Close vs Quartile
Side-by-side comparison — pricing, features, ratings, use cases. Find which Marketing fits you best.
🔍 Independently researched ·
📊 Data-driven
· ⭐ Ratings from G2 (real user reviews)
76/100
Free tier
Close is best for SMB sales teams that rely on high-volume phone outreach and need a simple, all-in-one CRM with built-i
★ Best
💰 Pricing
🆓 Free tier available
🔧 Features
✓ Automation✓ Crm
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Native calling and power dialer: Close integrates a full phone system directly into the CRM. Reps can make calls with one click, and the power dialer automatically loads the next number from a saved list, significantly increasing call volume. The built-in caller ID, call recording, and voicemail dropdown (with pre-recorded messages) streamline the entire process. This is a huge time-saver for outbound teams that live on the phone.
- Custom automation builder: The visual workflow automation lets you create multi-step sequences without coding. For example, you can set up a rule that triggers an email and SMS follow-up when a lead status changes to 'contacted'. It also supports conditionals and delays. This reduces repetitive manual tasks and ensures consistent follow-up, which is crucial for lead conversion.
- Coaching and training features: Close allows managers to listen to live calls, review recordings, and leave time-stamped comments directly on the conversation timeline. The 'coaching moments' feature tracks these interactions, helping managers monitor rep improvement over time. This is a powerful tool for sales enablement, and it's rarely found at this price point.
- Custom reporting and funnels: You can build tailored reports with custom widgets, such as call volume, conversion rates, and revenue by source. Funnel reports visualize the stages of your pipeline, helping identify bottlenecks. This gives managers actionable insights without needing a separate BI tool.
- Email and SMS tracking with templates: All email and SMS communications are logged automatically, with open and click tracking. You can create reusable templates for email and SMS, and even use the ' email sequence' feature to drip campaigns. This ensures that team communication is transparent and consistent.
⚠ Watch out for
- Learning curve: The interface packs a lot of functionality, and it might take new users a week or more to become productive. Especially if you're coming from a simpler tool, the sheer number of options in the UI can be overwhelming. The automation builder also requires a bit of logic-thinking.
- Limited reporting customization for advanced analytics: While custom reports are available, they don't match the depth of tools like Tableau or even built-in analytics in Salesforces. For instance, you can't create fully custom calculated fields or query the database directly. Teams with very complex reporting needs might outgrow it.
- Email integration is limited: Close works with Gmail and Outlook but has limited native integration with other email providers. Also, the email sync is two-way but can occasionally lag or miss a message. For teams that use a different email client, this can be a hassle.
- No free tier for larger teams: The free plan only supports up to 2 users, and it's quite limited (only basic features). For a growing SMB, the cost can add up quickly, especially when you add on SMS credits and additional users. Each user starts at $49/month (annual billing), which is pricier than some competitors like Pipedrive.
- Mobile app is weaker: The mobile app is functional for viewing and making calls, but it lacks some of the features of the desktop version, such as advanced automation and report building. For teams that need to operate heavily on mobile, this might be a drawback.
🎯 Best for
Close is best for SMB sales teams that rely on high-volume phone outreach and need a simple, all-in-one CRM with built-in calling and automation.
🚫 Who should skip
Skip Close if you're looking for a free CRM, an enterprise-level reporting solution, or a primarily email-only sales workflow without heavy phone usage.
📚 Learning curve
Moderate. Setup is straightforward for calling and pipelines, but configuring workflows, custom fields, and the power dialer takes time and practice.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Close is an excellent choice for SMB sales teams that rely on phone calls and want to streamline outbound processes with integrated communication, automation, and coaching. It's not for those seeking a simple contact manager or for teams that primarily use email-only workflows. If you're serious abo
38/100
$3,500 starting
Large-scale e-commerce sellers, brands, and agencies running substantial multi-channel retail media ads who need machine
💰 Pricing
Starting at $3,500
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Cross-channel management: Quartile consolidates ad campaigns across Amazon, Walmart, Instacart, and other retail media networks into a single platform. This eliminates the need to juggle multiple interfaces and allows for unified performance tracking, which is particularly valuable for brands selling on multiple marketplaces.
- Full-funnel optimization: The platform uses machine learning to optimize campaigns at every stage, from awareness to purchase. It adjusts bids and budgets based on real-time data, aiming to maximize ROI while ensuring that top-of-funnel spend eventually converts. This is a key differentiator from tools that only focus on bottom-funnel conversions.
- Automation and AI: Quartile's automation capabilities reduce the time spent on repetitive tasks like bid adjustments and keyword harvesting. The AI claims to learn from historical data to predict performance and make proactive changes, which can be a huge time-saver for large account managers.
- Performance-based pricing: With a 20% commission model, Quartile aligns its success with the client's results. This reduces upfront risk and makes it an attractive option for brands that want to avoid fixed monthly fees, though the percentage can be substantial depending on ad spend.
