Softwr

Software · head to head

Close vs Google Dialogflow

Close logo

Close

Software

The inside sales CRM of choice for startups & SMBs

From
$9/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Google Dialogflow logo

Google Dialogflow

Software

Google's conversational AI platform

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Google Dialogflow 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); Google Dialogflow google's own Dialogflow pricing page (cloud.google.com/dialogflow/pricing) prices Conversational Agents (CX) text requests at $0.007 per request, audio input at $0.0065 per 15 seconds and audio output from $4 per 1 million characters, all in USD, with a one-time $600 free credit for the first 12 months; Dialogflow ES (Essentials) is billed per request separately from CX and the two are not interchangeable, so a chatbot built on ES cannot simply switch to CX pricing without migration.
  • They diverge on capability: Close covers Built-in calling, Google Dialogflow covers NLU and NLG.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Close and Google Dialogflow actually diverge.

Attributes where Close and Google Dialogflow differ
AttributeCloseGoogle Dialogflow
Starting price$9/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Mobile, Messaging apps, Voice assistants
Founded20131998

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Google Dialogflow

  • NLU and NLG
  • Multi-language support
  • Integration with Google services
  • Webhooks
  • Google Cloud
  • Facebook
  • Telegram
  • Mobile support

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Close

  • Inside salesnot Google Dialogflow
  • Outbound salesnot Google Dialogflow
  • Lead managementnot Google Dialogflow
  • Sales engagementnot Google Dialogflow
  • Pipeline trackingnot Google Dialogflow

Google Dialogflow

  • Customer engagementnot Close
  • Lead generationnot Close
  • Customer supportnot Close
  • Sales automationnot 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

Google Dialogflow

  • Google's own Dialogflow pricing page (cloud.google.com/dialogflow/pricing) prices Conversational Agents (CX) text requests at $0.007 per request, audio input at $0.0065 per 15 seconds and audio output from $4 per 1 million characters, all in USD, with a one-time $600 free credit for the first 12 months; Dialogflow ES (Essentials) is billed per request separately from CX and the two are not interchangeable, so a chatbot built on ES cannot simply switch to CX pricing without migration.

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

Google Dialogflow

Free
  • Free TierFree
    • 100 requests/day
    • Basic NLU
  • Standard$0.005/month
    • Pay per request
    • Advanced features
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom SLAs
    • Dedicated support

Which should you pick?

Choose Close if

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

Choose Google Dialogflow if

  • You need nlu and nlg.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Messaging apps, Voice assistants.
  • You also want multi-language support.
Google Dialogflow review

Questions people ask

Is Close or Google Dialogflow better?
Neither clearly leads. Close starts at $9/month and Google Dialogflow at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Close or Google Dialogflow?
Google Dialogflow has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $9/month for Close and Free for Google Dialogflow.
Does Close or Google Dialogflow run on more platforms?
Close runs on Web, iOS, Android. Google Dialogflow runs on Web, Mobile, Messaging apps, Voice assistants.
Can I use Google Dialogflow for free?
Yes. Google Dialogflow 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 Google Dialogflow is typically brought in for.
What can Close do that Google Dialogflow cannot?
Close covers Built-in calling, Email automation, SMS messaging, Pipeline management. Google Dialogflow covers NLU and NLG, Multi-language support, Integration with Google services, Webhooks. Both handle Slack, Web support.

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%.

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
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
Share

Related pages

More on Close

More on Google Dialogflow

Keep looking

Other head to heads