Act-On Software vs. SAP Business One

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Act-On
Score 8.2 out of 10
Mid-Size Companies (51-1,000 employees)
Act-On is an adaptive marketing platform designed to drive personal and purposeful multi-channel marketing. Its foci are inbound and outbound marketing, for enabling a tighter alignment with sales and turning data into actionable insights.
$900
per month (starts at 2,500 active contacts)
SAP Business One
Score 7.7 out of 10
N/A
SAP Business One is an integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution for small and medium-sized businesses, The product encompasses functionality around sales, customer relationships, inventory, operations, financials and human resources.
$99
per month
Pricing
Act-On SoftwareSAP Business One
Editions & Modules
Professional
$900
per month (starts at 2,500 active contacts)
Enterprise
$2,000
per month ( starts at 2,500 active contacts)
Limited
$99.00
per month
Starter
$110.00
per month
Pro
$132.00
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Act-OnSAP Business One
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredNo setup fee
Additional DetailsThe Professional package starts at 2,500 active contacts, 3 marketing users, 50 sales users and 30,000 API calls per day. The Enterprise package starts at 2,500 active contacts, 6 marketing users, 100 sales users and 30,000 API calls per day. Annual contract required.
More Pricing Information
Features
Act-On SoftwareSAP Business One
Email & Online Marketing
Comparison of Email & Online Marketing features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
7.8
113 Ratings
0% above category average
SAP Business One
-
Ratings
WYSIWYG email editor8.1112 Ratings00 Ratings
Dynamic content8.192 Ratings00 Ratings
Ability to test dynamic content7.292 Ratings00 Ratings
Landing pages8.1108 Ratings00 Ratings
A/B testing8.195 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile optimization7.2103 Ratings00 Ratings
Email deliverability reporting8.1112 Ratings00 Ratings
List management8.1111 Ratings00 Ratings
Triggered drip sequences7.187 Ratings00 Ratings
Lead Management
Comparison of Lead Management features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
8.1
113 Ratings
5% above category average
SAP Business One
-
Ratings
Lead nurturing automation8.1104 Ratings00 Ratings
Lead scoring and grading8.1104 Ratings00 Ratings
Data quality management8.1102 Ratings00 Ratings
Automated sales alerts and tasks8.195 Ratings00 Ratings
Campaign Management
Comparison of Campaign Management features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
7.5
77 Ratings
2% below category average
SAP Business One
-
Ratings
Calendaring6.88 Ratings00 Ratings
Event/webinar marketing8.176 Ratings00 Ratings
Social Media Marketing
Comparison of Social Media Marketing features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
8.1
71 Ratings
8% above category average
SAP Business One
-
Ratings
Social sharing and campaigns8.169 Ratings00 Ratings
Social profile integration8.163 Ratings00 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
8.1
114 Ratings
8% above category average
SAP Business One
6.4
40 Ratings
9% below category average
Dashboards8.1109 Ratings4.736 Ratings
Standard reports8.1112 Ratings6.440 Ratings
Custom reports8.184 Ratings8.036 Ratings
Platform & Infrastructure
Comparison of Platform & Infrastructure features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
7.9
107 Ratings
4% above category average
SAP Business One
-
Ratings
API8.167 Ratings00 Ratings
Role-based workflow & approvals8.171 Ratings00 Ratings
Customizability8.189 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with Salesforce.com8.165 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM8.136 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with SugarCRM7.129 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
-
Ratings
SAP Business One
10.0
9 Ratings
32% above category average
Pay calculation00 Ratings10.08 Ratings
Benefit plan administration00 Ratings10.07 Ratings
Direct deposit files00 Ratings10.08 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
-
Ratings
SAP Business One
5.3
35 Ratings
31% below category average
API for custom integration00 Ratings4.233 Ratings
Plug-ins00 Ratings6.433 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
-
Ratings
SAP Business One
7.1
39 Ratings
13% below category average
Single sign-on capability00 Ratings7.032 Ratings
Role-based user permissions00 Ratings7.239 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
-
Ratings
SAP Business One
5.1
41 Ratings
40% below category average
Accounts payable00 Ratings7.841 Ratings
Accounts receivable00 Ratings7.840 Ratings
Global Financial Support00 Ratings7.026 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings7.026 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings6.633 Ratings
Configurable Accounting00 Ratings6.231 Ratings
Standardized Processes00 Ratings7.036 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
-
Ratings
SAP Business One
7.4
40 Ratings
6% below category average
Inventory tracking00 Ratings6.440 Ratings
Automatic reordering00 Ratings8.028 Ratings
Location management00 Ratings7.237 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
-
Ratings
SAP Business One
6.4
38 Ratings
19% below category average
Pricing00 Ratings7.237 Ratings
Order entry00 Ratings7.238 Ratings
