Explore Act On email marketing software features, pricing, and how it compares to alternatives. See if it fits your business needs and marketing goals.
Act-On email marketing software is a purpose-built marketing automation platform designed for B2B teams that want to go beyond basic email blasts. It covers the full customer lifecycle, from first contact to long-term retention, inside a single platform. If your team needs real segmentation depth, CRM alignment, and deliverability accountability, here is what you need to know before committing.
Key Takeaways
Act-On was established in 2008 and offers a complete suite including email marketing, website visitor tracking, lead management, social media management, reporting and analytics, and integrations with webinar and event planning.
Unlike many competitors that charge for every contact in a database, Act-On prices based on active contacts: the contacts you actually engage with.
80% of companies implementing marketing automation experience increased leads, and 77% experience increased customer conversions.
Act-On scales email marketing operations with automated, triggered, and dynamic emails, AI-powered segmentation, and an industry-leading deliverability rating.
Act-On offers two plans: a Professional plan starting at $900/month for 2,500 monthly active contacts and an Enterprise plan at custom pricing.
What Is Act-On Email Marketing Software?
Act-On is a subscription-based SaaS product for marketing automation, with software products covering email marketing, landing pages, social media prospecting, CRM integration, lead management, webinar management, and analytics. The company is headquartered in Portland, Oregon and was founded in 2008. It was acquired by Boston Capital Ventures for $53 million in February 2024.
Act-On is a cloud-based marketing automation solution purpose-built to give small and medium-sized marketing teams all the value of marketing automation without the complexity big enterprise systems impose.
The most frequent use case cited by Act-On reviewers is email marketing, mentioned by 67% of users. That makes sense: the email module is where the platform earns its keep for most teams.
Core Email Marketing Features
Act-On email marketing software is built around five functional pillars that cover the full campaign lifecycle.
Email Design and Automation
The email automation design features are built for marketers of all skill levels. A drag-and-drop interface requires no HTML, though that option is available, to create responsive emails that render well on any device.
The transactional event-triggered email solution lets marketers send personal and urgent messages based on individual customer actions in real time, consolidating all email marketing automation needs in one location.
Explore Act On email marketing software features, pricing, and how it compares to alternatives. See if it fits your business needs and marketing goals.
Act-On email marketing software is a purpose-built marketing automation platform designed for B2B teams that want to go beyond basic email blasts. It covers the full customer lifecycle, from first contact to long-term retention, inside a single platform. If your team needs real segmentation depth, CRM alignment, and deliverability accountability, here is what you need to know before committing.
Key Takeaways
Act-On was established in 2008 and offers a complete suite including email marketing, website visitor tracking, lead management, social media management, reporting and analytics, and integrations with webinar and event planning.
Unlike many competitors that charge for every contact in a database, Act-On prices based on active contacts: the contacts you actually engage with.
80% of companies implementing marketing automation experience increased leads, and 77% experience increased customer conversions.
Act-On scales email marketing operations with automated, triggered, and dynamic emails, AI-powered segmentation, and an industry-leading deliverability rating.
Act-On offers two plans: a Professional plan starting at $900/month for 2,500 monthly active contacts and an Enterprise plan at custom pricing.
What Is Act-On Email Marketing Software?
Act-On is a subscription-based SaaS product for marketing automation, with software products covering email marketing, landing pages, social media prospecting, CRM integration, lead management, webinar management, and analytics. The company is headquartered in Portland, Oregon and was founded in 2008. It was acquired by Boston Capital Ventures for $53 million in February 2024.
Act-On is a cloud-based marketing automation solution purpose-built to give small and medium-sized marketing teams all the value of marketing automation without the complexity big enterprise systems impose.
The most frequent use case cited by Act-On reviewers is email marketing, mentioned by 67% of users. That makes sense: the email module is where the platform earns its keep for most teams.
Core Email Marketing Features
Act-On email marketing software is built around five functional pillars that cover the full campaign lifecycle.
Email Design and Automation
The email automation design features are built for marketers of all skill levels. A drag-and-drop interface requires no HTML, though that option is available, to create responsive emails that render well on any device.
The transactional event-triggered email solution lets marketers send personal and urgent messages based on individual customer actions in real time, consolidating all email marketing automation needs in one location.
Adaptive Sending
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One of Act-On's more distinctive features is its send-time optimization engine. Adaptive Sending tracks and analyzes each contact's behavior around when they open, click, and convert by time of day and day of the week, then automatically updates send times based on recipients' individual preferences to increase engagement and bolster deliverability.
