ACT! vs Freshsales
ACT! fits act! by swiftpage — long-standing smb crm for contacts, calendars, and sales follow-up; pricing primarily contact-sales; Freshsales fits growth plan pricing and ai-assisted crm fit smb sales.
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
Quick verdict
Start here — then dig into the evidence below.
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
- You prioritize ease of use
Overall recommendation
There is no universal winner between ACT! and Freshsales. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.
Key trade-off
Freshsales's clearest edge is ease of use.
Winner by category
Only dimensions with researched evidence for this pair.
| Dimension | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | Freshsales wins | Freshsales leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Sales | Freshsales wins | Freshsales leads on pipeline management (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Automation | Freshsales wins | Freshsales leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Email capabilities | Freshsales wins | Freshsales leads on email capabilities (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Reporting | Freshsales wins | Freshsales leads on reporting (5/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Customization | Freshsales wins | Freshsales leads on customization (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Integrations | Freshsales wins | Freshsales leads on integrations (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Administration | Freshsales wins | Freshsales leads on administration (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Enterprise suitability | Freshsales wins | Freshsales leads on scalability (5/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Value | Freshsales wins | Freshsales leads on value for money (6/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
Side-by-side feature matrix
Normalized availability from product research — empty rows are not shown.
Core CRM
| Feature | ACT! | Freshsales |
|---|---|---|
| Contact management | Strong | Strong |
| Lead management | Strong | Strong |
| Pipeline management | Strong | Strong |
| Deal management | Strong | Strong |
Sales engagement
| Feature | ACT! | Freshsales |
|---|---|---|
| Email sync | Strong | Strong |
| Email tracking | Strong | Not evidenced |
| Email sequences | Not evidenced | Moderate |
| Call functionality | Not evidenced | Strong |
| Workflow automation | Moderate | Strong |
| Sales automation | Strong | Strong |
| Lead scoring | Not evidenced | Moderate |
Reporting
| Feature | ACT! | Freshsales |
|---|---|---|
| Reporting | Moderate | Strong |
| Forecasting | Not evidenced | Moderate |
Platform
| Feature | ACT! | Freshsales |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations | Strong | Strong |
| Custom fields | Strong | Strong |
| Custom pipelines | Moderate | Strong |
| Mobile app | Strong | Strong |
| AI assistance | Not evidenced | Strong |
Additional capabilities
| Feature | ACT! | Freshsales |
|---|---|---|
| Territory management | Not evidenced | Moderate |
| Audit logs | Not evidenced | Moderate |
Pricing comparison
Pricing evidence last checked Aug 16, 2026.
ACT!
- ACT! (contact sales)Custom
Freshsales
From $9.00/user/mo
- Growth$9.00/user/mo
- Pro$39.00/user/mo
- Enterprise$59.00/user/mo
Seat-count estimates
Labeled estimates from verified starting per-seat pricing — not invoices.
| Seats | ACT! | Freshsales |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | — | ~$45.00/mo (Growth × 5) |
| 10 | — | ~$90.00/mo (Growth × 10) |
| 25 | — | ~$225.00/mo (Growth × 25) |
| 50 | — | ~$450.00/mo (Growth × 50) |
Estimate from verified starting per-seat pricing — actual total depends on plan, annual discounts, and add-ons.
Pricing notes use verified research when available for ACT! and Freshsales. Confirm live vendor pricing before buying.
Best for
Scenario picks from researched strengths — 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 differences that actually matter
Pair-specific analysis for ACT! vs Freshsales — not generic category copy.
Pipeline management
Freshsales aheadOn pipeline management, Freshsales is ahead. ACT!: 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.. Feature evidence also diverges on Workflow automation (ACT!: Moderate; Freshsales: Strong); Reporting (ACT!: Moderate; Freshsales: Strong); Custom pipelines (ACT!: Moderate; Freshsales: Strong).
Email capabilities
Freshsales aheadOn email capabilities, Freshsales is ahead. ACT!: 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 aheadOn sales automation, Freshsales is ahead. ACT!: 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 aheadOn reporting, Freshsales is ahead. ACT!: 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 aheadOn value for money, Freshsales is ahead. ACT!: 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..
Pros and cons
Product-specific for this pair — derived from researched outcomes and editorial notes.