Credit card processing00 Ratings8.522 Ratings
Cost of goods sold00 Ratings7.238 Ratings
Order Orchestration00 Ratings7.030 Ratings
Subledger and Financial Process
Comparison of Subledger and Financial Process features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
-
Ratings
SAP Business One
5.9
34 Ratings
23% below category average
Billing Management00 Ratings6.129 Ratings
Cash and Asset Management00 Ratings3.226 Ratings
Travel & Expense Management00 Ratings8.821 Ratings
Budgetary Control & Encumbrance Accounting00 Ratings2.225 Ratings
Period Close00 Ratings8.031 Ratings
Project Financial Management
Comparison of Project Financial Management features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
-
Ratings
SAP Business One
7.0
19 Ratings
8% below category average
Budgeting and Forecasting00 Ratings7.017 Ratings
Project Costing00 Ratings7.016 Ratings
Cost Capture00 Ratings7.016 Ratings
Capital Project Management00 Ratings7.011 Ratings
Customer Contract Compliance00 Ratings7.014 Ratings
Project Revenue Recognition00 Ratings6.116 Ratings
Project Execution Management
Comparison of Project Execution Management features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
-
Ratings
SAP Business One
8.9
15 Ratings
26% above category average
Project Planning and Scheduling00 Ratings7.014 Ratings
Task Insight for Project Managers00 Ratings10.011 Ratings
Project Mobile Functionality00 Ratings10.010 Ratings
Definable Resource Pools00 Ratings10.08 Ratings
Grants Management
Comparison of Grants Management features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
-
Ratings
SAP Business One
7.7
15 Ratings
2% above category average
Award Lifecycle Management00 Ratings7.09 Ratings
Procurement
Comparison of Procurement features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
-
Ratings
SAP Business One
8.1
16 Ratings
15% above category average
Bids Analyzed and Compared00 Ratings9.310 Ratings
Contract Authoring00 Ratings7.511 Ratings
Contract Repository00 Ratings8.69 Ratings
Requisitions-to-Purchase Orders Integrated00 Ratings8.213 Ratings
Supplier Management00 Ratings7.012 Ratings
Risk Management
Comparison of Risk Management features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
-
Ratings
SAP Business One
8.0
8 Ratings
21% above category average
Risk Repository00 Ratings8.36 Ratings
Control Management00 Ratings8.97 Ratings
Control Efficiency Assessments00 Ratings7.76 Ratings
Issue Detection00 Ratings8.37 Ratings
Remediation and Certification00 Ratings7.76 Ratings
Logistics
Comparison of Logistics features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
-
Ratings
SAP Business One
6.9
20 Ratings
1% above category average
Transportation Planning and Optimization00 Ratings6.213 Ratings
Transportation Execution Management00 Ratings6.211 Ratings
Trade and Customs Management00 Ratings7.011 Ratings
Fulfillment Management00 Ratings6.816 Ratings
Warehouse Workforce Management00 Ratings6.213 Ratings
Manufacturing
Comparison of Manufacturing features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
-
Ratings
SAP Business One
8.3
19 Ratings
10% above category average
Production Process Design00 Ratings8.217 Ratings
Production Management00 Ratings8.218 Ratings
Configuration Management00 Ratings7.613 Ratings
Work Execution00 Ratings8.215 Ratings
Manufacturing Costs00 Ratings8.215 Ratings
Supply Chain
Comparison of Supply Chain features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
-
Ratings
SAP Business One
6.4
23 Ratings
12% below category average
Forecasting00 Ratings6.222 Ratings
Inventory Planning00 Ratings6.223 Ratings
Performance Monitoring00 Ratings6.017 Ratings
Product Lifecycle Management
Comparison of Product Lifecycle Management features of Product A and Product B
Act-On Software
-
Ratings
SAP Business One
9.0
15 Ratings
21% above category average
Proposal Management00 Ratings6.012 Ratings
Product Master Data Management00 Ratings7.013 Ratings
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User Ratings
Act-On SoftwareSAP Business One
Likelihood to Recommend
8.1
(219 ratings)
7.6
(46 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
8.9
(112 ratings)
4.6
(9 ratings)
Usability
9.1
(32 ratings)
7.1
(11 ratings)
Availability
9.1
(14 ratings)
9.0
(3 ratings)
Performance
8.2
(13 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Support Rating
7.3
(39 ratings)
9.0
(11 ratings)
In-Person Training
8.7
(4 ratings)
7.7
(2 ratings)
Online Training
9.3
(16 ratings)
4.5
(2 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.6
(22 ratings)
2.9
(24 ratings)
Configurability
9.1
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
6.4
(2 ratings)
9.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
9.1
(1 ratings)
9.0
(2 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
8.2
(2 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
9.1
(2 ratings)
8.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Act-On SoftwareSAP Business One
Likelihood to Recommend
Act-On
Act-On simplifies the creation of landing pages, web forms, email campaigns, and other types of marketing automation. Designing a customer journey using the workflow builder (a nurturing flow) is possible. It is used in various ways and in a variety of contexts. Tactical's knowledgeable support team helped us unlock Act-On's potential for complex integrations and marketing campaigns. In some areas, it would be beneficial to improve functionality.
