Tool Comparisons

    Closely vs EngageBay: Sales Engagement Platform vs CRM Platform Comparison

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

    Editorial illustration for Closely vs EngageBay
    August 31, 2026Updated September 4, 20265 min read
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    The short answer

    Closely is a sales engagement platform for multichannel LinkedIn and email outreach starting at $49/mo, while EngageBay is a CRM platform for pipeline tracking, marketing, and service with a free tier starting at $0/mo. Choose Closely for coordinated outbound campaigns and EngageBay for contact and deal management, or run both together.

    Key takeaways

    • Closely's Starter plan costs $49/mo and includes 1 LinkedIn account with unlimited email accounts.
    • EngageBay's Free plan supports 250 contacts, while its Pro plan at $119.99/mo supports 50,000 contacts.
    • Closely lists features such as a conditional sequence builder, Smart Inbox, LinkedIn account warmup, and dedicated residential IPs.
    • EngageBay lists features such as email marketing, landing page builder, lead scoring, live chat, and a helpdesk.
    • Closely integrates with Salesforce, Pipedrive, HubSpot, GoHighLevel, Gmail, and Microsoft Outlook, while EngageBay integrates with Zapier, Shopify, Stripe, Slack, and Twilio.

    Reviewed and updated September 4, 2026

    Closely vs EngageBay: Sales Engagement Platform vs CRM Platform Comparison

    Closely (sales engagement platform) and EngageBay (CRM 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

    Closely is a sales engagement platform for multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking; EngageBay is a CRM platform for customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking. By each vendor's own wording, Closely lists multichannel campaigns across linkedin and email and conditional sequence builder, and EngageBay lists email marketing and landing page builder.

    EngageBay 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 organizing contacts, tracking deals, and forecasting revenue, that is EngageBay. 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.

    EngageBay is EngageBay lets small businesses manage marketing, sales and customer service in one platform. The CRM sits alongside email marketing, landing pages, live chat and a helpdesk, with a free tier for teams of up to 15 members.

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

    Pricing Comparison

    Pricing table: Pricing Comparison (Closely, EngageBay, Starter, Free)

    $49/moClosely entry plan

    Starter

    FreeEngageBay entry plan

    Free

    Entry pricing for Closely and EngageBay, 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

    EngageBay Pricing (as of September 2026)

    PlanPriceContacts
    FreeFree250 Contacts
    Basic$14.99/mo500 Contacts
    Growth$64.99/mo5000 Contacts
    Pro$119.99/mo50,000 Contacts

    Source: EngageBay Pricing

    Pricing Analysis

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

    EngageBay 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
    EngageBay lists
    • Email Marketing
    • Landing Page Builder
    • Lead Scoring
    • Marketing Automation
    • Service Automation
    • Live Chat
    • and 2 more listed below
    What Closely and EngageBay 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

    EngageBay Key Features

    • Email Marketing
    • Landing Page Builder
    • Lead Scoring
    • Marketing Automation
    • Service Automation
    • Live Chat
    • Helpdesk
    • Custom Reporting

    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 EngageBay

    • Email Marketing
    • Landing Page Builder
    • Lead Scoring
    • Marketing Automation
    • Service Automation
    • Live Chat
    • Helpdesk
    • Custom Reporting

    Integration Ecosystem

    Integration flow: Integration Ecosystem (Closely, EngageBay, Salesforce, Zapier)

    Closely Integrations

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

    EngageBay Integrations

    EngageBay connects with: Zapier, Shopify, Xero, SendGrid, Mandrill, Stripe, Slack, Twilio, WooCommerce, Google Meet.

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

    Integrations listed only by EngageBay: Zapier, Shopify, Xero, SendGrid, Mandrill, Stripe, Slack, Twilio, WooCommerce, Google Meet.

    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 EngageBay

    • Budget-conscious teams looking for an affordable CRM platform
    • Organizations with complex tech stacks needing broad integration support (10 integrations)
    • Teams that want to start free and scale up as needs grow

    Feature Comparison Summary

    FeatureCloselyEngageBay
    Starting Price$49/moFree
    Top Tier PriceContact Sales$119.99/mo
    Total Features Listed108
    Integrations810

    Getting Started Checklist

    Before-and-after steps: 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 customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking requirements and monthly budget
    2. Estimate your expected sequences and engagement actions and contacts and deals 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 EngageBay the customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking side. EngageBay 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 EngageBay for current information.

    Questions

    Frequently asked questions.

    Frequently asked questions
    What is the main difference between Closely and EngageBay?
    Closely is a sales engagement platform built for multichannel outreach across LinkedIn and email, while EngageBay is a CRM platform for managing contacts, deals, and revenue forecasting alongside marketing and service tools. Closely focuses on coordinating outbound campaigns, while EngageBay focuses on organizing customer relationships and pipeline data.
    How much does Closely cost compared to EngageBay?
    Closely's Starter plan costs $49/mo with 1 LinkedIn account and unlimited email accounts, while EngageBay offers a Free plan at $0/mo for 250 contacts. EngageBay's paid tiers range from $14.99/mo for 500 contacts up to $119.99/mo for 50,000 contacts.
    Does EngageBay have a free plan?
    Yes, EngageBay offers a Free plan that supports up to 250 contacts, giving teams a way to evaluate the platform without upfront cost. Closely does not offer a free tier and starts at $49/mo for its Starter plan.
    What integrations does Closely support that EngageBay doesn't?
    Closely lists integrations with Salesforce, Pipedrive, HubSpot, GoHighLevel, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, SMTP, and Webhooks. EngageBay instead lists Zapier, Shopify, Xero, SendGrid, Mandrill, Stripe, Slack, Twilio, WooCommerce, and Google Meet, so the two tools serve different integration needs.
    Can I use Closely and EngageBay together?
    Yes, the article notes that many teams run one of each since Closely handles multichannel outreach coordination while EngageBay manages contacts, deals, and pipeline tracking. The two platforms are described as addressing different jobs rather than being direct substitutes.
    CloselyEngageBaySales Engagement PlatformCRM PlatformComparisonsales-engagementcrm
    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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