Close CRM Review: Close More Deals or Close the Tab?

Close CRM

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Sales is messy. Between follow-ups, calls, notes, and reminders, it’s easy to lose track of conversations. Most CRMs add to that chaos by forcing representatives to click through tabs, fill out forms, or learn features they’ll never use.

Close CRM takes a different path. It’s built for small to mid-sized sales teams that operate primarily within their inbox and phone dialer. Everything is designed to keep agents focused on talking to leads, not managing software.

I started using Close while working with a fast-moving B2B team. We needed speed, visibility, and fewer things to babysit. From the first login, it was clear this tool was made with daily sales activity in mind. Tasks show up where you work. Calls and emails are logged automatically. And pipeline changes occur without needing to switch between tabs.

In this Close CRM Review, I’ll walk you through how it actually performs when the calendar is full and your team’s struggling to close deals.

You’ll see where it shines, what it could do better, and whether it fits the way modern sales teams operate.

Features

• Track every lead, task, and conversation in one view
• Set triggers to automate follow-ups and deal updates
• View emails, texts, and calls across the team in one feed
• Get instant visibility into sales activity and deal progress
• Communicate with leads directly, no third-party tools needed

Pros

• All-in-one communication (email, SMS, call)
• Smart automation that saves time
• AI call summaries and transcriptions
• Clean lead tracking from start to close
• Secure and built for compliance

Cons

• SMS is not available in every country
• No forever-free plan
• Limited custom field logic and deep workflow tweaks

What is Close CRM?

Close CRM started in 2013 and is headquartered in San Francisco, USA. It was built by a team that initially developed sales tools for Elastic. Today, it serves thousands of users across tech startups, agencies, and small sales teams.

The platform focuses on reducing busywork for sales representatives. It brings calling, SMS, and email into one screen. This setup helps teams keep their tool simple and conversations visible. No switching tabs, no depending on add-ons.

Their mission is to streamline outreach and follow-ups with a minimal learning curve. Every feature supports the idea of faster workflows and better control over the pipeline.

Note: If you’re not familiar with how CRM platforms work, this guide on CRM is a good place to start.

Did you know?

Close CRM is used by fast-moving companies like Copy.ai, Flockjay, and Streak. These teams chose Close to manage high-volume outreach and track conversations without struggling with multiple platforms.

It’s clear why Close is a strong pick for small businesses and lean teams. As one Reddit user said:

“I’ve started their free trial, and it seems like a pretty intuitive platform with a flagship feature being their auto dialer.”

And I feel they are almost right because:

• The dialer lets you call a list with one click, saving you time
• Emails, calls, and texts land in the same timeline
• You don’t need external tools to communicate
• Navigation is clean, no fluff, just what’s needed
• Built to help small teams do more without adding people

Key Features of Close CRM

Close CRM packs everything inside one platform to manage deals, track conversations, and reduce back-and-forth.

Its core strength lies in communication tools that bring email, calling, and texting into a single interface. Ahead, I will break down those features and how they help teams stay organized and close deals faster.

1. Built-in Calling, SMS & Email

Close CRM comes with a built-in dialer, SMS integration, and native email syncing.

You can call leads directly from your browser, send texts from the same screen, and keep all email threads attached to the contact profile. No copy-pasting, no third-party apps. Every touchpoint gets logged automatically, which means your history stays clean, and your follow-ups are quick.

The platform also supports call recording and call coaching, which helps teams train better and improve pitch quality. It’s built for action, not maintenance.

Why is this useful?

Feature	Benefit
Built-in Dialer	Make calls without switching tabs or tools
Email Sync	Access full email history for every lead
SMS Integration	Reach prospects quickly and directly through texts
Call Recording	Review past calls to improve team performance
Auto-Logging of Conversations	Keep all interactions in one timeline for better context
Shared Inbox	Sales reps see every conversation—even if someone else started it
Voicemail Drop	Leave pre-recorded voicemails and save time on cold calls

2. Lead and Contact Management

Close CRM stores every lead and contact in a structured timeline. Each entry includes calls, emails, texts, tasks, and deal updates. This helps you keep track without switching tabs.

Leads can be added manually, imported in bulk, or captured automatically from email threads. The system connects them to related contacts and companies for better context.

It also includes filters and smart views. These help you find specific leads fast. You can group contacts by status, region, or any custom tag you set.

