Close CRM vs. Act!: Comparing Best CRM Solutions 2026

Overview: Close CRM and Act! as CRM Category solutions.

Close CRM: Close CRM accelerates sales with integrated calling, two-way email sync, powerful search, and custom reporting. Inside Sales Software Product Tour showcases these features.

Act!: Act! offers integrated CRM and marketing automation to enhance lead conversion and customer engagement. Users can market efficiently and build lasting customer relationships.

This comparison of Close CRM vs. Act! draws on 6767 Cuspera insights from customer stories. The use cases and topics below show where the two products overlap and where each one stands apart.

Both Close CRM and Act! are commonly chosen for Sales process management, Sales pipeline management, Sales workflow management.

Close CRM also supports Sales process management for partner onboarding, Lead management automation for SaaS sales, Lead qualification and management, CRM consolidation for founder-led sales, etc.

Act! also supports Sales process automation, Customer relationship management, Sales activity tracking and reporting, Sales opportunity management, etc.

Evidence shows that both products are used for Customer relationship management, Customer engagement, Sales management, Sales enablement, etc.

Close CRM also covers CRM optimization, Sales pipeline management, Sales analytics, Customer experience.

Act! also covers Marketing automation, Contact management, CRM implementation, Email marketing, etc.

Top use cases: Close CRM vs Act!

Use cases tied to Close CRM and Act! from verified data sources. Click any use case for supporting evidences.

Close CRM
Act!
Shared by both · Use cases
Close CRM Act!

Top Capabilities: Close CRM vs Act!

Lengths: relative topic prominence (square-root scale) · Labels: comparison split. Click any item for supporting evidences.

Close CRM
Shared
Act!
Shared by both · Topics
Close CRM only
Act! only

Deployed Industries: Close CRM vs Act!

Lengths: relative industry prominence (square-root scale) · Labels: comparison split. Click any item for supporting evidences.

Close CRM
Shared
Act!
Shared by both · Industries
Close CRM only
Act! only

Deployed Market Segments: Close CRM vs Act!

Share of peer evidence by company size for Close CRM and Act!. Each product segments add up to 100%. Click any segment for supporting evidence.

Close CRM 100%
Act! 100%

Close CRM and Act!: Best activities based on customer satisfaction

Close CRM in Action: Unique Activities

What makes Close CRM ideal for Engagement Management?
The system automates follow-up processes for sales and customer engagement. It helps organize and track leads and follow-up sequences. However, the system does not have features for tracking meetings or engaging social contacts.
"...Close.io builds this in to the CRM so that you see who to follow up everyday and can jus work down the list. ...." Peer review by Josh C., Product Development, Financial Services
How can Close CRM enhance your Sales Call Management process?
Close CRM allows users to manage sales calls, emails, and follow-ups. It offers features like call recording, email automation, and lead management, helping users track interactions and improve sales efforts. The most expensive plan provides the most features, including call recording, but these features may not be available in the most affordable plan.
"...This means - no data entry - recording all calls and emails - easy sharing with your team...." Peer review by User
How does Close CRM address your Communication Management Challenges?
The software simplifies communication by tracking email interactions and managing leads and pipelines. It allows users to send bulk emails and personalize messages with templates. The software may have occasional interruptions during calling and emailing.
"...I mainly use it for emailing, but it's great to track notes, calls, and tons of other information as well!..." Peer review by Matthew Self
What Are the key features of Close CRM for Lead Management?
The software helps organize potential customers, track their progress through the sales process, and communicate with them. The program offers features such as call management, reporting, and email synchronization. Contact management and lead management could be improved.
"...- Perfect for high volume telesales - Reporting and lead management was great - Filtering lists made it easy -Phone and text worked great. ...." Peer review by David H., Distribution Executive, Computer Software
What benefits does Close CRM offer for Workflow Management?
The software streamlines sales processes by organizing and automating tasks, providing a clear overview of actions and improving lead management. The system offers flexibility to adapt to changing sales processes. It includes advanced search capabilities, but creating complex workflows requires planning.
"...Close.io is great because it lets sales people focus on leads and opportunities with _minimal_ workflow interruption...." Peer review by Tony Summerville

Act! in Action: Unique Activities

How can Act! optimize your Contact List Management Workflow?
Act assists in organizing contacts, scheduling interactions, and tracking communication history. It facilitates managing customer information and maintaining current contact lists. Act's capabilities are limited by the fact that some users have found it less effective than previous versions.
"...We use ours for looking up credit history with clients and planning contact with porspective clients...." Peer review by Dave, Brown Dog Studios, Inc
How does Act! address your Sales Document Management Challenges?
The system assists in managing sales documents, such as quotes, contracts, and invoices. It allows for easy tracking of customer information and business activities. It has limited customization for quotes, which necessitates the use of additional products.
"...The sales team uses it in conjunction with QuoteWerks to send quotes...." Peer review by John I, Technical Services Specialist, Information Technology and Services
Why is Act! the best choice for Lead Tracking?
ACT! is a robust tool for tracking sales opportunities. It allows users to record prospect information, manage calendars, and track lead sources and status changes. While ACT! provides many helpful features, it can sometimes require extra steps to track opportunities.
"...I use it for tracking prospects and clients as well as for reminders for follow ups...." Peer review by Jack, BENN Publisher Solutions

News

Latest Close CRM news

Close embeds Chloe AI calling agent inside its CRM

Close has launched Chloe, an AI sales agent embedded in its CRM, available in the U.S. and Canada. Chloe automates sales tasks like calling, qualifying, and scheduling, integrating seamlessly with existing CRM workflows. This integration aims to enhance efficiency for SMB sales teams by reducing operational complexity and improving time-to-value.

13/06/2026 - source

Latest Act! news

Act! Named a 2026 CRMmys Finalist for Best CRM for Small Business

Act! has been named a finalist in the 2026 CRMmys Awards for Best CRM for Small Business. This recognition highlights Act!'s commitment to providing CRM solutions tailored for small and midsized businesses, evaluated by an independent practitioner panel. The award reflects Act!'s performance against current standards and its longstanding focus on empowering SMBs.

22/06/2026 - source