ACT! vs Freshsales
Compare ACT! and Freshsales on features, pricing, and buyer fit using the same researched criteria.

ACT!
ACT! by Swiftpage SMB CRM; contact sales for current packaging (no invented list prices).
Best for
- • ACT! by Swiftpage — long-standing SMB CRM for contacts, calendars, and sales follow-up; pricing primarily contact-sales
- • Classic SMB CRM for managing contacts, activities, and sales follow-ups — especially familiar to established small businesses.
No free plan
VS
Our verdict
There is no universal winner between ACT! and Freshsales. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.
Freshsales is better for
- ✓ Ease of use
- ✓ Pipeline management
- ✓ Sales automation
- ✓ Email capabilities
Choose ACT! if: ACT! by Swiftpage — long-standing SMB CRM for contacts, calendars, and sales follow-up; pricing primarily contact-sales
Choose Freshsales if: Growth plan pricing and AI-assisted CRM fit SMB sales

Freshsales
Freshworks sales CRM for lead management and pipeline workflows.
Best for
- • Growth plan pricing and AI-assisted CRM fit SMB sales
- • Pro/Enterprise add scoring, sequences, territories, forecasting, sandbox
- • Sales CRM with phone/email/chat engagement
Starting from $9.00/user/mo
No free plan
ACT! vs Freshsales at a glance
Criterion-level leaders from verified research.
Scorecard preview
Criterion leaders based on verified research — open the Scorecard tab for evidence detail.
- Ease of useFreshsales
ACT!
Freshsales
- Pipeline managementFreshsales
ACT!
Freshsales
- Sales automationFreshsales
ACT!
Freshsales
- Email capabilitiesFreshsales
ACT!
Freshsales
- ReportingFreshsales
ACT!
Freshsales
Which CRM is better for you?
Quick picks based on fit — not a universal ranking.
- → Freshsales
Best for ease of use
Freshsales leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → Freshsales
Best for pipeline management
Freshsales leads on pipeline management (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → Freshsales
Best for sales automation
Freshsales leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
The biggest differences
Where the products diverge most clearly on verified criteria.
Pipeline management
Freshsales winsACT!
Trails Freshsales on this criterion
Freshsales
Freshsales leads on pipeline management (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Email capabilities
Freshsales winsACT!
Trails Freshsales on this criterion
Freshsales
Freshsales leads on email capabilities (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Sales automation
Freshsales winsACT!
Trails Freshsales on this criterion
Freshsales
Freshsales leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Reporting
Freshsales winsACT!
Trails Freshsales on this criterion
Freshsales
Freshsales leads on reporting (5/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Value for money
Freshsales winsACT!
Trails Freshsales on this criterion
Freshsales
Freshsales leads on value for money (6/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Which should you choose?
Choose ACT! if
- ACT! by Swiftpage — long-standing SMB CRM for contacts, calendars, and sales follow-up; pricing primarily contact-sales
- Classic SMB CRM for managing contacts, activities, and sales follow-ups — especially familiar to established small businesses.
Choose Freshsales if
- Growth plan pricing and AI-assisted CRM fit SMB sales
- Pro/Enterprise add scoring, sequences, territories, forecasting, sandbox
- Sales CRM with phone/email/chat engagement
Related comparisons
Alternatives to consider

HubSpot
CRM platform with free core CRM plus Sales, Marketing, Service, and Content Hubs for growing teams.

Pipedrive
Pipeline-first sales CRM for visual deal management, activity-based selling, and growing sales teams.

Capsule
Small-business CRM for contact management and straightforward sales pipelines.

Close
Sales-focused CRM for pipeline management and sales engagement workflows.
How we compare
A short look at the comparison process. Full methodology
1
Collect
Collect official product information, pricing, and product evidence.
2
Normalize
Map evidence to the same category evaluation criteria for both products.
3
Compare
Evaluate both products against identical criteria — ties and depends are allowed.
4
Explain
Show why each product wins, loses, or ties, with evidence behind the outcome.
Still deciding between ACT! and Freshsales?
Use Find My CRM for a shortlist matched to your priorities, or build another side-by-side comparison.
- Independent criterion outcomes
- No invented scores or prices
- Affiliate links never change winners
Some visit links may be affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Comparison outcomes are never based on commission.