- Managed service: Clients get access to dedicated account managers who provide strategic advice and campaign insights. This is beneficial for brands that lack in-house expertise and need guidance on channel-specific best practices, such as keyword targeting for Walmart or Instacart.
⚠ Watch out for
- Limited public information: Quartile's website offers only a high-level overview, lacking detailed documentation on specific features, integrations, or case studies. This opacity makes it difficult for potential buyers to evaluate the platform's capabilities before engaging. Reviews and third-party information are also scarce, increasing the uncertainty.
- Cost structure can be steep: The 20% commission model, while performance-based, can become expensive as ad spend grows. For a serious advertiser spending $100k/month, this translates to $20k/month in fees. Smaller brands with tight margins might find this cost prohibitive compared to flat-rate tools or in-house management.
- Steep learning curve: Despite the managed service, new users will still need to understand the platform's interface and the nuances of cross-channel advertising. Marketers accustomed to simpler tools may find the complexity overwhelming initially, and the dependency on the managed service team can slow down time-to-value.
- Not transparent about integrations: While channels like Amazon, Walmart, and Instacart are mentioned, there's no clear list of all supported platforms. This could be a dealbreaker for brands that sell on other marketplaces like eBay or Shopify, or use specific ad networks like Google Shopping. Lack of clarity here is a significant drawback.
- Potential data privacy concerns: As with any platform that aggregates data across multiple channels, there could be concerns about data sharing and compliance with privacy regulations. Quartile's privacy policy is not clearly outlined, which may worry privacy-conscious enterprise buyers.
🎯 Best for
Large-scale e-commerce sellers, brands, and agencies running substantial multi-channel retail media ads who need machine learning automation and are comfortable with complex data-driven tools.
🚫 Who should skip
Small e-commerce sellers and startups with low ad budgets or only basic Amazon PPC needs, as well as brands wanting a simple DIY dashboard without enterprise-level commitment.
📚 Learning curve
Steep – the platform's capabilities are deep, but mastering campaign structures, automation rules, and cross-channel reporting requires training or prior retail media expertise.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Quartile is a powerful cross-channel advertising platform for e-commerce businesses with substantial ad budgets who need advanced automation and are willing to rely on a managed service. Its performance-based pricing is attractive but can become costly, and the lack of transparent public information
📊 Use Case Suitability
Higher score = better fit. Scores from editorial review.
Use CaseCloseQuartile
High-volume cold calling for SMB sales teams95—
Close's power dialer and native calling are purpose-built for reps making dozens
Managing multi-stage B2B sales pipelines88—
Customizable pipelines, drag-and-drop deal stages, and activity tracking give sa
Automated email and SMS follow-up sequences82—
Workflow automation can trigger personalized follow-ups based on call outcomes,
Sales coaching and performance monitoring75—
Call recording, call coaching tools, and activity dashboards let managers review
Affiliate/partner program management via PartnerStack55—
Close integrates with PartnerStack, but it is not an affiliate platform itself.
Managing Amazon Sponsored Ads at Scale—95
Quartile is built specifically for retail media with advanced automation and bid
Cross-Channel Retail Media Optimization—90
The platform centralizes Amazon, Walmart, Instacart, and other retail media camp
Large-Budget E-commerce Advertising—85
Its machine learning and data-driven approach are designed to maximize ROI for a
🧭 Which One Should You Pick?
Choose Close if...
- You are: Close is best for SMB sales teams that rely on high-volume phone outreach and need a simple, all-in-one CRM with built-i
- 👍 Native calling with power dialer directly in the CRM, so no third-party telephony setup is needed.
- 👍 Strong activity logging: emails, calls, and SMS are automatically tracked against the contact or lea
- 👍 Flexible workflows for automating repetitive tasks like follow-up reminders and data enrichment.
- 💰 Free tier available
- ⚠ Trade-off: No permanent free tier; the trial period is only 14 days, which can be short for
Choose Quartile if...
- You are: Large-scale e-commerce sellers, brands, and agencies running substantial multi-channel retail media ads who need machine
- 👍 Cross-channel support for Amazon, Walmart, Instacart, and other retail media networks in a single pl
- 👍 Machine learning-driven bid and budget optimization that can react to performance data faster than m
- 👍 Full-funnel strategies that go beyond simple keyword targeting, including display, retargeting, and
- 💰 From $3500/mo
- ⚠ Trade-off: No self-serve free tier for advertisers; the 'free' label only applies to the pa
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is Close really free?
No. Close does not offer a permanent free plan; the listed 'Free' refers to a 14-day free trial. Paid plans start after the trial, with pricing based on features and team size.
Can I migrate data from another CRM into Close?
Yes, Close provides built-in CSV import and offers migration assistance from popular CRMs like HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive. Some historical data (like email threading) may need cleanup depending on the source.
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