Act! CRM vs Zoho CRM: Complete Comparison 2026
An in-depth comparison of features, pricing, and user experience to help you make the right choice.
Act! CRM
Legacy CRM with 35+ years of history offering desktop and cloud options for small business contact management.
Zoho CRM
8.3(2,100 reviews)
Affordable CRM with extensive features for sales automation, analytics, and multichannel communication.
Quick Comparison
| Aspect | Act! CRM | Zoho CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Small businesses needing reliable contact management for 2-10 users | Small businesses wanting enterprise features at SMB prices |
| Pricing Model | Free Trial | Freemium |
| Starting Price | $30/mo | Free |
| Deployment | cloud, on premise | cloud |
| Platforms | WEB, WINDOWS, IOS, ANDROID | WEB, IOS, ANDROID |
| Rating | 7.0/10 | 8.3/10 |
Pros & Cons
Act! CRM
Pros
- 35+ years of proven contact management expertise
- Desktop version provides offline access and local data control
- Built-in marketing automation saves on separate tools
- Strong activity tracking with 14-day interaction history
- One-time purchase option available for desktop version
Cons
- Interface looks and feels dated compared to modern CRMs
- Mobile apps are limited and lack feature parity
- Third-party integrations require Zapier or workarounds
- Reporting capabilities are basic without add-ons
- Marketing automation feels bolted on rather than native
Zoho CRM
Pros
- Exceptional value for the price point
- AI features (Zia) included in higher tiers
- Massive ecosystem of 40+ integrated Zoho apps
- Highly customizable without coding knowledge
Cons
- Interface feels dated and can be overwhelming
- Customer support quality varies significantly
- Some advanced features are buried in menus
- Mobile app lacks some desktop functionality
Pricing Comparison
| Product | Pricing Model | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|
| Act! CRM | free trial | $30/mo |
| Zoho CRM | freemium | Free0 |
Our Verdict
Choose Act! CRM if...
You need Small businesses needing reliable contact management for 2-10 users and prefer free trial pricing.
Choose Zoho CRM if...
You need Small businesses wanting enterprise features at SMB prices and prefer freemium pricing.
Still Not Sure?
Explore more alternatives or read in-depth reviews to make your decision.