As a reviewer focused on social media management tools, I look for platforms that balance powerful features with ease of use. Having reviewed the public presentations of Closely and Agorapulse extensively, I can help you understand which tool fits your specific workflow—and where a more streamlined alternative like PostFlow might be a better fit for creators who prioritize fast content creation.

Emilia Morosini, Chief Content Strategist at PostFlow

Closely

  • Platform: LinkedIn & Email
  • Best For: Outbound sales and prospecting
  • Strength: Safe automation with AI personalization
  • Users: Not specified

Starting at $29/month

Agorapulse

  • Platform: Multi-social networks
  • Best For: Social media teams and agencies
  • Strength: Unified inbox and ROI analytics
  • Users: 2011 users

Starting at $79/month

Looking for a simpler alternative? Try PostFlow for fast LinkedIn post generation. Try out now

At a Glance

Platform Support

Feature Closely Agorapulse
LinkedIn Automation Deep automation with safe limits and human-like behavior Scheduling and publishing support, no advanced automation
Email Outreach Multichannel campaigns with AI personalization Not supported
Facebook & Instagram Not supported Full publishing, inbox, and product tagging
X (Twitter), YouTube, TikTok Not supported Multi-network scheduling and monitoring
CRM Integrations Deep sync with HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive Basic integrations via Zapier

Automation & Campaigns

Feature Closely Agorapulse
Multichannel Sequences LinkedIn + email campaigns with conditional steps Not supported
AI Personalization For DMs, InMails, emails, and lead research AI writing assistant and alt-text generator
Bulk Scheduling Campaign-based, not bulk CSV CSV import and publishing queues
Data Enrichment Verified emails/phones from LinkedIn Not supported
Social Listening Not supported Across networks, news, and blogs

Inbox & Engagement

Feature Closely Agorapulse
Unified Inbox LinkedIn DMs, InMails, and emails Comments, messages, reviews, ad comments across networks
Moderation Rules Not supported Advanced rules, labels, bulk actions
Assignment & Collaboration Team management in campaigns Post/inbox assignments, approval workflows

Analytics & Reporting

Feature Closely Agorapulse
Outreach Analytics Campaign, sequence, and team performance Not supported
ROI Tracking Not supported Ties activity to leads, sales, traffic
Branded Reports White-label for agencies Profile/post-level with exports
Competitor Benchmarking Not supported Performance comparison

Collaboration & Agency Features

Feature Closely Agorapulse
White-Label Platform Custom domain, branding for agencies Branded reports and client portals
Team Workflows Team management and advanced analytics Shared calendars, approvals, SSO
Unlimited Profiles Limited by plan (1-5 LinkedIn accounts) Enterprise unlimited

Integrations & Extras

Feature Closely Agorapulse
CRM Depth HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, GoHighLevel Zapier, basic API
Link-in-Bio Tool Not supported PulseLink for Instagram
AI Agents For lead research, qualification, scoring Not supported
Mobile App Not specified iOS and Android access
Need a tool that focuses on fast content creation? PostFlow generates LinkedIn posts in under a minute. Try out now

Pricing Comparison

Closely starts at $29/month (annual) for LinkedIn/email automation, scaling with accounts and credits. Agorapulse offers a free tier and starts at $79/month per user for multi-platform management, with per-user pricing that can add up for teams. Closely provides better value for sales-focused users, while Agorapulse suits collaborative social teams.

Closely

Starter Annual

$29/month

Solo users starting outbound

  • 1 LinkedIn account
  • Unlimited email accounts
  • White-label included
  • Access to outreach automation and multichannel campaigns

Growth Annual

$87/month

Small teams scaling campaigns

  • 3 LinkedIn accounts
  • Unlimited email accounts
  • White-label included
  • Bonus 3,000 credits per month (emails, phones, AI)

Essential Annual

$145/month

Growing teams with more accounts

  • 5 LinkedIn accounts
  • Unlimited email accounts
  • White-label included
  • Bonus 5,000 credits per month

Custom

Custom

Larger teams needing flexibility

  • Custom LinkedIn accounts
  • Unlimited campaigns and credits
  • Conditional builder, CRM integrations, webhooks
  • Advanced analytics and team management

White-label Unlimited

$999/month

Agencies with many clients

  • Unlimited seats
  • Full customization and branding
  • Client portal, no usage caps

Agorapulse

Free

Free

Testing basics

  • 1 user and 3 social profiles
  • Core publishing and inbox on limited scale

Standard (Yearly)

$79/month per user

Solo managers

  • Unlimited posts, unified inbox
  • Basic reports, up to 10 profiles
  • Mobile app

Professional (Yearly)

$119/month per user

Growing teams

  • PulseLink, Instagram tagging
  • Assignments, team reports, up to 10 profiles

Advanced (Yearly)

