Picking a CRM is tough. You’re stuck between SugarCRM and Close CRM.
Both look good. But which one fits your business? It’s a big decision.
And you don’t want to mess it up.
Imagine choosing the wrong one. You waste time. You lose money.
Your team gets frustrated. You miss out on sales. It’s a headache.
In this article, we’ll compare SugarCRM vs Close CRM and examine features, pricing, and what makes each one special.
You’ll know which one is best for you. Let’s find your fit in 2025.
Overview
We’ve spent countless hours diving deep into SugarCRM and Close CRM.
Our team rigorously tested each platform, exploring every feature and analyzing real-world use cases.
This hands-on experience allows us to provide a truly informed comparison.
SugarCRM’s tools like Sugar Sell, Sugar Serve, and Sugar Market can help! Automate marketing today!
Pricing: Book your demo plan. The premium plan starts at $19/month.
Key Features:
- Sales Force Automation
- Customer Support
- Reporting and Analytics
Start your trial and experience the CRM that’s helped thousands of businesses boost their sales.
Pricing: It has a free trial. The premium plan starts at $35/month.
Key Features:
- Built-in calling
- Email sequences
- Advanced Reporting
What is SugarCRM?
So, SugarCRM. What’s the deal? It’s a CRM, but it’s pretty flexible.
You can change it to fit your needs. Think big business or complex sales.
It can handle it.
Also, explore our favorite SugarCRM alternatives…
Our Take
Want to boost sales by 20% in 2025? SugarCRM’s tools like Sugar Sell, Sugar Serve, and Sugar Market can help! Automate marketing, manage customers and close more deals.
Key Benefits
- Open-source platform: Gives you greater flexibility and control.
- Robust sales automation: Streamline your sales processes and boost productivity.
- Excellent reporting tools: Gain valuable insights into your sales performance.
- The mobile app includes access to your CRM data on the go.
- Large community: Tap into a wealth of resources and support.
Pricing
SugarCRM offers a free trial to test things out. Their paid plans start at $49 per user per month. Here’s the breakdown:
- Essentials: $19/user/month, three users minimum.
- Standard: $59/user/month, ten users minimum.
- Advanced: $85/user/month, ten users minimum.
- Premier: $135/user/month, ten users minimum.
Pros
Cons
What is Close CRM?
Okay, let’s talk about Close CRM. It’s built for sales teams.
Especially outbound sales. They focus on calls and emails.
It’s fast. It’s meant to close deals.
Also, explore our favorite Close CRM alternatives…
Our Take
Close the deal with Close CRM! Start your 14-day free trial and experience the CRM that’s helped thousands of businesses boost their sales.
Key Benefits
- Built-in calling: Make and receive calls directly within Close.
- Powerful email sequences: Automate your outreach and follow-up.
- Advanced reporting: Track your progress and identify areas for improvement.
- Sales automation: Streamline repetitive tasks and save time.
- Dedicated support: Get help from their expert team when you need it.
Pricing
- Essentials: $35/seat/month.
- Growth: $99/seat/month.
- Scale: $139/seat/month.
Pros
Cons
Feature Comparison
This analysis evaluates SugarCRM, the established leading crm platform known for its enterprise sales and service features.
Close CRM, a high-velocity CRM specializing in minimizing manual data entry and maximizing sales processes efficiency.
This comparison will clarify which crm platform is better for enterprise scale and service automation versus boosting sales team engagement with integrated phone calls and professional features.
1. Core Platform Focus and Scale
- SugarCRM: Primarily a modular crm platform focused on enterprise-level customer relationships, selling integrated clouds like sugar sell and sugar serve. It’s built for complex, scaled operations, offering service automation and deep customization.
- Close: A high-velocity crm platform designed to maximize the time sales reps spend selling. Its sales processes are built around speed, full team engagement, and minimizing the need for manual data entry across small businesses.
2. Built-in Communication and Dialer
- SugarCRM: Provides standard features for calendar integration but relies heavily on third-party integrations for direct phone calls.
- Close: Features built in calling (phone calls) via its powerful power dialer, enabling sales reps to dial multiple numbers rapidly and efficiently. This focus ensures higher sales performance and instant team engagement, leading to more deals.
3. Sales Automation and Workflows
- SugarCRM: Offers comprehensive marketing automation via its sugar market product and allows drag and drop workflows throughout the system, ensuring high-level sales processes are followed.
- Close: Focuses on sales automation for core calling and follow-up activities. It provides smart email features and reminders, but its automation is more focused on efficiency for sales reps rather than broad, modular enterprise-level marketing.
4. Pricing Model and Affordability
- SugarCRM: Pricing is typically structured per user, often requiring a ten user minimum for core modules like sugar sell. This results in higher crm prices and makes it a less affordable crm option, leading some to seek crm alternatives.
