Close vs PhoneBurner: CRM Platform vs Sales Engagement Platform Comparison
Compare Close (CRM platform) and PhoneBurner (sales engagement platform) side by side. See pricing, features, and integrations to decide which one, or both, your stack needs.
Close is a CRM platform starting at $19/mo, built for pipeline tracking, deal management, and forecasting with built-in calling and native SMS. PhoneBurner is a sales engagement platform starting at $165/mo, built for multi-channel outreach with unlimited calling and workflow automation. Many teams run both together rather than choosing one over the other.
Key takeaways
- Close's entry plan, Solo, costs $19/mo and is limited to 10k leads, while PhoneBurner's entry plan, Standard, costs $165/mo per user.
- Close offers 4 pricing tiers (Solo, Essentials, Growth, Scale) compared to PhoneBurner's 3 tiers (Standard, Professional, Premium).
- Close lists 8 key features including Built-in calling with Power Dialer, Native SMS messaging, and an AI Email Assistant.
- PhoneBurner lists 9 key features including Unlimited Calling, Workflow Automation, Live Call Monitoring & Coaching, and Lead Distribution.
- Close integrates with 8 tools including Zapier, Slack, Gmail, and Calendly, while PhoneBurner integrates with 4 tools including Salesforce and Zoho CRM, with HubSpot as the only shared integration.
Reviewed and updated September 4, 2026
Close vs PhoneBurner: CRM Platform vs Sales Engagement Platform Comparison
Close (CRM platform) and PhoneBurner (sales engagement platform) sit next to each other in many outbound stacks. They are not substitutes for each other on every job, so this comparison covers pricing, features, and integrations for each and points out where the two meet.
The Quick Answer
Close is a CRM platform for customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking; PhoneBurner is a sales engagement platform for multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking. By each vendor's own wording, Close lists built-in calling with power dialer and native sms messaging, and PhoneBurner lists unlimited calling and workflow automation.
Close offers a lower entry point at $19/mo compared to PhoneBurner at $165/mo.
If your priority is organizing contacts, tracking deals, and forecasting revenue, Close is the one built for it; for coordinating outreach across email, phone, and social channels, that is PhoneBurner. Many teams run one of each.
Understanding the Core Difference
Close is 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.
PhoneBurner is Sales dialer platform that blends calls, email and SMS in one outreach workflow, with spam-flag remediation, connect scoring to prioritize likely answers, workflow automation and lead distribution. Includes reporting, live call monitoring and coaching.
The two platforms take different approaches to solving the same core challenge.
Pricing Comparison
Solo
Standard
Close Pricing (as of September 2026)
| Plan | Price | Contacts |
|---|---|---|
| Solo | $19/mo | Limited to 10k leads |
| Essentials | $49/mo | - |
| Growth | $109/mo | - |
| Scale | $149/mo | - |
Source: Close Pricing
PhoneBurner Pricing (as of September 2026)
| Plan | Price | Contacts | Emails |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $165/mo | Per user | Unlimited Calling |
| Professional | $195/mo | Per user | Unlimited Calling |
| Premium | $215/mo | Per user | Unlimited Calling |
Source: PhoneBurner Pricing
Pricing Analysis
Close is more affordable at the entry level ($19/mo vs $165/mo). For teams with tight budgets or those just getting started with customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking and multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking, this price difference matters.
Close offers 4 pricing tiers compared to PhoneBurner's 3, giving you more granularity as you scale.
Features Breakdown
- Built-in calling with Power Dialer
- Native SMS messaging
- Email sequences and templates
- Automated workflows
- Predictive dialing
- AI Email Assistant
- and 2 more listed below
- Unlimited Calling
- Workflow Automation
- Call Analytics
- Softphone Dialing
- Live Call Monitoring & Coaching
- Open API
- and 3 more listed below
Close Key Features
- 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
PhoneBurner Key Features
- Unlimited Calling
- Workflow Automation
- Call Analytics
- Softphone Dialing
- Live Call Monitoring & Coaching
- Open API
- Custom Inbound Routing
- Text Messaging
- Lead Distribution
The two lists below are a diff of each vendor's own feature list by exact wording, so a capability both tools offer can appear on either side under a different name.
