3 Best Alternatives to Close in 2026
By Noahlast updated pricing verified
From our data: Close's own 4.8/5 rating comes from just 4 Product Hunt reviews, while its three listed alternatives combine for 26,341 Capterra reviews (4,480 HubSpot + 3,058 Pipedrive + 18,803 Salesforce) at similar 4.4-4.5/5 scores — more than 6,500 times Close's own review volume.
HubSpot
Pipedrive
SalesforceHow we picked
- External review-platform ratings anchored the ordering: HubSpot posts a 4.5/5 rating from 4,480 Capterra reviews, Pipedrive 4.5/5 from 3,058, and Salesforce 4.4/5 from 18,803 — all with far more independent review volume than Close's own 4.8/5 from just 4 Product Hunt reviews.
- Pricing verification dates favored confirmed pricing: HubSpot and Salesforce both carry recorded pricing-verification dates from 2026-08-21, matching Close's own verification date, while Pipedrive's pricing carries no recorded pricing-verification date at all.
- Free-tier availability was weighted for buyers comparing Close's no-free-tier model: only HubSpot ships a genuinely free, seat-unlimited CRM tier, while Pipedrive and Salesforce, like Close, offer no permanent free plan.
- Entry pricing was compared directly against Close's own tiers: Pipedrive's $14/user/month Essential plan undercuts Close's $19/user/month Solo tier and its $35-49/user/month multi-user Essentials tier, while Salesforce's Starter Suite starts at $25/user/month but scales to $550/user/month at the top Agentforce 1 Sales tier, far above Close's $139-149/user/month Scale tier.
Paid placement never alters editorial rank — read the full methodology.
Close alternatives at a glance
| Alternative | Best for | Standout | Biggest weakness | Learning curve | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Closereference | outbound sales teams that call leads directly and want the dialer, email, and SMS built into the CRM instead of stitched together from separate tools | Chloe, an AI sales agent that calls leads, qualifies them through a live conversation, books meetings, and updates CRM records automatically, rather than just summarizing calls after they happen. | The Solo plan caps out at 1 user and 10,000 leads, and calling minutes (~$0.02/min), SMS, and phone numbers (~$1/month each) bill separately from the per-seat price, so the advertised $9-$139/user/month range understates the real monthly cost for any team doing significant call volume. | Low | From $19/mo |
| HubSpot | small businesses that start on the free CRM and want marketing, sales, and service tools sharing one contact database as they grow, and can absorb the price jump into Professional tiers | A free, seat-unlimited core CRM that every paid Hub (Marketing, Sales, Service) plugs into, so contact and deal data stays unified without separate integrations. | Pricing jumps sharply between tiers — Marketing Hub goes from about $20/seat/month at Starter to an $800+/month Professional bundle plus a mandatory $3,000 onboarding fee — and Trustpilot reviewers report unexpected charges and difficulty canceling subscriptions. | Moderate | Free tier · paid from $7/mo |
| Pipedrive | small and mid-sized sales teams that want a visual, pipeline-first CRM rather than a generic contact database or a full enterprise suite | A drag-and-drop Kanban pipeline as the CRM's central interface, paired with an AI Sales Assistant that predicts deal outcomes from historical activity. | There is no permanent free tier, only a 14-day trial, and reporting/customization features that competitors bundle lower down are locked behind the Professional tier and above, pushing the realistic per-seat cost for a fully-featured team well past the advertised $14 entry price. | Low | From $14/mo |
| Salesforce | mid-market to enterprise sales teams that need a highly customizable CRM with pipeline management, forecasting, and AI-driven automation, and can dedicate admin resources to configuring it | Deep customization of objects, workflows, and reporting combined with Agentforce AI automation and the largest CRM integration ecosystem (Slack, Tableau, thousands of AppExchange apps). | Pricing climbs steeply across tiers, from $25/user/month at Starter Suite to $550/user/month for the fully AI-enabled Agentforce 1 plan, and Pro Suite and above require annual billing commitments; reviewers consistently describe onboarding and admin training as extensive and time-consuming, and the platform's customization depth often requires a dedicated Salesforce admin to maintain properly. | Steep | From $25/mo |
Close1.HubSpot — best Close alternative for small businesses that start on the free CRM and want marketing, sales, and service tools sharing one contact database as they grow, and can absorb the price jump into Professional tiers
HubSpot is the best Close alternative for teams that want a free, unlimited-seat CRM instead of paying per user from day one. HubSpot's core CRM has no seat cap at all, a sharp contrast to Close's Solo plan, which is capped at 1 user and starts at $19/user/month ($9 annually), and Close carries no free tier of its own. HubSpot holds a 4.5/5 rating from 4,480 Capterra reviews, dramatically more review volume than Close's 4.8/5 from just 4 Product Hunt reviews. Marketing, Sales, and Service Hubs all plug into the same free contact database, so teams don't need separate integrations to keep records in sync. Close is still the better choice for outbound teams that specifically want calling built into the CRM: HubSpot's listing doesn't describe a native power dialer or an AI agent that calls and qualifies leads the way Close's Chloe does, and HubSpot's Marketing Hub Professional tier jumps to $800/month for 3 seats plus a mandatory $3,000 onboarding fee, a steeper and less predictable cost curve than any of Close's four flat per-seat tiers.