Segmentation and Personalization
Act-On uses AI to find new segments and generate targeted emails quickly, with personalization available via tags, dynamic content, and graphic blocks. For a deeper look at how segmentation connects to revenue outcomes, see our guide on Email List Segmentation Strategies That Boost ROI by 760%.
With Act-On's email marketing, businesses can segment their customers into a variety of categories, allowing marketers to focus on a particular target market within each email group.
A/B Testing and Analytics
Act-On offers deep email performance reporting and advanced analytics, and A/B testing covers practically any variable across emails and landing pages. The platform also uses AI-driven True Open technology to identify how bots and privacy software are affecting open and click rates, which matters significantly in a post-Apple Mail Privacy Protection world.
Deliverability Services
Act-On offers expert email deliverability services that proactively monitor business practices and email processes, spot potential issues, and solve problems as they arise, from one-time consultations to ongoing management.
Lead Scoring and CRM Integration
The connection between Act-On email marketing and your CRM is where the platform creates its clearest ROI signal.
Act-On's Predictive Lead Score uses AI to analyze all leads and sales data to identify which leads have a high propensity to create pipeline and close.
Sales reps get a complete picture of each prospect's behavioral activity, including web pages visited, emails clicked, and forms submitted, directly within the CRM without logging into Act-On separately. This allows reps to gauge interest level, identify product interest, and determine talking points before picking up the phone.
Act-On also creates a closed-loop system: with a native CRM integration, marketers can analyze and measure the effectiveness of various campaigns. When leads convert into customers, Act-On's built-in ROI reporting analyzes CRM data to attribute revenue to specific marketing touchpoints and identifies which sources and campaigns generate the most leads, deals, and revenue.
Act-On integrates with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365, NetSuite, SugarCRM, and Zendesk Sell, covering the CRM stack that most mid-market B2B companies already use.
Pricing Structure
Active Contacts are based on the number of contacts you engage within a given month, not the size of your database. Act-On pricing is based on the volume of active contacts rather than the total number in your marketing database.
Act-On has two pricing editions, ranging from $900 to $2,000. Specifically:
Professional: A full-featured marketing automation platform for growing businesses, starting at 2,500 active contacts, 3 marketing users, 50 sales users, and 30,000 API calls per day. An annual contract is required.
Enterprise: The complete Professional platform plus additional capabilities for teams with advanced strategies, starting at 2,500 active contacts, 6 marketing users, 100 sales users, and 30,000 API calls per day. Annual contract required.
Most users consider Act-On to offer strong value for money, citing its affordable pricing compared to major competitors and its model that charges based on active contacts rather than total database size. Most reviewers indicate that Act-On includes a wide range of features in standard plans without requiring costly add-ons.
That said, some reviewers feel the pricing model does not scale well and can become expensive for certain needs. If you are a high-volume sender with seasonal spikes, get a quote directly from the vendor rather than relying on the base tier estimate.
ROI and Performance Data
The broader marketing automation market gives context for what Act-On email marketing can deliver.
Marketing automation boosts sales productivity by 14.5% according to Nucleus Research. 76% of companies see a positive return on investment within one year of implementing marketing automation.
Automated emails have 76% higher open rates compared to regular business emails, according to Epsilon. That alone changes the math on campaign efficiency.
Over half of companies (63%) report that marketing automation technology helps them outperform competitors, and 80% of marketers leveraging marketing automation say they are capturing more leads.
On the Act-On side specifically, 67% of small businesses that use Act-On automation see improved targeting and personalization.
Act-On's email personalization capabilities tie directly to conversion performance. Our article on 7 Email Personalization Techniques That Boost Conversions 47% covers how to extract the most from features like dynamic content blocks and behavioral triggers.
Who Should Use Act-On Email Marketing Software?
Act-On is a strong fit for mid-sized B2B organizations that need automated marketing journeys, precise lead scoring, and tight CRM connections to manage complex buyer lifecycles. Its focus on segmentation and reporting helps teams target audiences and measure results without juggling separate tools, with scalability across industries like healthcare, finance, and manufacturing.
Act-On is ideal for small marketing teams needing a marketing automation tool with minimal IT involvement.
It is less suited for teams that need a polished self-service setup with minimal onboarding time. If you do not have someone on your team willing to take advantage of all of the features, the price might outweigh the benefit.
The majority of reviewers find the software easy to use and navigate, praising its user-friendly interface and intuitive design. Many appreciate the wide range of features available, noting its comprehensiveness and flexibility. The ability to automate marketing tasks and campaigns is a key selling point, as it saves time and improves efficiency. The customer support team receives consistent praise for their responsiveness and helpfulness.