The platform simplifies follow-ups and keeps reps focused.

What does it include?

• Timeline with all past touchpoints
• Auto-capture from email and call logs
• Custom fields for flexible data
• Filters to create high-priority lists
• Contact groups tied to companies or regions

3. Workflow Automation

Close CRM helps you set up simple but powerful automation.

You can trigger actions based on lead behavior, like missed calls, opened emails, or status changes. This reduces manual work and keeps your team focused on conversations.

The visual builder lets you create sequences using drag-and-drop blocks. You can set wait times, conditions, or even add manual steps. A sequence can pause automatically if a lead replies. That way, follow-ups feel natural, not forced.

Compared to other workflow automation tools, Close is built for sales teams. It skips the complexity and focuses on making reps faster. Each workflow fits into daily use without extra learning.

To get more details on how this feature actually helps the users, I have talked to Lior and asked him a few questions.

What did Lior Geft say?

Lior Geft

CEO @Mabbly

User rating: 4.3/5

It keeps leads moving even when we’re swamped. I don’t have to struggle. The system does that for me.

• Q1: What kind of workflow do you use the most?

  We run a cold-lead re-engagement flow. If a lead doesn’t respond in 3 days, it sends a gentle nudge. If they still don’t reply, we auto-schedule a call task. It keeps things warm without pushing too hard.

• Q2: How hard was it to build your first one?

  It was quick. I followed the template, changed a few steps, and turned it on. Took about 20 minutes. Now, I just clone and adjust whenever I need something new.

• Q3: What’s changed since you started using automation?

  Our follow-up rates improved. We used to forget leads once they went quiet. Now, the system keeps reaching out. It brought back 12 deals last quarter that we would’ve missed.

4. Multichannel Inbox

Close CRM’s multichannel inbox gives you one clean view for emails, calls, and texts. You don’t need to check separate tabs or tools. Every message appears in the same thread, in the order it happened. You can respond, assign it to a teammate, or leave a quick note.

The inbox supports full team visibility.

If someone else started a conversation with a lead, you’ll still see the full context. That helps avoid confusion or duplicated replies. It also allows faster follow-ups.

For teams handling high volumes of outreach or support, this kind of setup saves time. If you’ve used traditional inboxes, the upgrade is clear. It even works well with shared inbox tools that many teams already depend on.

What did I like?

• You can switch between email, SMS, and call logs in one spot
• Messages can be assigned to teammates right from the thread
• The timeline shows a full history without clicking around
• Snoozing messages for later is quick and easy
• You can leave private notes that stay out of the customer’s view

5. Sales Reporting & Dashboards

Sales data provides raw information, but it’s the way you interpret it that drives improvement. Close CRM’s reporting and dashboard tools are built to change these numbers into actionable insights. Rather than simply showing stats, these reports highlight where your team excels and where adjustments are needed.

For example, instead of just displaying total sales, Close shows the performance across different stages of your sales pipeline, so you can spot bottlenecks before they become problems.

The ability to segment reports by user, region, or deal type gives deeper clarity, making it easier to make data-driven decisions without spending hours crunching the numbers.

While using this feature, here are three real-world scenarios where the reporting tools really made a difference:

1. Identifying conversion issues: After noticing a drop in closed deals, I used the dashboard to view the drop-off rates at each stage of our sales pipeline. The insights revealed that leads were stalling at the negotiation phase. This gave me the exact data I needed to tweak our pitch, improving conversions by 20% in just one quarter.

2. Team performance insights: Managing a remote team means staying on top of individual performance without being in the same office. The Close CRM dashboards let me view each rep’s activities in real-time. I track daily call volumes and follow-ups, and I could offer timely guidance without micromanaging, keeping my team on track and productive.

3. Optimizing the sales process: After looking at weekly reports, I noticed that deals closed on Mondays had a higher success rate than those started later in the week. This led me to encourage the team to push hard at the beginning of the week.

Understanding these trends from the dashboard has helped streamline our weekly planning process, increasing overall productivity.

6. Close AI

Close AI listens in on your sales calls and captures everything that matters, without asking you to lift a finger. Once the call wraps up, it creates a summary, pulls key points, and logs follow-up actions. That way, you don’t have to depend on memory or scribbled notes.

