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Technology · head to head

Close vs Twilio

Close logo

Close

Technology

The inside sales CRM of choice for startups & SMBs

From
$9/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Twilio logo

Twilio

Telecommunications

Cloud communications platform for SMS, voice, and video

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Twilio 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); Twilio pricing becomes unpredictable with carrier fees and additional charges for compliance, recordings, and phone number rentals
  • They diverge on capability: Close covers Built-in calling, Twilio covers Voice calls.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Close and Twilio actually diverge.

Attributes where Close and Twilio differ
AttributeCloseTwilio
Starting price$9/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, APIs, Python, JavaScript, Ruby, Java, PHP, C#
CategoryTechnologyTelecommunications
Founded20132008

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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
  • Pipeline management
  • Lead management
  • Activity tracking
  • Reporting
  • Mobile app
  • Segment

Only in Twilio

  • Voice calls
  • Video conferencing
  • Programmable communication
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Mobile support
  • API support
  • SDKs support

Both cover

  • SMS messaging
  • Zapier
  • Slack
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Close

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

Twilio

  • Customer engagementnot Close
  • Lead generationnot Close
  • Customer supportnot Close
  • Sales 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

Twilio

  • Pricing becomes unpredictable with carrier fees and additional charges for compliance, recordings, and phone number rentals
  • Phone number rentals are required for every number used, with carrier fees varying by region and billed separately
  • Dashboard is not optimized for mobile use and logs are difficult to access

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

Twilio

Free
  • Pay-as-You-Go$undefined/mo
    • Usage-based pricing
    • No monthly minimum
    • SMS, voice, video, messaging

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 Twilio if

  • You need voice calls.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, APIs, Python, JavaScript, Ruby, Java, PHP, C#.
  • You also want video conferencing.
Twilio review

Questions people ask

Is Close or Twilio better?
Neither clearly leads. Close starts at $9/month and Twilio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Close or Twilio?
Twilio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $9/month for Close and Free for Twilio.
Does Close or Twilio run on more platforms?
Close runs on Web, iOS, Android. Twilio runs on Web, APIs, Python, JavaScript, Ruby, Java, PHP, C#.
Can I use Twilio for free?
Yes. Twilio 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 Twilio is typically brought in for.
What can Close do that Twilio cannot?
Close covers Built-in calling, Email automation, Pipeline management, Lead management. Twilio covers Voice calls, Video conferencing, Programmable communication, Salesforce. Both handle SMS messaging, Zapier, Slack, 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
Twilio: What is Twilio's pricing model?

Twilio uses pay-as-you-go usage-based pricing with no monthly minimums or contracts. SMS costs $0.0083 per US message, voice calls cost $0.014 per minute, phone numbers cost $1.15 per month.

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
Twilio: Does Twilio offer a free tier?

Yes, Twilio offers a free trial indefinitely with no credit card required for limited usage, plus a 7-14 day free trial period on paid plans.

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
Twilio: What communication channels does Twilio support?

Twilio supports SMS, WhatsApp, RCS, MMS for messaging; Voice API and SIP Trunking for voice; Email via Twilio SendGrid; Video API; and Chat via Conversations API.

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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