SoftwareGlimpse

ACT! vs SugarCRM

ACT! fits act! by swiftpage — long-standing smb crm for contacts, calendars, and sales follow-up; pricing primarily contact-sales; SugarCRM fits sugarcrm targets mid-market sales/cx needs.

Independently recommendedLast updated Sep 24, 20267 evidence sources12 screenshotsHow we compare
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ACT! logo

ACT!

5.6/10

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

Visit ACT!
Read review

VS

Our verdict

Our verdict

No universal winner

There is no universal winner between ACT! and SugarCRM. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.

ACT! is better for

  • ✓ Administration

SugarCRM is better for

  • ✓ Pipeline management
  • ✓ Sales automation
  • ✓ Email capabilities
  • ✓ Reporting

Tie

  • • Ease of use

Choose ACT! if: ACT! by Swiftpage — long-standing SMB CRM for contacts, calendars, and sales follow-up; pricing primarily contact-sales

Choose SugarCRM if: SugarCRM targets mid-market sales/CX needs

See detailed comparison ↓
SugarCRM logo

SugarCRM

7.1/10

Customer experience CRM (Sugar Sell) with Standard through Premier editions and Sugar Intelligence AI.

Best for

  • • SugarCRM targets mid-market sales/CX needs
  • • SugarCRM competes in enterprise/mid-market CRM evaluations
  • • Sales/CX CRM focus

Starting from $59.00/user/mo

No free plan

Visit SugarCRM
Read review

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 SugarCRM if…

  • SugarCRM targets mid-market sales/CX needs
  • SugarCRM competes in enterprise/mid-market CRM evaluations
  • Sales/CX CRM focus
  • You prioritize pipeline management

Overall recommendation

There is no universal winner between ACT! and SugarCRM. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.

Key trade-off

ACT! trades toward administration; SugarCRM trades toward pipeline management.

Winner by category

Only dimensions with researched evidence for this pair.

DimensionWinnerWhy
Ease of useTieACT! and SugarCRM are close on ease of use (6/10 vs 6/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
SalesSugarCRM winsSugarCRM leads on pipeline management (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
AutomationSugarCRM winsSugarCRM leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Email capabilitiesSugarCRM winsSugarCRM leads on email capabilities (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
ReportingSugarCRM winsSugarCRM leads on reporting (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
CustomizationSugarCRM winsSugarCRM leads on customization (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
IntegrationsSugarCRM winsSugarCRM leads on integrations (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
AdministrationACT! winsACT! leads on administration (6/10 vs 5/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Enterprise suitabilitySugarCRM winsSugarCRM leads on scalability (5/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
ValueSugarCRM winsSugarCRM 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

FeatureACT!SugarCRM
Contact managementStrongStrong
Lead managementStrongStrong
Pipeline managementStrongStrong
Deal managementStrongStrong

Sales engagement

FeatureACT!SugarCRM
Email syncStrongStrong
Email trackingStrongNot evidenced
Workflow automationModerateStrong
Sales automationStrongStrong

Reporting

FeatureACT!SugarCRM
ReportingModerateStrong
ForecastingNot evidencedStrong

Platform

FeatureACT!SugarCRM
IntegrationsStrongStrong
Custom fieldsStrongStrong
Custom pipelinesModerateStrong
Mobile appStrongStrong
AI assistanceNot evidencedStrong

Pricing comparison

Pricing evidence last checked Aug 16, 2026.

ACT! logo

ACT!

No free planFree trial available
  • ACT! (contact sales)Custom
SugarCRM logo

SugarCRM

From $59.00/user/mo

No free planFree trial available
  • Sugar Sell Standard$59.00/user/mo
  • Sugar Sell Advanced$85.00/user/mo
  • Sugar Sell Premier$135.00/user/mo

Seat-count estimates

Labeled estimates from verified starting per-seat pricing — not invoices.

SeatsACT!SugarCRM
5—~$295.00/mo (Sugar Sell Standard × 5)
10—~$590.00/mo (Sugar Sell Standard × 10)
25—~$1,475.00/mo (Sugar Sell Standard × 25)
50—~$2,950.00/mo (Sugar Sell Standard × 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 SugarCRM. Confirm live vendor pricing before buying.

Open cost calculator →

Best for

Scenario picks from researched strengths — not a universal ranking.

  • → ACT!

    Best for administration

    ACT! leads on administration (6/10 vs 5/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.

  • → SugarCRM

    Best for pipeline management

    SugarCRM leads on pipeline management (6/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.

  • → SugarCRM

    Best for sales automation

    SugarCRM leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.

  • → SugarCRM

    Best for email capabilities

    SugarCRM leads on email capabilities (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.

The differences that actually matter

Pair-specific analysis for ACT! vs SugarCRM — not generic category copy.

