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Technology · head to head

Close vs Insightly

Close logo

Close

Technology

The inside sales CRM of choice for startups & SMBs

From
$9/month
Rated
-
Insightly logo

Insightly

CRM

CRM & project management for any business

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Insightly 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); Insightly record counts are capped by plan, at 100,000 on Plus and 500,000 on Enterprise, so the database size decides the tier
  • They diverge on capability: Close covers Built-in calling, Insightly covers Contact management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Close and Insightly actually diverge.

Attributes where Close and Insightly differ
AttributeCloseInsightly
Starting price$9/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierNoYes
CategoryTechnologyCRM
Founded20132010

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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
  • Segment
  • Google Workspace

Only in Insightly

  • Contact management
  • Deal tracking
  • Project management
  • Task management
  • Email integration
  • Mailchimp
  • Google Drive
  • ISO27001

Both cover

  • Reporting
  • Mobile app
  • Zapier
  • Slack
  • DocuSign
  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • Cloud deployment
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Close

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

Insightly

  • CRM with project delivery tracking after the salenot Close
  • Managing leads, opportunities and customer projects in one record setnot 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

Insightly

  • Record counts are capped by plan, at 100,000 on Plus and 500,000 on Enterprise, so the database size decides the tier
  • Workflow automation requires the Professional plan at $49 per user per month
  • AI Copilot is metered by query, at 75 on Plus and 100 on Professional
  • Mass email is capped daily, at 2,500 on Plus and 10,000 on Enterprise
  • CRM, Marketing and Service are sold as three separate products, and Marketing is priced per account by prospect count starting at $99 for 2,000
  • Sandboxes and audit logging are Enterprise only at $99 per user per 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

Insightly

Free
  • CRM Plus$29/user/month
    • lead and contact management
    • project management
    • advanced reports
  • CRM Professional$49/user/month
    • all Plus features
    • lead assignment/routing
    • workflow automation
  • CRM Enterprise$99/user/month
    • all Professional features
    • sandboxes
    • products/pricebooks/quotes

Which should you pick?

Choose Close if

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

Choose Insightly if

  • You need contact management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want deal tracking.

Questions people ask

Is Close or Insightly better?
Neither clearly leads. Close starts at $9/month and Insightly at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Close or Insightly?
Insightly has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $9/month for Close and Free for Insightly.
Does Close or Insightly run on more platforms?
Close runs on Web, iOS, Android. Insightly runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Insightly for free?
Yes. Insightly 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 Insightly is typically brought in for.
What can Close do that Insightly cannot?
Close covers Built-in calling, Email automation, SMS messaging, Pipeline management. Insightly covers Contact management, Deal tracking, Project management, Task management. Both handle Reporting, Mobile app, Zapier, Slack.

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
Insightly: How much does Insightly CRM cost?

Insightly CRM plans are priced per user per month when billed annually: Plus at $29, Professional at $49 (the most popular option), and Enterprise at $99. All plans include a 14-day free trial that requires no credit card.

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
Insightly: Is there a free trial for Insightly?

Yes, Insightly offers a 14-day free trial across most products with no credit card required, allowing you to test CRM, Marketing Automation, Support & Ticketing, and AppConnect features.

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
Insightly: What record storage limits apply to Insightly CRM plans?

Insightly CRM Plus includes 100,000 records, Professional includes 250,000 records, and Enterprise includes 500,000 records. File storage increases from 10 GB on Plus to 100 GB on Professional and 250 GB on Enterprise.

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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