CloseThe CRM that does the work
vs
GmailEmail from Google, part of Google Workspace
Comparison · Sales Engagement · weekly run Nov 3
Close vs Gmail
Which one do AI engines recommend, and how do they differ on price, fit and features?
The short answer
Gmail is the stronger AI pick in Sales Engagement: it has a visibility score of 6.8 versus 2.8 for Close, and ranks ahead in 100% of the answers that name both.
Choose Close if…
- You need SOC 2 Type II or GDPR or CCPA coverage
- Best for high-velocity and outbound sales teams
- Straightforward, predictable per-seat pricing
- All-in-one calling, SMS, and email cadences
Choose Gmail if…
- You want the brand AI engines rank higher (6.8 vs 2.8)
- You need ISO 27001 or ISO 27017 or ISO 27018 or ISO 27701 or SOC 2 or SOC 3 coverage
- You prefer a larger, established vendor (5,000+ employees)
- Works well for Gmail-based and Google Workspace teams
AI visibility side by side
Latest weekly run · Nov 3
| Metric | Close | Gmail |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility score | 2.8% | 6.8% |
| Change vs last week | down−0.6% | down−0.4% |
| Rank in Sales Engagement | #26 | #15 |
| Share of voice | 1% | 2.1% |
| Mentions this run | 6 | 14 |
| Positive in AI answers | 52% | — |
The stronger value in each row is marked with a ✓.
Visibility score trend
Weekly runs over the last 60 days
Close −0.5pp · Gmail −0.5pp over 1 weekly runs.
Engine by engine
Gmail leads on 2 of 3 engines
ChatGPT
AI Mode
Perplexity
CloseGmail
Head to head in AI answers
1 engine answers name both brands
0Close ranked higher
1Gmail ranked higher
| Prompt | Engine | Close | Gmail |
|---|---|---|---|
| How do companies run outbound sales sequences without a dedicated tool? | ChatGPT | #9 | #6 |
Features, pricing & fit
| Dimension | Close | Gmail |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Per seat | — |
| Entry price | $19 per seat / mo | — |
| Free plan | No · 14-day trial | — |
| Deployment | Cloud (SaaS) | — |
| Integrations | 100+ | — |
| Compliance | SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, CCPA | ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018, ISO 27701, SOC 2, SOC 3 |
| Support | Knowledge base, Email support | 24/7 support |
| Founded | 2013 | — |
| Headquarters | Austin, Texas, United States | Mountain View, California |
| Employees | 51–200 | 5,000+ |
| Funding | Angel | — |
| Best for | Founders, small businesses and sales teams that sell through calls, email and SMS | — |
Plans side by side
Close
Solo$19per user / month (billed monthly; $9 billed annually)
Essentials$49per user / month (billed monthly; $35 billed annually)
Growth$109per user / month (billed monthly; $99 billed annually)
Scale$149per user / month (billed monthly; $139 billed annually)
Gmail
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
Gmail
- Works well for Gmail-based and Google Workspace teams
- Integrates Gmail and Outlook with calendars for sending, tracking and booking
Data collected ·ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Mode·coverage 98.8%·next run
Cite as: SlateIndex, “Close vs Gmail”, https://slateindex.ai/compare/close-vs-gmail, data of Nov 3, 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.