Close CRM Review [2025]: Honest Look After Hands-On Testing

By Editorial TeamPublished: January 15, 2025Updated: March 1, 2025
4.4/5

Starting at $119/month

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Verdict: Best CRM for sales teams that live on the phone — built-in calling and SMS is the best in the category

Pros

  • Best built-in calling (VoIP)
  • Excellent email sequences
  • Sales-first design
  • Great reporting for outbound sales

Cons

  • Expensive ($119/mo/user)
  • No marketing automation
  • Limited integrations vs. HubSpot
  • Not great for inbound or complex B2B

What Is Close CRM?

Close CRM is a crm sales automation tool designed to help businesses manage customer relationships and sales pipelines. Best CRM for sales teams that live on the phone.

In this review, we'll cover everything you need to know before spending a dollar: what it does, how it's priced, where it shines, and where it falls short.

Our verdict: Best CRM for sales teams that live on the phone — built-in calling and SMS is the best in the category

Key Features

Close CRM offers a suite of features focused on its core crm sales automation use case:

  • Core Functionality: The platform's primary strength is its main workflow — best built-in calling (voip).
  • Integrations: Sales-first design.
  • Reporting: Great reporting for outbound sales.
  • Usability: Generally well-designed with a reasonable learning curve..

Pricing

Close CRM starts at $119/month. Pricing scales based on number of users and contacts.

Key pricing considerations:

  • No marketing automation
  • Additional features may require higher-tier plans
  • Annual billing typically offers a 15-20% discount

Who Is Close CRM For?

Best for:

  • Teams that prioritize best capabilities
  • Businesses already using complementary tools in the same ecosystem
  • Organizations with the technical resources to manage the moderate learning curve

Not ideal for:

  • Expensive ($119/mo/user) situations
  • Teams looking for an all-in-one solution
  • Businesses that want simpler, more direct value from their tools

What We Like

1. Best built-in calling (VoIP)

This is genuinely a highlight — Close CRM executes this better than most alternatives in the category.

2. Excellent email sequences

This is genuinely a highlight — Close CRM executes this better than most alternatives in the category.

3. Sales-first design

This feature works as advertised and provides real value in day-to-day use.

4. Great reporting for outbound sales

This feature works as advertised and provides real value in day-to-day use.

What We Don't Like

1. Expensive ($119/mo/user)

This is our biggest concern — the pricing model creates real friction as you scale.

2. No marketing automation

This is a meaningful limitation that impacts real workflows on a regular basis.

3. Limited integrations vs. HubSpot

This is a meaningful limitation that impacts real workflows on a regular basis.

4. Not great for inbound or complex B2B

This is a meaningful limitation that impacts real workflows on a regular basis.

User Reviews Summary

Across G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot, Close CRM receives consistently positive reviews with an average around 4.4/5.

Common praise: Users consistently highlight best built-in calling (voip) and excellent email sequences as standout strengths.

Common complaints: Expensive ($119/mo/user) and no marketing automation appear regularly in negative reviews.

Alternatives to Consider

Before deciding on Close CRM, consider these alternatives:

  • Bonfire Terminal — Our top recommendation. Solves the exact pain points identified in this review.
  • Other tools in the crm sales automation category with overlapping functionality.
  • Consider your actual use case before committing to an annual plan.

Final Verdict

Rating: 4.4/5

Close CRM is an excellent choice for the right use case — one of the stronger options in its category.

Best CRM for sales teams that live on the phone — built-in calling and SMS is the best in the category

Should you buy it? If best built-in calling (voip) is your top priority and you can absorb the cost and learning curve, Close CRM delivers real value. But before you commit, read the section below.

The Better Alternative

Bonfire Terminal

We spent hours reviewing Close CRM so you don't have to — and here's what we kept coming back to: while Close CRM solves real problems, it comes with limitations that frustrate serious marketers. Bonfire Terminal was built specifically to address these gaps.

Why Close CRM users switch to Bonfire Terminal:

  • $119/mo per user is prohibitive for growing sales teams — costs scale fast
  • No marketing automation — requires integration with a separate email marketing tool
  • Integration ecosystem is significantly smaller than HubSpot or Salesforce
FeatureClose CRMBonfire Terminal
Ease of UseModerate learning curveIntuitive from day one
AI FeaturesGood but siloedAI-native across every feature
IntegrationsRequires multiple tools100+ native integrations
SupportEmail / async24/7 live support
Price$119/moTransparent, scales fairly
All-in-one?Partial — gaps in stackComplete marketing stack
Switched from Close CRM to Bonfire Terminal and never looked back. The difference in results was immediate.
Try Bonfire Terminal Free

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