It’s part of the call process itself.

You make the call through Close, and everything is handled in the background. No new tools. No separate tabs. Just a cleaner, more complete record of every conversation, stored right inside the lead’s profile.

It helps you focus on the talk itself, not the paperwork that usually follows.

Here’s what Close AI adds to your workflow:

Feature	Why It’s Useful
Call Transcription	No need to recall what was said, check the call log, word for word.
AI-Generated Summaries	Gives a clean breakdown of the conversation without manual input.
Follow-Up Reminders	Picks up on what the lead wants and prompts you to take action.
Notes Sync to Contact Record	Keeps all updates inside the contact timeline.
Searchable Conversations	Find moments, questions, or objections by typing in a few words.

Is Close CRM Easy to Use?

Yes, it is. Close is built for sales teams who need to get things done without having to dig through complicated menus.

From the first login, you’re guided through a simple onboarding process that sets up your pipelines, lets you import contacts, and helps you start reaching out to leads.

You won’t need a developer to figure out what goes where. The layout is practical. Every button, tab, or option leads somewhere useful. You can start a call, send an email, or update a deal without switching between tabs or tools.

Setting up your workspace takes minutes. Pipelines are easy to build, and you can drag leads from one stage to another like a sticky note board. Uploading your lead lists is straightforward, and launching your first outreach campaign is something even a solo founder can do without help.

I’m not just saying this in passing; a lot of users across Reddit, G2, and other platforms say the same.

Here’s a Reddit user sharing their experience:

Another user on G2 says:

Close CRM Integrations

Close CRM integrates with a wide range of tools to streamline your sales process.

These integrations help automate tasks, improve communication, and keep your data synchronized across platforms. Here’s a selection of key integrations:

Integration	Functionality
Zoom	Schedule and join video meetings directly from Close. Meeting recordings are automatically linked to the corresponding contact.
Slack	Receive real-time notifications about new leads and sales activities, enhancing team collaboration.
Zapier	Connect Close with over 7,000 apps to automate workflows, such as creating leads from form submissions or sending notifications.
Calendly	Automatically create new leads in Close when meetings are scheduled, ensuring timely follow-ups.
Segment	Sync customer data between Close and other tools, providing a unified view of customer interactions.
Google Workspace	Integrate Gmail and Google Calendar to manage emails and appointments within Close.
Microsoft 365	Sync Outlook emails and calendar events, keeping communication and scheduling centralized.
DocuSign	Send and manage electronic signatures directly from Close, streamlining the contract process.
HubSpot	Align sales and marketing efforts by synchronizing lead data and campaign metrics.
Intercom	Manage customer interactions and support requests within Close, improving customer engagement.

Close also offers a powerful API and comprehensive developer documentation, allowing for custom integrations tailored to your specific needs. This flexibility ensures that Close can adapt to various workflows and business processes.

Close CRM Drawbacks

I always say that everything has two sides, for example, a coin: heads and tails. The same applies to Close CRM. It’s a strong sales companion, but it does not cover everything. Here’s where I think it could do better:

• No integration with social messaging apps: Close doesn’t connect with platforms like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. If your team actively communicates with leads on those channels, you’ll have to switch contexts or use workarounds to bring those conversations into your CRM flow.
• Limited marketing capabilities: You can send emails and track responses, but that’s where it ends. Features like automated campaigns, funnel tracking, or content-based segmentation aren’t part of the toolkit. For a company trying to run both sales and marketing under one roof, that might feel like a missing piece.
• Mobile experience feels trimmed down: You can check tasks, make calls, and view leads on the mobile app, but anything beyond that becomes harder to manage. Editing workflows or pulling reports while on the move is not as smooth as it is on a desktop.
• Not built for multi-functional teams: Close focuses sharply on sales. If your team spans customer success, support, or partnerships, you’ll find the experience less supportive. There’s no shared inbox for support tickets or collaboration features for post-sale workflows.
• Reporting takes time to master: You’ll get standard dashboards out of the gate, but building something custom takes a bit of digging. The layout isn’t always intuitive, especially for someone without a technical background.

These gaps don’t cancel out the value Close brings to sales teams. But if you’re running cross-functional operations or handling large-scale campaigns, you might find yourself pairing it with other tools to complete the picture.

Who Should Use Close CRM?

