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  • Limitations
  • Features
  • Comparison
  • Reviews

Why is Bigin the go-to CRM for small businesses?

We built Bigin around how small teams work, and priced it that way. Everything a customer-facing team runs on comes in the box: customizable pipelines, a built-in phone with IVR, WhatsApp, and email in one place, and automation that starts on the free plan. AI features join at $12/user/month with 1,000 credits every month, a number you can actually budget against.

There is a forever-free plan to start on, developer APIs from that free plan onward, help importing your Close data when you are ready, and 50,000+ small businesses across 150+ countries already running on it.

Bigin as a relationship tracking spreadsheet
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Some of Close CRM's notable limitations

No automation below the $99 plan

Both entry plans carry the same line on Close's pricing page: workflows not included. The first plan that can automate follow-ups is Growth at $99 per seat, close to three times Essentials. Bigin runs 3 automations on the free plan and 30 on the Express plan at $7.

The $9 plan is a plan for one

Solo costs $9 a month, billed annually, and seats exactly one user. It stops at 10,000 leads and leaves out follow-up reminders and email open tracking. Bigin's free plan is single-user too, at $0, with a customizable pipeline, a built-in phone with IVR, three automations, a web form, and a booking page.

Calling is metered and rounded up

Calls bill per minute at carrier rates and round up, so a 70-second call is two minutes, and a transfer counts as three calls. Recordings expire after 30 days at Growth, and transcription is $50 per month plus $0.02 per minute. Bigin's built-in phone with IVR starts on the free plan.

WhatsApp is a second subscription

Close's WhatsApp page redirects you to TimelinesAI, a separate product billed separately, and its FAQ says a third party was the only workable route. WhatsApp Business API accounts are not yet supported. Bigin Express includes WhatsApp Business at $7, on your own WhatsApp Business account.

No quotes, no invoices, one currency

Close's plan matrix lists no quoting, invoicing, or payment links for any tier; proposals go through GetAccept or DocuSign, and its own docs state that multiple currencies are not supported. Bigin handles quotes and invoices through Zoho Books and Zoho Invoice on every paid plan, with payment links from Express.

Support is an inbox, open weekdays

Close's support page names one channel, support@close.com, staffed Monday to Friday, 9 am to 7 pm Eastern. Two-hour first-response and screen-share sessions come with Premium Support, starting at $750 a month. Every paid Bigin plan includes phone, email, and live chat, plus a free onboarding session.

Every user sees every lead until Scale

Below Scale, at $139 a seat, Close has four fixed roles and no way to hide a lead from anyone. Custom roles, lead visibility rules, user groups, and custom objects are all Scale-only. Bigin includes customizable roles and profiles on the free plan, and custom fields, tags, filters, and views starting at $7.

Scheduling an email is a $99 feature

Essentials gets templates and open tracking, and Solo does not even track opens. Scheduling an email for later, managing unsubscribes, sending in bulk, and letting a colleague send on your behalf all wait for Growth at $99 a seat. Bigin Express includes mass email, templates, and email insights at $7.

The credits expire, and enrichment bills are separate

Close's AI credits do not roll over, so an unused allowance is gone at the end of the month. Enrichment bills on top at $0.05 per field, every time a field is enriched, and Close's own usage page warns that bulk enrichment can get expensive. Bigin Premier includes enrichment at $12, with 1,000 credits a month.

