Comparison
Exa vs Close
Two CRMs for teams that sell by phone, text and email — one built around rep dialers, the other around AI voice and messaging compliance.
Last reviewed · Sources
The short answer
Close is built for inside-sales teams that live on the phone — power and predictive dialers, two-way SMS, email sequences and Chloe, an AI that drafts, updates records with approval and places outbound qualification calls. Exa fits teams that want inbound calls answered by an AI receptionist, WhatsApp in the same inbox, compliance enforced server-side and quotes and invoices with QuickBooks Online sync — but it has no dialer for reps.
Who it's for
Who each tool is best for
Exa is best for
- Teams that need inbound calls answered, qualified and booked by AI
- Businesses whose customers use WhatsApp as well as SMS and email
- Owners who want quiet hours and consent enforced on every send automatically
- Teams that send quotes and invoices and use QuickBooks Online
Close is best for
- Inside-sales teams making high volumes of calls with power or predictive dialers
- SMB and mid-market teams that sell by phone, SMS and email from one CRM
- Teams that want multi-step email, SMS and call workflows that stop on reply
- Teams that want outbound AI qualification calls to US and Canadian numbers
Feature by feature
Exa and Close compared
What each product offers today, based on Close's public product pages and help docs. Features can depend on plan, edition or add-ons — check with each vendor for your case.
| Feature | Exa | Close |
|---|---|---|
| AI assistant that acts with confirmation | YesAnswers questions with charts and record links; every change waits for your confirmation | YesChloe Chat (beta) answers questions and drafts; asks approval before changing records |
| AI voice receptionist & outbound AI calls | YesVia your Vapi account: answers, qualifies, books; transcripts and summaries saved | PartialChloe Voice Agents place outbound calls only (US and Canada, English) |
| Call recording, transcripts & AI summaries | PartialFor AI calls via Vapi; no recorder for Zoom, Meet or Teams meetings | YesCall recording, transcripts and AI call summaries |
| Built-in calling / dialer for reps | Not offeredNo rep dialer; calls are AI voice calls via Vapi | YesPower Dialer and Predictive Dialer on higher plans; voicemail drop |
| Unified inbox (email, SMS, WhatsApp, calls) | YesOne thread per contact across email, SMS, WhatsApp and Vapi calls | PartialInbox for email, SMS, missed calls and tasks; WhatsApp not included |
| Two-way SMS | YesFrom your own Twilio numbers | YesTwo-way SMS and MMS |
| WhatsApp messaging | YesWhatsApp Business Cloud API, approved templates, 24-hour window enforced | PartialThrough integrations such as TimelinesAI |
| Multi-step email & SMS follow-up | PartialAutomations with wait steps and messages; no dedicated sequence builder | YesEmail, SMS and call workflows that pause when a lead replies |
| Visual Kanban pipeline | YesMultiple pipelines, stage probabilities, rotting alerts | YesDrag-and-drop opportunity pipeline view |
| Workflow automations | Yes25 triggers incl. quote and invoice events; actions incl. messages, tasks, waits, webhooks, AI calls | Varies by planWorkflows on Growth and Scale plans |
| Lead capture forms | YesEmbeddable forms with UTM/click-ID attribution and consent fields | YesNative forms that create leads and can trigger workflows |
| Built-in messaging compliance (consent, STOP, quiet hours) | YesPer-channel consent, STOP/START/HELP, quiet hours — enforced server-side on every send | PartialSTOP replies block texting; workflow send windows; consent and DNC are your responsibility |
| Native iOS & Android apps | YesNative iPhone and Android apps | YesiPhone and Android apps; power dialing not available in the app |
| Reporting & forecasting | YesKPI dashboard, monthly revenue forecast, funnel, rep and lead-source reports | YesActivity and funnel reports; custom charts on Scale |
| API & webhooks | YesREST API, scoped API keys, HMAC-signed webhooks with retries | YesREST API, webhooks and an MCP server |
| Multiple workspaces, roles & audit log | YesFive roles, record visibility, audit log with old/new values | Varies by planFour predefined roles; custom roles on Scale |
| Quotes & invoices | YesPrice book, tax rates, PDF quotes customers accept with a typed-name e-signature, one-click invoices | PartialThrough integrations such as InvoiceBerry, Better Proposals and GetAccept |
| B2B contact database & data enrichment | Not offeredNot offered — bring your own leads | PartialAI Enrichment fills fields from the web; prospect data through integrations |
| App marketplace | Not offeredFocused native integrations plus API and webhooks | YesIntegrations including Zapier, HubSpot, Calendly and Zoom |
Pricing: plans and prices change and differ by region, so we don't quote them here. SeeExa pricing andClose's pricing page.
Key differences
How Exa and Close differ
Rep dialers vs. AI voice
Close is one of the most phone-centric CRMs: a Power Dialer and Predictive Dialer, voicemail drop, call recording and AI call summaries. Its Chloe Voice Agents add outbound AI calls to qualify leads — currently outbound only, in English, to US and Canadian numbers. Exa doesn’t have a dialer for reps. Instead, with a Vapi account connected, its AI voice agent answers inbound calls when you can’t, captures and qualifies the caller, checks availability and books the appointment — and can place outbound AI calls to people with call consent.
Channels and inbox
Both CRMs handle email and two-way SMS in one inbox. Close connects WhatsApp through integrations such as TimelinesAI. Exa includes WhatsApp natively through the Business Cloud API, with approved templates and the 24-hour window enforced, alongside email, SMS and AI calls.