Among users who have tried multiple marketing automation platforms, Act-On stands out as the easiest to send email campaigns in, from initial email creation to sending.
Where it falls short
Some users report that the platform can feel slow with larger campaigns or reports, the interface is not the most modern-looking, and the reporting could be more flexible and easier to customize.
Among barriers preventing full platform utilization, 35% of users cite lack of resources to manage, 31% cite lack of training or a knowledge base, and 26% cite complicated setups. Training investment upfront pays back quickly with a platform of this depth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Act-On different from other email marketing tools?
Act-On sits between lightweight email tools like Mailchimp and enterprise platforms like Marketo. It offers a range of features including marketing automation, lead scoring, CRM integration, dynamic forms, SMS marketing, account-based marketing, email deliverability, email marketing automation, marketing segmentation, lead management, lead nurturing, social media marketing, sales intelligence, and ROI reporting, all in a single platform. Its active contact pricing model and dedicated deliverability services are two differentiators not common at this price tier.
Does Act-On email marketing integrate with Salesforce?
Yes. Act-On integrates with all major CRM providers to pass lead score information to lead fields and provide Act-On's lead profile widget in the CRM record, giving sales teams everything they need for informed conversations. Native CRM integrations are available with Salesforce, SugarCRM, MS Dynamics, and NetSuite.
How does Act-On handle email deliverability?
Act-On offers expert email deliverability services that proactively monitor business practices and email processes, spot potential issues, and solve any problems that arise. The platform also includes True Open technology to filter out bot-inflated open rates, which gives more accurate engagement data for campaign decisions.
Is Act-On suitable for small businesses?
Act-On is a cloud-based solution purpose-built to give small and medium-sized marketing teams all the value of marketing automation without the complexity that large enterprise systems impose. The entry price of $900/month for 2,500 active contacts makes it accessible for smaller teams, provided you have someone ready to actively manage the platform. Teams running automated onboarding sequences can also benefit from reviewing Welcome Email Sequence Best Practices: 7 Proven Strategies to get the most from Act-On's journey builder from day one.
One of Act-On's more distinctive features is its send-time optimization engine. Adaptive Sending tracks and analyzes each contact's behavior around when they open, click, and convert by time of day and day of the week, then automatically updates send times based on recipients' individual preferences to increase engagement and bolster deliverability.
Segmentation and Personalization
Act-On uses AI to find new segments and generate targeted emails quickly, with personalization available via tags, dynamic content, and graphic blocks. For a deeper look at how segmentation connects to revenue outcomes, see our guide on Email List Segmentation Strategies That Boost ROI by 760%.
With Act-On's email marketing, businesses can segment their customers into a variety of categories, allowing marketers to focus on a particular target market within each email group.
A/B Testing and Analytics
Act-On offers deep email performance reporting and advanced analytics, and A/B testing covers practically any variable across emails and landing pages. The platform also uses AI-driven True Open technology to identify how bots and privacy software are affecting open and click rates, which matters significantly in a post-Apple Mail Privacy Protection world.
Deliverability Services
Act-On offers expert email deliverability services that proactively monitor business practices and email processes, spot potential issues, and solve problems as they arise, from one-time consultations to ongoing management.
Lead Scoring and CRM Integration
The connection between Act-On email marketing and your CRM is where the platform creates its clearest ROI signal.
Act-On's Predictive Lead Score uses AI to analyze all leads and sales data to identify which leads have a high propensity to create pipeline and close.
Sales reps get a complete picture of each prospect's behavioral activity, including web pages visited, emails clicked, and forms submitted, directly within the CRM without logging into Act-On separately. This allows reps to gauge interest level, identify product interest, and determine talking points before picking up the phone.
Act-On also creates a closed-loop system: with a native CRM integration, marketers can analyze and measure the effectiveness of various campaigns. When leads convert into customers, Act-On's built-in ROI reporting analyzes CRM data to attribute revenue to specific marketing touchpoints and identifies which sources and campaigns generate the most leads, deals, and revenue.
Act-On integrates with Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics 365, NetSuite, SugarCRM, and Zendesk Sell, covering the CRM stack that most mid-market B2B companies already use.
Pricing Structure
Active Contacts are based on the number of contacts you engage within a given month, not the size of your database. Act-On pricing is based on the volume of active contacts rather than the total number in your marketing database.
Act-On has two pricing editions, ranging from $900 to $2,000. Specifically:
Professional: A full-featured marketing automation platform for growing businesses, starting at 2,500 active contacts, 3 marketing users, 50 sales users, and 30,000 API calls per day. An annual contract is required.
