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SlateIndex
CloseThe CRM that does the work
vs
ZendeskAI-powered customer service platform
Comparison · CRM · weekly run Nov 3

Close vs Zendesk

Which one do AI engines recommend, and how do they differ on price, fit and features?

Track both brands

The short answer

Close is the stronger AI pick in CRM: it has a visibility score of 7.3 versus 7.1 for Zendesk, and ranks ahead in 100% of the answers that name both.

Choose Close if…

  • You want the brand AI engines rank higher (7.3 vs 7.1)
  • AI answers describe it more positively (52% vs 34% positive)
  • You need GDPR or CCPA coverage
  • Best for high-velocity and outbound sales teams

Choose Zendesk if…

  • You need more native integrations (1800+ vs 100+)
  • You need ISO 27001:2022 or ISO 27018:2019 or ISO 27701:2019 or ISO 27017:2015 or ISO 42001:2023 or FedRAMP LI-SaaS or Cyber Essentials Plus coverage
  • You prefer a larger, established vendor (5,000+ employees)
  • Industry leader in omnichannel customer support

AI visibility side by side

Latest weekly run · Nov 3

Metric Close Zendesk
Visibility score7.3%7.1%
Change vs last weekdown−1%down−0.2%
Rank in CRM#10#11
Share of voice2.3%2.8%
Mentions this run1113
Positive in AI answers52%34%

The stronger value in each row is marked with a ✓.

Visibility score trend

Weekly runs over the last 60 days

0%25%50%75%100%Nov 2Nov 3Close 7%

Close −0.8999999999999995pp · Zendesk −0.20000000000000018pp over 1 weekly runs.

Engine by engine

Close leads on 2 of 3 engines

ChatGPT
8.5%
6%
AI Mode
4.1%
7.4%
Perplexity
9.3%
8%
CloseZendesk

Head to head in AI answers

2 engine answers name both brands

2Close ranked higher
0Zendesk ranked higher
PromptEngineCloseZendesk
What are the best CRM tools in 2026? Perplexity#9#11
Which CRM tools offer annual discounts? Perplexity#7#15

Features, pricing & fit

DimensionCloseZendesk
Pricing modelPer seatPer seat
Entry price$19 per seat / mo$19 per seat / mo
Free planNo · 14-day trialNo
DeploymentCloud (SaaS)Cloud (SaaS)
Integrations100+1800+
ComplianceSOC 2 Type II, GDPR, CCPASOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001:2022, ISO 27018:2019, ISO 27701:2019, ISO 27017:2015, ISO 42001:2023, FedRAMP LI-SaaS, Cyber Essentials Plus
SupportKnowledge base, Email supportHelp Center, Community, Partners
Founded20132007
HeadquartersAustin, Texas, United StatesSan Francisco, California, United States
Employees51–2005,000+
FundingAngelTake-private (Hellman & Friedman, Permira)
Best forFounders, small businesses and sales teams that sell through calls, email and SMSSupport teams from startups to enterprises that need omnichannel ticketing with AI automation

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)
Close pricing

Zendesk

Support Team$19agent/month paid yearly
Suite Team$55agent/month paid yearly
Suite Professional$115agent/month paid yearly
Suite Enterprise + CopilotCustomcontact sales
Zendesk pricing

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

    Zendesk

    • Industry leader in omnichannel customer support
    • Scalable platform for large enterprise teams
    • Mature ticketing operations and SLA management
    • Extensive marketplace and broad integrations
    • Free trial available for 14 days
    • Heavy, slow deployment compared with lighter tools
    • High per-agent costs
    • AI add-ons billed separately on top of base fee

    Data collected ·ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Mode·coverage 98.8%·next run

    Cite as: SlateIndex, “Close vs Zendesk”, https://slateindex.ai/compare/close-vs-zendesk, data of Nov 3, 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.