Close vs Salesforce

Close and Salesforce both help teams manage leads and deals, but they’re built around different needs.

Close brings calling, texting, and email into a sales CRM, with conversations saved alongside the lead. Salesforce offers a customizable platform that connects sales, service, marketing, and commerce.

Salesforce’s small-business plans don’t list a phone system. You can call from your phone using its mobile app or connect a separate calling app. In Close, calling is built in.

Updated Oct 21, 2026

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Choose Close if…

You sell by phone, text, and email, and want calling built into the CRM.
You want month-to-month billing, with no annual contract.
You want reps selling in their first week, without an admin or a months-long implementation.
You want AI agents that call and qualify new leads.

Salesforce may suit you if…

You have complex requirements that justify extensive customization.
You have dedicated CRM, operations, or technical people to build and run it.
You’re a large enterprise with complex security requirements.

On this page8 sections

The main difference#

We built Close for teams that sell through conversations. You can call, text, and email from the CRM, and calls are logged automatically on the lead. Your team can see the conversation history and pick up where the last person left off.

Close also records, transcribes, and summarizes calls. On our higher plans, the power dialer helps reps work through a list of leads.

Salesforce takes a broader approach. It brings sales, service, marketing, commerce, and Slack together in one app. Its higher small-business plan adds tools for building custom records and apps, plus a sandbox where you can test changes to your setup.

The real question is how much infrastructure it should take to run your sales team. In Close, there’s no admin to hire and no implementation to schedule.

Close and Salesforce side by side#

Use this table to check the work that matters to your team: what’s included, what needs another app, and which features start on a higher plan.

Capability	Close	Salesforce
Calling	Built in on browser and mobile	Call from the mobile app or connect a calling app; Starter and Pro don't list a phone system.
Dialer	Power dialer on Growth; predictive dialer on Scale	Sales Dialer is a paid add-on scheduled for retirement, so confirm alternatives and plan eligibility.
Call records	Recordings, transcripts, and summaries; retention varies by plan	Ask your calling provider; Salesforce's Conversation Insights analyzes recordings but doesn't record calls itself.
Texting	Built in, with workflow steps on higher plans	Starter and Pro don't list it; ask about SMS Messaging for Sales and eligible plans.
Follow-up	Workflows combine email, text, and call steps on Growth and Scale	Starter has triggered follow-ups; multichannel cadences require Sales Engagement
AI agents	Available on every plan, using AI credits	Agentforce for Sales is a paid add-on; confirm which editions are eligible.
Customization	Custom objects, custom activities on Growth, and API access	Pro adds custom objects, custom apps, and a sandbox; Flows automate processes
Marketing	Bulk email on Growth	Email campaigns, segmentation, and lead scoring; check send limits
Reporting	Activity, opportunity funnel, and workflow reports	Customizable reports and dashboards; forecasting on Pro
Trial and billing	14-day trial without a card; monthly or annual plans	Salesforce lists a 30-day trial and annual billing for Pro and higher.
Migration	Free migration of simple data; Import2 lists Salesforce as a source	CSV export and implementation partners are available

Test the items your team relies on, including the calling app and integrations, before treating any row as equivalent.

After a call goes unanswered#

You call a new lead, but they don’t pick up. You want to leave a voicemail and follow up with a quick text.

In Close

Call from your browser. If the lead doesn’t answer, drop a pre-recorded voicemail with one click, then send a text from their record. The call is saved alongside your emails and texts.

If you’re using the power dialer on one of our higher plans, you can then move on to the next lead.

In Salesforce

Salesforce’s small-business plans don’t list a phone system. You can call from your phone through the mobile app or add a separate calling app.

Salesforce also offers Sales Dialer as a paid add-on, though it’s scheduled for retirement. Its small-business plans don’t list texting, so how calls and texts show up on the record depends on which tools you add.

Try it yourself: In each trial, let a call go unanswered. Then see how easily you can find the call, voicemail, follow-up text, and next task.

Follow one lead from first contact to meeting

Step	Close	Salesforce and a calling setup
Step 1Lead arrives	A lead can arrive through a form or import; higher plans can start a workflow	Starter includes lead routing and syncs emails, events, and contacts
Step 2First call	Call from the browser; the record includes the call and its recording, transcript, and summary	Call from the mobile app or a connected calling app; recording depends on the setup
Step 3No answer	The call is logged; the power dialer can move to the next lead on higher plans	Check whether the calling app logs the attempt and offers a dialer
Step 4Voicemail	Drop a pre-recorded voicemail	Sales Dialer offers voicemail drop; otherwise check the calling app
Step 5Follow-up	Send email or text from the record, or use a workflow on higher plans	Starter can trigger follow-ups; multichannel cadences need Sales Engagement
Step 6Meeting	A rep or AI agent can qualify the lead and book a meeting	A rep can book a meeting; Salesforce also offers paid AI-agent tools

In your trial, follow the entire path with one lead to see if your team can do it without losing context between steps.

Following up across calls, texts, and email#

Both CRMs can help you follow up with leads. The difference is how you set up that follow-up and which plan or add-on you need.

Setting up follow-up

In Close, you can build a workflow that starts when a lead meets your criteria and combines email, text, and call steps. Workflows are available on our two higher plans.

Salesforce Starter includes sales flows for tasks such as routing leads, triggering follow-ups, and capturing activity. For scheduled sequences of emails, calls, meetings, and texts, Salesforce offers cadences through its paid Sales Engagement add-on. Ask Salesforce which plans can add it before pricing your setup.

Seeing what’s happened

Close has reports for calls, emails, and texts, along with an opportunity funnel and workflow performance reports. Salesforce offers customizable reports and dashboards, and its higher small-business plan adds forecasting.

