Close CRM: The Complete Guide for Sales Teams

If you're hunting for a CRM that doesn't require a Salesforce engineer to operate, Close CRM should be on your shortlist. It's a sales-focused platform built specifically for inside sales teams who live on the phone and in their inbox.

Close (formerly Close.io) has been around since 2013, and it's carved out a loyal following among startups and SMBs who want built-in communication tools without the complexity of enterprise CRMs. But is it right for your team? Let's break it down.

What Is Close CRM?

Close is a sales engagement CRM designed to help small to medium-sized businesses convert leads into revenue. Unlike traditional CRMs that require you to bolt on third-party tools for calling and email, Close integrates email, calling, and SMS directly into the platform.

The core philosophy is simple: salespeople should sell, not wrestle with their CRM. Close syncs all your conversations into one centralized inbox, so no interaction gets overlooked. You can make calls, send texts, and fire off emails without leaving the platform.

Trusted by companies like Zapier, Toggl, and Customer.io, Close has positioned itself as the go-to CRM for teams that prioritize speed and simplicity over feature bloat.

Close CRM Pricing Breakdown

Close offers four pricing tiers, with significant savings if you pay annually. Here's what you're looking at:

All plans come with a 14-day free trial, no credit card required. That's rare in the CRM world and lets you actually test the platform before committing.

The annual billing discount ranges from 7-17% depending on the plan, so if you're confident Close is the right fit, paying upfront saves real money.

For more details on pricing specifics, check out our Close CRM pricing guide.

What Each Plan Includes

Solo Plan ($9/user annually)

The Solo plan is designed for individuals who need basic CRM functionality without breaking the bank. It's restricted to one user and caps leads at 10,000. You get core CRM tools, one pipeline, and basic reporting, but you're missing follow-up reminders, workflow automation, and bulk email capabilities.

Honestly, if you're serious about sales, you'll outgrow this fast. It's more of a starter tier than a real solution.

Essentials Plan ($35/user annually)

This is where Close starts making sense for small teams. You get unlimited leads, multiple pipelines (up to 3), follow-up reminders, and text scheduling. The Essentials tier removes the lead limits and adds the collaboration features growing teams need.

The catch? Still no workflow automation, bulk email, or Power Dialer. If you're doing high-volume outreach, you'll hit a ceiling.

Growth Plan ($99/user annually)

The Growth plan is where Close really shines. You unlock workflow automation, Power Dialer, AI Email Rewrite, AI Lead Summaries, and up to 10 pipelines. This tier represents a 183% price jump from Essentials, but the features justify it for teams serious about scaling.

The Power Dialer alone can transform productivity—it automatically dials the next number in your list, reducing downtime between calls. For teams making 50+ calls a day, that's huge.

Scale Plan ($139/user annually)

The Scale tier is built for larger organizations with complex needs. You get up to 25 pipelines, predictive dialing, call coaching (listen in, whisper tips, or intervene on calls), advanced permissions with SSO and 2FA, priority support with a dedicated success manager, and custom reporting dashboards.

If you're managing a distributed sales team and need granular control over who sees what, Scale is worth evaluating.

Key Features That Actually Matter

Built-In Calling

This is Close's killer feature. You can make and receive calls directly within the platform—no third-party phone system required. Calls are automatically logged with recordings, so you're not manually tracking every conversation.

Features include one-click voicemail drops to move to the next prospect faster, comprehensive call reports showing total calls, duration, and calls by user, and Zoom integration to sync all contacts and recordings into one place.

The Power Dialer (Growth and Scale plans) automatically dials through your list, which is a productivity game-changer for high-volume teams.

Email Integration

Close syncs with Gmail and Outlook to centralize all email communication. You can send bulk emails to specific leads, customize send times, track opens and replies, and use templates to scale outreach efficiently.

Email sequences let you automate follow-ups based on triggers or time intervals. Create a sequence once, and Close handles the rest.

SMS Messaging

All plans include SMS functionality. You can send and receive texts directly through Close, with features like text templates and scheduled sends. Pricing varies per text depending on region, so factor that into your budget.

Workflow Automation

Available on Growth and Scale plans, workflows let you automate tasks, notifications, and outreach based on predefined criteria. Close allows you to create workflows that trigger specific actions—like assigning leads to reps, creating follow-up tasks, or moving leads through pipeline stages.

