SaaS · head to head
Close vs HubSpot CRM
The short version
- Only HubSpot CRM 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); HubSpot CRM starter tier starts at 15 USD per month per seat and Enterprise features like single sign-on require the 75 USD per month per seat tier
- They diverge on capability: Close covers Built-in calling, HubSpot CRM covers Contact management.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Close and HubSpot CRM actually diverge.
| Attribute | Close | HubSpot CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $9/month | Free |
| Pricing model | Unknown | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, Mobile iOS, Mobile Android |
| Category | SaaS | Remote Work |
| Founded | 2013 | 2006 |
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
- Mobile app
- Segment
Only in HubSpot CRM
- Contact management
- Deal tracking
- Automation
- GitHub
- Salesforce
- Mobile iOS support
- Mobile Android support
Both cover
- Reporting
- Zapier
- Slack
- Google Workspace
- Web support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Close
- Inside salesnot HubSpot CRM
- Outbound salesnot HubSpot CRM
- Lead managementnot HubSpot CRM
- Sales engagementnot HubSpot CRM
- Pipeline trackingnot HubSpot CRM
HubSpot CRM
- Video Conferencingnot Close
- Team Collaborationnot Close
- Project Managementnot 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
HubSpot CRM
- Starter tier starts at 15 USD per month per seat and Enterprise features like single sign-on require the 75 USD per month per seat tier
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
HubSpot CRM
Free- FreeFree
- CRM
- Landing pages
- Starter$50/month
- Email campaigns
- Advanced features
- Support
- Professional$800/month
- Advanced automation
- Custom integration
- Support
Which should you pick?
Choose Close if
- You need built-in calling.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want email automation.
Choose HubSpot CRM if
- You need contact management.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Mobile iOS, Mobile Android.
- You also want deal tracking.
Questions people ask
- Is Close or HubSpot CRM better?
- Neither clearly leads. Close starts at $9/month and HubSpot CRM at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Close or HubSpot CRM?
- HubSpot CRM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $9/month for Close and Free for HubSpot CRM.
- Does Close or HubSpot CRM run on more platforms?
- Close runs on Web, iOS, Android. HubSpot CRM runs on Web, Mobile iOS, Mobile Android.
- Can I use HubSpot CRM for free?
- Yes. HubSpot CRM 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 HubSpot CRM is typically brought in for.
- What can Close do that HubSpot CRM cannot?
- Close covers Built-in calling, Email automation, SMS messaging, Pipeline management. HubSpot CRM covers Contact management, Deal tracking, Email, Automation. Both handle Reporting, Zapier, Slack, Google Workspace.
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.
Source