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Comparison · CRM

Act vs GroupOffice

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Act and GroupOffice — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Shared themes:crm

Act vs GroupOffice: at a glance

FeatureActGroupOffice
SectorCRMCRM
Velocity score6.35.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themescrm, payments, ux modernization, smbgroupware, self-hosted, crm, maintenance-releases
Last editorial update6mo ago15h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

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.

Read the full Act trajectory →

What is GroupOffice?

GroupOffice patches its 25.0 and 6.8 lines again, still with no notes.

GroupOffice ships maintenance builds across three release lines at once. On November 12 it tagged 6.8.183 and 25.0.117, and on November 13 it followed with 6.8.184 and 25.0.118 within forty minutes. Every note is the same install boilerplate, so the feed shows cadence but not what changed.

Read the full GroupOffice trajectory →

Act vs GroupOffice: editorial side-by-side

Act logo
Act
CRM
6.3

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.

G5.0

GroupOffice patches its 25.0 and 6.8 lines again, still with no notes.

◆ Current state

GroupOffice ships maintenance builds across three release lines at once. On November 12 it tagged 6.8.183 and 25.0.117, and on November 13 it followed with 6.8.184 and 25.0.118 within forty minutes. Every note is the same install boilerplate, so the feed shows cadence but not what changed.

◆ Where it's heading

The 6.8 line, two majors behind current, has now had four patches in nine days, while 26.0 keeps a weekly rhythm. That points to fixes being backported to long-supported installs rather than new features, though the notes never say so.

◆ Prediction

A 26.0.60 build is the likely next tag within days, since 26.0 has shipped weekly and was left out of the November 12 pair.

Alternatives to Act and GroupOffice

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 GroupOffice.

See all Act alternatives → · See all GroupOffice alternatives →

Recent activity from Act and GroupOffice

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 21h agoGroupOfficeGroupOffice 25.0.118 previous-line maintenance build
  2. 22h agoGroupOfficeGroupOffice 6.8.184 legacy-line maintenance build
  3. 2d agoGroupOfficeGroupOffice 25.0.117 previous-line maintenance build
  4. 2d agoGroupOfficeGroupOffice 6.8.183 legacy-line maintenance build
  5. 4d agoGroupOfficeGroupOffice 25.0.116 previous-line maintenance build
  6. 4d agoGroupOfficeGroupOffice 26.0.59 maintenance build
  7. 6mo agoActAccept Payments with Act! Advantage ⚡
  8. 6mo agoActAccept Payments with Act! Advantage
  9. 7mo agoActNotification Center and List Experience Enhancements
  10. 7mo agoActNotification Center and List Experience Enhancements Date of Release 02/27/26 This update enhances usability across Act!
  11. 7mo agoActNotification Center and Added Email Campaign Support
  12. 7mo agoActNotification Center and Email Campaign Support

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Act and GroupOffice?

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 GroupOffice?

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 GroupOffice?

Top GroupOffice alternatives in CRM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "GroupOffice alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/groupoffice for the full list with editorial commentary on each.