Have you ever been frustrated by Act! CRM’s integration with Outlook and Google? Or maybe its marketing automation and sales pipeline management features that don’t quite fit into your workflow.
Act! CRM has its strengths, but if you are tired of wrestling with its user management and database customization, it’s time to look elsewhere.
8 Best Act! CRM Alternatives
As a starting point for creating this list of the best Act! CRM competitors, I prioritized practical functionality, considering features like contact management, reporting, and integrations. Secondly, I leaned on personal usage and user reviews. I also factored in good old word-of-mouth, considering recommendations from industry peers.
1. BIGContacts – Best for contact management & email marketing for startups & SMBs
As a reliable alternative to Act! CRM, I find BIGContacts offers a simplified, user-friendly experience, perfect for small businesses and startups.
The well-organized interface lets me easily manage contacts, deals, and emails, ensuring every team member is always on the same page. Calendar views and automated reminders ensure no task, whether a meeting or a birthday, is forgotten.
BIGContacts also offers powerful sales pipeline management and email marketing automation, which I can tailor to our sales process. What’s brilliant is the detailed reporting it provides, letting me assess team performance and sales success effectively.
What You’ll Like:
- The central command dashboard organizes crucial sales and marketing data in one place for easier management
- Customizable tags and lists allow for better lead categorization and sorting
- The mobile web app enables remote work and on-the-go access to vital information
- A variety of built-in reports are available, delivering crucial insights for data-driven decision-making
- Drip marketing functionality allows the automation of communication with clients
What You May Not Like:
- Navigating through a vast range of email templates can be time-consuming
- There are occasional sync delays with Google Calendar
Pricing:
- Forever free plan for up to 100 contacts.
- Paid starts at $9.99/user/month.
2. Less Annoying CRM – Best CRM for Small Businesses
Image Source: Less Annoying CRM
Less Annoying CRM is a refreshingly uncomplicated Act! software alternative for managing customer relationships.
I noticed that it lives up to its name with its simple user interface, streamlined contact management, and straightforward sales pipeline tracking. Adding to that, the tool’s scalability features make it suitable for growing businesses of all sizes.
You will find mobile access to essential CRM data to be quite handy for working on the go. The tool also keeps your tasks synchronized with Google Calendar, helping you stay updated with upcoming events at all times.
What You’ll Like:
- The intuitive and clutter-free user interface makes navigation and work a breeze
- The platform offers effective pipeline tracking abilities, helping your team stay on top of leads
- Customizable user roles and data fields to tailor the CRM system according to your unique business needs
- Easy integration with widely-used email clients simplifies communication tasks
- Consistent free updates and improvements help ensure that users receive the best experience possible
What You May Not Like:
- There are no built-in marketing automation features, which might necessitate using additional tools
- Advanced reporting and analytics might be missed by those looking for in-depth data exploration
Pricing:
- $15/user/month.
3. Thryv – Best Business Management Platform
Image Source: Thryv Support Center
With Thryv, I was able to manage my appointments, finances, projects, social media, and customer relationships all in one place.
It organizes all your business communication in a single view, allowing you to reduce response times to customer queries. Plus, customizable client portals allow customers to book appointments, make payments, and more.
The Smart Data Importer feature makes it easy to get started. I also liked the ability to filter contacts and tag them for improved categorization and better targeting.
What You’ll Like:
- Effective document storage and sharing capabilities enhance team collaboration
- Integrated customer communication features support multi-channel customer outreach
- Ability to send automatic reminders to customers for appointments
- Enables the acceptance of digital payments and signatures, adding convenience to your business transactions
- Custom data fields help store the most relevant information for customers
What You May Not Like:
- It can be expensive for small businesses with tight budgets
- Some users find the platform difficult to master initially
Pricing:
- Starts at $199/month/location.
4. Salesmate – Best Sales CRM for Accelerating Deal Closure
Image Source: Salesmate Blog
Salesmate is a software similar to Act! that is engineered to expedite sales processes. I found its smart sales intelligence features and automated workflow capabilities highly effective for closing deals faster.
Also, its comprehensive pipeline management and detailed sales reports make tracking sales progress effortless.
