How to Set Up Close (2026 Quick-Start Guide)

Set up Close in 5 steps

1. 01Sign up at Close, 14-day free trial, so there's no cost to start.
2. 02Complete the quick onboarding. Close scored 88/100 on ease of use in our testing, so this is fast.
3. 03Set up your core workflow: closing deals faster. This is what Close is built for, so it's the fastest path to value.
4. 04Explore the key features, built-in calling & sms, email sequences, pipeline management, and connect any tools you already use.
5. 05Run real work through it for a week before deciding. Our full Close review covers what to expect.

Who Close is for

Inside-sales teams of 2 to 50 that call and follow up hard, and want everything in one screen.

Close scored 9.3/10 overall in our hands-on testing, breaking down to 88/100 on ease of use, 92/100 on features, 86/100 on value and 90/100 on support. If your team lives on the phone, nothing beats Close. Calling that other CRMs charge extra for is standard here.

If that matches what you need, 14-day free trial means you can validate it on your own work before committing. If it doesn't, the alternatives below are worth a look.

What you get with Close

Here's a closer look at the core capabilities that earned Close its 92/100 features score in our testing:

• Built-in calling & SMS. A core part of what makes Close effective for closing deals faster.
• Email sequences. A core part of what makes Close effective for closing deals faster.
• Pipeline management. A core part of what makes Close effective for closing deals faster.
• Call coaching. A core part of what makes Close effective for closing deals faster.
• Workflow automation. A core part of what makes Close effective for closing deals faster.
• Reporting. A core part of what makes Close effective for closing deals faster.

In day-to-day use, these come together around one job: closing deals faster. CRM with calling, SMS and email built in, your team sells from one screen, no add-ons. That focus is why it fits inside-sales teams of 2 to 50 that call and follow up hard, and want everything in one screen better than more general tools.

Setting up Close: FAQ

Close pros and cons

Where Close fits in CRM & Sales

Find leads, track deals, close faster, CRMs and sales tools that earn their monthly fee.

Among the 7 crm & sales tools we've tested, Close ranks #2 with a score of 9.3/10. It stands out for closing deals faster, though the tools ranked above it may fit different needs. You can see the full ranking in our best crm & sales guide, or compare pricing across the category in our crm & sales pricing comparison.

How to choose in crm & sales

Buying a CRM or sales tool comes down to three questions. First, where do your leads come from? If you need to find prospects, prioritize database size and data accuracy (verified emails beat big numbers). Second, how do you close? Phone-heavy teams need built-in calling, paying extra for dialer add-ons doubles your real cost. Email-and-meetings teams should prioritize sequence automation and calendar integration instead. Third, will your team actually use it? The most common CRM failure isn't missing features, it's reps who stop updating it by week three. Weight ease-of-use higher than the feature checklist, insist on a free trial with your real pipeline, and check the per-user price at the tier you'll actually need, not the teaser tier.

Getting the most out of Close

A few practical tips from our testing to help you evaluate Close properly:

• Test it on your real work. Don't judge Close on demo data. Put your actual closing deals faster into it during the free period, since that's the only way to feel the real friction points.
• Give it a full week. Most tools feel great on day one. Two weeks of real use is where the honeymoon ends and you learn whether Close genuinely fits your workflow.
• Check the integrations you rely on. Confirm Close connects to the other tools you already use before committing, since switching later is painful.
• Involve the people who'll use it. The most common reason software fails isn't features, it's low adoption. If your team won't use Close daily, even a great tool won't pay off.
• Start small on pricing. Begin on the lowest paid tier and upgrade only when you hit a real limit.

Follow that process and you'll know within two weeks whether Close deserves a permanent place in your stack. Our Close setup guide walks through the first steps.

Close alternatives worth comparing

Close isn't the only option in crm & sales. Here are the closest alternatives we've tested, and when each makes more sense:

Apollo.io 9.6/10
Best for finding b2b leads

Try →

The best lead database we've tested, period. The free plan alone replaces tools that cost $100/mo. Free plan · no card. Read our Apollo.io review or see Close vs Apollo.io.

Amplemarket 9/10
Best for ai-powered outbound sales

Try →

The closest thing to hiring an AI SDR. Our test sequences got replies human-written ones didn't. Free demo. Read our Amplemarket review or see Close vs Amplemarket.

Nutshell 8.9/10
Best for simple crm + email in one

Try →

The sweet spot between too-simple and too-complex. Teams stop fighting the CRM and start using it. 14-day free trial. Read our Nutshell review or see Close vs Nutshell.

See the full ranked list in our best crm & sales guide.