Act! vs SugarCRM: CRM Platform Comparison

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

$30/moAct! entry plan

Act! Advantage Standard

$59/moSugarCRM entry plan

Standard

Act! Pricing (as of September 2026)

Source: Act! Pricing

SugarCRM Pricing (as of September 2026)

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

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

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

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 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.