$149/month per user

Structured teams

  • Moderation rules, shared calendars
  • ROI analysis, competitor benchmarking, up to 10 profiles

Custom (Enterprise)

Tailored Pricing

Large enterprises

  • Unlimited profiles
  • AI reply suggestions, SSO, multi-approvals
  • Full API, sentiment analysis, priority support
Want simpler pricing? PostFlow offers straightforward plans focused on fast post creation. Try out now

Feature Deep Dive

Outreach & Automation Capabilities

Closely

Strengths
  • Safe LinkedIn sequences with human-like behavior and limits
  • Multichannel campaigns blending LinkedIn and email steps
  • AI personalization for messages and Sales AI Agents for research/qualification
  • Data enrichment from LinkedIn exports and events
  • Conditional sequence builder for advanced flows
Workflow

Build prospect list → Enrich data → Create AI-personalized sequence → Launch multichannel campaign → Monitor in unified inbox

Agorapulse

Strengths
  • Unlimited post scheduling across networks with queues
  • Bulk CSV scheduling and best-time automation
  • Instagram product tagging and grid preview
  • AI writing assistant for posts
  • Publishing workflows with approvals
Workflow

Plan in shared calendar → Create/schedule posts → Approve and queue → Publish multi-network → Track performance

Closely dominates in sales-oriented automation with LinkedIn/email multichannel and AI lead handling, ideal for prospecting. Agorapulse shines in content scheduling across social platforms with collaborative tools, but lacks outreach depth. Choose Closely for B2B sales, Agorapulse for broad social publishing.

Closely automation features

Inbox & Engagement Management

Closely

Strengths
  • Unified inbox for LinkedIn DMs, InMails, and email replies
  • Team collaboration on responses
  • Integration with CRM for lead tracking
Limitations
  • Focused on outreach replies, no broad social moderation
  • No ad comments or review handling

Agorapulse

Strengths
  • Centralized inbox for comments, messages, reviews, ad comments
  • Advanced moderation rules, labels, saved replies, bulk actions
  • Assignments, AI reply suggestions (Enterprise)
  • Social listening integration
Limitations
  • No email or LinkedIn-specific depth
  • Per-user access may limit team scale

Agorapulse offers a more comprehensive social inbox with moderation and listening, perfect for customer service. Closely provides a targeted inbox for sales conversations. For multi-channel engagement, Agorapulse wins; for sales follow-ups, Closely is superior.

Analytics & Reporting

Closely

Strengths
  • Advanced outreach analytics for campaigns, sequences, teams
  • CRM attribution for lead scoring and conversions
  • White-label reports with custom branding
Limitations
  • Focused on outreach metrics, no social ROI or benchmarking
  • No historical data import

Agorapulse

Strengths
  • Profile/post-level reporting with branded exports
  • ROI analysis linking to revenue/traffic
  • Competitor benchmarking, ads reports
  • Automated delivery and sentiment analysis (Enterprise)
Limitations
  • Less emphasis on sales attribution
  • Advanced features in higher tiers

Agorapulse provides broader social ROI and benchmarking for marketing teams. Closely excels in sales-specific analytics with CRM ties. Select Agorapulse for holistic social impact, Closely for outbound performance tracking.

Closely analytics dashboard
Prefer a streamlined tool? PostFlow focuses purely on creating great LinkedIn content quickly. Try out now

Use Case Comparison

Outbound Sales Team

Closely 🏆

Excellent

Multichannel LinkedIn/email automation, AI personalization, and CRM integrations streamline prospecting and lead qualification.

Best Plan: Growth Annual ($87/month)

Score: 10/10

Agorapulse

Poor

Lacks sales automation and enrichment; better for general social engagement.

Best Plan: Not suitable

Score: 2/10

Social Media Agency

Closely

Good

White-label and team features for LinkedIn services, but limited to outreach.

Best Plan: White-label Unlimited ($999/month)

Score: 7/10

Agorapulse 🏆

Excellent

Unlimited profiles, client portals, approvals, and multi-platform support ideal for client management.

Best Plan: Advanced (Yearly) ($149/month per user)

Score: 10/10

B2B Marketer Generating Leads

Closely 🏆

Excellent

AI agents for lead research/scoring and multichannel campaigns drive pipeline.

Best Plan: Essential Annual ($145/month)

Score: 9/10

Agorapulse

Fair

ROI tracking helps, but no lead enrichment or automation.

Best Plan: Professional (Yearly) ($119/month per user)

Score: 5/10

E-commerce Brand

Closely

Fair

Limited to LinkedIn/email; useful for B2B sales but not social selling.

Best Plan: Starter Annual ($29/month)

Score: 4/10

Agorapulse 🏆

Excellent

Instagram tagging, unified inbox for customer service, ROI for sales impact.