Compared to Close: a free CRM with no seat cap, a 4.5/5 rating from 4,480 Capterra reviews vs Close's 4.8/5 from just 4, and marketing, sales, and service tools sharing one contact database
Wins:Free CRM with no seat cap, unlike Close's Solo plan, which is capped at 1 user and 10,000 leads · 4.5/5 rating from 4,480 Capterra reviews, far more review volume than Close's 4.8/5 from just 4 Product Hunt reviews · Marketing, Sales, and Service Hubs share one contact database, avoiding the separate integrations Close's sales-only scope would require
Loses:No native power dialer or AI calling agent described in this listing, unlike Close's Chloe, which calls and qualifies leads through live conversation · Marketing Hub Professional jumps to $800/month for 3 seats plus a mandatory $3,000 onboarding fee, steeper than any of Close's four flat per-seat tiers · Moderate learning curve versus Close's low learning curve
Pros
- Free CRM has no user-seat limit, unlike most competitors' free tiers.
- Marketing, Sales, and Service Hubs share one contact record, avoiding duplicate data entry across departments.
- AI Customer Agent and prospecting agents are built into paid tiers without separate integration work.
- Large ecosystem of native integrations and a certified-partner network for implementation help.
Cons
- Steep price jump from Starter to Professional tier, plus mandatory one-time onboarding fees ($3,000-$7,000) at Professional and Enterprise.
- Trustpilot reviewers report unexpected charges and difficulty canceling, a stark contrast to its high G2/Capterra ratings.
- Running Marketing, Sales, and Service Hubs together multiplies per-seat costs quickly for a growing team.
- Advanced customization and reporting are gated behind Professional/Enterprise tiers, not available on Starter.
Pricing: Free tier · paid from $7/mo — Free CRM vs Close's $9-139/user/month tiers billed annually; HubSpot's Marketing Hub Professional starts at $800/month plus a one-time $3,000 onboarding fee (verified undefined NaN, NaN)
2.Pipedrive — best Close alternative for small and mid-sized sales teams that want a visual, pipeline-first CRM rather than a generic contact database or a full enterprise suite
Pipedrive is the best Close alternative for small and mid-sized sales teams that want a visual, drag-and-drop pipeline at a lower entry price than Close's multi-user tiers. Pipedrive's Essential plan runs $14/user/month billed annually, well under Close's $35/user/month Essentials tier (Close's first plan without the Solo tier's 1-user cap), and Pipedrive holds a 4.5/5 rating from 3,058 Capterra reviews, far more review volume than Close's 4.8/5 from just 4 Product Hunt reviews. Both tools target sales teams specifically, with Pipedrive's Kanban-style pipeline built around deal stages rather than generic contact records, matching Close's low learning curve. Close is still the better choice for outbound teams that specifically want calling, texting, and AI-driven lead qualification built into the CRM: Pipedrive's listing doesn't describe a native dialer, SMS, or an AI agent comparable to Close's Chloe, and Pipedrive's AI Sales Assistant, revenue forecasting, and e-signature tracking are locked behind its $64/user/month Professional tier, a similar feature-gating pattern to Close's own Growth tier.
Compared to Close: a $14/user/month entry tier billed annually vs Close's $35/user/month Essentials tier, a 4.5/5 rating from 3,058 Capterra reviews vs Close's 4.8/5 from 4, and a drag-and-drop Kanban pipeline as the core interface
Wins:$14/user/month entry tier billed annually, cheaper than Close's $35/user/month Essentials tier, its first plan without a 1-user cap · 4.5/5 rating from 3,058 Capterra reviews, far more review volume than Close's 4.8/5 from just 4 Product Hunt reviews · Drag-and-drop, Kanban-style pipeline built around deal stages, matching Close's low learning curve
Loses:No native dialer, SMS, or AI calling agent comparable to Close's Chloe described in this listing · AI Sales Assistant, revenue forecasting, and e-signature tracking are locked behind the $64/user/month Professional tier, gated similarly to Close's Growth-tier automation · No permanent free tier, same limitation as Close, and reporting customization is limited on the entry-level Essential plan
Pros
- Visual, drag-and-drop Kanban pipeline is faster to learn than list-based CRMs.
- AI Sales Assistant surfaces deal-win predictions from historical pipeline data.
- 500+ integrations available through the Pipedrive Marketplace.
- 14-day free trial requires no credit card.
Cons
- No permanent free tier; every plan is a paid subscription after the trial.
- AI Sales Assistant, revenue forecasting, and e-signature tracking are locked behind the Professional tier and above.
- Reporting customization is limited on the entry-level Essential plan.
- Per-seat pricing climbs quickly for teams that need Professional or Power tier features.
