ACT! vs Pipedrive
ACT! fits act! by swiftpage — long-standing smb crm for contacts, calendars, and sales follow-up; pricing primarily contact-sales; Pipedrive fits pipeline ux and seat pricing fit smb sales teams.
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 Pipedrive. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.
Pipedrive 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 Pipedrive if: Pipeline UX and seat pricing fit SMB sales teams
Pipedrive
Pipeline-first sales CRM for visual deal management, activity-based selling, and growing sales teams.
Best for
- • Pipeline UX and seat pricing fit SMB sales teams
- • Lite works for solo pipeline tracking; Growth for email/automation
- • Sales-first CRM rather than service/marketing suite
Starting from $14.00/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 Pipedrive if…
- Pipeline UX and seat pricing fit SMB sales teams
- Lite works for solo pipeline tracking; Growth for email/automation
- Sales-first CRM rather than service/marketing suite
- You prioritize ease of use
Overall recommendation
There is no universal winner between ACT! and Pipedrive. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.
Key trade-off
Pipedrive's clearest edge is ease of use.
Winner by category
Only dimensions with researched evidence for this pair.
| Dimension | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | Pipedrive wins | Pipedrive leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Sales | Pipedrive wins | Pipedrive leads on pipeline management (6/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Automation | Pipedrive wins | Pipedrive leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Email capabilities | Pipedrive wins | Pipedrive leads on email capabilities (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Reporting | Pipedrive wins | Pipedrive leads on reporting (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Customization | Pipedrive wins | Pipedrive leads on customization (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Integrations | Pipedrive wins | Pipedrive leads on integrations (5/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Administration | Pipedrive wins | Pipedrive leads on administration (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Enterprise suitability | Pipedrive wins | Pipedrive leads on scalability (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Value | Pipedrive wins | Pipedrive leads on value for money (6/10 vs 7/10) 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! | Pipedrive |
|---|---|---|
| Contact management | Strong | Strong |
| Lead management | Strong | Strong |
| Pipeline management | Strong | Strong |
| Deal management | Strong | Strong |
Sales engagement
| Feature | ACT! | Pipedrive |
|---|---|---|
| Email sync | Strong | Moderate |
| Email tracking | Strong | Moderate |
| Email sequences | Not evidenced | Moderate |
| Call functionality | Not evidenced | Moderate |
| Workflow automation | Moderate | Moderate |
| Sales automation | Strong | Moderate |
| Lead scoring | Not evidenced | Moderate |
Reporting
| Feature | ACT! | Pipedrive |
|---|---|---|
| Reporting | Moderate | Strong |
| Forecasting | Not evidenced | Moderate |
Platform
| Feature | ACT! | Pipedrive |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations | Strong | Strong |
| Custom fields | Strong | Strong |
| Custom pipelines | Moderate | Strong |
| Mobile app | Strong | Strong |
| AI assistance | Not evidenced | Strong |
Additional capabilities
| Feature | ACT! | Pipedrive |
|---|---|---|
| Data enrichment | Not evidenced | Moderate |
| Prospecting | Not evidenced | Moderate |
| Meeting scheduling | Not evidenced | Moderate |
| Email campaigns | Not evidenced | Moderate |
| API access | Not evidenced | Strong |
Pricing comparison
Pricing evidence last checked Aug 16, 2026.
ACT!
- ACT! (contact sales)Custom
Pipedrive
From $14.00/user/mo
- Lite$14.00/user/mo
- Growth$39.00/user/mo
- Premium$59.00/user/mo
- Ultimate$79.00/user/mo
Seat-count estimates
Labeled estimates from verified starting per-seat pricing — not invoices.
| Seats | ACT! | Pipedrive |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | — | ~$70.00/mo (Lite × 5) |
| 10 | — | ~$140.00/mo (Lite × 10) |
| 25 | — | ~$350.00/mo (Lite × 25) |
| 50 | — | ~$700.00/mo (Lite × 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 Pipedrive. Confirm live vendor pricing before buying.
