCRM lists 9 integrations including NetSuite, Epicor, Sage, DocuSign, Dropbox, SharePoint, and LinkedIn Sales Navigator, focused more on enterprise resource planning and sales intelligence tools.
    Who should choose Act! over SugarCRM?
    Act! fits budget-conscious teams looking for an affordable CRM platform, teams that need a wide feature set with 10 listed capabilities, and organizations with complex tech stacks needing broad integration support across 16 listed integrations.
    What is the core difference between Act! and SugarCRM?
    Act! is a CRM and marketing automation platform for small and midsize businesses that unites sales, marketing, and customer management, sold as Act! Advantage cloud plans and an Act! Premium Desktop edition. SugarCRM is a sales CRM for B2B growth managing accounts, leads, opportunities, and quotes, sold as Sugar Sell alongside Sugar Market and Sugar Serve.
    Act!SugarCRMCRM 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

    Connect on LinkedIn →
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