ACT! vs Keap
ACT! fits act! by swiftpage — long-standing smb crm for contacts, calendars, and sales follow-up; pricing primarily contact-sales; Keap fits core packaging and automation library target smb operators.
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 Keap. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.
ACT! is better for
- ✓ Administration
Keap is better for
- ✓ Ease of use
- ✓ Pipeline management
- ✓ Sales automation
- ✓ Email capabilities
Tie
- • Value for money
Choose ACT! if: ACT! by Swiftpage — long-standing SMB CRM for contacts, calendars, and sales follow-up; pricing primarily contact-sales
Choose Keap if: Core packaging and automation library target SMB operators
Keap
Best for
- • Core packaging and automation library target SMB operators
- • Email/SMS campaigns and automations are first-class
- • Built for small businesses that want CRM plus marketing automation, payments, and proven campaign automations in one platform
Starting from $249.00/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
- You prioritize administration
Choose Keap if…
- Core packaging and automation library target SMB operators
- Email/SMS campaigns and automations are first-class
- Built for small businesses that want CRM plus marketing automation, payments, and proven campaign automations in one platform
- You prioritize ease of use
Overall recommendation
There is no universal winner between ACT! and Keap. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.
Key trade-off
ACT! trades toward administration; Keap trades toward ease of use.
Winner by category
Only dimensions with researched evidence for this pair.
| Dimension | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | Keap wins | Keap leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Sales | Keap wins | Keap leads on pipeline management (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Automation | Keap wins | Keap leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Email capabilities | Keap wins | Keap leads on email capabilities (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Reporting | Keap wins | Keap leads on reporting (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Customization | Keap wins | Keap leads on customization (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Integrations | Keap wins | Keap leads on integrations (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Administration | ACT! wins | Stronger coverage across sso, custom fields, custom objects, custom pipelines. editorial scores are close (6/10 vs 6/10). |
| Enterprise suitability | Keap wins | Keap leads on scalability (5/10 vs 6/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Value | Tie | ACT! and Keap are close on value for money (6/10 vs 6/10) 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! | Keap |
|---|---|---|
| Contact management | Strong | Strong |
| Lead management | Strong | Strong |
| Pipeline management | Strong | Strong |
| Deal management | Strong | Strong |
Sales engagement
| Feature | ACT! | Keap |
|---|---|---|
| Email sync | Strong | Strong |
| Email tracking | Strong | Not evidenced |
| Email sequences | Not evidenced | Strong |
| Call functionality | Not evidenced | Moderate |
| Workflow automation | Moderate | Strong |
| Sales automation | Strong | Strong |
Reporting
| Feature | ACT! | Keap |
|---|---|---|
| Reporting | Moderate | Strong |
Platform
| Feature | ACT! | Keap |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations | Strong | Strong |
| Custom fields | Strong | Strong |
| Custom pipelines | Moderate | Not evidenced |
| Mobile app | Strong | Strong |
| AI assistance | Not evidenced | Strong |
Additional capabilities
| Feature | ACT! | Keap |
|---|---|---|
| Email campaigns | Not evidenced | Strong |
| Meeting scheduling | Not evidenced | Strong |
Pricing comparison
Pricing evidence last checked Aug 16, 2026.
ACT!
- ACT! (contact sales)Custom
Keap
From $249.00/user/mo
- Max Ignite$249.00/mo
- Max Grow$329.00/mo
- Max Scale$499.00/mo
Seat-count estimates
Labeled estimates from verified starting per-seat pricing — not invoices.
| Seats | ACT! | Keap |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | — | ~$1,245.00/mo (Max Ignite × 5) |
| 10 | — | ~$2,490.00/mo (Max Ignite × 10) |
| 25 | — | ~$6,225.00/mo (Max Ignite × 25) |
| 50 | — | ~$12,450.00/mo (Max Ignite × 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 Keap. Confirm live vendor pricing before buying.
Best for
Scenario picks from researched strengths — not a universal ranking.
