Sales Strategy

Close.io Review - Key Features, Pros & Cons, and Pricing in 2024

lemlist team
LAST UPDATED
September 5, 2024
READING TIME
7 min.

This Close review will give you a detailed and actionable analysis of Close’s features, pricing, and alternatives so you can ultimately boost your sales efficiency.

Whether you're a small business owner or a sales manager in a larger corporation, this article will help you understand if Close is the tool that can transform your sales approach and increase revenue.

Close.io overview

Close software is a specialized CRM platform designed for small to medium-sized businesses, focusing on converting leads into revenue.

It integrates key sales functions like email, calling, and SMS into a single inbox, improved by robust sales automation and workflow tools. This makes it an efficient solution for sales enablement and tracking.

Close supports scalable sales activities with features like bulk email automation and advanced calling options.

Its comprehensive lead management system, coupled with an open API for easy integration with over 50 applications, makes Close a versatile tool for businesses that want to streamline their sales processes.

Who is Close for

Close has the following typical customers:

  • Freelancers
  • Mid Size Business
  • Non-Profit
  • Small Business
  • Entreprises

Close’s features and functionalities

Free online demo (no sign up required) - Close CRM

1. Setup and migration

Close offers a quick setup process, including a CSV import tool for leads and contacts and a free, one-click migration tool for users switching from other CRMs.

2. All-in-one selling platform

The tool integrates email and calendar functionalities out of the box, along with built-in calling, SMS, and Zoom integration, enabling teams to reach quality leads with ease.

Close can be used on mobile and desktop apps.

3. Automated outreach

Close features Workflows and automated follow-up reminders to increase response rates without manual effort, helping users see ROI in a few weeks.

4. CRM and sales productivity tools

The platform is designed to help startups and small businesses close more deals faster, with tools tailored for sales productivity.

5. Integrations

Close offers a range of integrations to work seamlessly with any tool in your stack, enhancing its usability and adaptability.

Some integrations include:

HubSpot Marketing Hub, ActiveCampaign, QuotaPath, Spiff, Calendly, Clearbit, Zapier, Google Workspace, DocuSign, Airtable, Zoom Meetings, Gong.io, Drift, JustCall, Slack, Microsoft 365, Drip, Mailchimp, Clay, Asana, PandaDoc, SavvyCal, Google Sheets, Intercom, LeadFuze, Shopify.

6. Communication tools

Close CRM includes built-in communication tools that facilitate direct engagement with leads and customers through multiple channels.

These tools combine several communication channels into a single platform, eliminating the need for salespeople to switch between different apps.

Some of the key communication tools Close offers are:

  • Two-Way Email Sync

Emails are automatically synced with Close, ensuring all communication with leads and customers is tracked and readily accessible within the CRM.

  • Integrated Calling

It allows users to make calls directly from Close platform, eliminating the need for a separate phone system. Salespeople can keep track of call history and recordings within the CRM for better organization.

  • SMS Text Messaging

All plans include the ability to send and receive SMS text messages directly through Close, providing another channel for communication with prospects and clients.

7. Sales automation

Close automates key sales tasks, reducing the manual workload and increasing efficiency.

These features include:

  • Automated Workflows

Close allows you to create workflows that trigger specific actions based on predefined criteria.

Workflows can be used in automating communication steps, assigning leads to manage, and creating follow-up tasks.

  • Automated Triggers

These work in conjunction with workflows and fire whenever a specific event occurs within Close. This could be something like a new lead being created, a lead's email address being verified, or a lead taking a specific action on your website (e.g., a subscriber sends or replies to any email from a Connected Account in Close ).

  • Predictive Dialer & Power Dialer

Close offers both predictive and power dialer functionalities to automate the dialing process for salespeople.

A predictive dialer connects reps with available leads as soon as possible, minimizing wait times. A power dialer allows reps to dial through a list of leads automatically, with the ability to pause and resume as needed.

  • Automated Email Sequences

Create pre-written email sequences to be automatically sent to leads or customers based on specific triggers. This can save time and ensure consistent messaging throughout the sales process.

  • Automated Data Entry

Close can automatically populate data fields in lead or contact records based on information from emails or other sources. This reduces manual data entry and helps to ensure data accuracy.

8. Reporting and analytics

Close platform provides reporting tools for quick KPI reports and training, enabling sales teams to track and analyze their performance effectively.