Here's a list of features that
Bigin offers for your business:

Team pipeline
bigin connected pipeline in Bigin
custom dasboard
custom dasboard
omnichannel in Bigin
spreadsheets automation workflows in Bigin
Grade security
mobile sales management with Bigin
custom dasboard
Bigin banner mobile image
Team Pipelines
  • Team Pipelines
  • Connected Pipelines
  • Built-in AI assistance
  • Built-in telephony & IVR
  • WhatsApp, email & social messaging
  • Workflow automation
  • Payment links
  • Booking & appointment scheduling
  • Customizable dashboards & KPIs
  • Apps for iOS, Android & macOS
 

Bigin vs. Close

Features

Bigin
Express $ 7 /user/month billed annually
Close Essentials$35/user/month billed annually
Bigin
Premier $ 12 /user/month billed annually
Close Growth$99/user/month billed annually
Expand All

SALES

  • Free edition available
  • forever free plan (single user)
  • 14-day trial only
  • Full-fledged pipeline management
  • from Free plan
  • Contact and lead management
  • from Free plan
  • Deal management
  • from Free plan
  • Payment collection (payment links)
  • Stripe, PayPal, Razorpay, Paytm
  • Via marketplace apps
  • Via marketplace apps
  • Quote management
  • Via Zoho Books / Zoho Invoice integration
  • 50 per month
  • Via Zoho Books / Zoho Invoice integration
  • 250 per month

COMMUNICATION

  • Built-in telephony
  • from Free plan
  • Alpha - outbound only, mobile app only, US numbers only
  • Alpha - outbound only, mobile app only, US numbers only
  • Telephony marketplace
  • Third-party apps (paid)
  • Third-party apps (paid)
  • Built-in IVR system
  • from Free plan
  • Meeting integrations (Zoom, Teams, Zoho Meeting)
  • Zoom, Teams
  • Zoom, Teams
  • Email integrations (two-way sync)
  • Gmail, Outlook (Standard+)
  • Gmail, Outlook
  • Email templates
  • Email insights (opens / clicks)
  • mass email insights
  • Mass emails
  • WhatsApp integration
  • WhatsApp Business
  • Third-party apps only (paid)
  • Third-party apps only (paid)
  • X integration

AUTOMATION

  • Workflow automation
  • 30 workflows (from Free plan: 3)
  • Stage automation
  • Built-in
  • Status-based
  • Built-in
  • Status-based
  • Formula fields
  • Automation across apps (Zapier + Zoho Flow)
  • from Free plan
  • Zapier / Make only
  • Zapier / Make only

STREAMLINING CUSTOMER-FACING OPERATIONS

  • Pre-built pipeline templates for different operations
  • from Free plan
  • board templates
  • board templates
  • Case / ticket management through Email-in
  • Topping (add-on)
  • Topping (add-on)
  • Connected records / Connected Pipelines
  • Manual setup
  • Manual setup
  • Built-in dashboards & reports
  • from Free plan

DATA AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT

  • Versatile no-code form builder
  • from Free plan
  • Social media lead ads capture (FB, IG, LinkedIn, TikTok)
  • LeadChain
  • Via marketplace apps
  • Via marketplace apps
  • Duplicate cleanup
  • find & merge
  • bulk cleanup
  • File collection & management (File Cabinet)
  • Topping (add-on)
  • Topping (add-on)
  • Customizable user profiles and roles
  • from Free plan
  • Customization (Fields, tags, views, filters)
  • 10 custom fields/module + tags, filters
  • 25 custom fields/module
  • Stage transition rules
  • Sheet view

AI

  • AI writing assistant (email drafting)
  • Reply Assistant agent
  • Record / thread summaries
  • CrossSell Genie
  • Churn Analyzer
  • AI credits included
  • -
  • Not published
  • 1,000 / month
  • Not published
  • MCP support (connect AI tools to CRM data)
  • 1,000 API calls/day

INTEGRATIONS

  • App marketplace
  • API access
  • Developer console
  • developer platform
  • Zoho ecosystem (Books, Invoice, Desk, Campaigns, Sign, Meeting)
  • QuickBooks integration
  • native
  • Via marketplace
  • Via marketplace

SUPPORT TERMS

  • Live chat support
  • all paid plans
  • AI chatbot, human escalation
  • AI chatbot, human escalation
  • Phone support
  • all paid plans*
  • Free onboarding session
  • Money-back guarantee

