Close vs SurveyMonkey
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
💰 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
77/100
Free tier
Small to mid-sized teams and individual researchers who need an easy-to-use, reliable tool for short surveys and quick f
★ Best
💰 Pricing
🆓 Free tier available
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- SurveyMonkey's survey builder is exceptionally user-friendly. The drag-and-drop interface allows you to add and rearrange questions effortlessly, and there is a library of over 200 pre-written questions and expert templates. This means you don't need to be a survey design expert to create effective surveys. The platform provides real-time suggestions to improve question clarity, helping you avoid biased or confusing wording, which is a huge time-saver.
- Advanced logic features (skip logic and branching) allow you to personalize the survey based on previous answers, making the experience more relevant for respondents. This reduces abandonment rates and improves data quality. You can also randomize answer choices and use piping to insert previous responses into later questions, which is a sophisticated feature not always found in lower-priced tools.
- Robust data analysis and visualization tools make it easy to interpret results. You get real-time charts and graphs, and you can filter results by segment (e.g., age, location, or custom variables). The cross-tabulation feature lets you compare responses across different groups, revealing meaningful insights. The AI-powered insights tool automatically highlights trends and anomalies in your data, saving you time on manual analysis.
- SurveyMonkey offers a wide range of integrations that extend its functionality. Native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, and Mailchimp allow you to sync survey responses with your CRM or communication tools, automating follow-up actions. For example, you can trigger a support ticket when a customer rates their experience poorly, ensuring timely response. This connectivity is crucial for businesses that want to integrate feedback into their workflows.
- The platform is compliant with major data protection regulations, including GDPR and CCPA, and offers SOC 2 Type II certification. This is essential for enterprises handling sensitive data. Additionally, surveys are SSL encrypted by default, and you can set up password protection for extra security. For global deployment, SurveyMonkey has language support, allowing you to translate surveys into multiple languages.
⚠ Watch out for
- The free plan is quite limited, allowing only 10 questions per survey and 100 responses per month (though they've recently changed this to 10 responses per survey, which is even more restrictive). You also don't get access to advanced features like skip logic or data export to Excel. This means that for any serious surveying, you'll need to upgrade to a paid plan, which might be a barrier for small businesses or casual users.
- The pricing model is consumption-based, which can get expensive as your response volume grows. Plans are tiered by number of responses per month (e.g., 100, 500, 1000), and once you exceed that, you pay overage fees or need to upgrade. For surveys that receive a high response rate, the cost can quickly increase, making it less predictable than flat-rate competitors like Typeform or Google Forms.
- Some users report that the user interface feels a bit clunky and outdated compared to more modern survey tools. The drag-and-drop builder works, but the design aesthetics are functional at best. Customization options for branding are limited — while you can add your logo and change colors, you can't completely customize the survey's look and feel without using CSS tricks, which is not ideal for customer-facing surveys that need to match your brand's visual identity.
- Data export capabilities are limited on lower-tier plans. For example, the Standard plan only allows you to export your data to CSV and PDF, but if you want to export to Excel or SPSS, you need to upgrade to a higher plan. This can be frustrating for researchers who need to perform advanced statistical analysis in specialized software.
- Customer support is not the most responsive. While there is a comprehensive help center and 24/7 email support, there is no live chat or phone support for standard plans. Higher-tier plans (e.g., Premier) offer priority support via phone, but that comes at a premium price. For users who need quick help, particularly during time-sensitive surveys, the lack of real-time support can be a drawback.
🎯 Best for
Small to mid-sized teams and individual researchers who need an easy-to-use, reliable tool for short surveys and quick feedback with room to scale via paid plans.
🚫 Who should skip
Budget-conscious teams or those needing unlimited responses and advanced logic without high costs should consider Google Forms or Jotform instead.
📚 Learning curve
Minimal — the drag-and-drop interface, pre-made templates, and clear dashboard make it usable within minutes for most beginners.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
For those needing a reliable, feature-rich survey tool with strong analytics and integrations, SurveyMonkey is a solid choice—especially for businesses that handle moderate to high response volumes. It's not the most budget-friendly option for small-volume users, who may prefer Google Forms or Typef
📊 Use Case Suitability
Higher score = better fit. Scores from editorial review.
Use CaseCloseSurveyMonkey
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.
Customer Satisfaction Surveys—95
Built-in templates, skip logic, and rating scales make it easy to collect action
Event Feedback—90
Quick to build and share via link or QR code, with post-event data automatically
Employee Engagement Surveys—88
Anonymous response options and pre-written HR question banks help measure engage
🧭 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 SurveyMonkey if...
- You are: Small to mid-sized teams and individual researchers who need an easy-to-use, reliable tool for short surveys and quick f
- 👍 Drag-and-drop survey builder is extremely intuitive and requires no coding experience.
- 👍 Large library of professionally designed templates for common use cases like customer feedback, even
- 👍 Robust paid integrations with Salesforce, Slack, Mailchimp, and Zapier streamline workflow automatio
- 💰 Free tier available
- ⚠ Trade-off: Free plan only allows 10 questions per survey and 100 responses per survey, whic
❓ 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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