Close has several different reports based on the metrics that need to be tracked. It offers Sales Team Activity Tracking and Opportunity Tracking, as well as the function to export your report data. You can track and analyse:

  • Activity Comparison in time-based reports
  • Activity Overview based on priority metrics
  • Status Change in the movement of your leads down the pipeline
  • Sent Email data including open rates and response rates
  • Opportunity Tracking
  • Opportunity List
  • Opportunity Funnels that show you how your opportunities perform in a given time

9. User-friendly interface

Close is praised for its simplicity and ease of use, ensuring full team engagement and quick onboarding.

10. Customer support and resources

Close offers robust customer support and resources, including a help center, API documentation, and product updates.

Close offers the following support options:

  • Email/Help Desk
  • Chat
  • Knowledge Base
  • Phone Support
  • FAQs/Forum

11. Security

The platform emphasizes security, ensuring that user data is protected and managed responsibly.

Pricing

Plans

→ Free trial: 14 days ✅

→ Startup: $49/mo/1 user

  • Store Leads, Contacts, and Opportunities
  • 3 Workflows
  • Email and calendar sync
  • Zapier integration
  • Power Dialer

→ Professional: $299/mo/3 users

Includes all Startup features, plus

  • Increased Leads, Contacts, Custom Fields, and Email Templates
  • Multiple Pipelines
  • 25 Workflows
  • Custom Activities

→ Enterprise: $699/mo/5 users

All Professional features, plus

  • Custom Objects (Beta)
  • 100 Workflows
  • Call Coaching
  • Predictive Dialer

Ratings, pros and cons

Ratings ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

G2 - 4.7/5 (1,044 reviews) | Capterra - 4.7/5 (160 reviews) ,

✅ Pros

  • Integrated calling from the platform
  • Two-way email sync
  • Customizable reporting
  • API for easy integration with other tools and services
  • Offers a cost-effective solution compared to other CRMs
  • Excellent customer support
  • User-friendly interface
  • Ideal for SaaS and sales agencies
  • Extensive customization through a flexible API
  • Improves management and workflow efficiency

❌ Cons

  • Limited integrations
  • The cost may be prohibitive for smaller teams or startups
  • Users may find customization options less extensive than desired
  • May not include certain advanced features found in enterprise-level CRM solutions
  • Users have reported difficulties in effectively using HTML emails within Close.io
  • Users find it hard to understand and utilize email analytics like open rates and campaign effectiveness
  • Difficulty in tracking and understanding the costs associated with calls
  • Inefficient workflows and automations
  • Challenges in getting effective technical support, along with user experience issues like slowness and complexity.
  • No free forever plan
  • SMS messages only go to US, CA, GB, and AUS.
  • SMS texts cost $0.01 per outgoing message.

Is Close good value for money?

✅ Close might be a good value for you if:

  • You're a small sales team or solopreneur: The Startup plan ($49/month/user) offers core CRM functionalities like lead and contact management with basic automation (3 workflows). This can be sufficient for a small team starting out.
  • You want a clean interface: Close is known for its user-friendly design and intuitive interface, making it easy for teams to learn and adopt.
  • You value multiple integrations: Close integrates with various tools like marketing automation platforms and email providers, streamlining workflows.

❌ Close is NOT good value if:

  • You have a large sales team: The cost per user increases significantly with higher tiers. Explore options with per-team pricing for larger groups.
  • You need highly customized features: Close offers some customization options but may not cater to very specific needs compared to more robust CRM systems.
  • You're on a very tight budget: There are free and open-source CRM options available, though they may lack some features and require more technical expertise to set up.

Here's our suggestion: Take advantage of the 14-day free trial to test Close and see if it fits your needs and workflow.Most importantly, don't forget to compare Close to other CRM options. Research features, pricing, and user reviews of similar platforms to find the best fit for your budget and requirements before you make a commitment.

Close vs lemlist

lemlist is hands-down the best alternative to Close.

While Close offers robust features, lemlist's AI-driven personalization, lead generation efficiency, and email deliverability make it a more comprehensive choice for sales and marketing teams.

These strengths position lemlist as the only cold outreach tool that helps reach inboxes and get replies.

Why is lemlist often the preferred choice over Close?

