Close

We have to give it to Close, they, unlike HubSpot, actually have decent email syncing functionality (which feels table-stakes for a CRM, but sadly, it's not).

For example, if you add an email address into the system (and you're using Google Workspace or Microsoft 365), it'll actually retroactively sync the emails into the CRM.

While it's not as deep or impressive as what Copper does for Google Workspace accounts (going an entire year back across everyone on your team + pulling in and organizing file attachments and calendar events), it's at least something, which we appreciate as compared to HubSpot.

That said, they clearly want you to use Close as your main communication hub, which includes their own email interface. Which is a bit frustrating because most teams already have strong opinions about their email tools (Gmail, Superhuman Mail, Outlook), and Close's email experience is clearly not nearly as polished. So while the syncing is solid, the push to "live inside Close" starts to feel really forced.

This brings us to their auto-dialer. You can have it call through numbers in bulk, connect you when it hears something on the other end, and pause the dialer while you take notes. It's impressive in that regard, and we don't really have another tool/solution that we'd recommend for that which integrates in well to a CRM.

That said, you're very much committing to their baked in VoIP solution at that point (which brings with it it's own limitations, like no separate app or mobile VoIP access).

So if you considering something like Dialpad, JustCall, or Aircall alongside your CRM (like many should), think again—you're not getting that with Close.

Because they have their internal VoIP baked in at the core though, it does allow for some cool sequence features which allow you to automatically send out emails, then SMS messages on a cadence. While it can't auto-call in a sequence, it will create a task for you to call:

Email, Call, & SMS Sequences

This is a more complex feature that not many CRM's allow for, because it's getting more into the sales enablement email marketing automation side of things that we've seen more reserved for tools like Reply.

Because Close has its own VoIP and SMS tools built directly into the platform, it can create automated outreach sequences that combine multiple channels.

A lot of users seem to love Close's communication workflows. The thing is, it's always a specific group of salespeople who are all selling the exact same way. Which makes sense for them, because since Close owns email, calling, and SMS, it can run true multi-channel sequences in one place, meaning reps don't have to juggle tools or remember follow-ups since the system tells them exactly what to do next.

It's great for high-volume outbound, but isn't great for anyone trying to create a relationship-driven, flexible sales process.

Just about every SaaS company and tech-related tool has the ability to generate summaries, Close included.

Say an SDR completely spaced at the end of an important call, since everything is integrated, Close automatically transcribes the conversation and generates a summary. That's great, but again nothing stand out (and our favorite AI note taker, Granola can do all of this with any CRM).

Close was very late to mobile. Most competitors have had both iOS and Android apps for years, and Close only launched their iOS app in June 2023. Android followed shortly after, but it's not great. The Google Play app sits at 2.4 stars, with users reporting crashes, sluggish performance, and calling features that don't work reliably.

For a CRM that's built its entire identity around communication, providing a mobile experience that feels like an afterthought is a real gap.

If your team is frequently on the go and expects to make calls or log activity from their phone, this is worth factoring in before you commit.