Close vs Ten Speed
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
48/100
$300 starting
B2B SaaS and professional services companies that want outsourced organic demand generation with a performance-based pri
💰 Pricing
Starting at $300
🔧 Features
✓ Ai Powered✓ Email✓ Social Media✓ Seo
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Performance-based pricing aligns incentives: Unlike agencies that charge a flat monthly fee regardless of outcomes, Ten Speed charges $300 per lead plus 8% revenue on closed deals. This means the agency only earns when it delivers what it promises, making it attractive for companies that want to tie marketing costs directly to results. For budgeting, it shifts risk from the client to the agency, encouraging Ten Speed to focus on quality leads that convert.
- GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): Ten Speed incorporates GEO into its strategy, which is a forward-looking tactic for being visible in AI search results. As more buyers use ChatGPT and similar tools for research, having content that gets cited by these AI assistants can drive high-quality organic traffic. This feature positions Ten Speed as an early adopter in an emerging space, potentially giving clients a head start over competitors who ignore GEO.
- Comprehensive organic strategy: The agency covers content, SEO, email, and social, providing a 360-degree approach to organic growth. Content is optimized for search, email nurtures leads, and social builds brand authority. This integrated approach ensures that leads from one channel are supported by others, increasing conversion rates and overall marketing efficiency.
- Partnership transparency through PartnerStack: Using PartnerStack for tracking leads and revenue share provides a clear, auditable system. Clients can see exactly what they're paying for and how leads are attributed. This transparency builds trust and simplifies performance monitoring, which is often a pain point with traditional agencies that provide vague reporting.
- Focus on sustainable growth: The agency claims to focus on sustainable growth, meaning they aim for long-term, compounding results rather than short-term spikes. This involves building a strong content library and authority that pays off over time, ideal for companies looking to build a scalable asset.
⚠ Watch out for
- High variable cost per lead: At $300 per lead, costs can escalate quickly if the sales team is slow to close or if the leads are not perfectly targeted. For early-stage startups with limited budgets, this can be a significant cash outflow, especially if the conversion rate to revenue is low. The per-lead cost may not be disclosed in advance, making it hard to predict monthly spend.
- Revenue share can be steep: The 8% revenue share is on top of the lead fee, which can eat into margins, especially for SaaS products with already thin margins or small average contract values. For a $100/month subscription, that's $8 per customer for the life of the account, which could be substantial over time. Companies with high churn or low LTV may find this unsustainable.
- Limited service scope: Ten Speed only focuses on organic channels—no paid advertising, no ABM, no events, no product-led growth strategies. If a company needs a multi-channel approach or has a product that requires paid acquisition to start, this agency might not be sufficient. The lack of paid media could limit growth for competitive keywords.
- Potential quality and relevance of leads: Since leads are generated through organic channels, the quality may be inconsistent. The agency might prioritize volume over relevance to hit their targets, leading to wasted sales time. The revenue share model may encourage them to go after larger companies with bigger contracts, potentially ignoring smaller but more profitable segments.
- Lack of public case studies or detailed results: The provided information is sparse, and there are no specific client examples or performance metrics available. This lack of transparency makes it hard for potential buyers to assess the agency's track record. Without verifiable evidence of success, it's a leap of faith to commit to a per-lead agreement.
🎯 Best for
B2B SaaS and professional services companies that want outsourced organic demand generation with a performance-based pricing model and are ready to commit to a multi-month program.
🚫 Who should skip
Early-stage startups with low average contract values, companies needing immediate paid traffic, or teams that prefer a self-serve marketing platform with full control over execution.
📚 Learning curve
Moderate — you don't need to learn complex software, but you'll need to align on lead definitions, integrate PartnerStack, and adapt internal sales processes to handle agency-generated leads.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Ten Speed is a compelling choice for B2B companies with a solid product-market fit, healthy margins, and a strong desire to scale organic growth in a measurable way. However, if you're a bootstrapped startup or have thin margins, the cost per lead and revenue share may be prohibitive. Look for agenc
📊 Use Case Suitability
Higher score = better fit. Scores from editorial review.
Use CaseCloseTen Speed
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.
Outbound Demand Generation for B2B SaaS—90
Consistent with their pay-per-lead model and focus on content + email + organic
SEO & Organic Visibility for Professional Services—85
Offers SEO and content marketing, which helps professional service firms build t
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)—80
They explicitly include GEO, helping brands appear in AI-powered search engines
🧭 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 Ten Speed if...
- You are: B2B SaaS and professional services companies that want outsourced organic demand generation with a performance-based pri
- 👍 Pay-per-lead pricing reduces upfront financial risk and aligns the agency's incentives with actual l
- 👍 Integrated approach covers content, SEO, GEO, email, and organic social, so you get a full-funnel or
- 👍 Explicit GEO focus sets it apart from traditional marketing agencies, helping clients stay visible i
- 💰 From $300/mo
- ⚠ Trade-off: Cost per lead can be high at $300 per lead, especially if your average sale valu
❓ 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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