Listed only by Close
- 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
Listed only by PhoneBurner
- Unlimited Calling
- Workflow Automation
- Call Analytics
- Softphone Dialing
- Live Call Monitoring & Coaching
- Open API
- Custom Inbound Routing
- Text Messaging
- Lead Distribution
Integration Ecosystem
Close Integrations
Close connects with: Zapier, Slack, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Zoom, HubSpot, Segment, Calendly.
PhoneBurner Integrations
PhoneBurner connects with: Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, GoHighLevel.
Shared Integrations
Both tools integrate with: HubSpot.
Integrations listed only by Close: Zapier, Slack, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Zoom, Segment, Calendly.
Integrations listed only by PhoneBurner: Salesforce, Zoho CRM, GoHighLevel.
Use Case Recommendations
Best Fit for Close
- Budget-conscious teams looking for an affordable CRM platform
- Organizations with complex tech stacks needing broad integration support (8 integrations)
- Sales teams tracking deals from first touch to close
- Managers who need pipeline visibility and forecasting
Best Fit for PhoneBurner
- Mid-market to enterprise teams with established multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking budgets
- Teams that need a wide feature set (9 capabilities listed)
- SDR teams running multi-channel outreach sequences
- Sales managers tracking team engagement metrics
Feature Comparison Summary
| Feature | Close | PhoneBurner |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $19/mo | $165/mo |
| Top Tier Price | $149/mo | $215/mo |
| Total Features Listed | 8 | 9 |
| Integrations | 8 | 4 |
| Founded | 2013 | N/A |
Getting Started Checklist
- Define your customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking and multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking requirements and monthly budget
- Estimate your expected contacts and deals and sequences and engagement actions to find the right tier
- List the integrations your team currently relies on
- Sign up for free trials or demos of both platforms
- Run a small test with each tool before making a commitment
- Evaluate the onboarding experience and support quality
Final Thoughts
Close serves the customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking side of an outbound stack and PhoneBurner the multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking side. Close offers a more accessible entry point at $19/mo, while PhoneBurner starts at $165/mo. Your decision should weigh pricing against the specific features that matter most for your workflow.
Start with a trial of each to see which platform fits your team's daily process. The best tool is the one your team actually uses consistently.
Pricing and features verified as of September 2026. Visit Close and PhoneBurner for current information.
Frequently asked questions.
Frequently asked questions- What is the main difference between Close and PhoneBurner?
- Close is a CRM platform for customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking, while PhoneBurner is a sales engagement platform for multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking. Close focuses on organizing contacts, tracking deals, and forecasting revenue, while PhoneBurner focuses on coordinating outreach across email, phone, and social channels.
- How much do Close and PhoneBurner cost?
- Close starts at $19/mo for its Solo plan, which is limited to 10k leads, and goes up to $149/mo for its Scale plan. PhoneBurner starts at $165/mo per user for its Standard plan and goes up to $215/mo for its Premium plan, both with unlimited calling.
- Which integrations do Close and PhoneBurner support?
- Close connects with Zapier, Slack, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Zoom, HubSpot, Segment, and Calendly. PhoneBurner connects with Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoho CRM, and GoHighLevel. HubSpot is the only integration listed by both tools.
- Is Close or PhoneBurner better for a budget-conscious team?
- Close is the more affordable option, with an entry price of $19/mo compared to PhoneBurner's $165/mo. The article recommends Close for budget-conscious teams looking for an affordable CRM platform and for organizations that need broad integration support.
- Should a sales team use Close and PhoneBurner together?
- Yes, the article notes that many teams run one of each since Close and PhoneBurner solve different core challenges. Close handles pipeline visibility and forecasting, while PhoneBurner is suited to SDR teams running multi-channel outreach sequences and managers tracking team engagement metrics.
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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