The features that stood out to me include automated data entry, AI-powered insights, and an effective meeting scheduler. The platform also supports integration with a range of tools, including QuickBooks, Slack, Mailchimp, DocuSign, and more.
What You’ll Like:
- Intelligent automation speeds up mundane tasks, increasing productivity
- Shared team inbox promotes collaboration and seamless communication across multiple channels
- The power dialer feature provides efficient call management
- It supports two-way email sync, ensuring no communication is missed
- Comprehensive reporting gives insightful sales analytics
What You May Not Like:
- The initial setup could be complex for some users
- Customization may be limited for specific industries
Pricing:
- Starts at $23/user/month.
5. GreenRope – Best for Unified Sales, Marketing, and Operations
Image Source: GreenRope
Another comprehensive software similar to Act! I would strongly recommend is GreenRope.
As a CRM solution geared towards integrating business processes, GreenRope merges sales, marketing, and operations all under one roof. This ensures that your team works in perfect synchronization.
In my experience with the tool, the standout features were its advanced segmentation and project management capabilities. Another aspect I like about the platform is that there is no limit on the number of users.
What You’ll Like:
- The integrated event management functionality helps in timely project planning and coordination
- Offers the ability to craft automated customer journeys with logic-based decisions to enhance personalization
- The integrated booking calendar and team calendaring features improve productivity
- The ability to create custom quotes and invoices from within the platform
- Automatic profile enrichment with data available online
What You May Not Like:
- Some users mentioned that email template design could be more user-friendly
- There are occasional reports of the system running slow
Pricing:
- Starts at $99/month for up to 500 contacts.
6. EngageBay – Best for Integrated Sales, Marketing, and Support for SMBs
Image Source: EngageBay
EngageBay is a robust CRM like Act!, providing a robust all-in-one platform for sales, marketing automation, and service.
It integrates seamlessly with popular email marketing, form and landing pages, appointment scheduling, and helpdesk tools. This makes it incredibly easy to manage customer relationships by keeping track of every interaction and transaction.
The marketing automation features save valuable time and allow for personalized customer communication. Its live chat features provide instant customers support, fostering a stronger relationship.
What You’ll Like:
- Built-in, multi-channel marketing automation features are exceptional
- Its 360-degree customer view enhances customer relationship management
- Supports web analytics for tracking customer engagement
- Deliver superior customer support with Ticket Management and Automation
What You May Not Like:
- The free version has limitations compared to the premium versions
- There’s a learning curve in setting up and operating the system efficiently
Pricing:
- Free plan available for up to 250 contacts. Paid options start at $13.79/user/month.
7. Kustomer – Best for Streamlined Customer-Service Operations
Image Source: Shopify App Store
Kustomer is an omnichannel tool like Act! CRM, designed for customer support teams. One of its most distinguishing features is the way it organizes data, not around tickets or cases but around the customer.
It presents this data in a unified customer timeline, which showcases a customer’s entire experience with your company over time.
The platform includes robust automation capabilities that can quickly identify and route problems to the right personnel, reducing time and labor costs. It supports clients via email, web and mobile chat, phone calls, SMS, Facebook Messenger, and Twitter.
What You’ll Like:
- The unified view of customers’ interactions across different touchpoints provides personalized support
- Kustomer’s proactive workflow automation reduces manual effort on repetitive tasks
- Plug-and-play and custom integration options extend the platform’s reach
- Integrated analytics and reporting provide valuable insights into your customer service performance and customer demographics
- AI-powered insights and recommendations based on context derived from customer interactions
What You May Not Like:
- Customization may require technical expertise.
- The platform’s search functionality might need enhancements
Pricing:
- Starts at $89/user/month.
8. Insightly – Best for Integrated CRM and Project Management
Image Source: Pcmag
Insightly, as an alternative to Act! CRM, offers a wide range of features that streamline not only CRM processes but also project management functions.
It includes features such as lead routing, contact and organization management, mass emailing, and powerful sales automation. With this platform, you can quickly convert opportunities into projects, create milestones, track progress, and assign tasks to team members with ease.
With its customizable fields and layouts, insightful reporting, and comprehensive contact profiles, Insightly delivers a well-rounded and feature-oriented platform.