  • Features

  • Bigin Express$7/user/month billed annually
    Bigin Premier$12/user/month billed annually
  • Close Essentials$35/user/month billed annually
    Close Growth$99/user/month billed annually

Features

  • SALES
  • Full-fledged pipeline management
  • Contact & Lead Management
  • Deal management
  • Payment collection
  • Quote management
  • COMMUNICATION
  • Built-in telephony
  • Telephony marketplace
  • Built-in IVR system
  • Meeting integrations
  • Email integrations
  • Email templates
  • Email insights
  • WhatsApp integration
  • X integration
  • AUTOMATION
  • Workflow automation
  • Stage automation
  • Formula fields
  • Automation across apps via Zapier and Zoho Flow
  • STREAMLINING CUSTOMER-FACING OPERATIONS
  • Built-in pipelines dedicated to different operations
  • Case and ticket management through Email-in
  • Connected records (When a record reaches the desired stage in one team pipeline, you can create a record automatically in another team pipeline that captures the next set of business activities.)
  • Built-in dashboards for detailed insights into your business
  • DATA AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
  • Versatile no-code form builder
  • Social media lead capture
  • Duplicate cleanup
  • Full-fledged file collection and management
  • Customizable user profiles and roles
  • Customization (Fields, tags, views, filters)
  • Stage transition rules
  • Multi-currency support
  • Sheet view
  • INTEGRATIONS
  • App marketplace
  • API credits
  • Developer Console
Bigin express₹12/user/month billed annuallyAccess Bigin
Bigin premier₹18/user/month billed annuallyAccess Bigin
Close Essentials$35/user/month billed annually
Close Growth$99/user/month billed annually

All you need to take your business to the next level

More than 50,000 small businesses across 150+ countries run their customer work on Bigin. The ceiling is high, and when you reach it, your data moves to Zoho CRM or Zoho CRM Plus in one click, contacts, deals, and notes included, so the switch is an afternoon's work rather than a migration project.

Expert reviews and ratings

  • Rating Platform
  • Close
  • Bigin
  • 4.7/5

  • 4.6/5

  • Ease of Use
  • 9.2/10

  • 9.1/10

  • 4.7/5

  • 4.7/5

  • 8.0/10

  • 8.8/10

*The names and logos for Zoho are trademarks of Zoho Corp. All other trademarks, brand names, or product names belong to their respective holders. Comparison information as of 16/09/2026. Prices mentioned are in USD.

Trusted by 50,000+ small businesses globally

I'm self-employed and I run a design, printing, and marketing business. I wear all the hats when it comes to my business, so I need tools that help me automate and track everything that goes on day-to-day. I have been looking for a simple CRM for the last 3 years. During that time, all I found were apps with way too many features that came with a hefty price tag. When I started using Bigin, I loved how easy it was to use, and it had a clean and organized interface. The ability to sync my other apps with it using Zoho Flow was a big plus. One of the best things is they made it affordable. I look forward to being seeing how Bigin evolves and helps me run my business better.

Krista Guerrero, Owner, Kreative Design/Marketing

Bigin is easy to use for a growing organisation like Ammacus. The platform is very intuitive and saves time on double entering information and has saved us many hours in lost productivity. As an early adopter of Bigin, we look forward to continued new applications & developments to make the platform even better than it is today. In addition, we have received fantastic client support when it was required.

Craig Aspey, Managing Director, Ammacus

Bigin is exactly what we needed at our growing real estate company. We had looked into many CRM services but all of them were either too costly with features we didn’t yet need; too complicated to set up; or too simplistic. Zoho Bigin has been amazing. I watched one instruction video from the YouTube channel and I was ready to set up. It’s so simple to navigate that we were up and running on day 2. Customer support has also been great. I’ve received quick responses to all my queries. Just stellar all the way.

Aika-Grace Wangwe,Assistant, Goshen Acquisitions Ltd.