- → ACT!
Best for administration
Stronger coverage across sso, custom fields, custom objects, custom pipelines. editorial scores are close (6/10 vs 6/10).
- → Keap
Best for ease of use
Keap leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → Keap
Best for pipeline management
Keap leads on pipeline management (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → Keap
Best for sales automation
Keap leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
The differences that actually matter
Pair-specific analysis for ACT! vs Keap — not generic category copy.
Pipeline management
Keap aheadOn pipeline management, Keap is ahead. ACT!: Trails Keap on this criterion. Keap: Keap leads on pipeline management (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.. Feature evidence also diverges on Workflow automation (ACT!: Moderate; Keap: Strong); Reporting (ACT!: Moderate; Keap: Strong).
Email capabilities
Keap aheadOn email capabilities, Keap is ahead. ACT!: Trails Keap on this criterion. Keap: Keap leads on email capabilities (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing..
Sales automation
Keap aheadOn sales automation, Keap is ahead. ACT!: Trails Keap on this criterion. Keap: Keap leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing..
Reporting
Keap aheadOn reporting, Keap is ahead. ACT!: Trails Keap on this criterion. Keap: Keap leads on reporting (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing..
Value for money
TieACT! and Keap are close on value for money. ACT! and Keap are close on value for money (6/10 vs 6/10) 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!
Pros
- Stronger on administration
Cons
- Trails on ease of use
- Trails on pipeline management
- Trails on sales automation
Keap
Pros
- Stronger on ease of use
- Stronger on pipeline management
- Stronger on sales automation
- Stronger on email capabilities
Cons
- Trails on administration
Implementation & learning curve
Based on researched setup / ease criteria for this pair.
ACT!
- Trails on ease of use relative to Keap
- Stronger on administration: Stronger coverage across sso, custom fields, custom objects, custom pipelines. editorial scores are close (6/10 vs 6/10).
Keap
- Stronger on ease of use: Keap leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- Trails on administration relative to ACT!
Integrations
Overlaps and exclusives from product integration data when available.
ACT!: Strong. Keap: Strong.
Who should not choose each product
Decision quality improves when we say who should walk away.
Don't choose ACT! if…
- You need Keap's stronger ease of use more than ACT!'s strengths
- You need Keap's stronger pipeline management more than ACT!'s strengths
- You need Keap's stronger sales automation more than ACT!'s strengths
- Your primary fit looks closer to: Core packaging and automation library target SMB operators
Don't choose Keap if…
- You need ACT!'s stronger administration more than Keap's strengths
- 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.
Freshworks sales CRM for lead management and pipeline 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
Keap wins when…
Core packaging and automation library target SMB operators
- Best for administrationACT!
- Best for ease of useKeap
- Best for pipeline managementKeap
- Best for sales automationKeap
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 Keap if:
- Core packaging and automation library target SMB operators
- Email/SMS campaigns and automations are first-class
- Built for small businesses that want CRM plus marketing automation, payments, and proven campaign automations in one platform
Product screenshots
Real product UI from our media library — no placeholders.
Keap
FAQ
- Is ACT! better than Keap?
- There is no universal winner between ACT! and Keap. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.
- Which is easier to use?
- Keap leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 7/10) 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 Keap: Core packaging and automation library target SMB operators
- Which is stronger for sales automation?
- Keap leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- Does ACT! or Keap have a free plan?
- ACT!: No free plan. Keap: No free plan.
- How does ACT! vs Keap pricing compare?
- Keap starts from $249.00/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
- reviewKeap review
- pricingACT! pricing
- pricingKeap pricing
- alternativeHubSpot alternative
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- alternativeCapsule alternative
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- guideHow CRM Software Works: Records, Pipelines & Activity
- guideTypes of CRM Software: Operational, Suites & Sales CRM Shapes
- categoryCRM hub
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- 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.
Freshsales
Freshworks sales CRM for lead management and pipeline workflows.
Still deciding between ACT! and Keap?
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