Tool Comparisons

    Closely vs ContactOut: Sales Engagement Platform vs Data Enrichment Tool Comparison

    Compare Closely (sales engagement platform) and ContactOut (data enrichment tool) side by side. See pricing, features, and integrations to decide which one, or both, your stack needs.

    Editorial illustration for Closely vs ContactOut
    August 31, 2026Updated September 4, 20266 min read
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    The short answer

    Closely is a sales engagement platform built for multichannel outreach across LinkedIn and email with a conditional sequence builder, while ContactOut is a data enrichment tool built for finding B2B contact data via email and phone finders. Closely starts at $49/mo; ContactOut offers a free tier. Many teams use both.

    Key takeaways

    • Closely's entry plan, Starter, costs $49/mo and includes 1 LinkedIn account with unlimited email accounts.
    • ContactOut's Free plan allows 5 emails, 5 phones and 5 exports per day at no cost.
    • ContactOut's Team/API plan offers a bulk license covering 700M+ profiles.
    • Closely lists a conditional sequence builder and dedicated residential IP for each LinkedIn account as features unique to its own list.
    • Both Closely and ContactOut integrate with Salesforce, HubSpot, Gmail and Outlook.

    Reviewed and updated September 4, 2026

    Closely vs ContactOut: Sales Engagement Platform vs Data Enrichment Tool Comparison

    Closely is a sales engagement platform; ContactOut is a data enrichment tool. Whether you need one, the other, or both depends on which part of the workflow you are buying for: multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking on one side, B2B lead data and contact enrichment on the other. This guide lays out what each vendor publishes.

    The Quick Answer

    Closely is a sales engagement platform for multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking; ContactOut is a data enrichment tool for B2B lead data and contact enrichment. By each vendor's own wording, Closely lists multichannel campaigns across linkedin and email and conditional sequence builder, and ContactOut lists one user per company limit on free, email and email + phone plans and browser extension for linkedin.

    ContactOut offers a lower entry point at $0/mo compared to Closely at $49/mo.

    If your priority is coordinating outreach across email, phone, and social channels, Closely is the one built for it; for finding accurate contact data for target accounts, that is ContactOut. Many teams run one of each.

    Understanding the Core Difference

    Closely is Outbound platform that runs automated campaigns across LinkedIn and email from a shared sender, with a conditional sequence builder, unified inbox, contact enrichment and AI personalization agents.

    ContactOut is Email and phone finder with a LinkedIn-focused browser extension, AI-powered email campaigns, and a 700M+ profile bulk license on the Team plan.

    The two platforms take different approaches to solving the same core challenge.

    Pricing Comparison

    Pricing ladder: Pricing Comparison (Closely, ContactOut, Starter, Free)

    $49/moClosely entry plan

    Starter

    FreeContactOut entry plan

    Free

    Entry pricing for Closely and ContactOut, as published on each vendor's own pricing page.

    Closely Pricing (as of September 2026)

    PlanPriceContacts
    Starter$49/mo1 LinkedIn account, unlimited email accounts
    Growth$127/mo3 LinkedIn accounts, unlimited email accounts, 3,000 bonus credits/mo
    Essential$205/mo5 LinkedIn accounts, unlimited email accounts, 5,000 bonus credits/mo
    CustomContact SalesUnlimited seats, custom LinkedIn accounts and credits

    Source: Closely Pricing

    ContactOut Pricing (as of September 2026)

    PlanPriceContactsEmails
    FreeFree5 emails, 5 phones and 5 exports per day5 emails / day
    Email$49/mo300 exports / monthUnlimited emails
    Email + Phone$99/mo600 exports / monthUnlimited emails and unlimited phones
    Team / APIContact SalesBulk license, 700M+ profilesContact us

    Source: ContactOut Pricing

    Pricing Analysis

    ContactOut offers the lower entry point ($0/mo vs $49/mo). Teams watching their budget will appreciate the savings, especially when starting out.

    ContactOut includes a free tier, which is helpful for evaluating the platform without upfront cost.

    Features Breakdown

    Closely lists
    • Multichannel campaigns across LinkedIn and email
    • Conditional sequence builder
    • Smart Inbox unifying LinkedIn and email replies
    • LinkedIn account warmup
    • Dedicated residential IP for each LinkedIn account
    • OAuth Gmail and Outlook connection plus custom SMTP
    • and 4 more listed below
    ContactOut lists
    • One user per company limit on Free, Email and Email + Phone plans
    • Browser extension for LinkedIn
    • Email campaigns
    • AI email writer
    • Data enrichment
    • List builder
    • and 3 more listed below
    What Closely and ContactOut each list on their own pages. The split is by exact wording, so a capability both offer can appear on both sides under different names.

