Twenty
Twenty 2.52 lets apps run their own account-connection flows and adds inbox sharing.
Comparison · CRM
Act vs Streak
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Act and Streak — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Shared themes:crm
Act vs Streak: 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 Streak?
Streak wires automations to email and call activity, turning Gmail CRM into an event-driven workflow engine.
Streak is deepening its Gmail-native CRM position by tying automations directly to email threads, calls, and meeting notes — any new activity in a pipeline box can now trigger an automation. The Claude connector (one-click MCP integration) and an expanded MCP server for creating/updating records complete a trifecta of LLM-adjacent features shipped over the past few months.
Act vs Streak: 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.
Streak
6.3CRM
Streak wires automations to email and call activity, turning Gmail CRM into an event-driven workflow engine.
◆ Current state
Streak is deepening its Gmail-native CRM position by tying automations directly to email threads, calls, and meeting notes — any new activity in a pipeline box can now trigger an automation. The Claude connector (one-click MCP integration) and an expanded MCP server for creating/updating records complete a trifecta of LLM-adjacent features shipped over the past few months.
◆ Where it's heading
Streak is moving from a passive data store (CRM you update manually) toward an active workflow layer (CRM that reacts to what happens in your Gmail). AI citations, the Claude connector, and expanded MCP capabilities collectively suggest Streak's differentiation will be depth of LLM integration for a Gmail-native context — not competing with Salesforce on breadth.
◆ Prediction
The next likely move is AI-generated pipeline updates triggered by email activity — automations that don't just fire when email activity happens, but read the email content and fill in deal fields based on what was discussed.
Alternatives to Act and Streak
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 Streak.
Twenty
Twenty 2.53 lets apps lock field permission actions, a day after role-aware relation pickers.
IntegCRM
IntegCRM keeps building out invoicing, bookings, forms and email for service businesses.
Folk
folk ships a French interface weeks after moving its data storage to Europe.
GroupOffice
GroupOffice patches its current 26.0 line and the older 25.0 line on the same afternoon.
Close CRM
Close takes Chloe Chat out of beta for every customer, a month after OIDC SSO.
Recent activity from Act and Streak
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 1mo agoStreak⚡️ Automations can now trigger on new emails, calls, and meeting notes ⚡
- 2mo agoStreak🔎 Filter suggestions in the saved view editor
- 2mo agoStreak🤖 Add Streak as a Claude connector ⚡
- 3mo agoStreak📱 Data validation in Streak iOS and Android apps
- 3mo agoStreak🗞️ Pipeline newsfeed: filter activity by teammate and event type
- 3mo agoStreak👀 Real time collaboration: see who's viewing a deal in your pipeline
- 6mo agoActAccept Payments with Act! Advantage ⚡
- 6mo agoActAccept Payments with Act! Advantage
- 6mo agoActNotification Center and List Experience Enhancements
- 6mo agoActNotification Center and List Experience Enhancements Date of Release 02/27/26 This update enhances usability across Act!
- 6mo agoActNotification Center and Added Email Campaign Support
- 6mo agoActNotification Center and Email Campaign Support
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Act and Streak?
Both compete on the same themes — crm — within CRM. Act and Streak are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 6.3 vs 6.3, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is Act better than Streak?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Act and Streak are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 6.3 vs 6.3, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). 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 Streak?
Top Streak alternatives in CRM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Streak alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/streak for the full list with editorial commentary on each.