SaaS · head to head
Close vs Crisp
The short version
- Only Crisp has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: 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); Crisp free tier includes only 2 agents and no AI credits; AI capability requires paid tier
- They diverge on capability: Close covers Built-in calling, Crisp covers Live chat.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Close and Crisp actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 Close
- Built-in calling
- Email automation
- SMS messaging
- Pipeline management
- Lead management
- Activity tracking
- Reporting
- Mobile app
Only in Crisp
- Live chat
- Shared inbox
- Chatbots
- Knowledge base
- Video calls
- CRM
- WordPress
- Shopify
Both cover
- Zapier
- Segment
- Slack
- GDPR
- 2FA
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Close
- Inside salesnot Crisp
- Outbound salesnot Crisp
- Lead managementnot Crisp
- Sales engagementnot Crisp
- Pipeline trackingnot Crisp
Crisp
- Growing startups needing affordable all-in-one customer support with AI automationnot Close
- Teams seeking omnichannel support consolidating email, chat, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagramnot Close
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal 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
Crisp
- Free tier includes only 2 agents and no AI credits; AI capability requires paid tier
- Free tier customer profile limit of 100; higher limits require upgrade
- Omnichannel support and workflow automation excluded from Free and Mini tiers
- White labelling only available in Plus tier ($295+/month)
Pricing, plan by plan
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
Crisp
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Crisp review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Close if
- You need built-in calling.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want email automation.
Choose Crisp if
- You need live chat.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Cloud-based SaaS.
- You also want shared inbox.
Questions people ask
- Is Close or Crisp better?
- Neither clearly leads. Close starts at $9/month and Crisp at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Close or Crisp?
- Crisp has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $9/month for Close and Free for Crisp.
- Does Close or Crisp run on more platforms?
- Close runs on Web, iOS, Android. Crisp runs on Cloud-based SaaS.
- Can I use Crisp for free?
- Yes. Crisp has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Close starts at $9/month.
- What is Close best used for?
- Close is most often used for inside sales, outbound sales, lead management, sales engagement. Of those, inside sales and outbound sales are not what Crisp is typically brought in for.
- What can Close do that Crisp cannot?
- Close covers Built-in calling, Email automation, SMS messaging, Pipeline management. Crisp covers Live chat, Shared inbox, Chatbots, Knowledge base. Both handle Zapier, Segment, Slack, GDPR.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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%.
SourceClose: 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.
SourceClose: 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.
SourceClose: 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.
SourceClose: 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.
SourceClose: 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.
SourceRelated pages
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- Crisp vs Drift
- Crisp vs Pendo
- Crisp vs Userpilot
- Crisp vs Zendesk Sunshine Conversations
- Crisp vs Amazon Lex
- Crisp vs Botpress
- Crisp vs Google Dialogflow
- Crisp vs Tidio
- Crisp vs IBM Watson Assistant
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