When it comes to outbound sales, having the right CRM is the difference between chaos and closed deals. In 2025, with sales teams relying more than ever on automation, personalization, and multichannel outreach, platforms like Close CRM have become increasingly popular. But does it truly live up to the hype?

In this review, we’ll explore Close CRM for outbound sales, including its features, pricing, use cases, pros and cons, and how it stacks up against other outbound-focused platforms like Apollo.io. Whether you're an SDR, founder, or agency, this deep dive will help you decide if Close is the right fit for your outbound workflow.

What is Close CRM?

Close CRM (formerly Close.io) is a sales-focused CRM designed with outbound teams in mind. It’s not a general-purpose platform like Salesforce or HubSpot - it was built specifically for reps who are actively prospecting, calling, and closing deals. From high-volume cold outreach to personalized follow-ups, Close CRM sales workflows are engineered to help reps move fast.

With built-in calling tools, email automation, SMS, and workflow sequences, Close acts more like a command center than a passive contact database. It’s especially well-suited for small sales teams, startups, and agencies looking to scale outbound campaigns without piecing together multiple tools.

Key Close CRM Features for Outbound Teams

The heart of Close lies in its sales-focused design. Here’s what makes it a standout CRM for cold outreach:

• Power Dialer & Predictive Dialer: Easily make hundreds of calls per day with one-click calling and automatic dialing queues.

• Email Automation: Send personalized sequences with follow-up logic, open tracking, and templates.

• Built-in SMS Messaging: Reach prospects directly on mobile without leaving the CRM.

• Activity Tracking: Auto-log every touch—calls, emails, texts—without manual entry.

• Multi-Channel Outreach: Manage email, calls, and text in one dashboard.

• Custom Pipelines: Tailor your outbound sales pipeline in Close CRM to match your exact sales process.

• Reporting and Analytics: Monitor team activity, conversion rates, and pipeline velocity.

• Close CRM Integrations: Connect to tools like Zoom, Slack, Zapier, and Gmail for seamless workflows.
  
  

These tools combine to give SDRs and AEs a serious edge in both speed and personalization.

Is Close CRM Good for SDRs and Prospecting?

Absolutely. If you’re wondering, “Is Close CRM good for SDRs?”, the answer is a clear yes. SDRs thrive in Close because everything they need—calls, email, notes, tasks—is available in one streamlined view. There’s no flipping between platforms or copying data between tools.

For prospecting teams, Close CRM is ideal thanks to:

• Task automation for follow-ups

• Dynamic lead lists for segmentation

• Outreach tools built into the CRM (no third-party email tools needed)

• Real-time visibility into touchpoints and outcomes
  
  

As far as CRM tools for SDR teams go, Close ranks near the top for usability and speed.

Close CRM for Startups and Agencies

Startups love Close because it doesn’t require a dedicated sales ops team to set up. Agencies prefer it because they can onboard reps quickly and scale outreach without tech bottlenecks.

• Close CRM for startups offers a lean setup, smart automation, and CRM simplicity without sacrificing power.

• Close CRM for agencies enables account-based workflows, rep-level analytics, and high-volume campaigns—perfect for client-based prospecting.
  
  

If your team is lean but ambitious, Close hits the sweet spot.

Close CRM Pricing in 2025

As of 2025, Close offers a tiered pricing model:

• Startup Plan – $49/user/month (basic features, no calling tools)

• Professional Plan – $99/user/month (adds bulk email, integrations, reporting)

• Enterprise Plan – $149/user/month (unlocks power dialer, predictive dialer, full automation)
  
  

While not the cheapest on the market, Close delivers strong value for teams serious about cold outreach and automation. Its pricing becomes more competitive when you consider that you won’t need to pay separately for email tools or dialers.

Close CRM vs Other Outbound CRMs

So how does Close stack up against alternatives like Apollo.io?

• Close CRM vs Apollo.io: Close is better for teams who prioritize calling, texting, and fast outbound workflows. Apollo excels in prospect data, lead sourcing, and cold email scale.

• Close CRM vs traditional CRMs: Close is faster, more rep-focused, and has deeper outreach capabilities baked in.

• Close CRM vs HubSpot/Salesforce: While those platforms offer more marketing or enterprise features, Close offers a cleaner UX and sharper outbound tools without bloated complexity.
  
  

If you're choosing based on speed, multichannel outreach, and SDR experience, Close stands out.

Close CRM Pros and Cons

Pros

• Built for outbound sales from the ground up

• Excellent calling and SMS tools

• Streamlined UI and intuitive UX

• Great for high-volume outreach

• Fast onboarding and minimal setup
  
  

Cons

• No built-in prospect database (unlike Apollo)

• Lacks native LinkedIn integration

• Advanced features require higher-tier pricing
  
  

Final Verdict: Is Close CRM Made for Outbound Teams?

If your sales team is focused on prospecting, calling, and following up at scale, Close CRM is one of the best tools available in 2025. Its built-in email automation, calling tools, and lead management features make it a complete command center for outbound teams.

Whether you're running an SDR team, scaling a startup, or managing outbound campaigns for clients, Close simplifies outreach while enhancing performance.

Ideal for: SDRs, startups, and agencies who want to move fast

Not ideal for: Marketing-led teams or those needing complex workflows with LinkedIn