Enterprise: The complete Professional platform plus additional capabilities for teams with advanced strategies, starting at 2,500 active contacts, 6 marketing users, 100 sales users, and 30,000 API calls per day. Annual contract required.
Most users consider Act-On to offer strong value for money, citing its affordable pricing compared to major competitors and its model that charges based on active contacts rather than total database size. Most reviewers indicate that Act-On includes a wide range of features in standard plans without requiring costly add-ons.
That said, some reviewers feel the pricing model does not scale well and can become expensive for certain needs. If you are a high-volume sender with seasonal spikes, get a quote directly from the vendor rather than relying on the base tier estimate.
ROI and Performance Data
The broader marketing automation market gives context for what Act-On email marketing can deliver.
Marketing automation boosts sales productivity by 14.5% according to Nucleus Research. 76% of companies see a positive return on investment within one year of implementing marketing automation.
Automated emails have 76% higher open rates compared to regular business emails, according to Epsilon. That alone changes the math on campaign efficiency.
Over half of companies (63%) report that marketing automation technology helps them outperform competitors, and 80% of marketers leveraging marketing automation say they are capturing more leads.
On the Act-On side specifically, 67% of small businesses that use Act-On automation see improved targeting and personalization.
Act-On's email personalization capabilities tie directly to conversion performance. Our article on 7 Email Personalization Techniques That Boost Conversions 47% covers how to extract the most from features like dynamic content blocks and behavioral triggers.
Who Should Use Act-On Email Marketing Software?
Act-On is a strong fit for mid-sized B2B organizations that need automated marketing journeys, precise lead scoring, and tight CRM connections to manage complex buyer lifecycles. Its focus on segmentation and reporting helps teams target audiences and measure results without juggling separate tools, with scalability across industries like healthcare, finance, and manufacturing.
Act-On is ideal for small marketing teams needing a marketing automation tool with minimal IT involvement.
It is less suited for teams that need a polished self-service setup with minimal onboarding time. If you do not have someone on your team willing to take advantage of all of the features, the price might outweigh the benefit.
The majority of reviewers find the software easy to use and navigate, praising its user-friendly interface and intuitive design. Many appreciate the wide range of features available, noting its comprehensiveness and flexibility. The ability to automate marketing tasks and campaigns is a key selling point, as it saves time and improves efficiency. The customer support team receives consistent praise for their responsiveness and helpfulness.
Among users who have tried multiple marketing automation platforms, Act-On stands out as the easiest to send email campaigns in, from initial email creation to sending.
Where it falls short
Some users report that the platform can feel slow with larger campaigns or reports, the interface is not the most modern-looking, and the reporting could be more flexible and easier to customize.
Among barriers preventing full platform utilization, 35% of users cite lack of resources to manage, 31% cite lack of training or a knowledge base, and 26% cite complicated setups. Training investment upfront pays back quickly with a platform of this depth.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Act-On different from other email marketing tools?
Act-On sits between lightweight email tools like Mailchimp and enterprise platforms like Marketo. It offers a range of features including marketing automation, lead scoring, CRM integration, dynamic forms, SMS marketing, account-based marketing, email deliverability, email marketing automation, marketing segmentation, lead management, lead nurturing, social media marketing, sales intelligence, and ROI reporting, all in a single platform. Its active contact pricing model and dedicated deliverability services are two differentiators not common at this price tier.
Does Act-On email marketing integrate with Salesforce?
Yes. Act-On integrates with all major CRM providers to pass lead score information to lead fields and provide Act-On's lead profile widget in the CRM record, giving sales teams everything they need for informed conversations. Native CRM integrations are available with Salesforce, SugarCRM, MS Dynamics, and NetSuite.
How does Act-On handle email deliverability?
Act-On offers expert email deliverability services that proactively monitor business practices and email processes, spot potential issues, and solve any problems that arise. The platform also includes True Open technology to filter out bot-inflated open rates, which gives more accurate engagement data for campaign decisions.
Is Act-On suitable for small businesses?
Act-On is a cloud-based solution purpose-built to give small and medium-sized marketing teams all the value of marketing automation without the complexity that large enterprise systems impose. The entry price of $900/month for 2,500 active contacts makes it accessible for smaller teams, provided you have someone ready to actively manage the platform. Teams running automated onboarding sequences can also benefit from reviewing Welcome Email Sequence Best Practices: 7 Proven Strategies to get the most from Act-On's journey builder from day one.
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