Pricing: From $14/mo — $14/user/month billed annually (Essential) vs Close's $35/user/month billed annually (Essentials, its first multi-user tier)
3.Salesforce — best Close alternative for mid-market to enterprise sales teams that need a highly customizable CRM with pipeline management, forecasting, and AI-driven automation, and can dedicate admin resources to configuring it
Salesforce is the best Close alternative for mid-market and enterprise sales teams that need deep customization and AI-driven automation beyond what a calling-focused CRM provides. Salesforce Sales Cloud holds a 4.4/5 rating from 18,803 Capterra reviews, the largest review base among Close's three listed alternatives and dramatically more than Close's 4.8/5 from just 4 Product Hunt reviews. Its Starter Suite starts at $25/user/month with flexible monthly or annual billing, and Agentforce AI automation extends across lead qualification and case routing at higher tiers, integrating with Slack, Tableau, and thousands of AppExchange apps that Close's listing doesn't describe. Close is still the better choice for smaller outbound teams that want a low-learning-curve tool with calling built in at a predictable price: Salesforce's pricing climbs to $550/user/month for the fully AI-enabled Agentforce 1 Sales plan, its Pro Suite and above require annual billing, and reviewers consistently describe onboarding and admin training as extensive and time-consuming, a steep learning curve next to Close's low one.
Compared to Close: a 4.4/5 rating from 18,803 Capterra reviews, the largest review base among these three alternatives, Agentforce AI automation across the full sales lifecycle, and flexible monthly or annual billing at the $25/user/month Starter Suite tier
Wins:4.4/5 rating from 18,803 Capterra reviews, the largest review base among Close's three listed alternatives · Agentforce AI automation for lead qualification and case routing across the full sales lifecycle · Deep customization of objects, workflows, and reporting, plus native Slack and Tableau integration and thousands of AppExchange apps
Loses:Pricing climbs to $550/user/month for the top Agentforce 1 Sales plan, far above Close's top Scale tier at $149/user/month ($139 annually) · Pro Suite and above require annual billing commitments, reducing flexibility for growing teams · Steep learning curve, with reviewers describing admin training as extensive and time-consuming, versus Close's low learning curve
Pros
- Highly customizable objects, workflows, and reporting for complex sales processes.
- Deep integration ecosystem, including native Slack and Tableau integration plus thousands of AppExchange apps.
- AI-powered forecasting, deal insights, and Agentforce automation on higher tiers.
- Scales from small-team Starter Suite up through enterprise-grade Unlimited and Agentforce 1 plans.
Cons
- Pricing rises sharply across tiers, reaching $550/user/month for the top AI-enabled plan.
- Pro Suite and above require annual billing, reducing flexibility for growing teams.
- Steep learning curve; reviewers describe admin training as extensive and time-consuming.
- Deep customization often requires a dedicated Salesforce admin to configure and maintain.
Pricing: From $25/mo — $25/user/month (Starter Suite, monthly or annual) vs Close's $19/user/month (Solo, monthly) or $9/user/month (Solo, annual); Salesforce's top Agentforce 1 Sales tier reaches $550/user/month vs Close's top Scale tier at $149/user/month ($139 annually) (verified undefined NaN, NaN)
Which one is right for you?
- You want a free CRM with unlimited seats before committing to paid marketing or sales toolsHubSpot
- You want marketing, sales, and service data unified in one contact database as you scaleHubSpot
- You're a small sales team that wants a visual, drag-and-drop pipeline at a lower entry price than Close's multi-user tiersPipedrive
- You want the cheapest multi-user CRM entry tier among these alternativesPipedrive
- You need enterprise-grade customization, forecasting, and AI automation across a large sales orgSalesforce
- You want the CRM with the largest independent review base to vet before buyingSalesforce
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to Close?
- Yes — HubSpot's core CRM is free with no seat limit, unlike Close, which has no free tier and starts at $19/user/month ($9/user/month billed annually).
What is the closest alternative to Close?
- HubSpot is the closest overall match on review strength and cost, with a free unlimited-seat CRM and a 4.5/5 rating from 4,480 Capterra reviews. Teams that specifically want Close's native dialer and AI calling agent Chloe should verify HubSpot covers that workflow first, since its listing doesn't describe built-in calling.
Can HubSpot replace Close?
- Yes for teams that want marketing, sales, and service tools sharing one free contact database. Teams relying on Close's native power dialer, SMS, or Chloe's automated lead-calling should check HubSpot's Sales Hub covers that first, since HubSpot's listing doesn't describe a comparable AI calling agent.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Close?
- Pipedrive's Essential plan runs $14/user/month billed annually, cheaper than Close's $35/user/month Essentials tier (its first plan without a 1-user cap), though Pipedrive's listing doesn't describe native calling or an AI agent like Close's Chloe.
Which Close alternative is best for enterprise sales teams?
- Salesforce, whose Sales Cloud holds a 4.4/5 rating from 18,803 Capterra reviews and adds Agentforce AI automation, deep customization, and native Slack and Tableau integration, though pricing reaches $550/user/month at its top Agentforce 1 Sales tier.
Which Close alternative has the most reviews?
- Salesforce, with a 4.4/5 rating from 18,803 Capterra reviews, more than HubSpot's 4,480 and Pipedrive's 3,058, and far more than Close's own 4.8/5 from just 4 Product Hunt reviews.