ACT!
Cons
- Trails on ease of use
- Trails on pipeline management
- Trails on sales automation
Freshsales
Pros
- Stronger on ease of use
- Stronger on pipeline management
- Stronger on sales automation
- Stronger on email capabilities
Implementation & learning curve
Based on researched setup / ease criteria for this pair.
ACT!
- Trails on ease of use relative to Freshsales
- Trails on administration relative to Freshsales
Freshsales
- Stronger on ease of use: Freshsales leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- Stronger on administration: Freshsales leads on administration (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Integrations
Overlaps and exclusives from product integration data when available.
ACT!: Strong. Freshsales: Strong.
Who should not choose each product
Decision quality improves when we say who should walk away.
Don't choose ACT! if…
- You need Freshsales's stronger ease of use more than ACT!'s strengths
- You need Freshsales's stronger pipeline management more than ACT!'s strengths
- You need Freshsales's stronger sales automation more than ACT!'s strengths
- Your primary fit looks closer to: Growth plan pricing and AI-assisted CRM fit SMB sales
Don't choose Freshsales if…
- Your primary fit looks closer to: ACT! by Swiftpage — long-standing SMB CRM for contacts, calendars, and sales follow-up; pricing primarily contact-sales
- Your primary fit looks closer to: Classic SMB CRM for managing contacts, activities, and sales follow-ups — especially familiar to established small businesses
Alternatives worth considering
When neither product is the right fit.
AI-powered customer platform with free forever CRM, plus paid Smart CRM seats and Sales/Marketing/Service hubs for growing teams.
Pipeline-first sales CRM for visual deal management, activity-based selling, and growing sales teams.
Simple small-business CRM for contacts, sales pipelines, tasks, and lightweight automation without enterprise complexity.
Sales-focused CRM for pipeline management and sales engagement workflows.
Final verdict
Scenario-level close — not a repeat of the intro.
ACT! wins when…
ACT! by Swiftpage — long-standing SMB CRM for contacts, calendars, and sales follow-up; pricing primarily contact-sales
Freshsales wins when…
Growth plan pricing and AI-assisted CRM fit SMB sales
- Best for ease of useFreshsales
- Best for pipeline managementFreshsales
- Best for sales automationFreshsales
Which one 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
Product screenshots
Real product UI from our media library — no placeholders.
Freshsales
FAQ
- Is ACT! better than Freshsales?
- There is no universal winner between ACT! and Freshsales. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.
- Which is easier to use?
- Freshsales leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- Which CRM fits which team?
- ACT!: ACT! by Swiftpage — long-standing SMB CRM for contacts, calendars, and sales follow-up; pricing primarily contact-sales Freshsales: Growth plan pricing and AI-assisted CRM fit SMB sales
- Which is stronger for sales automation?
- Freshsales leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- Does ACT! or Freshsales have a free plan?
- ACT!: No free plan. Freshsales: No free plan.
- How does ACT! vs Freshsales pricing compare?
- Freshsales starts from $9.00/user/mo. Confirm live vendor pricing before purchasing.
- How did SoftwareGlimpse compare these products?
- We map both products to the same category criteria, then evaluate trade-offs using verified product, pricing and feature evidence. Affiliate relationships never change outcomes.
- reviewACT! review
- reviewFreshsales review
- pricingACT! pricing
- pricingFreshsales pricing
- alternativeHubSpot alternative
- alternativePipedrive alternative
- alternativeCapsule alternative
- guideWhat Is CRM Software? A Complete Beginner’s Guide
- guideHow CRM Software Works: Records, Pipelines & Activity
- guideTypes of CRM Software: Operational, Suites & Sales CRM Shapes
- categoryCRM hub
- finderFind My CRM
- calculatorCost calculator
Related comparisons
Alternatives to consider
HubSpot
AI-powered customer platform with free forever CRM, plus paid Smart CRM seats and Sales/Marketing/Service hubs for growing teams.
Pipedrive
Pipeline-first sales CRM for visual deal management, activity-based selling, and growing sales teams.
Capsule
Simple small-business CRM for contacts, sales pipelines, tasks, and lightweight automation without enterprise complexity.
Close
Sales-focused CRM for pipeline management and sales engagement workflows.
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