Act-On vs Firsthand (2026): Pricing, Features & Which to Choose

Who comes out ahead

Based only on the facts in our directory. The right pick still depends on the job you need done.

Lower starting price
Firsthand
From $26/mo against from $900/mo
Free plan
Tie
Neither has one
Higher rating
Act-On
4.2 against 3.8
Same job?
Yes
Both are Marketing tools

Side by side

Compared on	Act-On	Firsthand
Our rating	4.2Better	3.8
Starts at	$900/mo	$26/moBetter
Free plan	No	No
Category	Marketing	Marketing
Plans	From $900/mo	From $26/mo
Key features	AI Create for brand-compliant marketing copy Adaptive Send for per-contact send times Predictive lead scoring from engagement history InSite web agent for visitor questions Agentic data analysis with conversational charts	Real-time conversational agents branded to the publisher Controls over agent voice, claims and boundaries Customer intent insight captured from conversations Built for marketers and publishers rather than support teams
Pros	AI features are named and described one by one Charged by contacts emailed, with unlimited stored contacts Template sharing for franchise and branch models	Brand voice controls make consumer-facing agents deployable Conversations surface pre-purchase questions analytics misses
Cons	Starts at $900 a month, high for small teams No free plan or self-serve trial named Enterprise pricing requires a quote	Consumer-facing claims carry the same liability as advertising Needs ongoing monitoring rather than being set and forgotten
Company	Act-On Software

Prices come from each vendor's pricing page, last checked 20261012. Check the vendor before you buy.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Is Act-On better than Firsthand?

In our reviews Act-On scores 4.2 and Firsthand scores 3.8. The better pick depends on the job. Act-On: Lifecycle marketing automation platform for email, web, SMS and social, with AI Create for brand-compliant copy, Adaptive Send timing, predictive lead scoring, an InSite web agent and conversational data analysis. Firsthand: Brand agents that hold controlled, real-time conversations with consumers for marketers and publishers.

Which is cheaper, Act-On or Firsthand?

Firsthand has the lower starting price: from $900/mo for Act-On and from $26/mo for Firsthand.

Do Act-On and Firsthand have free plans?

Neither lists a free plan.

More comparisons

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Firsthand compared with

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