4 Best Close Alternatives in 2025
Last updated: February 2026 • 14 min read
Close is a popular tool for inside sales teams. With pricing starting at $29/user/mo, it can be expensive for many teams. Whether you're looking for a cheaper option, better features, or an open-source solution, we've compiled the 4 best Close alternatives to help you find the right fit.
📋 Quick Summary
- Total alternatives: 4
- Free alternatives: 2 (HubSpot CRM, Freshsales)
- Best overall: HubSpot CRM
- Best free: HubSpot CRM
Why Look for Close Alternatives?
People commonly look for Close alternatives for several reasons:
- Cost: At $29/user/mo, Close isn't cheap, especially for small teams and startups.
- Feature gaps: No free plan and expensive are common complaints.
- Simplicity: Some users find Close overly complex for their needs and prefer simpler solutions.
- Data ownership: Organizations wanting data sovereignty prefer open-source, self-hosted alternatives.
- Better fit: Different tools excel at different use cases — you may find a tool that's specifically built for your workflow.
📊 Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Free Tier | Starting Price | Rating | Open Source | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close | ✗ No | $29/user/mo | ⭐ 4.3 | No | Inside sales teams |
| HubSpot CRM | ✓ Free CRM with unlimited users | $20/mo (Starter) | ⭐ 4.4 | No | Growing businesses wanting free CRM with marketing tools |
| Pipedrive | ✗ No | $14/user/mo | ⭐ 4.3 | No | Sales-focused SMBs |
| Salesforce | ✗ No | $25/user/mo | ⭐ 4.2 | No | Large enterprises with complex sales processes |
| Freshsales | ✓ Free plan available | $9/user/mo | ⭐ 4.2 | No | Teams wanting built-in communication in their CRM |
Detailed Reviews of Each Alternative
HubSpot CRM
Free CRM platform with marketing, sales, and service hubs.
HubSpot CRM is a free, powerful CRM platform that forms the foundation of HubSpot's suite of business tools. It offers contact management, deal tracking, email tracking, and basic reporting at no cost. The paid Marketing, Sales, and Service Hubs add advanced features for growing businesses.
Pros
- ✓ Generous free tier
- ✓ All-in-one platform
- ✓ Easy to use
- ✓ Great marketing tools
Cons
- ✗ Expensive at scale
- ✗ Limited free reporting
- ✗ Contacts can get pricey
- ✗ Complex pricing
Pipedrive
Sales CRM designed by salespeople, for salespeople.
Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM known for its visual pipeline management and ease of use. Designed by salespeople for salespeople, it emphasizes activity-based selling and provides clear visibility into the sales process. It's particularly popular among small and medium-sized businesses.
Pros
- ✓ Very intuitive
- ✓ Great pipeline view
- ✓ Affordable
- ✓ Good mobile app
Cons
- ✗ Limited free plan
- ✗ Basic reporting
- ✗ Limited marketing tools
- ✗ No built-in phone
Salesforce
The world's leading CRM platform for sales, service, and marketing.
Salesforce is the world's #1 CRM platform, trusted by over 150,000 companies worldwide. It offers comprehensive solutions for sales, customer service, marketing automation, analytics, and application development. While incredibly powerful, Salesforce is known for its complexity and high cost, making it a prime target for businesses seeking alternatives.
Pros
- ✓ Most powerful CRM
- ✓ Extensive ecosystem
- ✓ Highly customizable
- ✓ Market leader
Cons
- ✗ Very expensive
- ✗ Complex setup
- ✗ Steep learning curve
- ✗ Requires admin expertise
Freshsales
AI-powered CRM by Freshworks for high-velocity sales teams.
Freshsales (by Freshworks) is a modern CRM that uses AI to help sales teams close deals faster. It features built-in phone, email, and chat capabilities, along with AI-powered lead scoring and deal insights. Part of the Freshworks ecosystem, it integrates well with other Freshworks products.
Pros
- ✓ Built-in communication tools
- ✓ AI features
- ✓ Good free tier
- ✓ Affordable
Cons
- ✗ Limited integrations
- ✗ Less customizable
- ✗ Reporting limitations
- ✗ Smaller ecosystem
🏆 Our Recommendations
Best Overall Alternative:
HubSpot CRM — Growing businesses wanting free CRM with marketing tools
Best Free Alternative:
HubSpot CRM — Free CRM with unlimited users
❓ FAQ
What is the best free alternative to Close?
The best free alternative to Close is HubSpot CRM, which offers Free CRM with unlimited users.
Is there an open-source alternative to Close?
There are no widely-used open-source alternatives to Close at this time, but several affordable options exist.
What is the cheapest alternative to Close?
The cheapest alternatives are the free options: HubSpot CRM, Freshsales. For paid alternatives, prices start from as low as $9/mo.
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