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Telecommunications · head to head

Aircall vs Close

Aircall logo

Aircall

Telecommunications

Cloud phone system for modern business

From
$30/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Close logo

Close

Technology

The inside sales CRM of choice for startups & SMBs

From
$9/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Aircall a minimum of 3 users on the published plans, rising to 25 on the Custom tier; Close hidden costs beyond subscription: calling charges (~$0.02/minute), SMS usage fees, phone numbers ($1-5/month), AI call assistant ($50/month + $0.02/min transcription)
  • They diverge on capability: Aircall covers Cloud phone, Close covers Built-in calling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Aircall and Close actually diverge.

Attributes where Aircall and Close differ
AttributeAircallClose
Starting price$30/month$9/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, DesktopWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryTelecommunicationsTechnology
Founded20142013

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Aircall

  • Cloud phone
  • IVR
  • Call routing
  • Power dialer
  • Analytics
  • Call recording
  • Integrations
  • Salesforce

Only in Close

  • Built-in calling
  • Email automation
  • SMS messaging
  • Pipeline management
  • Lead management
  • Activity tracking
  • Reporting
  • Mobile app

Both cover

  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • Web support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Aircall

  • Cloud phone system for sales and support teamsnot Close
  • Call routing, IVR and shared numbersnot Close
  • Logging calls against CRM records through integrationsnot Close
  • Power dialling outbound lists on the Professional tiernot Close
  • SMS and MMS alongside voicenot Close

Close

  • Inside salesnot Aircall
  • Outbound salesnot Aircall
  • Lead managementnot Aircall
  • Sales engagementnot Aircall
  • Pipeline trackingnot Aircall

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Aircall

  • A minimum of 3 users on the published plans, rising to 25 on the Custom tier
  • Essentials is limited to 3 teams; unlimited teams need Professional
  • Salesforce CTI, the power dialer and advanced analytics all require Professional
  • SSO, API support and an SLA are Custom tier only
  • AI voice and messaging agents are separate add-ons billed per minute or per conversation on top of the seat price

Close

  • Hidden costs beyond subscription: calling charges (~$0.02/minute), SMS usage fees, phone numbers ($1-5/month), AI call assistant ($50/month + $0.02/min transcription)
  • No built-in lead lists, company intelligence, or contact enrichment; must source leads separately
  • Limited marketing automation compared to competitors like HubSpot; lacks lead scoring and nurturing campaigns
  • Calling cost at scale can double effective monthly cost for high-volume SDR teams making 50+ calls per day
  • Limited customization of data model compared to Salesforce; cannot create fully custom objects or complex relationships

Pricing, plan by plan

Aircall

$30/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Aircall review.

Close

$9/month
  • Solo$9/month (annual)
    • 1 user only
    • 10,000 leads max
    • Calling, email, SMS
  • Essentials$35/month (annual)
    • Unlimited contacts
    • Team collaboration
    • 1,000 AI credits/month
  • Growth$99/month (annual)
    • Automation workflows
    • Power dialer
    • Bulk email
  • Scale$139/month (annual)
    • Role-based permissions
    • Predictive dialer
    • Unlimited recording

Which should you pick?

Choose Aircall if

  • You need cloud phone.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want ivr.
Aircall review

Choose Close if

  • You need built-in calling.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want email automation.
Close review

Questions people ask

Is Aircall or Close better?
Neither clearly leads. Aircall starts at $30/month and Close at $9/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Aircall or Close?
Aircall starts at $30/month and Close at $9/month.
Does Aircall or Close run on more platforms?
Aircall runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop. Close runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Aircall best used for?
Aircall is most often used for cloud phone system for sales and support teams, call routing, ivr and shared numbers, logging calls against crm records through integrations, power dialling outbound lists on the professional tier. Of those, cloud phone system for sales and support teams and call routing, ivr and shared numbers are not what Close is typically brought in for.
What can Aircall do that Close cannot?
Aircall covers Cloud phone, IVR, Call routing, Power dialer. Close covers Built-in calling, Email automation, SMS messaging, Pipeline management. Both handle SOC2, GDPR, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Aircall: What is the minimum cost to start with Aircall?

Aircall requires a 3-license minimum on annual billing, making the real entry price $90 per month ($30 per user times 3 users) for the Essentials plan, not the advertised $30 per user.

Source
Close: What are Close's pricing plans and what do they include?

Close offers four plans: Solo ($9-19/user/month), Essentials ($35-49), Growth ($99-109), and Scale ($139-149). All include calling, email, SMS, and Chloe AI agent access. Essentials adds unlimited contacts and team collaboration. Growth adds automation, power dialer, and custom activities. Scale adds role-based permissions and unlimited recording. Annual billing saves up to 50%.

Source
Aircall: Does Aircall include AI call features in base plans?

No, AI Voice Agents and AI Assist Pro are separate add-ons billed on top of base plans. The Essentials and Professional plans include call recording and analytics but not AI features.

Source
Close: What are the hidden costs in Close's pricing beyond the subscription?

Close charges usage-based fees for calling (~$0.02 per minute), SMS charges per message, and phone number rentals ($1-5/month). The AI Call Assistant add-on costs $50/month plus $0.02 per minute for transcription. Heavy outbound calling teams can see their total costs increase 30-50% beyond the base seat price.

Source
Aircall: How many countries can I create phone numbers in?

Aircall supports creating local phone numbers in 100 or more countries, enabling businesses to appear local to customers regardless of location.

Source
Close: What is Chloe, Close's AI sales agent, and what can it do?

Chloe is an AI sales agent built into Close that automatically calls leads, qualifies prospects through real conversations, and can book meetings while updating the CRM automatically. Chloe features AI-generated call summaries, transcripts, and action items automatically logged to contacts.

Source
Aircall: What is Aircall's uptime guarantee?

Aircall guarantees 99.95 percent uptime with seven global data centers and system redundancy on every level.

Source
Close: Does Close include lead lists, data enrichment, or contact information?

No. Close does not provide built-in lead lists, company intelligence, or contact enrichment features. Organizations must source leads separately or use third-party data providers. This differs from platforms like HubSpot which include integrated lead databases.

Source
Close: What communication features does Close include?

Close includes built-in calling with automatic call logging, email templates and bulk email capabilities, SMS messaging with tracking and automation, email syncing with Gmail, and automated follow-up workflows. All communication happens within the CRM platform.

Source
Close: Does Close have marketing automation capabilities?

Close's marketing automation features are limited compared to HubSpot. It includes basic email sequences, task reminders, and workflow automation, but lacks advanced lead scoring, nurturing campaigns, and detailed marketing analytics. Organizations requiring extensive marketing automation need separate tools.

Source
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