I am a huge fan of Bigin. I have literally spent years trying to find a solution like this so that I could track all of my clients. I have two different business entities with differing needs for each. This has made it challenging. I tried different apps that are made for larger businesses and they were not as user friendly as Bigin. Plus, the costs were too high for me. I recommend Bigin to everyone I know. I have been a customer since October of 2020 and I could not be happier with this application.

Susan Carpenter, Owner, Life's Doors Meditation

Still have more doubts?
Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions!

Expand AllCollapse All
Is Close CRM free?

No. Close offers a 14-day trial with no credit card required, followed by four paid plans. The cheapest is Solo at $9 per user per month, billed annually, or $19 per month, month-to-month, and it is built for exactly one user: 10,000 leads, no workflows, no follow-up reminders. The first plan for a team is Essentials at $35. Bigin has a forever-free plan for a single user with a customizable pipeline, a built-in phone with IVR, three automations, a web form, a booking page, and developer APIs. Paid plans start at $7.

How much cheaper is Bigin than Close?

Bigin's paid plans run $7 to $18 per user per month, billed annually. Close runs $9 to $139 billed annually, or $19 to $149 month-to-month, and the $9 plan is single-user. Match features rather than list prices and the gap widens: automation costs $7 on Bigin Express and $99 on Close Growth, and the AI writing assistant and summaries cost $12 on Bigin Premier against $99 on Growth. Five people for a year is $420 on Express, $2,100 on Essentials, $720 on Premier, or $5,940 on Growth. Then come Close's meters: calls and texts at carrier rates, phone numbers rented monthly, call transcription at $50 a month plus $0.02 a minute, enrichment at $0.05 a field, a TimelinesAI subscription for WhatsApp, and Premium Support from $750 a month if you want a promised response time.

Does Close include AI on its cheapest plans?

Yes, and this is a point in Close's favor. Chloe, its AI agent, is included on every plan: 500 credits per month on Solo, 1,000 per user on Essentials, 1,500 on Growth, and 2,000 on Scale; none of them roll over. What the cheaper plans do not get is the AI you use at the keyboard: email rewriting, lead summaries, suggested next actions, and Chloe inside workflows all start on Growth at $99, and enrichment bills $0.05 per field on top of the credits. Bigin's full AI toolkit starts on Premier at $12: a writing assistant, reply suggestions, record summaries, cross-sell prompts, and churn signals, with 1,000 credits every month and 3,000 on Bigin 360. If an agent that phones your leads is the reason you are shopping, Close has one, and Bigin does not offer an AI calling agent; weigh that against the price.

Can I make calls from Close?

Yes, and calling is the best thing about Close. Every plan includes a dialer and SMS, billed by usage: calls at carrier rates, rounded up to the next minute; most outbound calls are around $0.02 per minute; and numbers are rented monthly from about $1. The power dialer starts on Growth, and the predictive dialer on Scale. Recordings are kept for 30 days on Solo and Essentials, and transcription (Call Assistant) is a $50-a-month add-on plus $0.02 per minute. Bigin includes a built-in phone with IVR from the free plan onward, and its marketplace lists 100+ telephony providers if you would rather bring your own rates.

How do I migrate from Close to Bigin?

Export your leads, contacts, and opportunities from Close as CSV files, and Bigin's import tools map contacts, companies, deals, and notes across. Every paid Bigin plan comes with a free onboarding session and data-import help from our team, so field mapping isn't something you have to solve alone. Bigin's single-click migration currently covers Pipedrive, HubSpot, Insightly, and Zoho CRM; Close is a file import. If Bigin does not fit, there is a money-back guarantee: 30 days on monthly billing and 45 days on annual.

Will I outgrow Bigin?

Bigin scales from a free single-user plan to Bigin 360 at $18 per user per month, with 15 team pipelines, 1,000,000 records, 100 automations, and 3,000 AI credits per month. If you eventually need more, your data moves to Zoho CRM with one click, so you never migrate platforms twice.

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