What is the difference between Folk and Close?

Folk is best for Small teams and agencies managing relationships, not just sales pipelines, while Close is best for Inside sales teams wanting built-in calling and email. Folk starts at $20/user/mo and Close starts at $49/user/mo.

Is Folk or Close cheaper?

Folk starts at $20/user/mo with a free tier. Close starts at $49/user/mo.

Is there a free alternative to Close?

Yes, Folk offers a free tier (Free for up to 200 contacts).

Folk vs Close

Folk is Lightweight CRM for relationship management with a spreadsheet-like interface, while Close is CRM built for inside sales with built-in calling, email sequences, and pipeline management. Folk comes in cheaper, but price alone does not tell the full story. Folk is built for small teams and agencies managing relationships, not just sales pipelines, whereas Close targets inside sales teams wanting built-in calling and email.

At a glance

	Folk	Close
Best for	Small teams and agencies managing relationships, not just sales pipelines	Inside sales teams wanting built-in calling and email
Starting price	$20/user/mo	$49/user/mo
Free tier	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Free tier available	✓	—
Open source	—	—
Built-in Calling	—	✓
Chrome Extension	✓	—
Contact Capture	✓	—
Email Sequences	—	✓
Mail Merge	✓	—
Pipeline	—	✓
Pipelines	✓	—
Power Dialer	—	✓
Tags	✓	—

Folk

Strengths

Spreadsheet-like simplicity
Works for any type of relationship, not just sales
Chrome extension for quick contact capture
Good email integration

Weaknesses

Limited pipeline and deal management
Less powerful automation than HubSpot
Smaller integration ecosystem
No free tier beyond trial

Try Folk → Full review

Close

Strengths

Includes Built-in Calling as a core feature, purpose-built for crm workflows
Includes Email Sequences as a core feature, purpose-built for crm workflows
Pricing starts at $49/user/mo, which includes the full crm feature set
Established product with 13+ years on the market and a mature ecosystem

Weaknesses

Starts at $49/user/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users
Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
Data entry overhead can slow down reps who just want to sell
Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up

Try Close → Full review

The bottom line

Pricing: Folk starts at $20/user/mo. Close starts at $49/user/mo. Folk is the more affordable option.

Feature gaps: Folk offers Chrome Extension, Contact Capture and Mail Merge that Close lacks. Close brings Built-in Calling, Email Sequences and Pipeline that Folk does not have.

Team fit: Both tools target small teams teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.

Where each tool shines: Folk's biggest strengths are: spreadsheet-like simplicity. works for any type of relationship, not just sales. Close's biggest strengths are: includes built-in calling as a core feature, purpose-built for crm workflows. includes email sequences as a core feature, purpose-built for crm workflows.

Watch out for: With Folk, users commonly note that limited pipeline and deal management. With Close, the main complaint is that starts at $49/user/mo — on the expensive side, especially for small teams or solo users.

Choose Folk if...

You need a tool built for small teams and agencies managing relationships, not just sales pipelines
You want to save on per-user costs — Folk is $29.00/user/mo cheaper
You specifically need Chrome Extension and Contact Capture
You care about works for any type of relationship, not just sales
The free tier works for you: free for up to 200 contacts

Choose Close if...

You need a tool built for inside sales teams wanting built-in calling and email
You specifically need Built-in Calling and Email Sequences
You care about includes email sequences as a core feature, purpose-built for crm workflows