VETTED SAAS
Head to head · CRM

Zoho CRM vs Close

A broad, customizable suite against a calling first CRM for outbound teams. Zoho CRM wins on breadth, customization, a free plan and value; Close wins on built in calling, SMS and a power dialer for high volume outbound. The right pick depends on how your team sells.

Reviewed by M. HALLORAN·Updated JANUARY 2026·How we vet
★ Our pick
Zoho CRM
87 /100
vs
Challenger
Close
86 /100
◂ Zoho CRM Advantage Close ▸
Zoho CRM leads on breadth and value · Close counters with native calling and outbound speed.

These are affiliate links marked rel=“sponsored”. We may earn a commission if you buy · it never affects our scores or who wins. Disclosure.

How they score

Criteria Zoho CRM Close Winner
Customization and breadth
90
72
Zoho CRM
Value and ecosystem
88
78
Zoho CRM
Free plan
86
40
Zoho CRM
Built in calling and SMS
70
95
Close
Outbound and sales velocity
78
92
Close
Reporting and analytics
86
82
Zoho CRM

Scores are our editorial assessment against the VettedSaaS rubric · not vendor supplied.

Choose Zoho CRM if…
+You want deep customization and modules
+You need a free plan for a small team
+You already use other Zoho apps
+You want broad features for the money
Choose Close if…
+Your team lives on the phone all day
+You want calling and SMS built in
+You run high volume outbound
+You want a power dialer out of the box

Feature by feature

✓ full  ·  ∼ partial  ·  — none
Capability Zoho CRM Close
Free plan ✓3 users —
Built in calling and SMS ∼add on ✓
Power dialer — ✓
Visual sales pipeline ✓ ✓
Workflow automation ✓ ✓
AI assistant ✓Zia ✓AI
Deep customization ✓ ∼

Feature support verified as of June 2026 · check the vendor for current details.

Pricing, side by side

Per user / month, billed annually
Zoho CRM Our pick
Standard $14
Professional $23
Enterprise $40
Close Challenger
Solo $9
Essentials $35
Growth $99

Pricing as of June 2026. Vendors change plans often · check the vendor for current pricing. Zoho CRM lists per user billed annually and offers a free plan for up to 3 users. Close lists per user billed annually with no free plan; its Solo tier is limited to one user.

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