ACT! vs Zendesk Sell
ACT! fits act! by swiftpage — long-standing smb crm for contacts, calendars, and sales follow-up; pricing primarily contact-sales; Zendesk Sell fits sales crm from zendesk for teams that want pipeline management alongside the broader zendesk customer experience stack.
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 Zendesk Sell. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.
Zendesk Sell 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 Zendesk Sell if: Sales CRM from Zendesk for teams that want pipeline management alongside the broader Zendesk customer experience stack
Zendesk Sell
Zendesk Sell CRM; Team $19 through Enterprise $169/agent/mo annual.
Best for
- • Sales CRM from Zendesk for teams that want pipeline management alongside the broader Zendesk customer experience stack
Starting from $19.00/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 Zendesk Sell if…
- Sales CRM from Zendesk for teams that want pipeline management alongside the broader Zendesk customer experience stack
- You prioritize ease of use
- You prioritize pipeline management
- You prioritize sales automation
Overall recommendation
There is no universal winner between ACT! and Zendesk Sell. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.
Key trade-off
Zendesk Sell's clearest edge is ease of use.
Winner by category
Only dimensions with researched evidence for this pair.
| Dimension | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | Zendesk Sell wins | Zendesk Sell leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Sales | Zendesk Sell wins | Zendesk Sell leads on pipeline management (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Automation | Zendesk Sell wins | Zendesk Sell leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Email capabilities | Zendesk Sell wins | Zendesk Sell leads on email capabilities (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Reporting | Zendesk Sell wins | Zendesk Sell leads on reporting (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Customization | Zendesk Sell wins | Stronger custom pipelines availability |
| Integrations | Zendesk Sell wins | Zendesk Sell leads on integrations (5/10 vs 8/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Administration | Zendesk Sell wins | Stronger custom pipelines availability |
| Enterprise suitability | Zendesk Sell wins | Zendesk Sell leads on scalability (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing. |
| Value | Tie | ACT! and Zendesk Sell 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! | Zendesk Sell |
|---|---|---|
| Contact management | Strong | Strong |
| Lead management | Strong | Strong |
| Pipeline management | Strong | Strong |
| Deal management | Strong | Strong |
Sales engagement
| Feature | ACT! | Zendesk Sell |
|---|---|---|
| Email sync | Strong | Strong |
| Email tracking | Strong | Strong |
| Workflow automation | Moderate | Strong |
| Sales automation | Strong | Strong |
Reporting
| Feature | ACT! | Zendesk Sell |
|---|---|---|
| Reporting | Moderate | Strong |
Platform
| Feature | ACT! | Zendesk Sell |
|---|---|---|
| Integrations | Strong | Strong |
| Custom fields | Strong | Strong |
| Custom pipelines | Moderate | Strong |
| Mobile app | Strong | Strong |
| AI assistance | Not evidenced | Moderate |
Pricing comparison
Pricing evidence last checked Aug 16, 2026.
ACT!
- ACT! (contact sales)Custom
Zendesk Sell
From $19.00/user/mo
- Team$19.00/user/mo
- Growth$55.00/user/mo
- Professional$115.00/user/mo
- Enterprise$169.00/user/mo
Seat-count estimates
Labeled estimates from verified starting per-seat pricing — not invoices.
| Seats | ACT! | Zendesk Sell |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | — | ~$95.00/mo (Team × 5) |
| 10 | — | ~$190.00/mo (Team × 10) |
| 25 | — | ~$475.00/mo (Team × 25) |
| 50 | — | ~$950.00/mo (Team × 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 Zendesk Sell. Confirm live vendor pricing before buying.
Best for
Scenario picks from researched strengths — not a universal ranking.
- → Zendesk Sell
Best for ease of use
Zendesk Sell leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → Zendesk Sell
Best for pipeline management
Zendesk Sell leads on pipeline management (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- → Zendesk Sell
Best for sales automation
Zendesk Sell 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 Zendesk Sell — not generic category copy.
Pipeline management
Zendesk Sell aheadOn pipeline management, Zendesk Sell is ahead. ACT!: Trails Zendesk Sell on this criterion. Zendesk Sell: Zendesk Sell 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; Zendesk Sell: Strong); Reporting (ACT!: Moderate; Zendesk Sell: Strong); Custom pipelines (ACT!: Moderate; Zendesk Sell: Strong).
Email capabilities
Zendesk Sell aheadOn email capabilities, Zendesk Sell is ahead. ACT!: Trails Zendesk Sell on this criterion. Zendesk Sell: Zendesk Sell leads on email capabilities (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing..
Sales automation
Zendesk Sell aheadOn sales automation, Zendesk Sell is ahead. ACT!: Trails Zendesk Sell on this criterion. Zendesk Sell: Zendesk Sell leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing..
Reporting
Zendesk Sell aheadOn reporting, Zendesk Sell is ahead. ACT!: Trails Zendesk Sell on this criterion. Zendesk Sell: Zendesk Sell leads on reporting (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing..
Value for money
TieACT! and Zendesk Sell are close on value for money. ACT! and Zendesk Sell 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!
Cons
- Trails on ease of use
- Trails on pipeline management
- Trails on sales automation
Zendesk Sell
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 Zendesk Sell
- Trails on administration relative to Zendesk Sell
Zendesk Sell
- Stronger on ease of use: Zendesk Sell leads on ease of use (6/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- Stronger on administration: Stronger custom pipelines availability
Integrations
Overlaps and exclusives from product integration data when available.
ACT!: Strong. Zendesk Sell: Strong.
Who should not choose each product
Decision quality improves when we say who should walk away.
Don't choose ACT! if…
- You need Zendesk Sell's stronger ease of use more than ACT!'s strengths
- You need Zendesk Sell's stronger pipeline management more than ACT!'s strengths
- You need Zendesk Sell's stronger sales automation more than ACT!'s strengths
- Your primary fit looks closer to: Sales CRM from Zendesk for teams that want pipeline management alongside the broader Zendesk customer experience stack
Don't choose Zendesk Sell 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
Zendesk Sell wins when…
Sales CRM from Zendesk for teams that want pipeline management alongside the broader Zendesk customer experience stack
- Best for ease of useZendesk Sell
- Best for pipeline managementZendesk Sell
- Best for sales automationZendesk Sell
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 Zendesk Sell if:
- Sales CRM from Zendesk for teams that want pipeline management alongside the broader Zendesk customer experience stack
Product screenshots
Real product UI from our media library — no placeholders.
FAQ
- Is ACT! better than Zendesk Sell?
- There is no universal winner between ACT! and Zendesk Sell. Choose based on pipeline depth, automation, email and calling, reporting, and pricing trade-offs.
- Which is easier to use?
- Zendesk Sell 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 Zendesk Sell: Sales CRM from Zendesk for teams that want pipeline management alongside the broader Zendesk customer experience stack
- Which is stronger for sales automation?
- Zendesk Sell leads on sales automation (5/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.
- Does ACT! or Zendesk Sell have a free plan?
- ACT!: No free plan. Zendesk Sell: No free plan.
- How does ACT! vs Zendesk Sell pricing compare?
- Zendesk Sell starts from $19.00/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
- reviewZendesk Sell review
- pricingACT! pricing
- pricingZendesk Sell 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.
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