Compliance
Close blocks further texts when a contact replies STOP and lets workflows send inside a communication window, while its documentation makes clear that consent and do-not-call lists are the customer’s responsibility. Exa stores consent per channel with evidence, handles STOP/START/HELP, enforces quiet hours in the recipient’s time zone for SMS and calls and requires call consent for AI calls — on the server, for every send. You’re still responsible for the laws that apply to you, but the guardrails are on by default.
Quotes and invoices
Close connects quoting and invoicing through integrations such as InvoiceBerry, Better Proposals and GetAccept. Exa builds them in: a price book, quotes with a hosted link customers can accept with a typed-name e-signature, invoices with overdue tracking and manually recorded payments, and QuickBooks Online sync.
Making the call
Which one should you choose?
When to choose Close
- Your reps make a lot of outbound calls and need power or predictive dialing — Exa has no dialer for reps.
- You want multi-step email, SMS and call cadences in one workflow that pauses on reply.
- You want an AI agent that places outbound qualification calls inside your CRM today.
- You want a migration path from many CRMs through Close's importer and support team.
When to choose Exa
- You want an AI receptionist (via Vapi) that answers inbound calls, qualifies callers and books appointments into your calendar.
- Your customers message you on WhatsApp, and you want it in the same inbox as SMS, email and calls.
- You want consent per channel, STOP/START/HELP keywords and quiet hours checked on the server for every send — by a person, an automation or the AI.
- You send quotes customers accept with a typed-name e-signature, convert them to invoices and sync customers, invoices and payments to QuickBooks Online.
- You want appointments with availability slots, double-booking protection and two-way Google Calendar sync built in.
Migration
Switching from Close to Exa
Close exports leads, contacts and opportunities as CSV. Import leads and contacts into Exa with column mapping and duplicate handling, rebuild your pipeline stages, and recreate the workflows you rely on as Exa automations (wait steps, messages, tasks and stage moves).
- 1
Export your data from Close
Export the people and companies you want to keep from Close to CSV files. Keep the column headers — Exa uses them to suggest a mapping.
- 2
Import with column mapping and duplicate handling
Upload a CSV as leads or contacts, preview the rows and check the suggested mapping (custom fields included — create them first). Choose whether rows that match an existing record are skipped, update it, or are created anyway. Progress, counts and row errors are shown as the import runs.
- 3
Rebuild your pipeline and price book
Create pipelines with your own stages, probabilities and rotting rules, then recreate open deals by hand or through the REST API — CSV import covers leads and contacts, not deals. If you send quotes, add your products, services and tax rates to the price book, and connect QuickBooks Online if you use it.
- 4
Reconnect your lead sources
Embed Exa forms on your website, and send leads from other systems to the server-to-server lead API with a scoped API key — a lead with a matching email or phone is updated instead of duplicated. Signed webhooks push CRM events to your own tools.
- 5
Connect channels and invite your team
Connect Twilio for SMS, the WhatsApp Business Cloud API, Postmark or SMTP for email, Vapi for AI calls, Google Calendar and QuickBooks Online, then invite teammates as owner, admin, manager, rep or viewer. Exa only texts people with SMS consent (or who texted you first), so plan how you will record consent for imported contacts.
Questions about moving over? Our team is happy to help.
Contact us
FAQ
Exa vs Close: common questions
Quick answers for teams weighing Exa against Close.
Still have questions?
Start a free trial and see Exa with your own leads and pipeline, or email our team.
What's the biggest difference between Exa and Close?
Calling. Close is built around human calling with power and predictive dialers, plus outbound AI calls. Exa has no rep dialer; its calling is AI voice through Vapi, including an inbound AI receptionist that answers, qualifies and books.
Do both CRMs ask before the AI changes something?
Yes. Close's help center says Chloe always asks for approval before changing anything. In Exa, every write the assistant proposes becomes a confirmation card, and permissions are re-checked before it runs.
Can Exa send quotes and invoices?
Yes. Exa has a price book with tax rates, quotes with line items and discounts that customers accept with a typed-name e-signature, one-click invoices with overdue tracking and QuickBooks Online sync. It doesn't process card payments; payments are recorded manually or synced from QuickBooks Online.
Does Exa have email sequences?
Exa automations can send emails and texts, wait, create tasks and move deals, which covers many follow-up cadences. It doesn't have a dedicated sequence builder like Close's workflows.
Does Exa handle WhatsApp?
Yes, natively through the WhatsApp Business Cloud API — two-way messages, approved templates and the 24-hour customer service window are handled in the unified inbox.
Sources
Close details were checked against Close's own website and help documentation. Last reviewed . Spotted something out of date?Let us know and we'll correct it.
- Close — Chloe overview
- Close — Chloe Chat
- Close — Using voice agents
- Close — Chloe compliance
- Close — Calling
- Close — SMS and MMS
- Close — WhatsApp integrations
- Close — Workflows
- Close — Inbox
- Close — Forms
- Close — Mobile app
- Close — Roles and permissions
- Close — Developer docs (API and webhooks)
- Close — Integrations
- Close — Migration from another CRM
- Close — Pricing (plan features)
Product names are trademarks of their respective owners. Comparison based on publicly available information as of October 2026. Exa is not affiliated with or endorsed by Close.
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