ACT! vs Nutshell
ACT! fits act! by swiftpage — long-standing smb crm for contacts, calendars, and sales follow-up; pricing primarily contact-sales; Nutshell fits nutshell fits many small-business crm evaluations.
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 Nutshell. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.
Nutshell 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 Nutshell if: Nutshell fits many small-business CRM evaluations
Nutshell
Small-business CRM with pipelines, marketing add-ons, and AI assistance on a clear per-user ladder.
Best for
- • Nutshell fits many small-business CRM evaluations
- • Nutshell is evaluated here as a CRM/sales tool
- • Nutshell is an SMB CRM focused on pipelines, email/marketing add-ons, and approachable AI assistance
Starting from $13.00/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 Nutshell if…
- Nutshell fits many small-business CRM evaluations
- Nutshell is evaluated here as a CRM/sales tool
- Nutshell is an SMB CRM focused on pipelines, email/marketing add-ons, and approachable AI assistance
- You prioritize ease of use
Overall recommendation
There is no universal winner between ACT! and Nutshell. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.
Key trade-off
Nutshell's clearest edge is ease of use.
Winner by category
Only dimensions with researched evidence for this pair.
| Dimension | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | Nutshell wins | Nutshell leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Sales | Nutshell wins | Nutshell leads on pipeline management (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Automation | Nutshell wins | Nutshell leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Email capabilities | Nutshell wins | Nutshell leads on email capabilities (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Reporting | Nutshell wins | Nutshell leads on reporting (5/10 vs 6/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Customization | Nutshell wins | Stronger custom pipelines availability |
| Integrations | Nutshell wins | Nutshell leads on integrations (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Administration | Nutshell wins | Nutshell leads on administration (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Enterprise suitability | Nutshell wins | Nutshell leads on scalability (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Value | Nutshell wins | Nutshell leads on value for money (6/10 vs 8/10) 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! | Nutshell |
|---|---|---|
| Contact management | Strong | Strong |
| Lead management | Strong | Strong |
| Pipeline management | Strong | Strong |
| Deal management | Strong | Strong |
Sales engagement
| Feature | ACT! | Nutshell |
|---|---|---|
| Email sync | Strong | Strong |
| Email tracking | Strong | Not evidenced |
| Workflow automation | Moderate | Strong |
| Sales automation | Strong | Strong |
Reporting
| Feature | ACT! | Nutshell |
|---|---|---|
| Reporting | Moderate | Strong |
| Forecasting | Not evidenced | Moderate |
Platform
| Feature | ACT! | Nutshell |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations | Strong | Strong |
| Custom fields | Strong | Strong |
| Custom pipelines | Moderate | Strong |
| Mobile app | Strong | Strong |
| AI assistance | Not evidenced | Strong |
Pricing comparison
Pricing evidence last checked Aug 16, 2026.
ACT!
- ACT! (contact sales)Custom
Nutshell
From $13.00/user/mo
- Foundation$13.00/user/mo
- Growth$25.00/user/mo
- Pro$42.00/user/mo
- Business$59.00/user/mo
- Enterprise$79.00/user/mo
Seat-count estimates
Labeled estimates from verified starting per-seat pricing — not invoices.
| Seats | ACT! | Nutshell |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | — | ~$65.00/mo (Foundation × 5) |
| 10 | — | ~$130.00/mo (Foundation × 10) |
| 25 | — | ~$325.00/mo (Foundation × 25) |
| 50 | — | ~$650.00/mo (Foundation × 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 Nutshell. Confirm live vendor pricing before buying.
Best for
Scenario picks from researched strengths — not a universal ranking.
- → Nutshell
Best for ease of use
Nutshell leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → Nutshell
Best for pipeline management
Nutshell leads on pipeline management (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → Nutshell
Best for sales automation
Nutshell leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
The differences that actually matter
Pair-specific analysis for ACT! vs Nutshell — not generic category copy.
Pipeline management
Nutshell aheadOn pipeline management, Nutshell is ahead. ACT!: Trails Nutshell on this criterion. Nutshell: Nutshell 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; Nutshell: Strong); Reporting (ACT!: Moderate; Nutshell: Strong); Custom pipelines (ACT!: Moderate; Nutshell: Strong).
Email capabilities
Nutshell aheadOn email capabilities, Nutshell is ahead. ACT!: Trails Nutshell on this criterion. Nutshell: Nutshell leads on email capabilities (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing..
Sales automation
Nutshell aheadOn sales automation, Nutshell is ahead. ACT!: Trails Nutshell on this criterion. Nutshell: Nutshell leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing..
Reporting
Nutshell aheadOn reporting, Nutshell is ahead. ACT!: Trails Nutshell on this criterion. Nutshell: Nutshell leads on reporting (5/10 vs 6/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing..
Value for money
Nutshell aheadOn value for money, Nutshell is ahead. ACT!: Trails Nutshell on this criterion. Nutshell: Nutshell leads on value for money (6/10 vs 8/10) 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
Nutshell
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 Nutshell
- Trails on administration relative to Nutshell
Nutshell
- Stronger on ease of use: Nutshell leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- Stronger on administration: Nutshell leads on administration (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Integrations
Overlaps and exclusives from product integration data when available.
ACT!: Strong. Nutshell: Strong.
Who should not choose each product
Decision quality improves when we say who should walk away.
Don't choose ACT! if…
- You need Nutshell's stronger ease of use more than ACT!'s strengths
- You need Nutshell's stronger pipeline management more than ACT!'s strengths
- You need Nutshell's stronger sales automation more than ACT!'s strengths
- Your primary fit looks closer to: Nutshell fits many small-business CRM evaluations
Don't choose Nutshell 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.
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
Nutshell wins when…
Nutshell fits many small-business CRM evaluations
- Best for ease of useNutshell
- Best for pipeline managementNutshell
- Best for sales automationNutshell
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 Nutshell if:
- Nutshell fits many small-business CRM evaluations
- Nutshell is evaluated here as a CRM/sales tool
- Nutshell is an SMB CRM focused on pipelines, email/marketing add-ons, and approachable AI assistance
Product screenshots
Real product UI from our media library — no placeholders.
Nutshell
FAQ
- Is ACT! better than Nutshell?
- There is no universal winner between ACT! and Nutshell. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.
- Which is easier to use?
- Nutshell 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 Nutshell: Nutshell fits many small-business CRM evaluations
- Which is stronger for sales automation?
- Nutshell leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- Does ACT! or Nutshell have a free plan?
- ACT!: No free plan. Nutshell: No free plan.
- How does ACT! vs Nutshell pricing compare?
- Nutshell starts from $13.00/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
- reviewNutshell review
- pricingACT! pricing
- pricingNutshell 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.
Freshsales
Freshworks sales CRM for lead management and pipeline workflows.
Still deciding between ACT! and Nutshell?
Use Find My CRM for a shortlist matched to your priorities, or build another side-by-side comparison.
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