  • Lead database and enrichment

lemlist offers a massive (450 million+) sales lead database and enrichment feature, contrary to Close, enabling more precise and relevant outreach.

  • Find and verify valid email addresses

lemlist offers an advanced email finder and verifier tool, built from testing over 40 email providers. What you get is a tool that nails 80% of valid emails using just the first name, last name, and company name.

  • Free email warm-up

lemlist's automated email warm-up helps build a stronger sender reputation, enhancing email deliverability more effectively. lemlist enhances email deliverability and engagement without additional costs, a unique offering not found in Close.

  • Custom image & video variables

Unlike Close, lemlist allows customizing images and videos in emails at scale, making campaigns more engaging and increasing response rates.

  • Automated follow-ups

lemlist ensures consistent and effortless communication with automated follow-ups, a step ahead of Close that offers solely reminders.

  • A/B testing

With lemlist's A/B testing capability, users can develop more refined and audience-specific messaging strategies, offering a more targeted approach than Close.

  • In-app live support

lemlist provides immediate in-app support, ensuring users can efficiently utilize all features and minimize downtime, unlike Close, which offers only email support.

  • AI-generated campaigns

AI to generate campaigns in lemlist leads to highly personalized and optimized outreach, setting it apart from Close regarding efficiency and conversion rates.

  • Better price for greater value

lemlist offers better value for money.

lemlist's starting plan starts from only €39 per month to compare with Close's $59. Moreover, lemlist's multichannel expert plans with advanced features is only $99 per month while Close's pro plan costs $109.

Here's lemlist pricing plans:

Need more to decide which one suits your needs better?

Here’s a full comparison table of lemlist vs Close:

Feature lemlist Close
B2B Lead Database
Email Finder and Verifier
Chrome extension
Email warm-up and deliverability booster
Custom text
Custom images
Custom videos
Multisender per campaign
Cold email templates
Advanced conditions in sequence
Automated follow-ups ❌ (only reminders)
Task management
A/B testing
Campaign performance report
CRM integrations
Zapier
API
In-app live support
Free warmup and email booster
Icebreaker generated by AI
Campaign generated by AI
Unsubscribe link feature
Learn more about the benefits of using lemlist and how it helps you to get more leads in this in-depth lemlist Review & Tutorial.

Key takeaways

To sum up, Close stands out as a valuable investment for businesses prioritizing efficient sales processes and direct customer outreach.

Its integrated calling and email synchronization, combined with user-friendly customization and robust reporting features, make it particularly appealing for small to medium-sized businesses and sales-focused teams.

Close's pricing plans require careful consideration, especially for smaller teams with limited budgets and start-ups who are just starting out.

Overall, Close's features and streamlined workflow could make it a valuable asset for the right organization.

And if you're looking a better alternative to Close, lemlist cold outreach software is likely more suitable to your needs and budget.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

1. What is close.io used for?

Close.io software is a specialized CRM platform designed for small to medium-sized businesses, focusing on converting leads into revenue. It integrates key sales functions like email, calling, and SMS into a single inbox, improved by robust sales automation and workflow tools.

2. What is the CRM website?

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a strategy that companies use to manage interactions with customers and potential customers. CRM helps organisations streamline processes, build customer relationships, increase sales, improve customer service, and increase profitability.

3. Is close.io CRM good?

From contact management to bulk email sending and note-taking for interactions with potential leads, Close streamlines these processes. Overall, Close CRM has proven to be an indispensable tool for sales teams, helping them streamline their workflows and improve their communication with leads.

5. Does close.io CRM have an app?

The Close app requires iOS version 12.4 or later. Download the Close app on your Android here. Regardless of your mobile device, you can head to the App Store or Google Play and search for Close CRM .

6. What does close.io do?

Close CRM, also known as Close.io, is a customer relationship management platform designed to assist sales teams with managing their leads, contacts, and communication effectively. Close CRM and sales productivity tools help businesses close more deals faster.

