Close
HubSpot CRM
| Feature | Close | HubSpot CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | From $49/mo | Free / from $20/mo |
| Free Plan | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | inside-sales-teams, startups, smbs, call-heavy-teams | startups, small-businesses, marketing-teams, sales-teams |
| Founded | 2013 | 2006 |
| Calling | ✓ | ✗ |
| Email Sequences | ✓ | ✗ |
| Pipeline | ✓ | ✗ |
| Sms | ✓ | ✗ |
| Predictive Dialer | ✓ | ✗ |
| Reporting | ✓ | ✓ |
| Workflows | ✓ | ✗ |
| Contact Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Email Tracking | ✗ | ✓ |
| Pipeline Management | ✗ | ✓ |
| Live Chat | ✗ | ✓ |
| Forms | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Close Pros
- Built-in VoIP calling and SMS
- Powerful email sequences with tracking
- Designed specifically for inside sales workflow
- Fast setup — productive in minutes not weeks
✗ Close Cons
- No free tier available
- Limited marketing automation
- Fewer integrations than HubSpot or Salesforce
✓ HubSpot CRM Pros
- Generous free tier
- All-in-one platform
- Great documentation
- Easy to use
✗ HubSpot CRM Cons
- Gets expensive quickly
- Limited customization on free plan
- Contract lock-in
The Verdict
Close is built for inside sales teams and startups, with a focus on calling and email-sequences. HubSpot CRM targets startups and small businesses and leads with contact-management and email-tracking.
On pricing, HubSpot CRM is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $20/mo compared to $49/mo for Close. That $29/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
HubSpot CRM has a free plan, which gives it a meaningful edge for individuals and small teams exploring their options. Close requires a paid subscription from day one.
Feature-wise, Close offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while HubSpot CRM takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for startups — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.