Our verdict · 8.2/10 Excellent
Excellent for inside sales and outbound teams that live on the phone. Overkill and pricier for teams that mainly need a simple contact database.
Key takeaways
- Best for: Inside sales and outbound teams.
- Strongest area: Support & reliability (8.6/10). Weakest: Value for money (7.6/10).
- Price: From around $35–49 / user / month — free trial available.
- Watch out for: Higher price than basic CRMs.
What is Close?
Close is designed for teams that sell by phone and email all day. Calling, SMS, email sequences and a power dialer are built in rather than bolted on, so reps can work through leads quickly. It is less about marketing and more about rep productivity.
Close is made by Close and is reviewed here as a CRM. It is priced on a subscription basis, and our editorial score is 8.2 out of 10, calculated from six weighted criteria.
Who it’s for — and who should skip it
Choose Close if
- Inside sales and outbound teams
- Startups running founder-led outbound
- Teams that call and email at volume
Not for you if
- Businesses needing marketing automation
- Very small budgets
Key features
Make, record and log calls without add-ons.
Call through lead lists automatically on higher tiers.
Multi-step email and SMS outreach.
Saved, filtered lead lists to work through.
- Gmail
- Outlook
- Zapier
- Slack
- Calendly
- Zoom
Pros & cons
What we like
- Calling, SMS and email built in
- Power and predictive dialers
- Fast, keyboard-friendly interface
- Strong customer support
Watch out for
- Higher price than basic CRMs
- Limited marketing features
- Calling minutes cost extra
Pricing & true cost
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Solo | ≈ $35 / user / mo | Billed annually |
| Essentials | ≈ $49 / user / mo | Billed annually |
| Growth | ≈ $99 / user / mo | Billed annually |
| Scale | ≈ $139 / user / mo | Billed annually |
Pricing watch-out: Calling usage billed separately.
True cost at 5, 10 and 25 seats
Cheapest paid plan that fits each team size, from indicative list prices checked October 31, 2026. Excludes tax, add-ons, onboarding fees and promotional discounts.
Pricing watch-outs
- Steep tier jump. Moving from Essentials to Growth raises the per-user price from $49 to $99 (2.0×). Check which features force the upgrade.
Contract questions to ask before you sign
- Does the plan auto-renew, and how many days’ notice do you need to cancel?
- Is the advertised price for annual billing? What is the month-to-month price?
- Is the first-year price a promotion? What will renewal cost, and is it capped?
- Is there a minimum number of seats, or a charge for inactive users?
- Are onboarding, implementation or premium-support fees extra?
- How do we export all our data if we leave, and in what format?
General questions for any vendor — not findings about this product. Build a full checklist with our requirements builder.
Indicative USD pricing, last checked October 31, 2026. Vendors change prices and promotions often — always confirm on their website. Model your own numbers with our SaaS TCO calculator.
Score breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features & fit | 25% | 8.4 | 2.10 | |
| Ease of use | 20% | 8.5 | 1.70 | |
| Value for money | 20% | 7.6 | 1.50 | |
| Support & reliability | 10% | 8.6 | 0.90 | |
| Security & privacy | 10% | 8.3 | 0.80 | |
| Integrations & ecosystem | 15% | 8.0 | 1.20 | |
| Overall | 100% | Weighted for business software products | 8.2 | |
Security & compliance facts
| Item | Status | Question to ask Close |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-factor authenticationStops most account takeovers from reused or phished passwords. | Not verified by us | Can admins enforce MFA for every user, on every plan? |
| Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)Lets you remove a leaver’s access everywhere from one place. | Not verified by us | Is SSO included on the plan we are buying, or only on enterprise tiers? |
| SOC 2 Type II reportIndependent audit of the vendor’s security controls — often required by larger customers. | Not verified by us | Can we see your current SOC 2 Type II report (under NDA if needed)? |
| ISO/IEC 27001 certificationInternational standard for running an information-security programme. | Not verified by us | Which legal entity and services does your ISO 27001 certificate cover? |
| GDPR data processing agreementNeeded if you handle personal data of people in the EU/UK. | Not verified by us | Do you offer a signed DPA and list your sub-processors? |
| HIPAA business associate agreementRequired before US healthcare businesses store protected health information. | Not verified by us | Will you sign a BAA, and on which plans? |
We have not yet verified these items for Close against a primary source, so we don’t claim them either way. Check Close’s trust or security page and ask for documents in writing.
Before you buy any CRM
Check Close against the same list we use for every CRM — and confirm each point on the plan you intend to buy, not the top tier.
- Two-way email and calendar sync
- Pipeline view that matches your sales stages
- Automation available on the tier you can afford
- Reporting your managers will actually use
- Clean data export if you ever leave
See every ranked option in CRM Software.
Close alternatives
Pick an alternative by what matters to you
- Cheaper
Copper≈ $90/mo vs $350/mo at 10 users (cheapest paid plans, indicative) - Has a free plan
HubSpot CRMClose has no free plan; HubSpot CRM does - Easier to useHubSpot CRMEase-of-use score 9.3 vs 8.5
- Better integrationsSSSalesforce Sales CloudIntegrations score 9.8 vs 8.0
- Stronger on securitySSSalesforce Sales CloudSecurity & privacy score 9.0 vs 8.3
- Higher overall scoreHubSpot CRMOverall 8.8 vs 8.2
Computed from our published scores and indicative pricing for tools in the same category as Close. Scores are editorial; see the methodology.
Editor’s picks
A sales-first CRM built around the pipeline, loved by small sales teams.
A genuinely useful free CRM that grows into a full marketing and sales platform.
An affordable, AI-assisted CRM with built-in phone and email for growing sales teams.
Featured in: Best CRM Software for Small Business
Review history
- Scored under methodology v2.0 (six weighted criteria, computed overall score).
Close FAQ
Is Close good for small teams?
Yes for sales-focused teams; its Solo plan suits founders doing their own outreach.
Does Close include calling?
Yes. Calling is built in, with usage billed separately.
Does Close have a free plan?
No, Close does not offer a permanent free plan, but a free trial is available. Pricing starts at From around $35–49 / user / month (indicative).
Who is Close best for?
Close is best for: inside sales and outbound teams; startups running founder-led outbound; teams that call and email at volume.
How much does Close cost for a team of 10?
On indicative list prices, the cheapest paid plan that fits 10 users (Solo) works out at roughly $350 per month, or about $4,200 per year, before tax, add-ons and discounts.
How is the Close score calculated?
The 8.2/10 overall score is a weighted average of six sub-scores — features & fit, ease of use, value, support & reliability, security & privacy, and integrations — using the published weights for software products. Affiliate relationships have no input. See our methodology page for the full rubric.
What are the best alternatives to Close?
Popular alternatives include Pipedrive, HubSpot CRM, Freshsales. See our comparisons for side-by-side verdicts.