- Close: Offers more flexible pricing suitable for small businesses, with a lower entry cost and simpler tiering. Its focus on core sales tools makes it a compelling, more affordable crm and crm alternatives option, especially for startup features.
5. Sales Pipeline and Forecasting
- SugarCRM: Provides specialized modules for robust sales forecasting and complex sales pipeline management. Its sales performance analytics are designed for large sales teams and executive reporting.
- Close: Offers visual sales pipelines that are easy to manage and update, designed for velocity. While its forecasting is strong, it prioritizes real-time visibility and efficiency for the sales reps and sales team.
6. Customization and Data Objects
- SugarCRM: Supports extreme customization, including the creation of custom objects and bespoke interfaces tailored for specific industries, often assisted by enhanced support from partners.
- Close: Offers customization for pipelines and fields, including custom objects, but focuses on speed and ease of use over the deep, often complex, customization offered by SugarCRM.
7. Support and Implementation
- SugarCRM: Offers enhanced support tailored for enterprise deployment and large-scale troubleshooting, often bundled with training and online support. Its reputation in software development is solid.
- Close: Provides strong online support and is generally known for quick, smooth implementation, requiring less heavy professional services than SugarCRM. Its features, like call coaching, are highly valued by the sales team.
8. Device Accessibility
- SugarCRM: Offers mobile device access, but the feature set is primarily designed for robust desktop sales processes management.
- Close: Features excellent mobile device apps that mirror the desktop experience, allowing sales reps to efficiently manage activities, track progress, and make phone calls while on the move, supporting full team engagement.
9. Learning and Training Tools
- SugarCRM: Provides extensive documentation and specialized, often costly, training programs (sometimes via partners) to maximize its professional features.
- Close: The interface is renowned for its simplicity, lowering the learning curve. Features like call coaching provide integrated learning, allowing the sales team to quickly utilize its professional features.
What to Look For in a CRM Software?
- Ease of Use: How quickly can the team learn it?
- Integration: Does it work with your current tools?
- Customization: Can it adapt to your specific needs?
- Scalability: Will it grow with your business?
- Support: What kind of help is available?
- Pricing: Does it fit your long-term budget?
- Mobile Access: Can your team use it on the go?
- Reporting: Does it give you the insights you need?
Final Verdict
So, which one wins? It depends on you. But, if we had to pick?
We’d lean towards Close CRM for most small to medium-sized businesses.
It’s just easier to use. It gets sales teams moving fast.
If you need super deep customization, SugarCRM is your pick.
But, for most folks, Close CRM hits the sweet spot. We tested both hard.
We know what works. Trust us. You’ll be happy with Close CRM.
More of SugarCRM
Here’s a brief comparison of SugarCRM with these software solutions:
- SugarCRM vs Pipedrive: SugarCRM provides broad customization and flexible deployment for various business needs; Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM with a visual pipeline, prioritizing ease of use for small to medium businesses.
- SugarCRM vs GoHighLevel: GoHighLevel vs SugarCRM: Which CRM Platform is Best in 2025?: GoHighLevel is an all-in-one platform for marketing agency needs. It helps them manage multiple clients. SugarCRM is a custom CRM for larger companies. It helps them analyze data and tailor their sales process.
- SugarCRM vs Keap: SugarCRM offers robust, highly customizable CRM features for sales and marketing automation, scaling for larger teams; Keap (formerly Infusionsoft) is a marketing automation and sales CRM designed primarily for small businesses.
- SugarCRM vs ActiveCampaign: SugarCRM focuses on extensive sales management and customization for complex pipelines; ActiveCampaign excels in user-friendly marketing automation, email campaigns, and lead segmentation.
- SugarCRM vs HubSpot: SugarCRM provides deep customization and flexible deployment for tailored solutions; HubSpot offers an intuitive, integrated suite of marketing, sales, and service tools known for its ease of use.
- SugarCRM vs Clickfunnels: SugarCRM is a robust customer relationship management platform; ClickFunnels is a specialized tool for building sales funnels, landing pages, and automating sales processes.
- SugarCRM vs Folk: SugarCRM is a powerful, customizable CRM for comprehensive business needs; Folk is a modern, collaborative contact management tool that emphasizes simplicity and ease of use.
- SugarCRM vs Instantly: SugarCRM offers a broad CRM solution for sales force automation and customer management; Instantly specializes in automated cold email outreach and lead generation campaigns.
- SugarCRM vs ClickUp: SugarCRM is a dedicated CRM for sales, marketing, and service automation; ClickUp is a versatile work management platform that includes CRM functionalities alongside project and task management.
- SugarCRM vs Monday: SugarCRM offers extensive customization and robust automation for sales and marketing; Monday CRM provides highly visual, customizable workflows for various business processes, including CRM.