Close is not built for everyone. And that’s exactly why it works so well for the right teams. It helps people who care more about sales than systems. Here’s where it fits best:

By Industry

• SaaS companies with fast-moving sales. It supports constant outreach with calling, email sync, and task automation.
• Agencies that manage multiple clients and need clear tracking for each deal.
• Startups that don’t want to spend weeks setting up a CRM.
• Remote sales teams who need everything in one place, from call logs to deal stages.

Team Size

• Close works best for small to mid-sized teams, typically between 3 and 100 users.
• Small teams can get started quickly without needing outside help. Everything is built to be self-managed.
• Larger teams can create custom pipelines, assign roles, and keep everyone on the same page with shared dashboards.

Role

• SDRs can handle outreach faster with built-in dialers and templates.
• Account Executives can focus on closing while staying fully updated.
• Sales Managers can see what’s working through live reports without chasing reps.

Each role gets tools that make daily work easier and more focused.

By Use Case

• You rely on outbound outreach.
• You work fast and track deals that close in weeks, not months.
• Your team does most sales through calls, emails, and quick follow-ups.

Close is built for sales that move quickly. If your process is clear, your goals are tight, and your team likes working from one space, Close delivers exactly what you need.

Close CRM Pricing

Close CRM offers 5 subscription plans, designed to cater to different business sizes and needs.

Each plan includes core features like unlimited accounts, contacts, opportunities, email sync, calling, and SMS. Higher tiers unlock more advanced features such as AI lead summaries, predictive dialing, and enhanced reporting.

Below, I have given a detailed comparison:

Plan	Solo	Essentials	Growth	Scale	Enterprise
Price/seat	$9/month (billed annually)	$35/month (billed annually)	$99/month (billed annually)	$139/month (billed annually)	Custom
Features	Upto 10,000 leads, built-in email, calling, SMS, single user	Core CRM tools (unlimited leads, contacts)	All Essentials features + workflow automation, power dialer+AI email assistant	All Growth features + Role-based permissions and access, unlimited call recording	Customized features
Best for	Solopreneurs	Small teams needing basic CRM features	Growing teams needing automation	Scaling teams needing high collaboration & compliance	Larger teams with advanced needs and performance tracking

The pricing for Close CRM is fairly competitive, especially when considering the range of tools available at each level.

Starting with the free trial can be beneficial to see if Close meets your team’s specific needs, especially since you can experience the full feature set before making a commitment. If your team requires automation, more advanced reporting, or call coaching, upgrading to a higher-tier plan might be worth the investment.

Close CRM Alternatives

If you’re exploring alternatives to Close CRM, here’s a comparison of four popular options: HubSpot CRM, Pipedrive, Zoho CRM, and Freshsales.

This table highlights key features to help you determine which CRM aligns best with your business needs.

Feature	Close CRM	HubSpot CRM	Pipedrive	Zoho CRM	Freshsales
Email Automation	✅ Built-in	✅ Built-in	🔄 Add-on	✅ Built-in	✅ Built-in
Calling	✅ Built-in	🔄 Add-on	🔄 Add-on	🔄 Add-on	✅ Built-in
Mobile App	✅ iOS, Android	✅ iOS, Android	✅ iOS, Android	✅ iOS, Android	✅ iOS, Android
Email Tracking	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Visual Sales Pipeline	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Basic	✅ Yes
Best For	SMBs, Startups	SMBs, Enterprises	SMBs	SMBs, Enterprises	SMBs
Free Trial	✅ 14-day	✅ Free Plan	✅ 14-day	✅ 15-day	✅ 21-day

Close CRM Verdict for Small Businesses and Startups

After weeks of using Close CRM with my team, I can finally say it’s a strong pick for small businesses and sales-driven startups. It does one thing really well: keeping sales communication, task tracking, and follow-ups organized without feeling heavy.

I didn’t have to depend on a developer even once while setting it up, and the learning curve was short.

In this Close CRM review, I focused on how it handles day-to-day sales work. It shines in simplicity and clarity, which most CRMs struggle with. You won’t get marketing automation or social integrations here, but if that’s not your core need, you won’t miss them.

Most small teams I’ve worked with care about speed, usability, and direct value. And for all these reasons, Close CRM receives the Geekflare Value Award. For me, this is a CRM that keeps things moving without getting in the way.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)