Close vs Zeffy
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
45/100
Free tier
Small to mid-sized nonprofits that want a completely free, all-in-one fundraising and donor management platform without
💰 Pricing
🆓 Free tier available
🔧 Features
✓ Ai Powered
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Zeffy’s zero-fee model is its standout feature. Unlike competitors such as GoFundMe charity or Donorbox, which charge per-transaction fees (typically 1% to 2.9% plus a per-donation fee), Zeffy makes no revenue from transaction fees. Instead, donors are prompted to optionally tip at checkout, and 30% do, covering Zeffy’s operational costs. For a nonprofit processing $50,000 in donations annually, this saves anywhere from $1,500 to $2,000 in fees—funds that can be redirected to the mission.
- The platform offers a robust, all-in-one toolkit. It includes customizable donation forms with recurring options (daily, weekly, monthly), event ticketing with promotional codes and waitlists, peer-to-peer campaign pages (ideal for fundraising events like fun runs), and a built-in CRM (Zeffy’s donor database) that tracks contacts, donation history, and engagement. This eliminates the need for multiple tools and integrations, simplifying operations for small teams.
- The user experience is intuitive, with a clean, modern interface. Nonprofits can get a donation page live in under five minutes using their own domain or a Zeffy subdomain. The donor checkout process is optimized for mobile, with six payment methods including Apple Pay and Google Pay, which reduces friction and increases conversion rates.
- Zeffy provides comprehensive reporting and compliance features. It automatically generates tax receipts for donors, and nonprofits can access real-time analytics on giving trends, event ticket sales, and fundraising campaign performance. This data is exportable to spreadsheets, and the platform supports integrations with CRM tools like Salesforce, Mailchimp, and Constant Contact, enabling seamless data flow for marketing and donor management.
- The platform is donor-friendly, offering features like suggested donation amounts, the ability to cover transaction fees (if the org chooses), and the option to give in memory of someone. These small touches improve donor satisfaction and can lead to higher retention.
⚠ Watch out for
- The main drawback is that donor tips are mandatory to display unless you pay a subscription. If you disable the tip prompt, you lose the zero-fee model and incur a 2.9% + $0.30 transaction fee per donation, similar to competitors. For nonprofits that want a truly seamless checkout experience for donors without a tip ask, they may have to pay a nominal monthly fee—which somewhat undermines the 'always free' ethos.
- Zeffy lacks advanced customization options. While forms are customizable, they are not as flexible as those of dedicated tools like GiveWP or Formstack. For instance, you cannot tweak CSS code or integrate complex conditional logic beyond basic donation amounts. Larger nonprofits with brand-specific design needs may find the templates limiting.
- The integration ecosystem is smaller than competitors. While it connects to Mailchimp, Salesforce, and Constant Contact, it lacks native integrations with many popular platforms like HubSpot, Slack, or QuickBooks. Nonprofits using those tools would need to rely on third-party automation services (e.g., Zapier) which can be an additional cost and complexity.
- Customer support is primarily email-based, and some users in online reviews have reported response times of 24–48 hours or longer, especially during peak donation seasons. Missing a critical issue during a big campaign can be stressful. There is no phone support or proactive troubleshooting. The knowledge base is comprehensive, but it cannot replace human assistance for complex problems.
- Some users have reported occasional glitches in the platform, such as delays in recording donations or issues with syncing to email marketing tools. While these are not widespread, reliability is crucial for nonprofits that cannot afford data losses during major campaigns.
🎯 Best for
Small to mid-sized nonprofits that want a completely free, all-in-one fundraising and donor management platform without upfront costs or complex setups.
🚫 Who should skip
Large nonprofit enterprises or organizations that need advanced marketing automation, deep CRM analytics, or robust integrations with existing tools and are prepared to pay for them.
📚 Learning curve
Minimal — the dashboard is clean and most features (creating a form, running a campaign) can be completed in under 15 minutes.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Zeffy is an excellent choice for small to mid-size nonprofits that want to eliminate transaction fees and need an all-in-one fundraising and CRM platform. Larger organizations with complex integration needs or stringent customization requirements should evaluate alternatives or consider supplementin
📊 Use Case Suitability
Higher score = better fit. Scores from editorial review.
Use CaseCloseZeffy
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.
Online Donation Forms—95
Zeffy's core competency is building donation forms that look native and process
Event Ticketing for Charity Events—88
You can create ticketed events, manage RSVPs, and collect donations at check-in
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising—90
Zeffy enables supporters to create personal fundraising pages and track their pr
🧭 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 Zeffy if...
- You are: Small to mid-sized nonprofits that want a completely free, all-in-one fundraising and donor management platform without
- 👍 100% free with no subscription, setup, or hidden fees for nonprofits — a rare trait in the fundraisi
- 👍 All-in-one platform covering donation forms, event ticketing, peer-to-peer campaigns, and donor mana
- 👍 AI-powered assistance helps quickly generate donation page copy and marketing messages, saving time
- 💰 Free tier available
- ⚠ Trade-off: Limited design flexibility: donation forms and pages have fixed templates with l
❓ 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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