Thousands of small businesses have reached the same tipping point: ACT! simply can't keep up with the demands of a modern, growing business. As a desktop-based contact management tool, it forces teams to wrestle with clunky sync, costly upgrades, and data silos.
ACT!'s desktop architecture requires manual synchronization when sharing data across a network — a bug-prone process that creates version conflicts, data discrepancies, and IT headaches that consume time and erode trust in your CRM data.
Every time ACT! releases a new version, businesses face expensive per-user upgrade license fees just to stay current. These recurring costs compound year after year, dramatically inflating the true total cost of ownership compared to any cloud alternative.
With ACT!, employees outside the office have no real-time access to customer data unless complex VPN configurations or offline sync workflows are maintained. In today's remote-first business environment, this limitation directly impacts revenue and customer service quality.
ACT! has no shared calendars, no group notifications, no instant messaging, and no collaborative reporting. Each team member works in their own isolated silo — which means no team alignment, no shared customer context, and no visibility across your entire business.
ACT! is engineered for small, static teams. The moment your business starts growing — adding users, opening new offices, or expanding internationally — the system's architectural limitations create bottlenecks that no amount of workarounds can resolve permanently.
ACT!'s list price obscures the true cost. Once phone support fees, training charges, implementation consulting, and recurring upgrade licenses are factored in, businesses routinely discover their first-year ACT! cost is four times higher than the headline price suggested.
Salesboom is a fully web-based, on-demand hosted CRM where every team member accesses the same live data simultaneously — no synchronization, no network sharing, no extra hardware. All you need is an internet connection and a browser.
At first glance, ACT! and Salesboom may appear similarly priced. But once you factor in phone support, training, and consulting, the gap for a five-user team in year one becomes impossible to ignore.
| Cost Category | Salesboom Team Edition | ACT! Contact Manager |
|---|---|---|
| License Costs | $1,000 | $895 |
| Phone Support | FREE | $199 / user / year |
| Training | FREE | $1,500 |
| Consulting & Implementation Fees | $0 | $1,000 |
| Total First Year Cost (5 Users) | $1,000 | $4,390 |
See exactly how Salesboom stacks up against both ACT! and Salesforce across the features that matter most to small and mid-sized businesses.
| Feature | Salesboom Team | Salesforce Team | ACT! 5-User |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities, Calendar & Tasks | |||
| Send Emails, Track Activities, Reports & Mail Merge | |||
| Works with Microsoft Outlook | |||
| Automatic Real-Time Data Sharing | |||
| Accessible via the Internet from Any Device | |||
| 360-Degree Customer View | |||
| No Hardware or Software to Install | |||
| Seamless Upgrade Path — No License Fees | |||
| Sales Force Automation (SFA) | |||
| Lead Management | |||
| Advanced Customer Support Management | |||
| Knowledge Management | |||
| Control Access to Records by Particular Users | |||
| Optional Campaign Management |
Salesboom isn't just a cloud version of what ACT! does — it's an entirely different class of Cloud CRM Software. Here are the advantages that matter most to growing businesses making the switch.
Salesboom is 100% web-based, meaning instant access from any device, anywhere in the world. No network sharing, no synchronization delays, no IT overhead — just live, accurate customer data at your team's fingertips in every location simultaneously.
Instant messaging, shared reports, group email notifications, and shared calendars are all native to the platform — not bolt-on add-ons. Team alignment is effortless because collaboration is embedded into every workflow, not an afterthought bolted on from outside.
Every new feature, update, and version improvement is included in your subscription. Say goodbye to the recurring upgrade costs that ACT! users are all too familiar with — Salesboom's pricing is flat, predictable, and always includes the latest capabilities.
From Sales Force Automation and Lead Management to Advanced Support and Campaign Management, Salesboom does everything ACT! does — and far more — all in one unified system with no bolt-on apps, no integration overhead, and no duplicate data.
No hidden fees, no vendor lock-in, and no surprise costs at renewal. Salesboom's pricing is clear from day one, and your first-year total cost is dramatically lower than ACT!'s — even before accounting for the support, training, and consulting ACT! charges extra for.
Thousands of businesses across the globe trust Salesboom — from five-person startups to multi-national enterprises — all supported on the same platform with the same commitment to quality, innovation, and genuine customer success since 2003.
Beyond the headline comparison, here's a deeper look at the specific capabilities that make Salesboom the clear choice for small businesses that have outgrown ACT!'s contact-manager limitations.
Get clear, direct answers to the questions small businesses ask most often when comparing Salesboom to ACT! and planning their migration to cloud CRM software.
Discover how Salesboom's platform extends beyond the core CRM to cover reporting, billing automation, inventory management, sales management, and detailed competitor comparisons.
Salesboom's dashboard reporting engine delivers real-time, role-specific views of the metrics that matter most to each team — far beyond what ACT!'s static desktop reports can offer. Explore Dashboard Reporting and see how live data visibility transforms decision-making across your organization.
Salesboom's Sales Management Software gives managers real-time pipeline visibility, rep performance tracking, and forecasting — capabilities ACT! simply doesn't have. Learn about Sales Management Software and understand how it replaces ACT!'s contact manager with a true sales performance platform.
Not sure which Salesboom edition matches your team size and budget? The edition comparison breaks down every capability across Team, Professional, and Enterprise tiers. View the CRM Edition Comparison to find the right starting point for your switch from ACT! to cloud CRM software.
Evaluating both ACT! and Salesforce as alternatives to each other? The Salesforce discussion provides an honest analysis of where Salesforce falls short and why Salesboom consistently outperforms both on value and support. Read the Salesforce CRM Discussion before making your decision.
Already on Salesforce and looking to switch? The Salesboom migration guide covers the full transition process including the Magic Migration Button and the structured 10-step implementation. Explore Migrating from Salesforce to see how quick and disruption-free the transition can be.
Beyond the Salesboom vs ACT! cost breakdown, the full CRM price comparison covers ACT!, Salesforce, and other leading platforms side by side. View the CRM Price Comparison and build a complete total cost of ownership picture before committing to any new platform.
Once you've moved beyond ACT!'s contact management, Salesboom's billing and invoicing automation connects quotes, contracts, and payments directly inside the CRM. Explore Billing and Invoicing Automation and see how it eliminates the manual revenue cycle steps that slow down growing businesses.
Salesboom's inventory management capabilities connect stock visibility directly to your sales pipeline — something ACT! could never offer. Product availability, pricing, and order status are visible inside the same CRM your sales team uses daily. Explore Inventory Management in Salesboom.
Automate recurring billing, subscription management, and multi-currency invoicing entirely within the CRM — no separate accounting tool required for standard business billing scenarios. Discover advanced Billing and Invoicing Automation capabilities and how they scale with your revenue operations as your business grows.
Try Salesboom's Cloud CRM Software free for 30 days — no credit card required. Or call us at 1.855.229.2043 to speak with a CRM specialist who will walk you through a personalized migration plan at no cost.
Speak with a CRM specialist: 1-855-229-2043
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