<SUBMISSION>
<ACCESSION-NUMBER>0001181431-04-002703
<TYPE>4
<PUBLIC-DOCUMENT-COUNT>1
<PERIOD>20031008
<FILING-DATE>20040114
<REPORTING-OWNER>
<OWNER-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>COGGINS MARK
<CIK>0001275640
</OWNER-DATA>
<FILING-VALUES>
<FORM-TYPE>4
<ACT>34
<FILE-NUMBER>000-24607
<FILM-NUMBER>04525217
</FILING-VALUES>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>ACTUATE CORP.
<STREET2>701 GATEWAY BLVD.
<CITY>SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
<STATE>CA
<ZIP>94080
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
</REPORTING-OWNER>
<ISSUER>
<COMPANY-DATA>
<CONFORMED-NAME>ACTUATE CORP
<CIK>0001062478
<ASSIGNED-SIC>7372
<IRS-NUMBER>943193197
<STATE-OF-INCORPORATION>DE
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>1231
</COMPANY-DATA>
<BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>701 GATEWAY BLVD
<STREET2>SUITE
<CITY>SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
<STATE>CA
<ZIP>94080
<PHONE>6504252300
</BUSINESS-ADDRESS>
<MAIL-ADDRESS>
<STREET1>701 GATEWAY BLVD
<STREET2>SUITE
<CITY>SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
<STATE>CA
<ZIP>94080
</MAIL-ADDRESS>
<FORMER-COMPANY>
<FORMER-CONFORMED-NAME>ACTUATE SOFTWARE CORP
<DATE-CHANGED>19980527
</FORMER-COMPANY>
</ISSUER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>rrd29095.xml
<DESCRIPTION>FORM 4 OCT GRANT
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?><ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0201</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-10-08</periodOfReport><notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001062478</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>ACTUATE CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>ACTU</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001275640</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>COGGINS MARK</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>ACTUATE CORPORATION</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>701 GATEWAY BOULEVARD</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>CA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>94080</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
<isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>1</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther><officerTitle>Vice President Engineering</officerTitle></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><derivativeTable><derivativeTransaction><securityTitle><value>Option (right to buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>3.56</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-10-08</value></transactionDate><deemedExecutionDate><value>2003-10-08</value></deemedExecutionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>A</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>1</value></transactionShares><transactionPricePerShare><value>0</value></transactionPricePerShare><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>2004-10-08</value><footnoteId id="F1"/></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2013-10-07</value></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>400000</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>1</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeTransaction></derivativeTable><footnotes><footnote id="F1">This option becomes exercisable with respect to the first 25% of the shares on the anniversary of the vesting commencement date; the remaining shares become exercisable in equal monthly installments over the following 36 months.</footnote></footnotes><ownerSignature><signatureName>/s/ Mark Coggins</signatureName><signatureDate>2004-01-14</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>



</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SUBMISSION>
