--- {"title": "Close alternatives in 2026: what to compare", "description": "Compare Close alternatives by how each tracks deals, records contacts and bills, and what to check before choosing one for your own sales work.", "url": "https://uncommoncomforts.com/close-alternatives/", "date": "2026-11-04"} --- Compare Close alternatives by how each tracks deals, records contacts and bills, and what to check before choosing one for your own sales work. Close combines calling, email, SMS, pipeline management, reporting and an AI sales agent in one platform. [^1] The alternatives below differ mainly in what they track, what their plans cost to start, and how they handle AI. | Option | Own plan fee | Card payment fee | |---|---|---| | Connections Sales | Connections Free $0 [^2]; Connections Pro $39.99 a month [^2]; Connections Business $99.99 a month [^2] | not published | | HubSpot Free CRM | Free CRM [^3]; other prices not published | not published | | Pipedrive | 14-day free trial, no credit card required [^4]; other prices not published | not published | | Zoho CRM | Standard, for small teams getting started [^5]; prices not published | not published | | Salesforce | Free trial, no credit card needed [^6] | not published | ## What Close offers and what to check Close combines calling, email, SMS, pipeline management, reporting and an AI sales agent named Chloe in a single platform. [^1] Chloe is described as an AI sales agent built into Close that calls leads, qualifies prospects and can book meetings while updating the CRM automatically. [^1] Close also keeps calls, texts and emails in the record, so a team member can see earlier conversations. [^1] It can automatically dial through a list and connect a user when someone answers. [^1] Its pipeline view shows deals by stage and value and suggests a next step for each one. [^1] Close's forms capture leads straight into its records. [^1] The facts here do not state Close's plan prices or any card payment fee, so check both before you compare the tools. ## Connections Sales: a signed-in web workspace for prospects and deals Connections Sales is made by the team that publishes this site. [^2] It is a signed-in web workspace, not a public content page. [^2] Each deal sits in one of five stages: new, talking, proposal, won or lost. [^2] When you mark a deal lost, you pick a reason from a fixed list such as price, timing or chose competitor. [^2] A prospect is recorded one person at a time. [^2] You state why you may contact each prospect, and self-declared reasons are capped per day. [^2] Marking someone do-not-contact takes effect immediately, with no approval step. [^2] For a deal marked won, you can request a testimonial through a unique capture link. [^2] A sales check-up follows fixed rules, with no AI model call and no credits. [^2] ## HubSpot Free CRM: a free customer records tool from HubSpot HubSpot provides a free CRM. [^3] The facts here do not state what the free CRM includes or its limits, so check those on HubSpot's own pages. ## Pipedrive: a sales tool with a free trial and AI tips Pipedrive offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. [^4] It gives AI-powered personalized tips to help users focus on winning deals. [^4] The facts here do not state Pipedrive's plan prices, its integrations or its card fees, so check each on Pipedrive's own pages before deciding. ## Zoho CRM: a sales software with AI agents Zoho CRM Standard is for small teams getting started. [^5] Zoho says it serves 350K businesses and has done so for 21 years. [^5] The facts here do not state Standard's price or what it includes, so check Zoho's own plan details before you choose. ## Salesforce: a CRM with a free trial Salesforce offers agentic CRM solutions for businesses ranging from startups to large global enterprises. [^6] It offers a free trial of its CRM, with no credit card needed. [^6] Its AI can carry out tasks on its own, including several steps in a row. [^6] It can also make predictions about business outcomes, such as which deals are likely to close. [^6] The facts here do not state the prices of Salesforce's paid CRM plans, so check those on Salesforce's own pages. ## How to pick the right Close alternative Start with what the tool must do for your deals. If you want each deal to move through clear stages and each prospect recorded one person at a time, Connections Sales covers both. [^2] [^2] If you want an AI agent that calls leads and books meetings, Close describes one. [^1] Salesforce describes agentic AI that can plan and carry out tasks. [^6] If you want a check-up that uses fixed rules, Connections Sales has one with no AI model call and no credits. [^2] If a free start matters most, Connections Free costs $0 and stops a feature rather than billing you when a limit is passed. [^2] HubSpot provides a free CRM. [^3] Pipedrive offers a 14-day trial with no credit card required. [^4] For a paid plan, Connections Pro, the first paid plan, is $39.99 a month and adds premium features across every Connections product. [^2] Connections Business is $99.99 a month, with higher limits across every Connections product. [^2] A team just starting out may look at Zoho CRM Standard, which is for small teams getting started. [^5] The facts here do not state Close's prices or any card payment fee, so check each one before you choose. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is there a free Close alternative? Connections Free costs $0, and going over a limit stops the feature rather than billing you. [^2] HubSpot provides a free CRM. [^3] Salesforce offers a free starting option for its CRM platform. [^6] The facts here do not state the limits of either free offer, so read each one before you sign up. ### Which Close alternative has an AI sales agent? Close describes Chloe, a built-in AI sales agent that calls leads and books meetings. [^1] Salesforce describes agentic AI that can reason, plan multistep actions and carry out tasks. [^6] Connections Sales has a sales check-up that follows fixed rules, with no AI model call and no credits. [^2] Compare what each tool's AI actually does before you choose. ### Does Pipedrive offer a free trial? Pipedrive offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. [^4] It also gives AI-powered personalized tips to help users focus on winning deals. [^4] The facts here do not state Pipedrive's plan prices, so check its own pages for those before you decide. ### Does Close connect to ChatGPT and Claude? Close lists ChatGPT, Claude and WhatsApp among its integrations. [^1] It offers more than 100 integrations in total. [^1] Close also offers access through MCP or an API. [^1] If a specific app matters to you, check the full list on Close's own site, since these facts name only some of its connections. ### Does Zoho CRM have a plan for a small team? Zoho CRM Standard is for small teams getting started. [^5] Zoho says it serves 350K businesses and has done so for 21 years. [^5] The facts here do not state Standard's price or features, so check Zoho's own plan details before deciding whether it fits your team. Connections Free costs $0, and going over a limit stops the feature rather than billing you. [^2] Connections Pro, the first paid plan, is $39.99 a month and adds premium features across every Connections product. [^2] - [Visit Connections Sales](/go/start-connections-sales) ## Sources [^1]: Close, close.com, read 2026-11-01 (https://www.close.com) [^2]: Connections Sales' own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start-connections-sales) [^3]: HubSpot Free CRM, hubspot.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://www.hubspot.com/) [^4]: Pipedrive, pipedrive.com, read 2026-10-08 (https://www.pipedrive.com/) [^5]: Zoho CRM, zoho.com/crm, read 2026-10-08 (https://www.zoho.com/crm/) [^6]: Salesforce, salesforce.com, read 2026-10-23 (https://www.salesforce.com)