The visual Workflow Builder is relatively easy to use, though new users may need time to set up complex automations.

AI Tools

Close has added several AI features on higher tiers. AI Lead Summaries give you a quick catch-up on key activities with any lead, and AI Email Rewrite helps refine your outreach. A built-in call assistant automatically transcribes and summarizes phone calls, generating action items so reps can focus on conversations rather than note-taking.

What Close CRM Does Well

Unified Communications: Calls, emails, and texts live in one place. No more switching between apps or losing track of conversations.

Fast Onboarding: You can finish implementing Close before you finish your morning coffee. New sales people can get trained in days instead of weeks, unlike enterprise CRMs that take months to deploy.

Simple Interface: Close avoids unnecessary complexity and bloat. The interface is clean and focused on what salespeople actually need.

Strong Mobile App: Available for iOS and Android, the mobile app lets you make calls, send texts and emails, update leads, and access call logs from anywhere.

Robust Integrations: Close connects with Gmail, Outlook, Slack, Zoom, Calendly, and thousands more through Zapier. It also has a strong REST API for custom integrations.

Effective Reminders: Users consistently praise Close's reminder and notification system for keeping leads from slipping through the cracks.

Where Close Falls Short

Pricing Gets Steep: While the Solo plan is cheap, you'll quickly need higher tiers for essential features like automation. A team of 5 on the Growth plan runs $495/month (annually) before add-ons.

Learning Curve: Despite being simpler than Salesforce, real users report needing time to master the interface and set up workflows properly.

No Marketing Features: Close is purely sales-focused. Don't expect landing pages, forms, or marketing automation—you'll need separate tools for that.

Limited Customer Support: Some users complain about no phone support and having to email for help at the company's convenience rather than their own. Support schedules calls that don't always align with customer needs.

Confusing Billing: A few users report unclear invoices, especially around text and phone feature charges. The advertised plans don't always make it obvious what's included vs. extra.

Minor Bugs: Users report occasional platform bugs, though nothing that breaks the experience entirely.

Close CRM vs. Alternatives

Close occupies a middle ground in the market—simpler than Salesforce but handles data differently than HubSpot. Here's how it stacks up:

Close vs. Pipedrive: Pipedrive's reporting dashboards offer more collaboration and custom field reports. Pipedrive's marketing tools are also more advanced with email analytics and segmentation. But Close wins on built-in calling.

Close vs. HubSpot: HubSpot offers a free tier and more marketing integration, but can get expensive quickly as you scale. Close is more focused on sales engagement specifically.

Close vs. Salesforce: Salesforce is the enterprise gorilla—powerful but complex. Close's advantage is speed and simplicity. No Salesforce engineer required.

For a broader comparison, see our guides on best CRM software and CRM for small business.

Who Should Use Close CRM?

Close is best suited for:

• Startups and SMBs that need a CRM up and running fast without heavy IT involvement
• Inside sales teams that rely heavily on phone and email outreach
• SaaS companies with remote or distributed sales teams
• Teams who hate data entry and want automatic call/email logging
• Organizations wanting SMS integration as part of their follow-up cadence

Close is NOT ideal for:

• Organizations needing built-in proposal generators or product/inventory management
• Teams requiring marketing features like landing pages or forms
• Outside sales teams that need mapping and routing
• Companies looking for a cheap CRM—higher tiers add up fast

Getting Started with Close

Close offers a quick setup process with a CSV import tool for leads and contacts, plus a free one-click migration tool for users switching from other CRMs. The 14-day free trial gives you full access to test features without entering payment info.

If you've been burned by CRM implementations that took months, Close's speed is refreshing. Most teams are operational within hours, not weeks.

The Bottom Line

Close CRM delivers on its promise of simplifying sales communication. The built-in calling, email, and SMS integration genuinely saves time, and the platform is lean enough that you won't drown in features you'll never use.

The main question is budget. At $99-139/user for the plans with real automation power, Close isn't cheap—especially for larger teams. But if your sales process lives on the phone and in email, the productivity gains often justify the cost.

My recommendation: Take the 14-day free trial seriously. Test the calling features, set up a few workflows, and see if it fits how your team actually works. You'll know pretty quickly whether Close is your CRM or just another option to cross off the list.

Try Close CRM Free for 14 Days →

Want to read what actual users think? Check out our Close CRM reviews roundup for more perspectives.