I wrote this blog post a while ago and thanks to a request from a reader, I am updating it to be reflective of what is available now in ACT v16. I have highlighted in RED the new features.
We get this question so often I thought I'd post a blog article showing the main differences. ACT for Windows has more options because it runs on the Windows platform. The web version, being accessed via a browser will have limitations because of the browser interface. Quite a bit of functionality is in the Web version - it's amazing how much it looks and reacts just like the Windows version. However, when you understand that you are on a browser it makes sense that functions that are driven by Windows operations (think right mouse clicks) won't work on the web.
Following are the feature differences:
Features Unavailable in ACT! Premium (access via web) via Web Browser:
- Add additional user licenses to the database
Add or modify database fields or layoutsYou can now do this on the web- Menu and Toolbar customization
- Edit Smart Tasks
- Right click functionality (presents browser options)
- Create Activity Series
- Setup and use field triggers
- Import or export data (you can use the Export to Excel function from the list view)
- Create new report templates
- Swiftpage E-marketing for ACT!* functionality (has been replaced with ACT eMarketing)
- Add document attachments as shortcuts
- Manage Opportunity Product and Process Lists
- Synchronize ACT! data with a handheld device
- Integrate ACT! with a supported accounting program
- E-Mail Document option on Document tab
- No ACT! Email client installed locally for viewing or managing email (can integrate with locally installed Microsoft® Outlook® or send through an Internet mail account)
- Email Message (from template)
- Backup and restore databases
- Replace, copy, or swap field data for multiple contacts
- Duplicate Checking settings, scan for duplicate records
- Edit Contact Access (Make Public, Make Private, Create Access List, Add or Remove Users/Teams) for multiple contacts
- Copy or move contact data (merge)
- Database maintenance (check, repair, reindex, delete)
- Use of Sage ACT! Diagnostics utility
- Remote database synchronization panel (create, edit, delete remote databases and sync sets)
- ACT! Dialer
- Fax integration
- Timer
- ACT! Scheduler
- History recorded when printing a document (Mail merge directly to printer does create history).
- No option to "Open each view in its own window" in Preferences
- Social Updates
- Quick Print
New functions Added to the Web Interface in ACT! Premium (access via web) (2012 and later versions):
- Manage Users
- Manage Teams
- Password Policy
- Database Maintenance - Lock/Unlock Database
- Synchronize Calendar and Contacts with Google®
- Gmail™ integration
- ACT eMarketing (SP1 required)
- Google Chrome support
- Define Fields
- Customize Layouts
- History list keyword search
- Calculated Fields
- Company Management
- On the Contact view - Rotating the screen on a contact view will show your contact list on the left side of the window. You can navigate to a contact without having to hit the Back button and selecting another contact.
- On the Tasklist - You have access to filters to help organize your information. You can filter by Dates, Type, Priority, if the task is Timeless, if it is Cleared, or by Users.
- On the Opportunity list - You have access to filters to help organize your information. You can filter by Dates, Status, Record Manager, Process, and Stage.
Features Only Available in the Web Interface in ACT! Premium (access via web) (2012 and later versions):
- Expanded Startup View options
- Alternating background colors for rows in List views
- Specify date and time format and time zone
That's the list. Hopefully this will come up in searches and people will find it helpful.