Closely vs AuthoredUp
Closely
- Platform: LinkedIn + Email
- Best For: Outbound sales and prospecting
- Strength: Multichannel automation and AI personalization
- Users: Not specified
Starting at $29/month
AuthoredUp
- Platform: LinkedIn only
- Best For: Content creation and personal branding
- Strength: Deep analytics and post optimization
- Users: 20k+ professionals
Starting at $12.46/month
Table of Contents
At a Glance
Platform Support
| Feature | Closely | AuthoredUp |
|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn Automation | ✓ Safe sequences with human-like behavior and limits | ✗ No automation; focuses on manual content posting |
| Email Outreach | ✓ Multichannel campaigns integrating LinkedIn and email | ✗ Not supported |
| Multi-Platform Support | ✗ LinkedIn and email only | ✗ LinkedIn-only with support for personal and company pages |
| Chrome Extension | ✗ Web-based platform | ✓ Integrated extension for in-LinkedIn editing and preview |
Content Creation & Personalization
| Feature | Closely | AuthoredUp |
|---|---|---|
| AI Personalization | ✓ AI for DMs, InMails, and emails with lead research | ✗ No native AI generation; relies on templates and user input |
| Rich Text Editor | ✗ Basic message templates | ✓ Advanced formatting with bold, italics, bullets, emojis, and live preview |
| Drafts & Snippets | ✗ Sequence builders for campaigns | ✓ Unlimited drafts, reusable snippets, and 300+ hooks/CTAs |
| Content Calendar | ✗ Campaign scheduling only | ✓ Centralized calendar for posts and scheduling |
| Post Reuse Suggestions | ✗ Not available | ✓ Historical posts analysis and top-performer reuse |
Outreach & Automation
| Feature | Closely | AuthoredUp |
|---|---|---|
| Multichannel Campaigns | ✓ LinkedIn sequences + email steps with conditional logic | ✗ No outreach automation |
| Data Enrichment | ✓ Verified emails/phones from LinkedIn, Sales Navigator exports | ✗ No enrichment features |
| Sales AI Agents | ✓ Lead qualification, scoring, and web research | ✗ Not available |
| Unified Inbox | ✓ For LinkedIn DMs, InMails, and emails | ✗ No inbox; focuses on content management |
| Post Scheduling | ✗ Automation for outreach, not content posting | ✓ Scheduling for LinkedIn posts with best-time recommendations |
Analytics & Reporting
| Feature | Closely | AuthoredUp |
|---|---|---|
| Outreach Analytics | ✓ Campaign, sequence, and team performance across channels | ✗ Not available |
| Content Analytics | ✗ Basic campaign metrics | ✓ Impressions, engagement, growth timelines, follower tracking |
| Saved Posts Analysis | ✗ Not available | ✓ Keyword/author filters, CSV export for historical posts |
| Best Time Recommendations | ✗ Not available | ✓ Based on personal analytics |
Integrations & Collaboration
| Feature | Closely | AuthoredUp |
|---|---|---|
| CRM Integrations | ✓ Deep sync with HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, GoHighLevel | ✗ No CRM integrations |
| Team Management | ✓ Team analytics and management in higher tiers | ✓ Sub-accounts, organization management, draft collaboration |
| White-Label Platform | ✓ Custom domain, branding for agencies | ✗ No white-label options |
| Multiple Accounts | ✓ Up to 5+ LinkedIn accounts per plan | ✓ Multiple profiles and company pages |
Pricing Comparison
Closely starts at $29/month (annual) for sales automation, scaling to $999/month for white-label agencies, emphasizing multichannel outreach value. AuthoredUp starts at $12.46/month (annual) per profile for content tools, with business plans at $12.46/month per profile (min 3), offering better entry-level affordability for creators.