Best Plan: Advanced (Yearly) ($149/month per user)

Score: 9/10

Small Team Scaling Outbound

Closely 🏆

Excellent

Affordable tiers with unlimited emails and CRM sync replace SDR hires.

Best Plan: Growth Annual ($87/month)

Score: 9/10

Agorapulse

Good

Collaboration tools help, but no outbound focus.

Best Plan: Standard (Yearly) ($79/month per user)

Score: 6/10

Higher Education Engagement

Closely

Poor

Sales-focused, not suited for community building.

Best Plan: Not suitable

Score: 3/10

Agorapulse 🏆

Excellent

Multi-platform inbox and listening for student/alumni interactions.

Best Plan: Professional (Yearly) ($119/month per user)

Score: 10/10

Founder Prospecting on LinkedIn

Closely 🏆

Excellent

Safe automation and enrichment for solo scaling without large teams.

Best Plan: Starter Annual ($29/month)

Score: 10/10

Agorapulse

Fair

Basic LinkedIn scheduling, but no prospecting tools.

Best Plan: Standard (Yearly) ($79/month per user)

Score: 4/10

Digital Agency Managing Clients

Closely

Good

White-label for LinkedIn services, but single-platform limit.

Best Plan: Custom

Score: 7/10

Agorapulse 🏆

Excellent

Workspaces, approvals, unlimited profiles for multi-client social.

Best Plan: Custom (Enterprise)

Score: 10/10

Retail Customer Service

Closely

Poor

Outreach-focused, not for service inbox.

Best Plan: Not suitable

Score: 2/10

Agorapulse 🏆

Excellent

Unified inbox handles reviews, comments, ad responses efficiently.

Best Plan: Advanced (Yearly) ($149/month per user)

Score: 9/10

Sales Leader Needing Analytics

Closely 🏆

Excellent

Campaign analytics and CRM attribution for outreach ROI.

Best Plan: Essential Annual ($145/month)

Score: 9/10

Agorapulse

Good

ROI tracking, but social-focused not sales.

Best Plan: Advanced (Yearly) ($149/month per user)

Score: 6/10

Marketer Running Multichannel Campaigns

Closely 🏆

Excellent

LinkedIn + email integration with analytics.

Best Plan: Growth Annual ($87/month)

Score: 8/10

Agorapulse

Good

Social multichannel, but no email.

Best Plan: Professional (Yearly) ($119/month per user)

Score: 7/10

Solo Social Media Manager

Closely

Fair

Good for LinkedIn, but complex for general social.

Best Plan: Starter Annual ($29/month)

Score: 5/10

Agorapulse 🏆

Excellent

Free tier to start, unlimited posts, easy interface.

Best Plan: Standard (Yearly) ($79/month per user)

Score: 9/10

Still deciding? PostFlow offers a simple, focused approach to LinkedIn content creation. Try out now

Pros and Cons

Closely

Pros

  • Comprehensive LinkedIn/email automation with safe, human-like behavior
  • AI personalization and agents for efficient lead handling
  • Deep CRM integrations for seamless sales attribution
  • Unified inbox simplifies multichannel replies
  • Flexible pricing with annual discounts and white-label options
  • Data enrichment and exports from LinkedIn sources
  • Advanced analytics for campaigns and teams

Cons

  • Interface complex for basic users
  • High pricing for solo/casual use
  • No native content creation or broad social scheduling
  • Onboarding needed for white-label/advanced features
  • Limited to LinkedIn/email, no multi-social
  • Credits system for AI/enrichment adds management

Agorapulse

Pros

  • Unified social inbox centralizes all interactions
  • Intuitive interface with robust publishing workflows
  • Strong ROI and reporting to measure business impact
  • Advanced moderation and collaboration tools
  • Free tier and mobile app for accessibility
  • Multi-platform support including emerging networks
  • AI assistants for content and replies

Cons

  • Per-user pricing escalates for large teams
  • Heavy for solo/small businesses
  • Advanced features/ROI in higher tiers
  • No LinkedIn/email automation or CRM depth
  • Configuration needed for many profiles
  • Less AI focus than specialized tools
Want the best of both worlds? Try PostFlow for fast content creation without the complexity. Try out now

Final Verdict

Closely and Agorapulse target distinct needs: Closely for targeted sales automation via LinkedIn/email with CRM depth, Agorapulse for comprehensive social management, engagement, and ROI across platforms. Closely suits outbound pros, Agorapulse fits social teams.

Opt for Closely if sales outreach via LinkedIn/email is core, especially with CRM needs. Choose Agorapulse for multi-platform social operations, engagement, and team collaboration. Combine for sales + social strategies in B2B.

Overall Scores

Closely

4.5 / 5.0

Value: 8/10

Agorapulse

4.5 / 5.0

Value: 7/10

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