Closely vs Freshsales: Sales Engagement Platform vs CRM Platform Comparison
Compare Closely (sales engagement platform) and Freshsales (CRM platform) side by side. See pricing, features, and integrations to decide which one, or both, your stack needs.
Closely is a sales engagement platform built for multichannel outreach across LinkedIn and email, priced from $49/mo, while Freshsales is a CRM platform for contact, deal, and pipeline management, priced from $9/mo. Teams needing coordinated outreach should choose Closely; teams needing pipeline and revenue tracking should choose Freshsales. Many teams run both together.
Key takeaways
- Closely's entry plan, Starter, costs $49/mo and includes 1 LinkedIn account with unlimited email accounts.
- Freshsales's entry plan, Growth, costs $9/mo, making it the lower-priced starting option of the two.
- Closely offers 4 pricing tiers (Starter, Growth, Essential, Custom), while Freshsales offers 3 (Growth, Pro, Enterprise).
- Closely lists a conditional sequence builder and dedicated residential IP for each LinkedIn account as unique features.
- Freshsales lists Freddy AI for lead scoring, deal insights, and next-best-action recommendations as a key feature.
Reviewed and updated September 4, 2026
Closely vs Freshsales: Sales Engagement Platform vs CRM Platform Comparison
Closely (sales engagement platform) and Freshsales (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; Freshsales 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 Freshsales lists contact, account, and deal management and built-in email and phone with call recording.
Freshsales offers a lower entry point at $9/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 Freshsales. 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.
Freshsales is An AI-powered CRM by Freshworks that combines contact management, deal tracking, and communication tools in one platform. Features Freddy AI for lead scoring, deal insights, and next-best-action recommendations, with built-in phone and email capabilities.
The two platforms take different approaches to solving the same core challenge.
Pricing Comparison
Starter
Growth
Closely Pricing (as of September 2026)
| Plan | Price | Contacts |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $49/mo | 1 LinkedIn account, unlimited email accounts |
| Growth | $127/mo | 3 LinkedIn accounts, unlimited email accounts, 3,000 bonus credits/mo |
| Essential | $205/mo | 5 LinkedIn accounts, unlimited email accounts, 5,000 bonus credits/mo |
| Custom | Contact Sales | Unlimited seats, custom LinkedIn accounts and credits |
Source: Closely Pricing
Freshsales Pricing (as of September 2026)
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Growth | $9/mo |
| Pro | $39/mo |
| Enterprise | $59/mo |
Source: Freshsales Pricing
Pricing Analysis
Freshsales offers the lower entry point ($9/mo vs $49/mo). Teams watching their budget will appreciate the savings, especially when starting out.
Closely offers 4 pricing tiers compared to Freshsales's 3, giving you more granularity as you scale.
Features Breakdown
- 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
- Contact, account, and deal management
- Built-in email and phone with call recording
- Freddy AI lead scoring and deal insights
- Visual sales pipeline management
- Workflow automation and sequences
- Multiple pipeline support
- and 2 more listed below
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
Freshsales Key Features
- Contact, account, and deal management
- Built-in email and phone with call recording
- Freddy AI lead scoring and deal insights
- Visual sales pipeline management
- Workflow automation and sequences
- Multiple pipeline support
- Advanced reporting and forecasting
- Territory management and auto-assignment
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 Freshsales
- Contact, account, and deal management
- Built-in email and phone with call recording
- Freddy AI lead scoring and deal insights
- Visual sales pipeline management
- Workflow automation and sequences
- Multiple pipeline support
- Advanced reporting and forecasting
- Territory management and auto-assignment
Integration Ecosystem
Closely Integrations
Closely connects with: Salesforce, Pipedrive, HubSpot, GoHighLevel, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, SMTP, Webhooks.
Freshsales Integrations
Freshsales connects with: Freshworks Suite, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Slack, Zoom, Zapier, Segment, Shopify.
Shared Integrations
Both tools integrate with: Gmail, Microsoft Outlook.
Integrations listed only by Closely: Salesforce, Pipedrive, HubSpot, GoHighLevel, SMTP, Webhooks.
Integrations listed only by Freshsales: Freshworks Suite, Slack, Zoom, Zapier, Segment, Shopify.
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 Freshsales
- Budget-conscious teams looking for an affordable CRM platform
- Sales teams tracking deals from first touch to close
- Managers who need pipeline visibility and forecasting
- Growing teams that need scalable contact management
Feature Comparison Summary
| Feature | Closely | Freshsales |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $49/mo | $9/mo |
| Top Tier Price | Contact Sales | $59/mo |
| Total Features Listed | 10 | 8 |
| Integrations | 8 | 8 |
| Founded | N/A | 2010 |
Getting Started Checklist
- Define your multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking and customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking requirements and monthly budget
- Estimate your expected sequences and engagement actions and contacts and deals 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
Closely serves the multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking side of an outbound stack and Freshsales the customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking side. Freshsales offers a more accessible entry point at $9/mo, 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 Freshsales for current information.
Frequently asked questions.
Frequently asked questions- What is the main difference between Closely and Freshsales?
- Closely is a sales engagement platform for multi-channel outreach and engagement tracking across LinkedIn and email, while Freshsales is a CRM platform for customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking. Closely lists multichannel campaigns and a conditional sequence builder, while Freshsales lists contact, account, and deal management plus built-in email and phone with call recording.
- Which is cheaper, Closely or Freshsales?
- Freshsales has the lower entry price at $9/mo for its Growth plan, compared to Closely's Starter plan at $49/mo. Freshsales also has fewer total tiers, three compared to Closely's four, though Closely's additional tiers offer more granularity as teams scale.
- Can Closely and Freshsales be used together?
- Yes, the article notes that many teams run one of each since the two tools solve different problems. Closely handles multi-channel outreach across email, phone, and social, while Freshsales organizes contacts, tracks deals, and forecasts revenue.
- Does Closely integrate with Freshsales?
- The article does not list a direct integration between Closely and Freshsales. Closely's listed integrations include Salesforce, Pipedrive, HubSpot, GoHighLevel, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, SMTP, and Webhooks, while Freshsales integrates with Freshworks Suite, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, Slack, Zoom, Zapier, Segment, and Shopify.
- What features does Freshsales offer that Closely does not list?
- Freshsales lists Freddy AI lead scoring and deal insights, visual sales pipeline management, workflow automation and sequences, multiple pipeline support, advanced reporting and forecasting, and territory management with auto-assignment. These appear only on Freshsales's own feature list, based on exact wording comparison.
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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