Close vs Freshworks
Which one do AI engines recommend, and how do they differ on price, fit and features?
The short answer
Freshworks is the stronger AI pick in CRM: it has a visibility score of 18 versus 7.3 for Close, and ranks ahead in 80% of the answers that name both.
Choose Close if…
- AI answers describe it more positively (52% vs 26% positive)
- You need GDPR or CCPA coverage
- Best for high-velocity and outbound sales teams
- Straightforward, predictable per-seat pricing
Choose Freshworks if…
- You want the brand AI engines rank higher (18 vs 7.3)
- You need ISO 27001 or ISO 27701 or PCI DSS coverage
- You prefer a larger, established vendor (5,000+ employees)
- Affordable pricing and good value
AI visibility side by side
Latest weekly run · Nov 3
| Metric | Close | Freshworks |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 7.3% | 18% |
| Change vs last week | down−1% | up+2.6% |
| Rank in CRM | #10 | #6 |
| Share of voice | 2.3% | 5.9% |
| Mentions this run | 11 | 28 |
| Positive in AI answers | 52% | 26% |
The stronger value in each row is marked with a ✓.
Visibility score trend
Weekly runs over the last 60 days
Close −0.8999999999999995pp · Freshworks +2.5999999999999996pp over 1 weekly runs.
Engine by engine
Freshworks leads on 3 of 3 engines
Head to head in AI answers
5 engine answers name both brands
| Prompt | Engine | Close | Freshworks |
|---|---|---|---|
| What are the best CRM tools in 2026? | Perplexity | #9 | #6 |
| Best CRM for startups | ChatGPT | #5 | #6 |
| Which CRM has transparent pricing? | Perplexity | #4 | #3 |
| Which CRM tools offer annual discounts? | ChatGPT | #5 | #3 |
| Which CRM tools offer annual discounts? | Perplexity | #7 | #5 |
Features, pricing & fit
| Dimension | Close | Freshworks |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per seat | — |
| Entry price | $19 per seat / mo | — |
| Free plan | No · 14-day trial | — |
| Deployment | Cloud (SaaS) | Cloud |
| Integrations | 100+ | — |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, CCPA | SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 27701, PCI DSS |
| Support | Knowledge base, Email support | — |
| Founded | 2013 | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Austin, Texas, United States | San Mateo, California, United States |
| Employees | 51–200 | 5,000+ |
| Funding | Angel | IPO |
| Best for | Founders, small businesses and sales teams that sell through calls, email and SMS | — |
Plans side by side
Close
Freshworks
Pricing not available.
Pros and cons
Themes from the AI answers that mention each brand
Close
- Best for high-velocity and outbound sales teams
- Straightforward, predictable per-seat pricing
- All-in-one calling, SMS, and email cadences
- Strong customer satisfaction in recent reviews
- Frequently included in CRM shortlists
Freshworks
- Affordable pricing and good value
- Free tier or free trial available
- Intuitive, easy-to-use interface
- Fast deployment and quick time-to-value
- Strong AI and automation features
- Per-minute charges for advanced calling features
Data collected ·ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Mode·coverage 98.8%·next run
Cite as: SlateIndex, “Close vs Freshworks”, https://slateindex.ai/compare/close-vs-freshworks, data of Nov 3, 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.