    Closely Key Features

    • Multichannel campaigns across LinkedIn and email
    • Conditional sequence builder
    • Smart Inbox unifying LinkedIn and email replies
    • LinkedIn account warmup
    • Dedicated residential IP for each LinkedIn account
    • OAuth Gmail and Outlook connection plus custom SMTP
    • Email finder with a multi-step fallback process
    • Phone number finder
    • AI lead scoring and personalization agents
    • Export from Sales Navigator, LinkedIn posts and events

    ContactOut Key Features

    • One user per company limit on Free, Email and Email + Phone plans
    • Browser extension for LinkedIn
    • Email campaigns
    • AI email writer
    • Data enrichment
    • List builder
    • Search portal
    • Bulk license (700M+ profiles on Team)
    • CSV export

    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 Closely

    • Multichannel campaigns across LinkedIn and email
    • Conditional sequence builder
    • Smart Inbox unifying LinkedIn and email replies
    • LinkedIn account warmup
    • Dedicated residential IP for each LinkedIn account
    • OAuth Gmail and Outlook connection plus custom SMTP
    • Email finder with a multi-step fallback process
    • Phone number finder
    • AI lead scoring and personalization agents
    • Export from Sales Navigator, LinkedIn posts and events

    Listed only by ContactOut

    • One user per company limit on Free, Email and Email + Phone plans
    • Browser extension for LinkedIn
    • Email campaigns
    • AI email writer
    • Data enrichment
    • List builder
    • Search portal
    • Bulk license (700M+ profiles on Team)
    • CSV export

    Integration Ecosystem

    Integration flow: Integration Ecosystem (Closely, ContactOut, Salesforce, HubSpot)

    Closely Integrations

    Closely connects with: Salesforce, Pipedrive, HubSpot, GoHighLevel, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, SMTP, Webhooks.

    ContactOut Integrations

    ContactOut connects with: Salesforce, HubSpot, Greenhouse, Lever, Bullhorn, Zapier, Gmail, Outlook.

    Shared Integrations

    Both tools integrate with: Salesforce, HubSpot, Gmail.

    Integrations listed only by Closely: Pipedrive, GoHighLevel, Microsoft Outlook, SMTP, Webhooks.

    Integrations listed only by ContactOut: Greenhouse, Lever, Bullhorn, Zapier, Outlook.

    Use Case Recommendations

    Best Fit for Closely

    • Budget-conscious teams looking for an affordable sales engagement platform
    • Teams that need a wide feature set (10 capabilities listed)
    • Enterprise buyers who prefer custom pricing and dedicated support

    Best Fit for ContactOut

    • Budget-conscious teams looking for an affordable data enrichment tool
    • Teams that want to start free and scale up as needs grow
    • Enterprise buyers who prefer custom pricing and dedicated support

    Feature Comparison Summary

    FeatureCloselyContactOut
    Starting Price$49/moFree
    Top Tier PriceContact SalesContact Sales
    Total Features Listed109
    Integrations88
    FoundedN/A2015

    Getting Started Checklist

    Step sequence: Getting Started Checklist (Define multi-channel sales, Estimate expected sequences, List integrations, Sign up)

    1. Define your multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking and B2B lead data and contact enrichment requirements and monthly budget
    2. Estimate your expected sequences and engagement actions and data credits or contact lookups to find the right tier
    3. List the integrations your team currently relies on
    4. Sign up for free trials or demos of both platforms
    5. Run a small test with each tool before making a commitment
    6. Evaluate the onboarding experience and support quality

    Final Thoughts

    Closely serves the multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking side of an outbound stack and ContactOut the B2B lead data and contact enrichment side. ContactOut offers a more accessible entry point, while Closely starts at $49/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 Closely and ContactOut for current information.

    Questions

    Frequently asked questions.

    Frequently asked questions
    What is the main difference between Closely and ContactOut?
    Closely is a sales engagement platform for multichannel outreach and engagement tracking across LinkedIn and email, while ContactOut is a data enrichment tool focused on finding B2B contact data such as emails and phone numbers. They address different parts of the sales workflow, so many teams use both together.
    Which tool is cheaper, Closely or ContactOut?
    ContactOut has the lower entry point, offering a free plan, while Closely's cheapest plan, Starter, costs $49/mo. ContactOut's paid tiers start at $49/mo for the Email plan and $99/mo for Email + Phone, both matching or exceeding Closely's entry price depending on the tier chosen.
    Does Closely offer a free plan like ContactOut?
    The article does not list a free plan for Closely; its lowest listed tier is the Starter plan at $49/mo. ContactOut, by contrast, offers a Free plan with 5 emails, 5 phones and 5 exports per day, giving it a lower entry point for teams evaluating the platform without upfront cost.
    What integrations do Closely and ContactOut have in common?
    Closely and ContactOut both integrate with Salesforce, HubSpot, Gmail and Outlook. Closely additionally connects with Pipedrive, GoHighLevel, SMTP and Webhooks, while ContactOut additionally connects with Greenhouse, Lever, Bullhorn and Zapier.
    Can Closely and ContactOut be used together?
    Yes, the article notes that many teams run one of each since Closely handles multichannel outreach coordination across email, phone and social channels, while ContactOut is used for finding accurate contact data for target accounts, addressing different needs in the same workflow.
    CloselyContactOutSales Engagement PlatformData Enrichment ToolComparisonsales-engagementdata-enrichment
    Byline

    About the author.

    Tim Carden

    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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