Windows 10 Compatibility

(Plus Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, & 8.1)

Microsoft Office 2016 Integration

(Plus Office 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, & Office 365)

Act! E-Marketing included for Free

Send 500 emails to your database for free — plans start at $30/mo for increased capacity

Improved Act! Premium for Web Experience

View our demo here.  Use the demo database.  Username is demo.  No password necessary.

The primary focus of Act! v18 was Windows 10 & Microsoft Office 2016 compatibility.  In our opinions, this makes it one of the more compelling upgrades we’ve seen in recent years.  We often find that upgrades are not spurred by a desire for new features & bells & whistles, but rather because the technology environment changes and forces your hand.

Microsoft seems to update their Windows & Office platforms approximately every 3 years.  This, in turn, forces the rest of the software world to update in order to keep up.

History of Microsoft Product Releases

If you buy any new computing hardware, it will likely have Windows 10 pre-installed. If you subscribe to Office 365, you’ll certainly notice the ‘upgrade to 2016’ notifications.  If you’re on an older version of Act!, you’ll likely find various glitches and bugs if you run it on the newer hardware.

In addition to the stability & compatibility enhancements, Act! has improved their Act! Premium for Web (APFW) product.  APFW is an extra feature available to Premium users to open a port on their Act! server, thus allowing users to log in to the Act! database via an internet connection from anywhere.  An improved UI allows for a sleeker, more modern look.

For developers, the newer v18 will include a web API, allowing greater flexibility for new add-ons and 3rd party Act! apps.

Our conclusion:  Act! v18 is a worthwhile upgrade, because the last major Microsoft updates just happened.  Act! v18 should hold you over for a few years.