If you want an AI agent to qualify leads

Close AI agents can make outbound calls, check leads against your criteria, book meetings, and log the call. They're available on every plan and use AI credits. Plans include a monthly allowance of 500 to 2,000 credits per user, depending on the plan; unused credits don't roll over, and you can buy more.

Salesforce lists Agentforce for Sales as a paid add-on at $125 per user/month billed annually. Salesforce says AI can be added to Core and higher editions, so confirm eligibility, the agent's capabilities, and usage costs before you buy.

Customer story

Why Flatiron School switched from Salesforce#

“Moving over to Close made things go so much faster.”

Jem Millett · Senior Director of Growth, Flatiron School

Watch the story Read Flatiron School's customer story

What does the whole setup cost?#

Start with the work your team needs to do, then add the tools and usage charges required to do it.

98% of Close users say it saves them at least three hours a week of admin and manual work, which is more than 150 hours a year per seller.

Salesforce Starter Suite is $25 per user per month, billed monthly or annually. Close Essentials is $35 per user per month billed annually, or $49 billed monthly. Close Essentials includes calling and texting; Salesforce’s small-business plans don’t list a phone system.

For a setup with automated follow-up and a power dialer, Close Growth is $99 per user per month billed annually, or $109 billed monthly. Salesforce Pro Suite is $100 per user per month, billed annually with a contract. Depending on your needs, a Salesforce setup may also require a calling app and Sales Engagement.

Price it yourself: the setups side by side

The table below uses example calling-app prices. The right setup and total will depend on the provider you choose, its minimum license requirements, and which Salesforce plan can add the features you need.

Work	Close	Salesforce example	Check before deciding
Calling, texting, and email	Essentials: $35/user/month annually or $49 monthly	Starter: $25/user/month, plus an example calling app such as Aircall Essentials at $30/license/month annually	Aircall has a three-license minimum; confirm SMS and usage
Follow-up and a power dialer	Growth: $99/user/month annually or $109 monthly	Pro Suite: $100/user/month annually, plus an example Aircall Professional license at $50/license/month annually and potentially Sales Engagement at $50/user/month annually	Confirm add-on eligibility and the calling app's minimum licenses
Follow-up and AI calling	Growth, with monthly AI credits	Salesforce lists Core at $195/user/month annually, plus Agentforce for Sales at $125/user/month annually.	Confirm eligible editions, capabilities, and total usage costs.

Prices were checked October 21, 2026. These are example configurations, not equivalent totals. Close calls are billed per minute, phone numbers start at $1 per line/month, and AI agents use AI credits. Salesforce lists Starter as a starting price, with possible commerce transaction fees; its plans include 2,000 marketing email sends per month, and extra sends cost more. Salesforce doesn’t list a monthly price for Pro Suite or Core. Confirm prices, eligibility, and usage before you buy.

List prices are a starting point. What you pay depends on your billing term, team size, calling, texting, and AI usage beyond included credits, add-ons, onboarding fees, and the terms you agree with each vendor. Prices and plans change, so confirm current pricing before you buy.

Buying for five or more sellers? Talk to our sales team about team pricing and onboarding.

If your team is happy calling from a phone without a connected calling app, you won’t need that extra purchase. If you don’t need to call or text from the CRM, Salesforce Starter Suite may cover your needs without those add-ons.

Beyond sales communication, Starter Suite includes service, marketing, commerce, and a free Slack workspace. Salesforce Pro Suite adds quoting and forecasting. Close Growth includes workflows across email, texts, and call tasks, bulk email, and 1,500 AI credits per user each month.

Try Close before you switch#

You don’t have to cancel Salesforce to find out whether Close is a fit.

Start a free 14-day trial and try your real sales process in Close. Make a few calls, send follow-ups, and see whether your team can find what it needs on each lead. No credit card is required.

If you decide to move, our migration team moves simple data for free, with a turnaround of five to seven business days. Confirm the scope and timing for your setup with us before planning the move.

Import2, the migration service inside Close, lists Salesforce as a source. A Close admin can start an import for your team, beginning with a sample so you can review the result.

Formula and roll-up summary fields don’t export, and Salesforce flows and cadences must be rebuilt as Close workflows.

Before a full move, have the right Salesforce admin export a backup and check the download deadline. In the sample, review account-to-lead mapping, contacts, opportunities, custom fields, and activity history. List the reports and automations to rebuild, and plan number transfers and required US texting registration separately.

See the Switching from Salesforce guide for the full checklist.

Frequently asked questions#

Is Close or Salesforce better for a sales team?

Close is the better fit if your team sells by phone, text, and email and wants calling built in, with monthly billing and AI included on every plan. Salesforce fits better when you need sales, service, and marketing on one customizable platform and have people to configure it.

Can you make calls from Salesforce?

Yes. You can call from its mobile app or connect a calling app, since its small-business plans don't list a phone system. Salesforce's Sales Dialer is a paid add-on scheduled for retirement, so confirm current options and eligibility.

How much does Salesforce cost?

Salesforce lists Starter Suite at $25 per user/month and Pro Suite at $100 per user/month billed annually. Calling apps and some sales and AI features can cost extra, depending on the plans, contract, and add-ons your team needs.

Can I use Outlook with Salesforce?

Yes. Salesforce lists Gmail and Outlook integration.

Can I move Salesforce data to Close?

Yes. Import2 lists Salesforce as a source, and our migration team moves simple data for free. Start with a sample to review the mappings. Formula fields, roll-up summaries, flows, and cadences need separate attention.

Try your next call in Close

Make a call, send a follow-up, and check the lead’s record.