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Comparison · CRM
CiviCRM vs Close CRM
A side-by-side editorial comparison of CiviCRM and Close CRM — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
CiviCRM vs Close CRM: at a glance
What is CiviCRM?
CiviCRM's feed jumps from 6.14 to 6.19.3.1, and the visible change is a dependency tweak.
CiviCRM is a mature open-source CRM for nonprofits on a frequent 6.x point-release cadence. The newest entry, 6.19.3.1, only loosens the PhpSpreadsheet version requirement. The feed skips from 6.14.1 in May to this release, so several minor versions of change are not visible here. Earlier entries show narrow fixes and the removal of the legacy Smarty v2 dependency.
What is Close CRM?
Close turns caller ID into an automatic choice with Local Presence.
Close is shipping on three tracks: the Chloe assistant, calling, and admin controls. In November the calling side moved most, with Local Presence picking a recognized or local-looking number for each call and text, and outbound calls now playing a tone while they connect. Chloe Chat is generally available and draws charts on request, and October brought object renaming and a central Security page with OIDC SSO.
CiviCRM vs Close CRM: editorial side-by-side
CiviCRM
2.5CRM
CiviCRM's feed jumps from 6.14 to 6.19.3.1, and the visible change is a dependency tweak.
◆ Current state
CiviCRM is a mature open-source CRM for nonprofits on a frequent 6.x point-release cadence. The newest entry, 6.19.3.1, only loosens the PhpSpreadsheet version requirement. The feed skips from 6.14.1 in May to this release, so several minor versions of change are not visible here. Earlier entries show narrow fixes and the removal of the legacy Smarty v2 dependency.
◆ Where it's heading
What is visible is maintenance: version bumps, a receipt-token fix, dependency modernisation. The version jump implies the minor-release train kept running, but the entries carry none of its content.
◆ Prediction
Expect further 6.19.x or 6.20 point releases; the entries give no basis for predicting feature direction.
Close CRM
5.0CRM
Close turns caller ID into an automatic choice with Local Presence.
◆ Current state
Close is shipping on three tracks: the Chloe assistant, calling, and admin controls. In November the calling side moved most, with Local Presence picking a recognized or local-looking number for each call and text, and outbound calls now playing a tone while they connect. Chloe Chat is generally available and draws charts on request, and October brought object renaming and a central Security page with OIDC SSO.
◆ Where it's heading
Calling and texting are getting the kind of automation Chloe brought to search and reporting, with Close making choices reps used to make by hand. The admin work points at larger teams that need renamed objects and central access control.
◆ Prediction
Expect more calling features that remove manual steps, such as number management or call outcome handling, alongside further Chloe chart and action types.
Alternatives to CiviCRM and Close CRM
Other CRM products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either CiviCRM or Close CRM.
Twenty
Twenty 2.58.1 stops existing accounts from joining a workspace through SSO alone.
Twenty
Twenty 2.58 rebuilds CRM permissions down to the row and adds MCP workflow steps.
GroupOffice
GroupOffice patches its 25.0 and 6.8 lines again, still with no notes.
Folk
folk adds a command panel and quick-add tasks after its agent-era repositioning.
Folk
folk now pitches itself as the CRM for the agent era.
See all CiviCRM alternatives → · See all Close CRM alternatives →
Recent activity from CiviCRM and Close CRM
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 5d agoClose CRMHear a tone while outbound calls connect
- 9d agoClose CRMLocal Presence
- 10d agoClose CRMAsk Chloe to create donut and horizontal line charts
- 16d agoClose CRMRename Leads, Contacts, and Opportunities
- 16d agoCiviCRM6.19.3.1: PhpSpreadsheet version requirement loosened
- 25d agoClose CRMChloe Chat is out of beta for all Close customers
- 1mo agoClose CRMClose adds a central Security page and OIDC single sign-on
- 5mo agoCiviCRM6.14.1: Fix membership receipt price token
- 7mo agoCiviCRM6.12.3 maintenance release
- 7mo agoCiviCRM6.12.2 maintenance release
- 8mo agoCiviCRM6.12.1: Drop Smarty v2 templating dependency
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between CiviCRM and Close CRM?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Close CRM is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is CiviCRM better than Close CRM?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Close CRM is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other CRM products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to CiviCRM?
Top CiviCRM alternatives in CRM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "CiviCRM alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/civicrm for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Close CRM?
Top Close CRM alternatives in CRM are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Close CRM alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/close-crm for the full list with editorial commentary on each.