TL;DR
- Close:
- $59-139/user/mo. Per-user monthly.
- FairCRM:
- $5-15/active user/mo. No subscription. Full features from day one.
A Close alternative that charges what it costs.
Close charges $59-139/user/mo. The infrastructure to run crm — servers, APIs, storage, delivery — costs roughly $0.50/user/mo. FairCRM charges $5-15/active user/mo. No subscription. No seat limits. No annual contract.
Why people leave Close
Expensive starting price ($59/user/mo)
Built for calling teams, less useful for email-first sales
Limited customization compared to Salesforce
FairCRM vs Close
| FairCRM | Close | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Pay per use | Per-user monthly |
| Price | $5-15/active user/mo | $59-139/user/mo |
| Free tier | Free actions included | 14-day trial |
| Contract | None | Annual billing typical |
| Zero-usage month | $0 | Still charged |
| Feature gating | All features included | Features locked by tier |
| Infrastructure cost | $0.50/user/mo | Not disclosed |
What it actually costs to run
The infrastructure cost for crm — servers, APIs, storage, delivery — is roughly $0.50/user/mo. Close charges $59-139/user/mo.
Fair charges $5-15/active user/mo — cost plus a small margin.
When to choose which
Choose Close if
Inside sales teams doing high-volume calling
Choose FairCRM if
You want crm without a subscription. FairCRM charges $5-15/active user/mo. Use a lot? Pay a little more. Use nothing? Pay nothing. All features included from the first use.
Where Close gets expensive
- $59/user minimum is high for SMBs
- Niche focus limits flexibility
Switch from Close. Keep the features. Lose the subscription.
FairCRM — $5-15/active user/mo. No subscription. No seat pricing. No annual contract. Your first actions are free.
Related comparisons
Fair is the anti-subscription. 13 tools, one account, pay for what you use.