Softwr

Technology · head to head

Close vs Microsoft Outlook

Close logo

Close

Technology

The inside sales CRM of choice for startups & SMBs

From
$9/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Microsoft Outlook logo

Microsoft Outlook

Technology

Microsoft's email and calendar client, in the middle of a transition from the classic Windows application to a web-based replacement.

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Microsoft Outlook 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); Microsoft Outlook microsoft is replacing the classic Win32 client with the new web-based Outlook, and the new one runs only web add-ins, not COM add-ins, so any line-of-business integration for CRM, dictation, document management or telephony must be rewritten or the desktop stays on classic until its support window closes.
  • They diverge on capability: Close covers Built-in calling, Microsoft Outlook covers Exchange calendar integration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Close and Microsoft Outlook actually diverge.

Attributes where Close and Microsoft Outlook differ
AttributeCloseMicrosoft Outlook
Starting price$9/monthFree
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb
Founded2013Unknown

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

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 Microsoft Outlook

  • Exchange calendar integration
  • Delegate access
  • Shared mailboxes
  • Rules and Quick Steps
  • Retention, hold and eDiscovery
  • Sensitivity labels and encryption
  • Add-in platform
  • Offline cached mode

What people use each for

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

Close

  • Inside salesnot Microsoft Outlook
  • Outbound salesnot Microsoft Outlook
  • Lead managementnot Microsoft Outlook
  • Sales engagementnot Microsoft Outlook
  • Pipeline trackingnot Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Outlook

  • Organisations on Exchange Online or Exchange Server where free/busy scheduling and room booking across everyone is a daily requirementnot Close
  • Executive assistants managing someone else's calendar and mailbox through delegate access, which no IMAP client supports properlynot Close
  • Regulated environments that need retention policies, legal hold and eDiscovery applied to mail centrally rather than per usernot Close
  • Teams handling shared inboxes such as support or accounts, where permissions and tracking matter more than the mail client itselfnot 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

Microsoft Outlook

  • Microsoft is replacing the classic Win32 client with the new web-based Outlook, and the new one runs only web add-ins, not COM add-ins, so any line-of-business integration for CRM, dictation, document management or telephony must be rewritten or the desktop stays on classic until its support window closes.
  • The new client's handling of non-Microsoft accounts synchronises mail through Microsoft's cloud rather than connecting from the machine to the provider, which several organisations' data residency and handling policies do not allow, and it is not an optional behaviour.
  • PST and OST files are a single-file, corruptible and effectively unshareable store, and the new client's reduced PST support means years of personal archives sitting in those files need an explicit migration plan rather than carrying forward.
  • Large mailboxes turn software problems into administration ones: search index rebuilds, OST files of tens of gigabytes and the mailbox quotas of whichever plan was bought, and the usual fix is archiving policy rather than anything a user can do.
  • Against IMAP or Gmail you lose most of what justifies it, including free/busy lookup, room booking, delegate access, and retention and compliance policies, because those are Exchange server features rather than client features.
  • The five or six products sharing the Outlook name have materially different feature sets, so internal documentation, training and support procedures must be written per platform and a user moving between desktop, web and mobile finds the same task done differently in each.

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

Microsoft Outlook

Free
  • Outlook (Free)Free
    • 15 GB mailbox storage
    • 5 GB cloud storage
    • Web and mobile Office app access
  • Microsoft 365 Basic$1.99/month
    • 100 GB mailbox storage
    • 100 GB cloud storage
    • Ad-free experience
  • Microsoft 365 Personal$9.99/month
    • 1 TB cloud storage
    • Desktop Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote)
    • Copilot with high usage limits
  • Microsoft 365 Family$12.99/month
    • 1-6 users
    • Up to 6 TB total cloud storage (1 TB per person)
    • Same apps and features as Personal

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 Microsoft Outlook if

  • You need exchange calendar integration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want delegate access.
Microsoft Outlook review

Questions people ask

Is Close or Microsoft Outlook better?
Neither clearly leads. Close starts at $9/month and Microsoft Outlook at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Close or Microsoft Outlook?
Microsoft Outlook has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $9/month for Close and Free for Microsoft Outlook.
Does Close or Microsoft Outlook run on more platforms?
Close runs on Web, iOS, Android. Microsoft Outlook runs on Web.
Can I use Microsoft Outlook for free?
Yes. Microsoft Outlook 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 Microsoft Outlook is typically brought in for.
What can Close do that Microsoft Outlook cannot?
Close covers Built-in calling, Email automation, SMS messaging, Pipeline management. Microsoft Outlook covers Exchange calendar integration, Delegate access, Shared mailboxes, Rules and Quick Steps.

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
Microsoft Outlook: What is the difference between classic Outlook and the new Outlook for Windows?

Classic is the long-standing Win32 application shipped with Microsoft 365 and Office LTSC. The new Outlook is a web-based client that replaced Windows Mail and Calendar. The most consequential difference is add-ins: the new client supports only web add-ins, not COM add-ins.

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
Microsoft Outlook: How long will classic Outlook be supported?

Microsoft has stated support through at least 2029. That is a planning window rather than a reprieve, and organisations with COM add-in dependencies should be scoping the replacement work now.

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
Microsoft Outlook: Can I use Outlook with Gmail or another IMAP provider?

Yes, but with reduced capability. You lose free/busy lookup, room booking, delegate access and server-side compliance policies, because those come from Exchange rather than from the client.

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
Microsoft Outlook: Is Outlook free?

Outlook on the web and the mobile apps are free with a Microsoft account, and the new Outlook for Windows is included with Windows 11. The classic desktop application requires a Microsoft 365 subscription or an Office perpetual licence.

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
Microsoft Outlook: Will my COM add-ins work in the new Outlook?

No. The new client supports only the cross-platform web add-in model. Vendors must publish a web add-in, and where they have not, the choice is to stay on classic Outlook or replace the integration.

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 Microsoft Outlook

Keep looking

Other head to heads