Closely
Starter Annual
$29/month
Solo users starting outbound campaigns
- 1 LinkedIn account
- Unlimited email accounts
- White-label included
- Outreach automation and multichannel campaigns
Growth Annual
$87/month
Small teams expanding outreach
- 3 LinkedIn accounts
- Unlimited email accounts
- White-label included
- Bonus 3,000 credits/month (emails, phones, AI personalizations)
Essential Annual
$145/month
Growing teams needing more scale
- 5 LinkedIn accounts
- Unlimited email accounts
- White-label included
- Bonus 5,000 credits/month
White-label Unlimited
$999/month
Agencies with multiple clients
- Unlimited seats
- Full customization and branding
- Client portal and branded reporting
- No usage caps
Custom
Custom
Large enterprises
- Custom accounts and credits
- Advanced analytics and integrations
- Webhooks and conditional sequences
AuthoredUp
Individual (Yearly)
$16.63/month
Solo creators building personal brands
- 1 LinkedIn profile
- Full editor and Chrome extension
- Unlimited drafts and snippets
- 300+ templates
- Content analytics
Business (Yearly)
$12.46/month per profile
Teams or agencies managing multiple profiles
- Minimum 3 profiles
- Multi-profile management
- Sub-accounts and team collaboration
- Organization analytics
- Draft sharing
Custom Growth Plan
Custom
Scaling agencies needing onboarding
- Personalized setup and training
- Flexible invoicing
- Tailored to team needs
Feature Deep Dive
Outreach & Automation Capabilities
Closely
Strengths
- Safe LinkedIn sequences mimicking human behavior
- Multichannel integration of LinkedIn and email
- AI agents for lead research and qualification
- Data enrichment from multiple LinkedIn sources
- Conditional builders for personalized flows
Workflow
Import leads → Enrich data → Build sequence → AI personalize → Launch campaign → Monitor unified inbox
AuthoredUp
Strengths
- No outreach automation; focuses on content to drive organic engagement
Workflow
N/A for outreach
Limitations
- Manual posting only; no DM or email automation
- No lead capture or enrichment
Closely dominates outreach with full automation for sales pipelines, while AuthoredUp has no such features, prioritizing content over direct prospecting. Choose Closely for active outreach; AuthoredUp for inbound via content.
Content Creation & Management
Closely
Strengths
- AI personalization for outreach messages
- Templates for DMs and emails
- No native content posting tools
Workflow
Generate AI message → Integrate into sequence → Send via campaign
Limitations
- Lacks rich editing or scheduling for posts
- Focused on transactional content, not educational/branding
AuthoredUp
Strengths
- Advanced editor with formatting and LinkedIn preview
- Unlimited drafts, snippets, and template library
- Historical post reuse and pattern analysis
- Content calendar for planning and scheduling
- Support for multiple company pages
Workflow
Ideate with hooks → Draft and format → Preview in LinkedIn → Schedule or save → Analyze performance
AuthoredUp is superior for LinkedIn content creation with its editor and reuse tools, ideal for branding. Closely offers AI for outreach messages but no post creation suite. AuthoredUp wins for creators; Closely for sales messaging.
Analytics & Insights
Closely
Strengths
- Advanced outreach metrics: reply rates, conversions, team performance
- CRM attribution for pipeline impact
- Campaign and sequence dashboards
Limitations
- Limited to outreach; no content engagement analytics
- No follower growth or post-level insights
AuthoredUp
Strengths
- Deep post analytics: impressions, engagement, timelines
- Follower growth and best-time-to-post
- Saved posts filtering and CSV export
- Profile performance tracking
Limitations
- No sales or outreach metrics
- Team analytics in business plans only
AuthoredUp provides richer LinkedIn content analytics for creators, while Closely excels in sales outreach ROI. For post optimization, choose AuthoredUp; for campaign effectiveness, Closely.
Integrations & Team Features
Closely
Strengths
- Deep CRM integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce, etc.)