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SAP
SAP Business One would be more useful if it contained tools to acommodate the growing need of online sales. A more complete shipping module which handles tracking numbers with the common couriers would be great. A built in warehouse management system would be great designed to be used with barcode scanners
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Pros
Act-On
  • Establishes a simple but very decisive way of how to perform specialized marketing work.
  • It includes the monitoring of advertising networks or account management on digital platforms and social networks.
  • The support is solid; it takes all the suggestions and doubts I have regarding the software.
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SAP
  • SAP Business One is more suitable for small and medium scale enterprises
  • SAP Business One is : analytics, mobile technologies, cloud technologies
  • SAP Business One has exceptional performance in handling business functions such as purchasing and operations and customer relationship management
  • An important key features of SAP Business One is Reporting and Analytics.
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Cons
Act-On
  • The designer tools, especially for emails, were often difficult to use. The formatting of the text would be all over the place and change / refuse to change at random. Moving boxes around was shifty and sometimes nearly impossible. It just wasn't customizeable enough. No "undo" functionality either.
  • The only way to collect information expansively over time (there's a term Act-On uses for it, I can't recall) where it adds questions to the form each time a user fills it out, is if the person were to fill out the same form multiple times. I know this does happen for some websites/resources, but as a company that wanted to collect new information each time someone filled out any form, regardless of the resource or the URL, that was simply not an option, and that doesn't really make a lot of sense. I know it's not really possible to track someone but if they filled out the first part of the form and then it added new questions to answer, and then they submitted and got through the gating, that would actually be helpful.
  • There was no "trash can" of sorts in case you deleted something by mistake. This could be so stress-inducing if it was a major project. My coworker did this once, contacted Act-On, they couldn't even recover it.
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SAP
  • Following a bench mark process - this seems contradicting to flexibility however we have wished we could follow more of an industry benchmark. Our challenge as a small company has been knowing how to properly use the system. We have discovered that we have set up the system wrong based and are using it improperly which has cause a lot work to correct.
  • Better live reporting options - current we are on prem SQL. Yes SAP is moving to HANA however smaller companies like ourselves are not ready for that. We need to be able to maintain our existing SQL DB. We also have a demand for live BI Reporting. It has been difficult to do this with our current set up.
  • Error handling - have found it very difficult to troubleshoot. Errors are not always clear and answers are hard to find.
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Likelihood to Renew
Act-On
It's my single biggest asset in my current role. With limited resources, its enabled Anachron to punch well above our weight marketing wise and although we're still at the beginning of our journey I know the system can scale with us
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SAP
As I said before, it is a first level tool, well developed, and with very strong development support, although the learning curve, its implementation, the cost-benefit ratio, the price and the user experience is not the most suitable for small and medium-sized companies. It is a company with extensive experience, market positioning, technical support and expanded use
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Usability
Act-On
It's good, but not quite brilliant. Some parts of the interface are still a bit outdated. The product has been evolving very fast, though, and I believe in a few months it will be up there with the best of them, interface wise as well.
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SAP
I would like to give 8 out of 10 rating for SAP Business One because SAP Business One is a good choice for the mostly used business management solutions for the small and medium-sized companies. SAP Business One can help in optimizing the existing business process and enables streamline business processes for the daily activities for all users across the entire organization. The importance realization of SAP Business One implementation is based on the selection of the good reputation partner and its approach for the entire implementation. SAP Business One is a user-friendly and easy to use Enterprise system that the organization can benefit its features and functionalities by utilizing it.
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Reliability and Availability
Act-On
I have always found them quick to respond to my query by web inquiry. In those instances when I call, I have always reached help quickly. They are conscientious and skilled in discussing my concern and finding a solution to my problem. Other tech organizations should use Act-On as a model for top-notch customer service.
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SAP
The SAP Business One software is up and running every time
you need it as it was planned. In more than 6 years that we have been
using the product, it has never been unavailable and if it ever was, it was because of a planned maintenance window scheduled in the company.
