Small Business
Simple CRM for Small Business: Hubspot vs. Close CRM
Discover the best CRM for your small business with our detailed comparison of Hubspot vs Close CRM. Learn about features, pricing, scalability, and more to find the perfect CRM solution tailored to your needs.
Simple CRM for Small Businesses: Why It Matters and How to Choose
For small business owners and startup founders, effective customer relationship management is the key to growth and success. Without the right tools, keeping track of leads, customer interactions, and sales pipelines can become overwhelming.
That’s where a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system comes in handy. But with so many CRMs out there, choosing the right one for your business can be daunting. Today, we’re comparing two popular CRMs: Hubspot and Close CRM, both of which are known for their simplicity and efficiency.
Growing business signals more robust, standardized operations - including a CRM program.
63% of SMB leaders who use a CRM system say the number one benefit of a CRM is that it helps them provide better or faster customer service.
Online CRM software such as Close or Hubspot for small businesses brings all customer data into one place, making it easier to understand customer behavior and tailor your marketing efforts.
There comes a moment where your business needs to migrate your client list from simple spreadsheets to a more robust, easy to visualize tool to make strategic decisions quickly. There can be 5 major signs your business needs a CRM outlined as:
You need a better way to track prospects and customers
Your prospects and customers have multiple points of contact.
You have a long or complex sales cycle.
Your goal is to grow your business.
You’re ready to leverage automation
A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool helps businesses manage their interactions with current and potential customers. It stores customer information, tracks communications, and organizes data to streamline sales processes. For small businesses, the right CRM can automate tedious tasks, allowing owners and sales teams to focus on growth and customer satisfaction.
Without a CRM, businesses often struggle with disorganized customer data, missed follow-ups, and inefficient sales processes. This is why many small business owners turn to simple yet powerful CRMs like Hubspot and Close CRM.
We're comparing Hubspot and Close to see which one works best for startups and small businesses as part of the research project to review and compare CRMs for small business owners.
We'll examine what makes each platform stand out, looking at their strengths and potential weaknesses. From ease of use to advanced capabilities, we'll cover everything.
This comparison will give you a clear view, helping you make the right choice for your business. Want to know which CRM could become your team's new favorite tool? Let's dive in.
Why Small Businesses Need a Simple CRM
Hubspot Starter Platform
HubSpot CRM is a big name in the CRM world, and for good reason. It offers a free CRM with a wide range of features, including contact management, email tracking, and a sales pipeline. One of the main draws for small businesses is HubSpot’s generous free plan, which includes tools for marketing, sales, and customer service.
Key Features of HubSpot CRM:
Contact Management: A centralized database to store and manage customer details, interaction history, and deal stages.
Deal Tracking: Manage the sales pipeline by creating deals, associating them with contacts, and tracking their progress through customizable stages.
Email Integration and Tracking: Connect your email to log communications, track opens and clicks, and automate follow-ups.
Sales Automation: Automate repetitive tasks like sending emails and logging calls to streamline sales processes.
Reporting and Analytics: Generate reports and dashboards to track sales performance, forecast deals, and guide strategic decisions.
Task Management: Create, assign, and monitor tasks to keep team members organized and focused on priorities.
Marketing Automation: Tools for lead nurturing, email campaigns, and segmentation to enhance marketing efforts.
Customer Support Features: Includes ticketing systems and knowledge bases to handle customer inquiries and improve service efficiency.
Pros:
Free Tier: Offers a strong free plan supporting unlimited users and up to 1,000,000 contacts, making it accessible for small businesses.
User-Friendly Interface: Intuitive design that simplifies navigation for teams of all sizes.
Integration Capabilities: Easily integrates with various third-party apps like Salesforce and Google Workspace, expanding its functionality.
Comprehensive Features: Provides a wide range of tools for sales, marketing, and customer service, offering a unified approach to customer relationship management.
Scalability: Suitable for businesses of all sizes, with features that can grow with your business.
Cons:
Complexity for Advanced Features: While basic features are easy to use, some advanced functionalities may have a learning curve.
Cost of Upgrades: Although the free version is robust, accessing advanced features in the paid tiers can become expensive as your business expands.
Limited Customization: Some users feel that customization options, particularly in reporting and dashboards, are limited compared to other CRM platforms.
There are a lot of alternatives of Hubspot for small businesses. However, Hubspot does provide a huge advantage in terms of their coverage of different aspects of sales, marketing, support and operations.
Pricing:
Hubspot's pricing is notorious for being complicated. We suggest you to explore their pricing page thoroughly to assess if their offers fit your business circumstances.