7. Does close.io have a free plan?

No, close.io doesn't have a free forever plan. It only offers 14-day free trial.

lemlist team
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G2 Rating
Price
Best for
Standout feature
Con
4.9
star
star
star
star
star
$30/mo
$75/mo
$2,999/mo
Large, distributed sales teams
AI evaluation precision, gamified KPIs
Lack of tracking system
4.6
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Sales operations and finance teams
Powerful configurability
Limited training resources and complex to navigate
4.4
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Mid-market and enterprise businesses
Comprehensive incentive management
Potentially high cost and steep learning curve
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
$15/user/mo
$40/user/mo
Enterprise: custom price
Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes
Complex sales structures and businesses of all sizes
Steep learning curve
4.6
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Collaborative teams
Connected planning
Complexity and steep learning curve
4.6
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with complex sales structures
Complex incentive compensation management (ICM) with high efficiency and accuracy
Complexity for smaller teams and potentially high costs
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies who want to automate commission calculations and payouts
Simplicity and ease of use
Lack of features like redirection
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
$30/user/mo
$35/user/mo
Custom: upon request
Businesses that need a comprehensive and user-friendly sales compensation management software
Ease of use and adoption
Lack of ability to configure the product based on user needs
4.8
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with modern sales culture and businesses who want real-time insights
A built-in dispute management and real-time visibility
Users say it works slowly, customer support is slow
4.9
star
star
star
star
star
$30/user/mo
$50/user/mo
Smaller sales teams
Powerful automation
Lesser user base and average user interface
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Not publicly available
Companies with scalable needs
Automated Commission Calculations
Lack of filtering by date, no mobile app
ERP vs. CRM
ERP
CRM
Summary
Backbone of a business's internal operations.
Backbone of customer-centric interactions and operations.
Goal
To centralize and streamline core business processes in a company.
To increase customer experience, satisfaction and loyalty, and boost sales.
Focus
Internal operations and processes across departments (finance, accounting, inventory, supply chain, HR, and sales).
All interactions with leads and customers.
Manages
Internal business data like financial data, inventory levels, production details, supply chain, HR info.
All customer data like contact info, purchase history, communication history, customer preferences and more.
Users
Finance, accounting, operations, supply chain, and HR departments.
Customer-facing teams like sales, marketing, and customer service.
Benefits
Streamlines operations, improves data accuracy, enhances decision-making, boosts collaboration, increases productivity.
Improves customer relationships, increases sales, strengthens customer service, personalizes marketing campaigns, provides insights.
Price
$150 per user per year on average.
$10 to $30 per user per month on average.
PRM Tool
Rating
Feature
Pro
Con
Mobile App
Integrations
Free Plan
Pricing
4.65
star
star
star
star
star-half
Org-wide alignment
User-friendly layout and database
Suboptimal as a personal CRM
square-check
Lack of tracking system
square-check
Team: $20/month
Business: $45/month
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Social Media Integration
Easy contact data collection
No marketing/sales features
square-check
Lack of tracking system
square-xmark
7-day trial
$12/month
4.75
star
star
star
star
star-half
Block Functions
High customization capability
Not a dedicated CRM
square-check
Limited
square-check
Plus: €7.50/month
Business: €14/month
N/A
Open-source
Open-source flexibility
Requires extensive manual input
square-xmark
Limited
square-check
Self-hosted
$9/month or
$90/year
3.1
star
star
star
Simple iOS app
Ideal for non-tech-savvy users
iPhone only
square-check
iOS only
Limited
square-xmark
1-month trial
$1.49/month or
$14.99/month
3.6
star
star
star
star-half
Smart Contact Management
Feature-rich and flexible
Reported bugs
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
7-day trial
Premium: $13.99/month
Teams: $17.99/month
4.4
star
star
star
star
star-half
Customizable Interface
Customizable for teamwork
Pricey for personal use
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
Standard: $24/member
Premium: $39/member
4.7
star
star
star
star
star-half
Integrated Calling
Integrated Calling
Too sales-oriented & pricey
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
14-day trial
Startup: $59/user/month
Professional: $329/user/month
4.8
star
star
star
star
star
Business Card Scanning
Business Card Scanning
Mobile only
square-check
Limited
square-check
$9.99/month
4.45
star
star
star
star
star-half
160+ app integrations
