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Comparison · CRM
Act vs Folk
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Act and Folk — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:crm
Act vs Folk: at a glance
What is Act?
Act! pivots from CRM-only to payment processor while modernizing its Cloud UX.
Act! is in the middle of a methodical Cloud modernization, rebuilding list views, navigation, and notifications to match the consistency users expect from modern CRMs. Alongside that polish work, Act! has just shipped Act! Payments via Propelr — turning the CRM into a place where credit card transactions close, not just leads. The product is still recognizably a small-business CRM, but its surface area is widening.
What is Folk?
folk adds a command panel and quick-add tasks after its agent-era repositioning.
folk is a lightweight relationship CRM that widened its surface through the summer and autumn with a mobile app, Tasks, an Interactions API, an MCP connector with bulk writes, enrichment in the API and EU data residency. Call recording left beta on November 10, days after folk recast itself as 'The CRM for the agent era'. The 12 November release adds a command panel and quick-add tasks; the post gives little more detail.
Act vs Folk: editorial side-by-side
Act
6.3CRM
Act! pivots from CRM-only to payment processor while modernizing its Cloud UX.
◆ Current state
Act! is in the middle of a methodical Cloud modernization, rebuilding list views, navigation, and notifications to match the consistency users expect from modern CRMs. Alongside that polish work, Act! has just shipped Act! Payments via Propelr — turning the CRM into a place where credit card transactions close, not just leads. The product is still recognizably a small-business CRM, but its surface area is widening.
◆ Where it's heading
The release cadence shows two parallel tracks: weekly UX rationalization (notification center, list parity, faster task editing) and category expansion through embedded financial services. Act! is following the same playbook HubSpot and Pipedrive have run — keep the legacy users happy with quality-of-life work while quietly bolting on revenue-bearing features that compete with Stripe-adjacent SMB tools. Payments is the most directional move in years.
◆ Prediction
Expect deeper payments integration next — recurring billing tied to opportunities, dunning workflows from the contact record, and likely a payments-driven pricing tier that monetizes transaction volume rather than seats.
Folk
5.0CRM
folk adds a command panel and quick-add tasks after its agent-era repositioning.
◆ Current state
folk is a lightweight relationship CRM that widened its surface through the summer and autumn with a mobile app, Tasks, an Interactions API, an MCP connector with bulk writes, enrichment in the API and EU data residency. Call recording left beta on November 10, days after folk recast itself as 'The CRM for the agent era'. The 12 November release adds a command panel and quick-add tasks; the post gives little more detail.
◆ Where it's heading
Releases alternate between agent access (MCP writes, API enrichment) and everyday usability for sales reps (calling, French, now shortcuts). The positioning says agents, but most shipped work still serves the person doing the selling.
◆ Prediction
Expect further MCP and API coverage of folk's objects, likely tasks and calls, so agents can act on the same loop reps use. The thin recent posts make timing unclear.
Alternatives to Act and Folk
Other CRM products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Act or Folk.
Twenty
Twenty 2.58.1 stops existing accounts from joining a workspace through SSO alone.
Twenty
Twenty 2.58 rebuilds CRM permissions down to the row and adds MCP workflow steps.
GroupOffice
GroupOffice patches its 25.0 and 6.8 lines again, still with no notes.
Folk
folk now pitches itself as the CRM for the agent era.
IntegCRM
IntegCRM adds document folders, turning back to client records after two email releases.
Recent activity from Act and Folk
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 2d agoFolkfolk adds a command panel and quick-add tasks
- 4d agoFolkPhone call recording out of beta
- 8d agoFolkfolk repositions as a CRM that feeds AI agents
- 16d agoFolkYour CRM can now enrich contacts on its own
- 18d agoFolkfolk in French
- 25d agoFolkIntroducing bulk actions in folk MCP
- 6mo agoActAccept Payments with Act! Advantage ⚡
- 6mo agoActAccept Payments with Act! Advantage
- 7mo agoActNotification Center and List Experience Enhancements
- 7mo agoActNotification Center and List Experience Enhancements Date of Release 02/27/26 This update enhances usability across Act!
- 7mo agoActNotification Center and Added Email Campaign Support
- 7mo agoActNotification Center and Email Campaign Support
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Act and Folk?
Both compete on the same themes — crm — within CRM. Act is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is Act better than Folk?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Act is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 6.3 vs 5.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other CRM products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to Act?
Top Act alternatives in CRM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Act alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/act for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Folk?
Top Folk alternatives in CRM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Folk alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/folk-crm for the full list with editorial commentary on each.