Closely vs Salesforce: Sales Engagement Platform vs CRM Platform Comparison
Compare Closely (sales engagement platform) and Salesforce (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, while Salesforce is a CRM platform for managing contacts, tracking pipeline, and forecasting revenue. Salesforce starts at $25/mo, Closely at $49/mo. Many teams use both together rather than choosing one over the other for their entire workflow.
Key takeaways
- Closely's Starter plan costs $49/mo and includes 1 LinkedIn account plus unlimited email accounts.
- Salesforce's Starter Suite costs $25/mo, making it the lower entry point of the two platforms.
- Closely's Growth plan is $127/mo with 3 LinkedIn accounts and 3,000 bonus credits per month.
- Salesforce's Enterprise plan costs $175/mo and its Unlimited plan costs $350/mo.
- Closely integrates directly with Salesforce, Pipedrive, HubSpot, GoHighLevel, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, SMTP, and Webhooks.
Reviewed and updated September 4, 2026
Closely vs Salesforce: Sales Engagement Platform vs CRM Platform Comparison
Sales teams building an outbound stack often weigh Closely, a sales engagement platform for multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking, against Salesforce, a CRM platform for customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking. They cover different parts of the workflow, so this comparison covers what each one does, what each one costs, and where they overlap.
The Quick Answer
Closely is a sales engagement platform for multi-channel sales outreach and engagement tracking; Salesforce 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 Salesforce lists lead, account, and contact management and opportunity and pipeline tracking.
Salesforce offers a lower entry point at $25/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 Salesforce. 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.
Salesforce is The world's leading CRM platform offering a comprehensive suite of sales, service, marketing, and commerce tools. Known for extensive customization, AI-powered insights via Einstein, and a vast ecosystem of third-party integrations through AppExchange.
The two platforms take different approaches to solving the same core challenge.
Pricing Comparison
Starter
Starter Suite
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
Salesforce Pricing (as of September 2026)
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Starter Suite | $25/mo |
| Pro Suite | $100/mo |
| Enterprise | $175/mo |
| Unlimited | $350/mo |
Source: Salesforce Pricing
Pricing Analysis
Salesforce offers the lower entry point ($25/mo vs $49/mo). Teams watching their budget will appreciate the savings, especially when starting out.
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
- Lead, account, and contact management
- Opportunity and pipeline tracking
- Einstein AI-powered analytics and predictions
- Sales forecasting and territory management
- Workflow automation and approval processes
- Customizable dashboards and reports
- 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
Salesforce Key Features
- Lead, account, and contact management
- Opportunity and pipeline tracking
- Einstein AI-powered analytics and predictions
- Sales forecasting and territory management
- Workflow automation and approval processes
- Customizable dashboards and reports
- AppExchange marketplace
- Mobile CRM app for iOS and Android
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 Salesforce
- Lead, account, and contact management
- Opportunity and pipeline tracking
- Einstein AI-powered analytics and predictions
- Sales forecasting and territory management
- Workflow automation and approval processes
- Customizable dashboards and reports
- AppExchange marketplace
- Mobile CRM app for iOS and Android
Integration Ecosystem
Closely Integrations
Closely connects with: Salesforce, Pipedrive, HubSpot, GoHighLevel, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, SMTP, Webhooks.
Salesforce Integrations
Salesforce connects with: Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Outlook, Mailchimp, DocuSign, Zapier, Tableau, MuleSoft.
Shared Integrations
Both tools integrate with: Microsoft Outlook.
Integrations listed only by Closely: Salesforce, Pipedrive, HubSpot, GoHighLevel, Gmail, SMTP, Webhooks.
Integrations listed only by Salesforce: Slack, Google Workspace, Mailchimp, DocuSign, Zapier, Tableau, MuleSoft.
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 Salesforce
- 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 | Salesforce |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $49/mo | $25/mo |
| Top Tier Price | Contact Sales | $350/mo |
| Total Features Listed | 10 | 8 |
| Integrations | 8 | 8 |
| Founded | N/A | 1999 |
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 Salesforce the customer relationship management and sales pipeline tracking side. Salesforce offers a more accessible entry point at $25/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 Salesforce for current information.
Frequently asked questions.
Frequently asked questions- What is the main difference between Closely and Salesforce?
- Closely is a sales engagement platform focused on multichannel outreach across LinkedIn and email with a conditional sequence builder, while Salesforce is a CRM platform focused on managing leads, accounts, contacts, and pipeline tracking. They solve different parts of the sales workflow rather than competing directly.
- Which is cheaper, Closely or Salesforce?
- Salesforce has the lower entry price at $25/mo for its Starter Suite plan, compared to Closely's Starter plan at $49/mo. Salesforce also offers higher tiers at $100/mo, $175/mo, and $350/mo, while Closely's paid tiers go up to $205/mo before a custom pricing option.
- Can Closely and Salesforce be used together?
- Yes, Closely lists Salesforce as one of its direct integrations, alongside Pipedrive, HubSpot, GoHighLevel, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, SMTP, and Webhooks. The article notes that many teams run one of each tool since they cover different parts of the outbound and CRM workflow.
- Does Salesforce offer any AI features?
- Yes, Salesforce lists Einstein AI-powered analytics and predictions among its key features, alongside sales forecasting and territory management. Closely also offers its own AI capabilities, including AI lead scoring and personalization agents for outreach.
- What integrations does Closely offer besides Salesforce?
- Closely connects with Pipedrive, HubSpot, GoHighLevel, Gmail, Microsoft Outlook, SMTP, and Webhooks in addition to Salesforce. Salesforce, by comparison, connects with Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Outlook, Mailchimp, DocuSign, and Zapier-related tools.
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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