# Close

Close is a sales CRM for inside sales teams, rated 4.7/5 on both G2 and Capterra. Sourced profile: funding, leadership, pricing, features, and reviews.

**Category:** CRM / sales engagement platform  
**Vendor:** Elastic, Inc. (d/b/a Close)  
**Founded:** 2013  
**HQ:** Remote-first (no physical HQ); company records list Palo Alto, California, US  
**Website:** https://close.com/  


## About

Close is a CRM built for inside sales teams, combining calling, email, SMS, and workflow automation into a single inbox so reps do not have to switch tools to run outreach. The company started in 2013 as a spinout of Elastic Sales, a sales-as-a-service business founded by Steli Efti, after the founders could not find a CRM built the way they wanted to sell. Close remains privately held, bootstrapped, and profitable, and it operates as a fully remote team with no physical headquarters. It is aimed mainly at startups and small to midsize sales teams that run high call and email volume, rather than large enterprise deployments.

## Ratings

| Source | Score | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| G2 | 4.7/5 | 2,000+ |
| Capterra | 4.7/5 | 164 |
| Gartner | NA/5 | NA |
| Clutch | NA/5 | NA |
| TrustRadius | 8.8/10 | 46 |

## Funding

Not disclosed; Close describes itself as bootstrapped and self-funded with no outside venture capital raised

## Viability

Low risk for its target segment, but on a different footing than VC-backed competitors. Close has operated since 2013 without outside funding, describes itself as profitable, and runs as a fully remote team of roughly 100 people serving thousands of small and midsize sales teams. There is no public revenue disclosure or audited financials since it is privately held, so viability rests on the company's own claims of profitability plus a decade-plus operating history rather than investor-verified numbers. The main practical risk for buyers is not solvency, it is fit: Close is built specifically for outbound, call-heavy inside sales teams, and its lighter marketing-automation and reporting depth mean it is a worse match for inbound-led or highly customized enterprise sales orgs.

## Pricing

Close prices for outbound calling volume, not just seats. The Solo plan at $9/user/mo (annual) covers a single user with core CRM, calling, email, and SMS. Essentials at $35/user/mo adds unlimited contacts and team collaboration but drops workflow automation. The Power Dialer only unlocks on Growth at $99/user/mo, and the Predictive Dialer requires Scale at $139/user/mo, which is also where SSO and role-based permissions live. Teams evaluating Close purely for pipeline tracking without heavy dialing should weigh whether Essentials covers them, since the bigger jumps in price buy calling capacity most teams do not need until they scale outbound headcount.

| Plan | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Solo | $9/user/mo (annual) | 1-2 reps testing outbound calling and email |
| Essentials | $35/user/mo (annual) | 3-10 rep teams needing unlimited contacts and shared inbox |
| Growth | $99/user/mo (annual) | Teams of 10-25 reps that need the Power Dialer and workflow automation |
| Scale | $139/user/mo (annual) | 25+ rep orgs needing the Predictive Dialer, SSO, and role-based permissions |

## What reviewers say

_4.7/5 on G2 (2,000+ reviews) and 4.7/5 on Capterra (164 reviews), both among the highest-rated CRMs Topickz tracks_

**Praised:**
- Built-in calling, SMS, and email sequencing are the most-cited strength; reps stay in one screen instead of tab-switching between a dialer and a separate CRM
- Ease of setup and day-to-day usability come up constantly, reviewers describe it as simple to learn without a long onboarding cycle
- Responsive customer support is repeatedly flagged as a differentiator versus larger CRM vendors

**Complaints:**
- Reporting and analytics are described as underdeveloped and hard to customize compared to broader enterprise CRM platforms
- Customization and flexibility lag behind larger CRMs; some reviewers want more configurable fields, objects, and workflows
- Marketing automation is minimal by design, teams that need nurture sequences pair Close with a separate marketing tool
- The calling-heavy pricing (Power Dialer and Predictive Dialer sit on the Growth and Scale tiers) makes it a harder value case for inbound-led teams that do not dial

## Compliance

- **SOC 2:** Yes (SOC 2 Type II)
- **GDPR:** Yes
- **HIPAA:** Not disclosed / no stated HIPAA support
- **SSO:** Yes (Scale plan)

## Integrations

- Gmail
- Microsoft 365 / Outlook
- Google Calendar
- Zoom
- Slack
- Zapier
- Calendly
- ChatGPT

## FAQs

### Does Close have a free plan?

No. Close offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required, but there is no permanent free tier. Paid plans start at $9/user/mo billed annually ($19/mo billed monthly) on the Solo plan.