What You’ll Like:
- Relationship linking functionality provides deep insights into the customer network
- Business intelligence offers real-time dashboards of sales activities
- The workflow automation feature enhances productivity by automating repetitive tasks
- It allows granular control and customization based on your business needs
- Real-time view of sales opportunities with a customizable sales pipeline dashboard
What You May Not Like:
- Insightly’s mobile app has been flagged for improvements by some users
- The email campaign feature is not as comprehensive as specialized marketing tools
Pricing:
- Starts at $29/user/month.
Evaluation Criteria
The evaluation of products or tools chosen for this article follows an unbiased, systematic approach that ensures a fair, insightful, and well-rounded review. This method employs six key factors:
- User Reviews / Ratings: Direct experiences from users, including ratings and feedback from reputable sites, provide a ground-level perspective. This feedback is critical in understanding overall satisfaction and potential problems.
- Essential Features & Functionality: The value of a product is ascertained by its core features and overall functionality. Through an in-depth exploration of these aspects, the practical usefulness and effectiveness of the tools are carefully evaluated.
- Ease of Use: The user-friendliness of a product or service is assessed, focusing on the design, interface, and navigation. This ensures a positive experience for users of all levels of expertise.
- Customer Support: The quality of customer support is examined, taking into account its efficiency and how well it supports users in different phases – setting up, addressing concerns, and resolving operational issues.
- Value for Money: Value for money is evaluated by comparing the quality, performance, and features. The goal is to help the reader understand whether they would be getting their money’s worth.
- Personal Experience / Experts’ Opinions: This part of the evaluation criteria draws insightful observations from the personal experience and the opinions of industry experts.
Which Is the Best Act CRM Alternatives?
Choosing the perfect CRM system is pivotal for your customer relationship management strategy and achieving an optimal ROI. Your business’s unique requirements, the team’s tech proficiency, and your organization’s CRM objectives play a crucial role in this decision.
To further ease the selection process, I have listed my top 3 picks from the top Act! Alternatives mentioned above:
Option A: BIGContacts
BIGContacts is user-friendly contact management software and yields powerful productivity incentives. You also get package deals, including email marketing, appointment scheduling, task management, and follow-ups – a huge financial advantage. With a comprehensive view of customer relationships, BIGContacts is an all-in-one CRM solution for businesses looking to streamline contact management and increase productivity.
Option B: Thryv
Thryv is a comprehensive business management platform covering CRM and beyond, aimed at growing digital presence. However, it is essential to note that Thryv may be on the higher end of the budget spectrum. While its rich feature set justifies the pricing, businesses should carefully assess specific needs and budget limitations before investing.
Option C: Insightly
Focusing on project management, Insightly bridges the gap between sales and project execution. It allows seamless transitions from opportunities to projects while refining services and building strong customer relationships.
In conclusion, each CRM has distinctive features to cater to diverse business needs. Choose the one that aligns the most with your strategic goals. Opting for free trials or demos will help you provide a first-hand account of the tools’ functionality and enable you to make the right decision.
FAQ
Are there implementation guides, documentation, or onboarding sessions provided to facilitate a smooth transition?
Most alternatives provide implementation guides, documentation, and even onboarding sessions to help businesses transition smoothly and maximize the CRM's potential effectively.
In case of issues or challenges post-implementation, what avenues are available for seeking assistance or troubleshooting?
Post-implementation support varies among CRM alternatives. Some, like BIGContacts, offer multiple channels, including email, chat, and phone support. Further, businesses may appreciate the availability of an extensive self-help knowledge base and video tutorials.
What fundamental features do these CRM alternatives offer, and how do they compare to Act CRM?
Each CRM alternative offers a range of features like contact and task management, help desk integration, or project management functionalities. The features set and approach may be different from Act! CRM, catering to a variety of businesses.
How do I choose the best Act CRM alternative?
To choose the best CRM alternative, it's essential to identify your unique business requirements, budget, and technological proficiency. Assess each CRM's feature set, level of customer support, and pricing structure to find the optimal fit for your organization.
What factors influence the pricing of these CRM alternatives?
CRM pricing usually depends on the level of functionalities, the number of users, and sometimes the business scale. It's always a good practice to inquire about potential hidden costs, such as implementation fees, customization charges, and scalability costs.
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