Free Plan: Offers essential CRM features at no cost, allowing unlimited users and up to 1,000,000 contacts.
Starter Plan: Costs $45 per month for two users and includes additional features like email tracking and sales automation.
Professional Plan: Priced at $800 per month for five users, this plan offers advanced features such as custom reporting, marketing automation, and deeper analytics.
Enterprise Plan: Tailored for larger organizations, with custom pricing based on specific needs, including advanced features and support.
Close CRM
Close CRM is a CRM designed specifically with sales teams in mind. It focuses on helping businesses close more deals through streamlined communication and automation. It’s built for teams that are heavily focused on outbound sales, with features like call tracking, email sequencing, and SMS integration.
Key Features of Close CRM:
Built-in Calling and SMS: Make calls and send texts directly from the CRM.
Email Sequences and Automation: Automate email follow-ups to engage leads.
Task Management: Assign tasks and track activities seamlessly.
Lead Tracking: Track the full history of interactions with leads.
Pros:
User-Friendly Interface: Close CRM offers a clean and intuitive interface, making it easy for users to navigate and manage customer data effectively.
Built-In Calling Features: The platform includes integrated calling capabilities, allowing users to make calls directly from the CRM, which streamlines communication with clients.
Automation Tools: Close CRM provides various automation features that help reduce manual tasks, such as automated follow-ups and reminders, enhancing productivity.
Sales Pipeline Management: It offers robust sales pipeline visualization, helping teams track deals through various stages and prioritize effectively.
Lead Scoring: The system includes lead scoring features that help prioritize leads based on their likelihood to convert, enabling more focused sales efforts.
Cons:
Pricing: Close CRM can be on the pricier side compared to other CRMs aimed at small businesses, which may be a concern for startups or those with limited budgets.
Limited Customization: While it offers essential features, some users find the customization options are not as extensive as those offered by competitors.
Learning Curve for Advanced Features: Although the basic functionalities are easy to use, some advanced features may require additional training or time to master.
Pricing:
Close isn’t free, but it offers several pricing tiers depending on the size and needs of your business. It’s especially popular among startups and small sales teams that need a CRM laser-focused on boosting sales productivity.
1. Startup Plan
Cost: $49 per month (discounted to $39 with annual billing)
Key Features:
Manage up to 25,000 leads.
Basic contact management and limited custom fields.
One custom activity and five workflows.
Email tracking and integration.
Ideal For: Very small businesses or solo entrepreneurs looking for an entry-level CRM solution.
2. Professional Plan
Cost: $99 per month (discounted to $89 with annual billing)
Key Features:
Unlimited SMS templates and call recordings for 30 days.
Up to three sales pipelines and 250 custom fields.
Enhanced reporting tools and automation capabilities.
More comprehensive workflow management with up to 25 workflows.
Ideal For: Small to medium-sized businesses that require more robust CRM functionalities.
3. Enterprise Plan
Cost: $139 per month (discounted to $129 with annual billing)
Key Features:
Unlimited call recordings and advanced reporting features.
Custom roles and permissions for team management.
Predictive dialer and screen share support.
Up to 100 workflows for complex sales processes.
Ideal For: Larger teams or businesses with high-volume sales operations that need extensive customization and support.
Additional Costs
Calling Costs: Close CRM uses Twilio for calling, which incurs additional charges based on usage (e.g., local calls in the U.S. may cost approximately $0.0130 per minute).
Zapier Integration: If using Zapier for automation, costs start at around $19.99 per month, depending on the plan selected.
Check details of each tier and pricing here: Close CRM Pricing
Comparing Hubspot vs Close CRM Features
These are some more detailed review of Hubspot and Close broken down to key CRM features that are important for small business owners and startup founders.
When it comes to choosing between Hubspot and Close, it's all about the details. Let's dive into how these two CRM powerhouses compare on some key features:
Ease of Use
When it comes to user-friendliness, both Hubspot and Close are known for their intuitive interfaces.
HubSpot’s interface is clean and intuitive, making it easy for non-technical users to get started. The drag-and-drop sales pipeline and customizable dashboards are particularly user-friendly.
On the other hand, Close CRM is designed to minimize clicks and simplify workflows for sales reps. It’s highly streamlined, which is great for teams that need to focus on closing deals rather than learning a new tool.
Contact Management and Organization
HubSpot allows you to easily segment and track contacts based on various criteria, making it easier to manage large lists.
Close is more focused on lead management, offering a robust system for tracking communications and follow-ups with potential customers.
For businesses that need detailed segmentation, HubSpot’s CRM may have the edge. But for businesses focused on a smaller number of high-value leads, Close’s lead management tools are hard to beat.