### Is Close CRM good for inbound marketing teams?

Not primarily. Close is built around outbound calling, SMS, and email sequencing for inside sales reps. Marketing automation and nurture-sequence features are minimal, so teams that need heavy inbound marketing workflows typically pair Close with a dedicated marketing tool or choose a broader platform like HubSpot instead.

### Is Close CRM SOC 2 and GDPR compliant?

Yes. Close states it is SOC 2 Type II certified and meets GDPR data controller and processor obligations, including offering Data Processing Agreements. Single sign-on (SSO) is available on the Scale plan. Close does not publicly state HIPAA support.

### Is Close CRM a public or venture-backed company?

Neither. Close is privately held and describes itself as bootstrapped and self-funded, with no outside venture capital rounds disclosed on Crunchbase. It says it has been profitable while operating as a fully remote company since 2013.

### Who is Close CRM best for?

Close fits startups and small to midsize sales teams running high-volume outbound calling and email, especially where reps need a built-in Power Dialer or Predictive Dialer instead of a separate sales-engagement tool. It is a weaker fit for inbound-led teams, or larger organizations that need deep customization, custom objects, or advanced reporting beyond what a lean sales CRM provides.


## Sources

- [Gartner Peer Insights: search for Close (close.com)](https://www.gartner.com/peer-insights/home): no listing found for Close (close.com); the similarly-named "Close-Up CRM" on Gartner is an unrelated life-sciences CRM by Close-Up International, confirming genuine NA rather than a missed read
- [Clutch.co: search for Close (close.com)](https://clutch.co/): no software-review listing found for Close on Clutch (Clutch primarily profiles agencies/service providers), confirming genuine NA
- [G2: Close reviews](https://www.g2.com/products/close/reviews): rating 4.7/5, review count in the 2,005-2,010 range across cross-checked search snippets (G2 blocks direct/automated fetch); shown as 2,000+ to stay within tolerance of the live count
- [Capterra: Close (Close.io)](https://www.capterra.com/p/132667/Close-io/reviews/): rating 4.7/5, 164 reviews, ease of use 4.6, customer service 4.5, demographics
- [TrustRadius: Close CRM reviews](https://www.trustradius.com/products/close-crm/reviews): score 8.8/10 from 46 reviews and ratings, cross-checked across multiple search snippets (TrustRadius blocks direct/automated fetch)
- [Close: About / team page](https://close.com/about): founding story, remote structure, team size (~100), leadership names, mission
- [Close: Pricing page](https://close.com/pricing): current pricing tiers, per-seat pricing, free trial terms
- [Crunchbase: Close (close-io)](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/close-io): founded 2013, self-funded/bootstrapped, no outside funding recorded (Crunchbase blocks direct/automated fetch, cross-checked via search)
- [LinkedIn: Close company page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/close-crm): industry, 51-200 employee band, software development category
- [Close: Security & Privacy page](https://close.com/security): SOC 2 Type II certification, GDPR statement, encryption and monitoring statements; page does not mention HIPAA or SSO
- [Close: GDPR compliance page](https://close.com/gdpr): GDPR data controller/processor obligations, DPAs available on request
- [Close: Integrations page](https://close.com/integrations): native integrations list including Gmail, Microsoft 365, Zoom, Zapier, Calendly, ChatGPT
- [Topickz: Best Sales CRM listicle (Close entry)](https://www.topickz.com/list/best-sales-crm/): internal cross-check of pricing tiers and G2/Capterra figures previously verified for this brand