- SugarCRM vs Capsule CRM: SugarCRM delivers a highly customizable and scalable CRM with advanced features; Capsule CRM is a simpler, more affordable contact management solution for small to medium-sized businesses.
- SugarCRM vs Insightly: SugarCRM offers extensive customization for complex sales processes and reporting; Insightly combines CRM with project management, focusing on ease of use for small to medium businesses.
- SugarCRM vs Freshsales: SugarCRM provides deep customization and advanced automation for sales and marketing; Freshsales CRM offers an intuitive interface with AI-powered lead scoring and integrated sales automation.
- SugarCRM vs Salesforce: SugarCRM offers an open-source option with significant customization potential; Salesforce is a leading cloud-based CRM with extensive features, broad integrations, and a vast ecosystem, albeit at a higher complexity.
More of Close CRM
Here’s a brief comparison of Close CRM with these software solutions:
- Close CRM vs Pipedrive: Close CRM emphasizes robust communication tools and automation for inside sales. At the same time, Pipedrive is known for its intuitive visual sales pipeline management for small to medium businesses.
- Close CRM vs Keap: Close CRM is a sales-focused CRM with built-in calling and email sequences, whereas Keap offers more comprehensive marketing automation and e-commerce integrations.
- Close CRM vs ActiveCampaign: Close CRM excels in streamlined sales processes and communication tools, while ActiveCampaign provides more extensive marketing automation, advanced segmentation, and detailed customer journey tracking.
- Close CRM vs HubSpot: Close CRM is designed for sales teams and prioritizes built-in calling and rapid deal closing, while HubSpot offers a broader suite that encompasses marketing, sales, and customer service.
- Close CRM vs Clickfunnels: Close CRM is a sales-oriented CRM for managing leads and deals; ClickFunnels is a specialized tool for building sales funnels and optimizing conversions.
- Close CRM vs Folk: Close CRM is a sales-focused CRM with robust sales automation and built-in communication, while Folk offers flexible, collaborative contact management with a focus on organization and simple outreach.
- Close CRM vs Instantly: Close CRM provides a comprehensive sales CRM with integrated calling and broader sales automation, while Instantly specializes in high-volume cold email outreach and deliverability.
- Close CRM vs Clickup: Close CRM is a dedicated sales CRM for pipeline management and communication, whereas ClickUp is a versatile work operating system with project management, task organization, and customizable CRM capabilities.
- Close CRM vs Monday CRM: Close CRM is a specialized sales CRM with advanced automation for closing deals. Monday CRM is a visual work OS offering customizable workflows for various business functions, including sales.
- Close CRM vs Capsule CRM: Close CRM offers robust sales automation and built-in communication for dedicated sales teams. Capsule CRM is a simpler, more affordable contact manager primarily for basic relationship tracking.
- Close CRM vs Insightly: Close CRM is mainly a sales-focused CRM with strong communication tools. At the same time, Insightly offers a broader CRM solution that includes robust project management and more extensive integrations.
- Close CRM vs Freshsales CRM: Close CRM emphasizes sales efficiency with built-in communication and automation. Freshsales CRM provides a comprehensive solution with advanced sales automation and in-depth reporting.
- Close CRM vs Salesforce: Close CRM is a sales engagement platform for SMBs with integrated calling and email, while Salesforce is an extensive, highly customizable enterprise-level CRM with broad sales, marketing, and service capabilities.
- Close CRM vs Zendesk: Close CRM is specifically built for sales teams and has robust calling and email features. At the same time, Zendesk is primarily a customer service platform focused on ticketing and support management.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the main difference between SugarCRM and Close CRM?
SugarCRM offers deep customization and is suited for complex sales. Close CRM focuses on ease of use and outbound sales, with built-in calling and email tools. SugarCRM is more flexible, while Close CRM is more straightforward.
Which CRM is better for a small business?
Close CRM is often better for small businesses. It’s easier to set up and use, and its focus on sales communication helps small teams close deals faster. SugarCRM’s complexity might be too much for smaller teams.
Is SugarCRM or Close CRM more expensive?
SugarCRM’s pricing can vary widely based on customization and has minimum user limits. Close CRM’s pricing is more transparent and starts at a slightly higher per-user cost. The total cost depends on your specific needs and team size.
Can I customize Close CRM or SugarCRM?
SugarCRM is highly customizable. You can change almost everything to fit your needs. Close CRM offers less customization. It focuses on simplicity and core sales features. However, Close CRM does provide some basic customization.
Which CRM has better customer support?
SugarCRM offers tiered support options, with higher-priced plans receiving more support. Close CRM offers support through email and chat and provides extensive online resources. Both offer good support, but SugarCRM’s support is more in-depth for its higher-priced plans.
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