Softwr

Telecommunications · head to head

Bandwidth vs Close

Bandwidth logo

Bandwidth

Telecommunications

Voice, messaging and emergency calling APIs run on the company's own US carrier network

From
On request
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: Bandwidth commercial terms are negotiated contracts rather than a published rate, so a small team cannot start without going through a sales process.; 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: Bandwidth covers Owned US carrier network, Close covers Built-in calling.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Bandwidth and Close actually diverge.

Attributes where Bandwidth and Close differ
AttributeBandwidthClose
Starting priceOn request$9/month
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
PlatformsWeb, APIs, Python, JavaScript, Java, C#, RubyWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryTelecommunicationsTechnology
FoundedUnknown2013

Identical on both: 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 Bandwidth

  • Owned US carrier network
  • Programmable voice
  • Messaging APIs
  • Emergency calling
  • Global numbering

Only in Close

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

What people use each for

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

Bandwidth

  • Unified communications and contact centre providers needing wholesale voice termination under their own brandnot Close
  • Enterprises with high call volumes where a wholesale margin on every minute is materialnot Close
  • VoIP deployments with US emergency calling obligations requiring E911 and dynamic locationnot Close
  • Platforms needing local numbers across many countries from a single suppliernot Close

Close

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

Where each one falls short

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

Bandwidth

  • Commercial terms are negotiated contracts rather than a published rate, so a small team cannot start without going through a sales process.
  • US A2P messaging still requires 10DLC brand and campaign registration, and those fees plus per-segment carrier surcharges are charged on top of the negotiated message rate.
  • The self-serve developer experience is weaker than the aggregators it competes with, so teams prototyping quickly start elsewhere and migrate later, if ever.
  • Its owned-network advantage is a United States advantage; international coverage arrived through the Voxbone acquisition and does not rest on the same model.
  • Committed volume pricing means an organisation whose traffic falls short of forecast pays for capacity it did not use.

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

Bandwidth

On request
  • Bandwidth$undefined/year
    • Committed volume contracts quoted per customer
    • Per-minute and per-message rates negotiated by destination
    • US 10DLC registration and carrier surcharges billed in addition

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 Bandwidth if

  • You need owned us carrier network.
  • You work on Web, APIs, Python, JavaScript, Java, C#, Ruby.
  • You also want programmable voice.
Bandwidth 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 Bandwidth or Close better?
Neither clearly leads. Bandwidth starts at On request and Close at $9/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Bandwidth or Close?
Bandwidth starts at On request and Close at $9/month.
Does Bandwidth or Close run on more platforms?
Bandwidth runs on Web, APIs, Python, JavaScript, Java, C#, Ruby. Close runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Bandwidth best used for?
Bandwidth is most often used for unified communications and contact centre providers needing wholesale voice termination under their own brand, enterprises with high call volumes where a wholesale margin on every minute is material, voip deployments with us emergency calling obligations requiring e911 and dynamic location, platforms needing local numbers across many countries from a single supplier. Of those, unified communications and contact centre providers needing wholesale voice termination under their own brand and enterprises with high call volumes where a wholesale margin on every minute is material are not what Close is typically brought in for.
What can Bandwidth do that Close cannot?
Bandwidth covers Owned US carrier network, Programmable voice, Messaging APIs, Emergency calling. Close covers Built-in calling, Email automation, SMS messaging, Pipeline management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Bandwidth: Is Bandwidth a carrier or a reseller?

It is a licensed carrier operating its own US network. That removes the wholesale margin an aggregator pays its upstream and gives direct control over routing and regulatory functions such as E911.

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
Bandwidth: Do 10DLC fees apply on top of Bandwidth's rates?

Yes. US A2P messaging requires brand and campaign registration with The Campaign Registry, and the registration fees plus per-message carrier surcharges are billed in addition to whatever per-message rate you negotiated.

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
Bandwidth: Did Bandwidth acquire Voxbone?

Yes, in 2020, for 519.4 million dollars. Voxbone supplied international phone numbering and became the basis of Bandwidth's coverage outside the United States.

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
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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