Sales Pipeline Management
Both CRMs offer excellent tools for managing sales pipelines.
HubSpot allows you to create custom stages and track deals through each step.
Close CRM: Pipeline management in Close CRM is also efficient, though its emphasis is more on lead communication. While the pipeline view is available, it’s not as visual as Hubspot’s. The communication-first approach sets Close CRM apart in this category, as the pipeline integrates smoothly with calls and emails. Close’s pipeline tools are a bit more streamlined, focusing on pushing deals through the funnel quickly and efficiently.
Automation Features
Automation is a major selling point for both CRMs.
HubSpot offers a wide range of automation options, from follow-up tasks to marketing campaigns. This can save time and ensure that no lead goes unattended.
Close CRM: Automation in Close CRM is heavily communication-driven. You can set up email sequences that are triggered based on lead behavior or deal stages, helping teams engage prospects without lifting a finger.
For general automation across departments, HubSpot has a slight edge. For sales-specific automation, Close excels.
Email Integration and Communication Tools
HubSpot shines in email marketing, offering tools for crafting email campaigns, tracking open rates, and automating follow-ups.
Close is more focused on sales communication, with advanced email sequencing tools designed to help sales reps stay in touch with leads over time. Close CRM has built-in calling, SMS, and email tracking. This makes it easy to track all communications in one place, a major plus for sales-heavy teams.
If your business relies heavily on marketing emails, HubSpot is the better choice. But if you’re focused on nurturing leads through personalized communication, Close’s email features are a perfect fit.
Customer Support
Customer support is crucial for small businesses. You need reliable assistance to keep things running smoothly. Let's compare the customer support options for Close and HubSpot.
HubSpot offers extensive training resources, including free courses via HubSpot Academy. Their customer support is also highly rated, especially for paid plans.
Close offers solid support as well, with a focus on helping sales teams get up and running quickly. However, it doesn’t have the same breadth of training materials as HubSpot.
Both CRM has its strengths, so the right choice depends on your specific needs. Whether prioritizing ease of use, automation, integration, scalability, or cost, there’s an option out there for you. For a deeper dive into CRM options suitable for small and medium businesses, including comparisons between popular alternatives like Attio vs HubSpot and Folk vs HubSpot, you can explore more insights on enhancing customer management and driving growth.
FAQs on HubSpot Alternatives
Wondering if HubSpot is still free or how much it costs for a small business? We've got you covered. Here are some frequently asked questions about HubSpot alternatives:
Is HubSpot still free?
HubSpot offers a free tools tier with limited access to basic features across all its hubs (marketing, sales, service, content, operations, and commerce). This free tier supports up to 5 users but includes HubSpot branding and significant functionality limits.
How much does HubSpot cost for small businesses?
HubSpot's Sales Hub Starter starts at $20 per month per seat. For full marketing and sales features with a larger contact list, it can cost about $1,085 per month for 10 users. This makes it less budget-friendly for small businesses needing more advanced features.
What are the best alternatives to HubSpot for small businesses?
Several affordable options are available, including Klipy, Bigin by Zoho, Pipedrive, Freshsales, Folk, Attio, and Twenty CRM. These alternatives offer various features tailored to different needs and budgets, making them great choices for small businesses. For instance, Klipy provides a user-friendly CRM solution that serves as a single source of truth for businesses, allowing users to automatically organize and enrich their contacts without the complexity of traditional software.
How long does it take to implement HubSpot?
Implementing HubSpot can be slightly complex. While easier than competitors like Salesforce, you might need a consultant to set up record fields and automations. HubSpot offers a one-time professional onboarding service for a fee of $3,000.
Which CRM is Right for Your Business?
Choosing between Pipedrive and Close depends on your specific business needs.
Pricing: Which One Fits Small Business Budgets?
HubSpot is known for its free plan, which is very appealing to small businesses on a tight budget. Its paid plans can get pricey, but they scale as your business grows. Close doesn’t offer a free version, but its pricing is competitive for the sales-specific features it provides.
For budget-conscious businesses, HubSpot’s free plan is hard to beat. But if you’re willing to invest in a sales-focused tool, Close offers great value.
Conclusion
When choosing between HubSpot and Close, it really comes down to your business’s specific needs. If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution with a strong focus on marketing, HubSpot is the way to go. Its free plan makes it accessible, and it offers a wide range of features that can grow with your business.
On the other hand, if your business is heavily focused on sales, especially outbound sales, Close might be the better option. Its streamlined interface, powerful communication tools, and focus on closing deals make it a great choice for sales-driven teams.
You may reference our other articles related to CRM software for small businesses:
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