SoftwareGlimpse
Updated 2026-08-18

ACT! alternatives

Approved substitutes for ACT! from existing SoftwareGlimpse catalogue peers and editorial assessments. This is a job-fit list, not a ranked best-of.

Looking beyond

ACT! logo

ACT!

5.6/10

ACT! by Swiftpage SMB CRM; contact sales for current packaging (no invented list prices).

Read our full ACT! review →

Best overall alternative

HubSpot logo

HubSpot

7.8/10

HubSpot is a catalogue substitute when SMB and mid-market teams wanting free CRM now and room to expand into hubs later. Stay with ACT! when Established SMBs already familiar with ACT!. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

See how we compare →

Best ACT! alternatives

  • 1
    HubSpot logo

    HubSpot

    Best overall

    HubSpot is a catalogue substitute when SMB and mid-market teams wanting free CRM now and room to expand into hubs later. Stay with ACT! when Established SMBs already familiar with ACT!. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

    Best for
    SMB and mid-market teams wanting free CRM now and room to expand into hubs later
    Starting price
    See pricing
    View review
    Visit website
  • 2
    Pipedrive logo

    Pipedrive

    Pipedrive is a catalogue substitute when SMB and mid-market sales teams prioritizing pipeline visibility. Stay with ACT! when Established SMBs already familiar with ACT!. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

    Best for
    SMB and mid-market sales teams prioritizing pipeline visibility
    Starting price
    See pricing
    View review
    Visit website
  • 3
    Capsule CRM logo

    Capsule

    Capsule is a catalogue substitute when Small businesses wanting a simple CRM. Stay with ACT! when Established SMBs already familiar with ACT!. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

    Best for
    Small businesses wanting a simple CRM
    Starting price
    See pricing
    View review
    Visit website
  • 4
    Freshworks logo

    Freshsales

    Freshsales is a catalogue substitute when SMB and mid-market teams wanting CRM + phone/email engagement. Stay with ACT! when Established SMBs already familiar with ACT!. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

    Best for
    SMB and mid-market teams wanting CRM + phone/email engagement
    Starting price
    See pricing
    View review
    Visit website

Compare alternatives side by side

Some links may be affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Rankings and scores are never based on commission. Affiliate disclosure

Alternative details

HubSpot

HubSpot is a catalogue substitute when SMB and mid-market teams wanting free CRM now and room to expand into hubs later. Stay with ACT! when Established SMBs already familiar with ACT!. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

Better when

  • SMB and mid-market teams wanting free CRM now and room to expand into hubs later
  • Organizations aligning marketing + sales + service on one customer platform

Worse when

  • Teams that need a simple single-price sales CRM without hub/seat complexity (consider Pipedrive)
  • Buyers who want native dialer-first workflows as the primary product story (consider Close/Freshsales)

Key tradeoff: Freemium breadth and suite power vs rising seat/hub complexity at scale vs Published packaging clarity vs ecosystem depth.

Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a catalogue substitute when SMB and mid-market sales teams prioritizing pipeline visibility. Stay with ACT! when Established SMBs already familiar with ACT!. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

Better when

  • SMB and mid-market sales teams prioritizing pipeline visibility
  • Teams standardizing activity-based selling habits

Worse when

  • Buyers who need native dialer + AI lead scoring tightly bundled like Freshsales
  • Organizations that need unlimited enterprise configurability without caps

Key tradeoff: Pipeline clarity and sales focus vs broader Freshworks-style engagement suites vs Published packaging clarity vs ecosystem depth.

Capsule

Capsule is a catalogue substitute when Small businesses wanting a simple CRM. Stay with ACT! when Established SMBs already familiar with ACT!. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

Better when

  • Small businesses wanting a simple CRM
  • Teams graduating from spreadsheets

Worse when

  • Teams needing marketing automation or sales engagement suites
  • Enterprise orgs needing complex governance

Key tradeoff: Simplicity vs suite depth vs Published packaging clarity vs ecosystem depth.

Freshsales

Freshsales is a catalogue substitute when SMB and mid-market teams wanting CRM + phone/email engagement. Stay with ACT! when Established SMBs already familiar with ACT!. Reasons come from approved editorial assessments — not a ranked best-of list.

Better when

  • SMB and mid-market teams wanting CRM + phone/email engagement
  • Buyers prioritizing AI lead scoring and Freddy assistance

Worse when

  • Teams that want a minimal pipeline board with the lightest possible surface
  • Buyers who need free forever CRM verified on the pricing page

Key tradeoff: Capability depth vs total cost of ownership on higher plans vs Published packaging clarity vs ecosystem depth.

Editorial note

Stay on ACT! when Established SMBs already familiar with ACT!. Move to HubSpot when SMB and mid-market teams wanting free CRM now and room to expand into hubs later. Move to Pipedrive when SMB and mid-market sales teams prioritizing pipeline visibility. Move to Capsule when Small businesses wanting a simple CRM. Move to Freshsales when SMB and mid-market teams wanting CRM + phone/email engagement. Not a ranked best-of list — affiliate relationships never set the order.

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How to choose a ACT! alternative

  • Define your priorities

    List must-have workflows, team size, and budget before you fall for a feature checklist.

  • Compare your options

    Use the same criteria across products — and ignore affiliate status when you weigh fit.

  • Test before you decide

    Trial the shortlist with a real workflow. We only claim hands-on testing when it happened.

Affiliate disclosure: some links may be affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Rankings and scores are never based on commission. Full disclosure

Methodology disclosure: scores and recommendations follow SoftwareGlimpse evaluation criteria (version 1.0.0). Affiliate relationships do not determine rankings.

How we recommend: product claims are tied to recorded research where available.

AI-assisted disclosure: drafts may be AI-assisted from approved facts and assessments. Humans approve publishable editorial judgments. AI does not invent live prices or claim hands-on testing.

Editorial methodology · Affiliate disclosure

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