Comprehensive integrations
No free app version
square-check
Rich
square-xmark
14-day trial
$29.90/month or
$24.90/month (billed annually)
Capterra Rating
Free Trial
Free Plan
Starting Price (excluding the free plan)
Maximum Price (for the most expensive plan)
Best for
4.5
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-check
14-day
square-check
€15/month/seat billed annually
€792/month/3 seats billed annually + €45/month for each extra seat
Versatility and free plan
4.2
star
star
star
star
square-check
30-day
square-xmark
But it offers reduced price to authorised nonprofit organisations
€25/user/month
€500/user/month billed annually (includes Einstein AI)
Best overall operational CRM
4.3
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-xmark
square-check
Limited to 3 users
Comprehensive incentive management
€52/user/month billed annually
Small-medium businesses and automation
4.5
star
star
star
star
star-half
square-check
14-day
square-xmark
€14/seat/month billed annually
€99/seat/month billed annually
Sales teams and ease of use
4.1
star
star
star
star
square-xmark
square-check
Limited 10 users
$9.99/user/month billed annually
$64.99/user/month billed annually
Free plan for very small teams up to 10
CRM goal
Increase the sales conversion rate for qualified leads from marketing automation campaigns by 10% in the next 6 months.
SMART Breakdown
1. Specific: It targets a specific area (conversion rate) for a defined segment (qualified leads from marketing automation).
2. Measurable: The desired increase (10%) is a clear metric, and the timeframe (6 months) allows for progress tracking.
3. Achievable: A 10% increase is possible based on historical data and potential improvements.
4. Relevant: Boosting sales from marketing efforts aligns with overall business objectives.
5. Time-bound: The 6-month timeframe creates urgency and a clear target date.
Actions
Step 1: Refine lead qualification criteria to ensure high-quality leads are nurtured through marketing automation.
Step 2: Personalize marketing automation campaigns based on lead demographics, interests, and behavior.
Step 3: Develop targeted landing pages with clear calls to action for qualified leads.
Step 4: Implement lead scoring to prioritize high-potential leads for sales follow-up.
Step 5: Track and analyze campaign performance to identify areas for optimization.
Outcomes
Increased sales and revenue
Improved marketing automation ROI
Marketing and sales alignment
Data-driven marketing optimization
Table
CDP Software
CRM Software
Approach
Data-centric
Customer-centric
Focus
Interactions across various channels and touchpoints, both online and offline.
Sales, marketing, and customer service interactions.
Functionality
Automatically collects, organizes, tags, and makes data available in real-time.
Helps businesses track customer interactions, sales pipelines, prospects, and service requests.
Goals
Personalized customer experiences across all channels.
Better customer relationships, streamlined processes, and improved profitability.
Benefits
Data integration, management, and accessibility, allowing for detailed analysis and segmentation.
Better communication within teams and with customers by organizing information about customer interactions and history.
Data Handling
Handles both identified and anonymous data, stitches together various data points.
Deals primarily with identified customer data.
Use Cases
Personalized marketing campaigns, targeted advertising, content customization across multiple channels.
Managing campaigns and leads, enhancing customer service, providing better customer support, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Examples
Insider, Bloomreach, Salesforce Marketing Cloud CDP
HubSpot, Salesforce Sales Cloud Lightning Professional, and Zoho CRM
CRM
Free plan
Best feature
Best for
Con
1. HubSpot CRM
square-check
Sales automation
Sales teams
Up to 1,000 contacts
2. Insightly
square-check
Custom fields
Basic needs
Not enough info about the free plan
3. Agile CRM
square-check
Deal and sales pipeline tracking
Small teams
Up to 10 users
4. Zoho CRM
square-check
Lead and contact management
Businesses of all sizes
Limited to 3 users
5. ClickUp
square-check
Unlimited tasks and unlimited members
Personal use
Up to 100MB storage
6. EngageBay
square-check
Live chat
Small and midsize enterprises
Up to 1,000 branded emails per month
7. Bitrix24
square-check
Unlimited users and 5 scrum teams
Big teams
Up to 5GB of cloud storage
8. FreshSales
square-check
Easy to use and simple setup
Beginners
Up to 3 users
9. Mailchimp
square-check
Very beginner friendly
Marketing teams
Send up to 500 branded emails per month
Type of Affiliate Marketing
Unattached
Related
Involved
Format
Paid advertising
Social media or YouTube channels
Dedicated website or blog
Focus
Quick income
Your niche
Your audience
Engagement with your audience
square-xmark
square-check
square-check
square-check
square-check
Very close connection with your audience
Pro
Little effort
Higher credibility thanks to your niche
Long-lasting and scalable
Con
Paid ads cost a lot
Potential for bias since you don’t use the thing you promote
Require time, effort, and dedication

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