Best for
Scenario picks from researched strengths — not a universal ranking.
- → Pipedrive
Best for ease of use
Pipedrive leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → Pipedrive
Best for pipeline management
Pipedrive leads on pipeline management (6/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → Pipedrive
Best for sales automation
Pipedrive 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 Pipedrive — not generic category copy.
Pipeline management
Pipedrive aheadOn pipeline management, Pipedrive is ahead. ACT!: Trails Pipedrive on this criterion. Pipedrive: Pipedrive leads on pipeline management (6/10 vs 9/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.. Feature evidence also diverges on Email sync (ACT!: Strong; Pipedrive: Moderate); Email tracking (ACT!: Strong; Pipedrive: Moderate); Workflow automation (ACT!: Moderate; Pipedrive: Moderate).
Email capabilities
Pipedrive aheadOn email capabilities, Pipedrive is ahead. ACT!: Trails Pipedrive on this criterion. Pipedrive: Pipedrive leads on email capabilities (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing..
Sales automation
Pipedrive aheadOn sales automation, Pipedrive is ahead. ACT!: Trails Pipedrive on this criterion. Pipedrive: Pipedrive leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing..
Reporting
Pipedrive aheadOn reporting, Pipedrive is ahead. ACT!: Trails Pipedrive on this criterion. Pipedrive: Pipedrive leads on reporting (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing..
Value for money
Pipedrive aheadOn value for money, Pipedrive is ahead. ACT!: Trails Pipedrive on this criterion. Pipedrive: Pipedrive leads on value for money (6/10 vs 7/10) 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
Pipedrive
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 Pipedrive
- Trails on administration relative to Pipedrive
Pipedrive
- Stronger on ease of use: Pipedrive leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- Stronger on administration: Pipedrive 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. Pipedrive: Strong.
Who should not choose each product
Decision quality improves when we say who should walk away.
Don't choose ACT! if…
- You need Pipedrive's stronger ease of use more than ACT!'s strengths
- You need Pipedrive's stronger pipeline management more than ACT!'s strengths
- You need Pipedrive's stronger sales automation more than ACT!'s strengths
- Your primary fit looks closer to: Pipeline UX and seat pricing fit SMB sales teams
Don't choose Pipedrive 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.
Simple small-business CRM for contacts, sales pipelines, tasks, and lightweight automation without enterprise complexity.
Freshworks sales CRM for lead management and pipeline workflows.
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
Pipedrive wins when…
Pipeline UX and seat pricing fit SMB sales teams
- Best for ease of usePipedrive
- Best for pipeline managementPipedrive
- Best for sales automationPipedrive
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 Pipedrive if:
- Pipeline UX and seat pricing fit SMB sales teams
- Lite works for solo pipeline tracking; Growth for email/automation
- Sales-first CRM rather than service/marketing suite
Product screenshots
Real product UI from our media library — no placeholders.
Pipedrive
FAQ
- Is ACT! better than Pipedrive?
- There is no universal winner between ACT! and Pipedrive. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.
- Which is easier to use?
- Pipedrive 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 Pipedrive: Pipeline UX and seat pricing fit SMB sales teams
- Which is stronger for sales automation?
- Pipedrive leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- Does ACT! or Pipedrive have a free plan?
- ACT!: No free plan. Pipedrive: No free plan.
- How does ACT! vs Pipedrive pricing compare?
- Pipedrive starts from $14.00/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
- reviewPipedrive review
- pricingACT! pricing
- pricingPipedrive pricing
- alternativeHubSpot alternative
- alternativeCapsule alternative
- alternativeFreshsales 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.
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.
Close
Sales-focused CRM for pipeline management and sales engagement workflows.
Still deciding between ACT! and Pipedrive?
Use Find My CRM for a shortlist matched to your priorities, or build another side-by-side comparison.
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