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CRM · head to head

Close vs lemlist

Close logo

Close

CRM

The inside sales CRM of choice for startups & SMBs

From
$9/month
Free plan
No
Visit CloseFull review
lemlist logo

lemlist

CRM

Multichannel cold outreach platform for email, LinkedIn, SMS and calling

From
$55/month
Free plan
No
Visit lemlistFull review

The short version

  • Close is a sales engagement CRM.
  • Close starts at $9/mo, lemlist at $55/mo.
  • Only Close lists built-in calling; only lemlist lists multichannel sequences.
  • Where Close falls short: no built-in lead lists, company intelligence, or contact enrichment; must source leads separately.
  • Where lemlist falls short: no standalone free plan, only a 14-day trial after which new campaigns cannot be launched without upgrading.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Close and lemlist actually diverge.

Attributes where Close and lemlist differ
AttributeCloselemlist
Starting price$9/month$55/month
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, API
Founded20132018

Identical on both: free tier (No), category (CRM).

Not yet recorded: pricing model for Close.

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 lemlist

  • Multichannel sequences
  • Lead database
  • Deliverability hub
  • AI agents
  • CRM integrations
  • API, CLI and MCP access

What people use each for

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

Close

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

lemlist

  • Running multichannel outbound campaigns across email and LinkedInnot Close
  • Finding verified emails and phone numbers for prospectsnot Close
  • Protecting sender reputation with automated inbox warm-upnot Close
  • Combining calling and messaging into a single outreach sequencenot 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

lemlist

  • No standalone free plan, only a 14-day trial after which new campaigns cannot be launched without upgrading
  • Multichannel plan pricing scales per sender/user, which can get costly for larger teams
  • Enterprise features like SSO/SAML require a custom-priced plan and a 5-user minimum
  • Advanced AI agent capabilities are newer and less proven than long-established outreach features

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

lemlist

$55/month
  • Email$55/mo
    • 50,000 emails/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Email and phone finder
  • Multichannel$87/mo
    • Unlimited emails and messages
    • 5 senders per user
    • LinkedIn, SMS and WhatsApp automation
  • EnterpriseOn request
    • 5+ users minimum
    • Dedicated account manager
    • SSO/SAML security

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 lemlist if

  • You need multichannel sequences.
  • You work on Web, API.
  • You also want lead database.
lemlist review

Questions people ask

Is Close or lemlist better?
Neither clearly leads. Close starts at $9/month and lemlist at $55/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Close or lemlist?
Close starts at $9/month and lemlist at $55/month.
Does Close or lemlist run on more platforms?
Close runs on Web, iOS, Android. lemlist runs on Web, API.
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 lemlist is typically brought in for.
What can Close do that lemlist cannot?
Close covers Built-in calling, Email automation, SMS messaging, Pipeline management. lemlist covers Multichannel sequences, Lead database, Deliverability hub, AI agents.

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
lemlist: What does lemlist cost?

lemlist's Email plan starts at $55/month (billed annually) for 50,000 emails, the Multichannel plan starts at $87/month for unlimited emails and messages plus LinkedIn/SMS/WhatsApp, and Enterprise is custom-priced.

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
lemlist: Is there a free plan, and what are its limits?

lemlist offers a 14-day free trial with full Multichannel plan access and no credit card required; after the trial, the account remains accessible but new campaigns cannot be launched without a paid subscription.

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
lemlist: What does lemlist integrate with?

lemlist integrates with CRMs like HubSpot, Salesforce and Pipedrive, automation tools like Zapier, Make and n8n, VoIP platforms such as Aircall and Ringover, and offers API, CLI and MCP access.

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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