Close vs ContactOut: Cross-Category Comparison
Compare Close (crm platform) and ContactOut (data enrichment tool) side by side. Understand how these tools fit different stages of your sales workflow.
Close and ContactOut serve different sales workflow stages and are complementary rather than competitive. Close is a CRM platform starting at $19/month that manages pipeline tracking, deal management, and includes built-in calling and email sequences. ContactOut is a data enrichment tool starting free that finds and verifies contact information from 300M+ professional profiles via LinkedIn integration. Most sales teams use both: ContactOut for sourcing leads and Close for managing them through the sales cycle.
Key takeaways
- Close starts at $19/month for CRM functionality while ContactOut offers a free tier with 5 emails and 5 phone numbers per day.
- ContactOut provides access to over 300 million professional profiles through its browser extension and search portal.
- Both tools integrate with Zapier, Gmail, and HubSpot, making them compatible within the same tech stack.
- Close includes built-in Power Dialer, predictive dialing, and native SMS messaging as part of its CRM platform.
- ContactOut's paid Email plan starts at $49/month and includes 300 exports per month with unlimited email access.
Reviewed and updated February 6, 2026
Close vs ContactOut: Cross-Category Comparison
Close (crm platform) and ContactOut (data enrichment tool) address different challenges in the outbound sales process. Comparing them makes sense when you are deciding which part of your workflow to invest in next.
Why Compare These Two Tools?
Data enrichment tools find and verify contact information, while CRMs organize and track those contacts through the sales process. Teams evaluate whether their CRM's built-in data features are sufficient or if a dedicated enrichment tool delivers better data quality.
Close is a crm platform focused on customer relationship management. A CRM built specifically for inside sales teams, with built-in calling, SMS, and email functionality. Close focuses on reducing manual data entry and increasing sales velocity with features like Power Dialer, predictive dialing, and workflow automation.
ContactOut is a data enrichment tool focused on B2B lead data and contact enrichment. Email and phone finder with 300M+ professional profiles, LinkedIn-focused browser extension, and AI-powered email campaigns.
Where Each Tool Fits in Your Workflow
| Aspect | Close | ContactOut |
|---|---|---|
| Category | CRM Platform | Data Enrichment Tool |
| Workflow Stage | Pipeline and deal tracking | Lead sourcing and data |
| Primary Focus | Customer relationship management | B2B lead data and contact enrichment |
| Starting Price | $19/mo | Free |
| Features Listed | 8 | 9 |
| Integrations | 8 | 8 |
Pricing Comparison
Close Pricing (as of February 2026)
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Base | $19/mo |
| Startup | $49/mo |
| Professional | $99/mo |
| Enterprise | $139/mo |
Source: Close Pricing
ContactOut Pricing (as of February 2026)
| Plan | Price | Contacts | Emails |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | 5 emails/day, 5 phones/day | N/A |
| $49/mo | 300 exports/month | Unlimited emails | |
| Email + Phone | $99/mo | 600 exports/month | Unlimited emails and phones |
| Team / API | Contact Sales | Custom | Custom |
Source: ContactOut Pricing
Pricing Context
These tools serve different purposes, so a direct price comparison requires context. Close starts at $19/mo for customer relationship management, while ContactOut starts at $0/mo for B2B lead data and contact enrichment. Many teams end up paying for both since they address different workflow stages.
Feature Highlights
Close Key Capabilities (CRM Platform)
- Built-in calling with Power Dialer
- Native SMS messaging
- Email sequences and templates
- Automated workflows
- Predictive dialing
- AI Email Assistant
- Pipeline and activity reporting
- Role-based access and permissions
ContactOut Key Capabilities (Data Enrichment Tool)
- 300M+ professional profiles
- Browser extension for LinkedIn
- Email campaigns
- AI email writer
- Data enrichment
- List builder
- Search portal
- Bulk license (700M+ profiles on Team)
- CSV export
Feature Overlap
These tools have minimal feature overlap, which makes sense given their different categories. They are more complementary than competitive.
Integration Ecosystem
Close Integrations
Close connects with: Zapier, Slack, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Zoom, HubSpot, Segment, Calendly.
ContactOut Integrations
ContactOut connects with: Salesforce, HubSpot, Greenhouse, Lever, Bullhorn, Zapier, Gmail, Outlook.
Shared Integrations
Both tools integrate with: Zapier, Gmail, HubSpot. This shared ecosystem means they can work together in your tech stack.
When to Choose Close
- Your biggest gap is in pipeline and deal tracking
- You already have a solid data enrichment tool and need specialized customer relationship management capabilities
- You want an affordable entry point ($19/mo)
- Your team's primary bottleneck is customer relationship management
When to Choose ContactOut
- Your biggest gap is in lead sourcing and data
- You already have a crm platform and need better B2B lead data and contact enrichment
- You want an affordable entry point ($0/mo)
- Your team's primary bottleneck is B2B lead data and contact enrichment
Using Both Together
Many sales teams use both a crm platform and a data enrichment tool as part of their complete workflow. Close handles pipeline and deal tracking while ContactOut covers lead sourcing and data.
Since both tools integrate with Zapier, Gmail, HubSpot, connecting them in your workflow is straightforward.
Decision Framework
- Map your workflow gaps. Which stage needs the most improvement: pipeline and deal tracking or lead sourcing and data?
- Check your existing stack. Do you already have a tool covering one of these categories?
- Consider your budget. Can you invest in both, or do you need to prioritize one?
- Trial both. Sign up for free trials to evaluate each tool in your actual workflow.
- Measure ROI separately. Track the impact of each tool on its specific workflow stage.
Related Reading
- Best Close Alternatives in 2026
- Best ContactOut Alternatives in 2026
- Close vs Salesforce: CRM Platform Comparison
- Close vs HubSpot CRM: CRM Platform Comparison
- Apollo.io vs ContactOut: Data Enrichment Tool Comparison
Pricing and features verified as of February 2026. Visit Close and ContactOut for current information.
Frequently asked questions.
Frequently asked questions- Should I use Close or ContactOut for my sales team?
- The choice depends on your workflow gap. Use Close if you need pipeline management, deal tracking, and built-in calling functionality. Choose ContactOut if you need to find and verify contact information for prospects. Most teams use both tools together since Close handles relationship management while ContactOut handles lead sourcing and data enrichment at different workflow stages.
- Can Close and ContactOut work together in the same sales stack?
- Yes, Close and ContactOut are designed to complement each other. Both integrate with Zapier, Gmail, and HubSpot, making it straightforward to connect them in your workflow. A typical setup uses ContactOut to find and enrich contact data, then exports those contacts to Close for pipeline management and outreach.
- How much does it cost to use both Close and ContactOut?
- The minimum cost is $19/month for Close's Base plan plus ContactOut's free tier. For full functionality, expect $68/month combining Close's Startup plan ($49/month) with ContactOut's Email plan ($49/month starting at $19/month for ContactOut). Enterprise teams typically spend $139/month for Close Professional plus $99/month for ContactOut's Email + Phone plan.
- What's the main difference between Close and ContactOut?
- Close is a CRM platform focused on managing customer relationships, tracking deals, and conducting outreach with built-in calling and email tools. ContactOut is a data enrichment tool focused on finding and verifying email addresses and phone numbers from over 300 million professional profiles. Close manages contacts you already have, while ContactOut helps you find new ones.
About the author.
Tim Carden is CMO / CTO at RevenueFlow, which builds and operates outbound revenue engines for B2B companies. Studied at McGill University.
Tim Carden · CMO / CTO
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