Act! combines CRM, email marketing, and sales pipeline management in one affordable platform for small businesses. Cloud and desktop plans from $30/user/mo.
Researched and fact-checked by Bartu Cavusoglu · Updated August 8, 2026
Act! is a customer relationship management (CRM) platform built for small and midsize businesses, combining contact and activity management, sales pipeline tracking, and email marketing automation in one product. The Act! Advantage Cloud line (Standard, Professional, Ultimate) adds email marketing sends, AI history summaries, an AI writing assistant, lead scoring, and marketing automation as customers move up tiers, while Act! Premium Desktop offers a self-hosted, on-premises deployment for businesses that want full control over their data.
Core capabilities include centralized customer records with notes, history, and documents, calendar and task management, interactive quotes and online payments, forms/surveys/website chat, and reporting dashboards. Act! integrates with Office 365, Gmail, and accounting systems, and offers a mobile app for iPhone, iPad, and Android. The company is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona and Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and positions itself as a lower-cost alternative to enterprise CRMs like Salesforce and HubSpot.
Key Features
Customer & Contact Management — Centralize customer details, emails, documents, notes, history, and activities in one place.
Sales Pipeline Management — Track opportunities with a visual sales pipeline and interactive dashboards to forecast and hit sales goals.
Email Marketing & Automation — Create email campaigns, turnkey nurture campaigns, and marketing automation with lead scoring on higher tiers.
Interactive Quotes & Payments — Send interactive quotes and accept payments, plus online appointment scheduling.
Reporting & Dashboards — Real-time metrics and interactive dashboards for customer and business insights.
Mobile App — Access Act! CRM details from the Act! Mobile app on iPhone, iPad, and Android.
Cloud & Desktop Deployment — Choose between Act! Advantage Cloud or a self-hosted Act! Premium Desktop for full on-premises control.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Affordable pricing compared to enterprise CRMs like Salesforce or HubSpot
Combines CRM, email marketing, and sales pipeline in one platform
Both cloud and self-hosted desktop deployment options available
14-day free trial with no credit card required
Cons
Higher-tier features like marketing automation and lead scoring are locked behind the Ultimate plan
Desktop edition requires self-managed hosting and security
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Act! offer a free trial?
Yes, Act! offers a 14-day free trial of its Cloud plans with no credit card or download required.
How much does Act! cost?
Act! Advantage Cloud plans start at $30/user/month (billed annually) for Standard, up to $60/user/month for Ultimate. Act! Premium Desktop is $40/user/month billed annually.
Is Act! available as desktop software?
Yes, Act! Premium Desktop is a self-hosted, on-premises option in addition to the cloud-based Act! Advantage plans.
Does Act! include email marketing?
Yes, all Act! Advantage Cloud plans include email marketing, with higher tiers adding marketing automation, lead scoring, and turnkey campaigns.