Softwr

Software · head to head

Close vs Kustomer

Close logo

Close

Software

The inside sales CRM of choice for startups & SMBs

From
$9/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Kustomer logo

Kustomer

Software

The future of customer service

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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); Kustomer pricing not published; requires customised sales assessment and quote for exact costs
  • They diverge on capability: Close covers Built-in calling, Kustomer covers Unified customer view.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Close and Kustomer actually diverge.

Attributes where Close and Kustomer differ
AttributeCloseKustomer
Starting price$9/monthOn request
Pricing modelUnknownquote
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Cloud
Founded20132015

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Kustomer

  • Unified customer view
  • AI automation
  • Omnichannel
  • Workflow automation
  • Knowledge base
  • Analytics
  • Shopify
  • Magento

Both cover

  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Close

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

Kustomer

  • Large B2C and B2B organisations managing 600+ customer support interactions across omnichannel platformsnot Close
  • Retail, financial services, travel and hospitality sectors requiring integrated AI-powered supportnot Close
  • Enterprises seeking customer 360 views and advanced workflow 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

Kustomer

  • Pricing not published; requires customised sales assessment and quote for exact costs
  • Voice (call), SMS, and WhatsApp support operate on separate pay-as-you-go pricing models
  • Customisation-based pricing structure means no transparent cost comparison with competitors

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

Kustomer

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Kustomer review.

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 Kustomer if

  • You need unified customer view.
  • You work on Web, Cloud.
  • You also want ai automation.
Kustomer review

Questions people ask

Is Close or Kustomer better?
Neither clearly leads. Close starts at $9/month and Kustomer at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Close or Kustomer?
Close starts at $9/month and Kustomer at On request.
Does Close or Kustomer run on more platforms?
Close runs on Web, iOS, Android. Kustomer runs on Web, Cloud.
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 Kustomer is typically brought in for.
What can Close do that Kustomer cannot?
Close covers Built-in calling, Email automation, SMS messaging, Pipeline management. Kustomer covers Unified customer view, AI automation, Omnichannel, Workflow automation. Both handle SOC2, GDPR, 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
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