  • Pipeline management

    SugarCRM ahead

    On pipeline management, SugarCRM is ahead. ACT!: Trails SugarCRM on this criterion. SugarCRM: SugarCRM 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; SugarCRM: Strong); Reporting (ACT!: Moderate; SugarCRM: Strong); Custom pipelines (ACT!: Moderate; SugarCRM: Strong).

  • Email capabilities

    SugarCRM ahead

    On email capabilities, SugarCRM is ahead. ACT!: Trails SugarCRM on this criterion. SugarCRM: SugarCRM leads on email capabilities (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing..

  • Sales automation

    SugarCRM ahead

    On sales automation, SugarCRM is ahead. ACT!: Trails SugarCRM on this criterion. SugarCRM: SugarCRM leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing..

  • Reporting

    SugarCRM ahead

    On reporting, SugarCRM is ahead. ACT!: Trails SugarCRM on this criterion. SugarCRM: SugarCRM leads on reporting (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing..

  • Value for money

    SugarCRM ahead

    On value for money, SugarCRM is ahead. ACT!: Trails SugarCRM on this criterion. SugarCRM: SugarCRM 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! logo

ACT!

Pros

  • Stronger on administration

Cons

  • Trails on pipeline management
  • Trails on sales automation
  • Trails on email capabilities
SugarCRM logo

SugarCRM

Pros

  • Stronger on pipeline management
  • Stronger on sales automation
  • Stronger on email capabilities
  • Stronger on reporting

Cons

  • Trails on administration

Implementation & learning curve

Based on researched setup / ease criteria for this pair.

ACT!

  • Comparable ease of use to SugarCRM
  • Stronger on administration: ACT! leads on administration (6/10 vs 5/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.

SugarCRM

  • Comparable ease of use to ACT!
  • Trails on administration relative to ACT!

Integrations

Overlaps and exclusives from product integration data when available.

ACT!: Strong. SugarCRM: Strong.

Who should not choose each product

Decision quality improves when we say who should walk away.

Don't choose ACT! if…

  • You need SugarCRM's stronger pipeline management more than ACT!'s strengths
  • You need SugarCRM's stronger sales automation more than ACT!'s strengths
  • You need SugarCRM's stronger email capabilities more than ACT!'s strengths
  • Your primary fit looks closer to: SugarCRM targets mid-market sales/CX needs

Don't choose SugarCRM if…

  • You need ACT!'s stronger administration more than SugarCRM'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.

  • HubSpot logoHubSpot

    AI-powered customer platform with free forever CRM, plus paid Smart CRM seats and Sales/Marketing/Service hubs for growing teams.

  • Pipedrive logoPipedrive

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

  • Capsule CRM logoCapsule

    Simple small-business CRM for contacts, sales pipelines, tasks, and lightweight automation without enterprise complexity.

  • Freshworks logoFreshsales

    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

SugarCRM wins when…

SugarCRM targets mid-market sales/CX needs

  • Best for administrationACT!
  • Best for pipeline managementSugarCRM
  • Best for sales automationSugarCRM
  • Best for email capabilitiesSugarCRM

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 SugarCRM if:

  • SugarCRM targets mid-market sales/CX needs
  • SugarCRM competes in enterprise/mid-market CRM evaluations
  • Sales/CX CRM focus

Product screenshots

Real product UI from our media library — no placeholders.

SugarCRM

  • SugarCRM product demo screen from official SugarCRM homepage.
  • SugarCRM sales effectiveness UI from official SugarCRM homepage.
  • 360-degree customer view from official SugarCRM homepage.
  • Guided selling UI from official SugarCRM homepage.

FAQ

Is ACT! better than SugarCRM?
There is no universal winner between ACT! and SugarCRM. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.
Which CRM fits which team?
ACT!: ACT! by Swiftpage — long-standing SMB CRM for contacts, calendars, and sales follow-up; pricing primarily contact-sales SugarCRM: SugarCRM targets mid-market sales/CX needs
Which is stronger for sales automation?
SugarCRM leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
Does ACT! or SugarCRM have a free plan?
ACT!: No free plan. SugarCRM: No free plan.
How does ACT! vs SugarCRM pricing compare?
SugarCRM starts from $59.00/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.

Still deciding between ACT! and SugarCRM?

Use Find My CRM for a shortlist matched to your priorities, or build another side-by-side comparison.

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  • No invented scores or prices
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Methodology disclosure: scores and recommendations follow SoftwareGlimpse evaluation criteria (version 1.0.0). Affiliate relationships do not determine rankings.

How we recommend: product claims are tied to recorded research where available.

AI-assisted disclosure: drafts may be AI-assisted from approved facts and assessments. Humans approve publishable editorial judgments. AI does not invent live prices or claim hands-on testing.

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