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Performance
Act-On
Great for the most part. Sometimes there are little lags, but that's likely because I'm requesting to see a lot of data at one time.
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SAP
SAP Business One performance depends mostly on the speed of your internal servers, should you have the solution on premise as we do. Sometimes the system tends to be a little slower for some users when others are executing really big reports of performing some batch loads, but generally, the performance is acceptable to all the users.
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Support Rating
Act-On
Since we start using Act-on for ourselves and our clients, we have been supported very well. Often we need to integrate with legacy systems and we find the support team on our side during the whole endeavor. Always asking if they can help us further, always willing to do a better job. The support of Act-On is one of the main differentiators
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SAP
I rate my experience with SAP Business One's support team as excellent (10). They are easy to contact and effortless to work with on any issue or concern. I like the support SAP provides for any of their products. SAP has a great backing and I would recommend them to any of my colleagues.
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In-Person Training
Act-On
Dan D. was great. He took the time to understand how I needed the program to run, and was very flexible to our special CRM setup.
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SAP
The training I get was a consultant level training, so it's basically a 6 weeks training covering every aspect and every module of the system. It covered most common use cases and exercise training so you can get along with the software, as well as examples so there culd be a better understanding.
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Online Training
Act-On
Act-On had a lot of resources, and their staff was great at answering any questions I had to make sure we got started on the right foot. Looking back, I would have preferred some additional training sessions since we didn't have any previous experience with Marketing Automation and best practices.
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SAP
Over the past two years SAP has added a great deal of new SAP Business One on-line training for version 9.0 and 9.1. Most of the training is very strong, but some is difficult to understand and follow. Additionally, SAP still has a few holes in their on-line training around Production, Bill-of-Materials, MRP and Service.
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Implementation Rating
Act-On
What impressed me most is that Act-On showed full committment in making our implementation successful, even when it required additional support from their team. This gave me a lot of warm and fuzzy feelings. Most other software software vendors are not anywhere close to being this responsive and effective
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SAP
These implementations are not easy. Even a standard implementation can be difficult. With a never-been-done-before implementation, the implementation team and the user team need to be thorough with planning, make a decision on key points, and stick to them before any design happens. Our biggest challenge was not from StellarOne, rather it was from the mid-implementation decisions from our internal team. StellarOne did a great job warning us, implementing our decision, and then helping us adjust our SAP to handle the new direction we took.
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Alternatives Considered
Act-On
Act-On is easier to use than Marketo, but not as visually appealing and user-friendly as HubSpot. It's much better than Pardot, as Pardot feel clunky every step of the way. SharpSpring is comparable because of its price point but surpasses Act-On in its tools and intuitive interface. We selected Act-On because of the pricing model and thought all things would be close to parity with other options. It depends on the team you have. If you have developers and a marketing team that knows some html/css, you can get by with Act-On.
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SAP
SAP provides the most robust solution, with modules available for all department managers and even options for customization according to the company's special needs. We especially used the Crystal reports options to provide reports for each module. Overall, even if it's not the least expensive option, it has the best value for money.
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Scalability
Act-On
Before I feel like I need more features, the Act-On customer service reps are contacting me telling about new features as part of my account.
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SAP
For most small businesses, the only way you outgrow SAP Business One is if the nature of your business changes radically. Going from 1 to 50 users is quite easy with SAP B1. Going beyond 50 may require moving to the Hana SAP B1 platform to maintain or improve performance, but the path is there.
Add-ons to SAP B1 can also be added as specific needs are encountered that are not closely met by the standard product. These may be required early in the product life because of the nature of your business, or as you expand the use of SAP B1.
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Return on Investment
Act-On
  • With the Automated Series, we were able to put in place campaigns that generated revenue that took no time to continue running once set up. This was a positive feature allowing employees to work on another project while the campaign ran on their own.
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SAP
  • Employee efficiency has definitely increased with SAP Business One. This is attributed in a lot of ways to information visibility. Our employees are able to gather the data they need, quickly, and effectively.
  • Identifying inconsistencies in pricing has also been accomplished through use of reporting off individual tables. Previously, we weren't able to access our data in such a way as to enable us to write custom reports in-house.
  • We have also benefited greatly from having a single source of all business information. We utilize SAP Business One exclusively in-house. All documentation is attached to specific orders and Business Partners, as well as serialized equipment that has been sold.
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ScreenShots

Act-On Screenshots

Screenshot of List Segmentation - Segmentation using behavioral, demographic and/or firmographic dataScreenshot of the Quickstart PageScreenshot of Landing Page Composer - landing pages are designed with a drag and drop function