- White-label for agencies with custom branding
- Team management and shared analytics
- Webhooks for custom workflows
Limitations
- Integrations sales-focused; no content tools like Canva
AuthoredUp
Strengths
- Chrome extension for seamless LinkedIn workflow
- Sub-accounts and draft collaboration for teams
- Organization management for multiple profiles
- EU hosting for privacy
Limitations
- No CRM or external integrations
- White-label not available
Closely leads in CRM and agency integrations for sales teams, while AuthoredUp offers solid internal collaboration for content teams. Closely for integrated sales stacks; AuthoredUp for LinkedIn-centric teams.
Use Case Comparison
Outbound Sales Team
Closely 🏆
Excellent
Multichannel automation, AI personalization, and CRM sync perfect for scaling prospecting without SDRs.
Best Plan: Growth Annual ($87/month)
Score: 10/10
AuthoredUp
Poor
No outreach tools; only content creation which indirectly supports inbound.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 2/10
Solo LinkedIn Creator
Closely
Fair
Useful for personal outreach but overkill for content-focused solos; lacks post tools.
Best Plan: Starter Annual ($29/month)
Score: 5/10
AuthoredUp 🏆
Excellent
Tailored editor, drafts, and analytics ideal for consistent posting and growth.
Best Plan: Individual Yearly ($16.63/month)
Score: 10/10
B2B Agency Offering Lead Gen
Closely 🏆
Excellent
White-label platform, unlimited seats, and CRM integrations suit client services.
Best Plan: White-label Unlimited ($999/month)
Score: 9/10
AuthoredUp
Good
Multi-profile management and collaboration for content services, but no white-label.
Best Plan: Business Yearly ($12.46/month per profile)
Score: 7/10
Personal Branding Consultant
Closely
Poor
Automation-focused; minimal content tools for branding advice.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 3/10
AuthoredUp 🏆
Excellent
Post editor, reuse suggestions, and analytics help craft and optimize brand content.
Best Plan: Individual Yearly ($16.63/month)
Score: 10/10
Sales Leader Needing Outreach Analytics
Closely 🏆
Excellent
Detailed campaign metrics and CRM attribution track ROI effectively.
Best Plan: Essential Annual ($145/month)
Score: 10/10
AuthoredUp
Fair
Content analytics useful for social selling, but no outreach tracking.
Best Plan: Business Yearly
Score: 4/10
Content Marketer Focused on LinkedIn
Closely
Fair
Can personalize content in campaigns, but no dedicated creation tools.
Best Plan: Growth Annual ($87/month)
Score: 6/10
AuthoredUp 🏆
Excellent
Full suite for ideation, editing, scheduling, and performance analysis.
Best Plan: Individual Yearly ($16.63/month)
Score: 10/10
Startup Founder Prospecting
Closely 🏆
Excellent
Scalable automation without building a team; AI agents save time.
Best Plan: Starter Annual ($29/month)
Score: 9/10
AuthoredUp
Good
Builds visibility through content, but no direct prospecting.
Best Plan: Individual Yearly ($16.63/month)
Score: 6/10
Agency Managing LinkedIn Content
Closely
Poor
Outreach-focused; lacks content collaboration depth.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 3/10
AuthoredUp 🏆
Excellent
Sub-accounts and shared drafts for client content workflows.
Best Plan: Business Yearly ($12.46/month per profile)
Score: 9/10
B2B Marketer Running Multichannel Campaigns
Closely 🏆
Excellent
LinkedIn + email with AI and analytics for full-funnel tracking.
Best Plan: Growth Annual ($87/month)
Score: 10/10
AuthoredUp
Poor
LinkedIn content only; no email or multichannel.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 2/10
Thought Leader Tracking Engagement
Closely
Fair
Basic metrics, but not optimized for content performance.
Best Plan: Starter Annual ($29/month)
Score: 5/10
AuthoredUp 🏆
Excellent
In-depth post and profile analytics to refine thought leadership.
Best Plan: Individual Yearly ($16.63/month)
Score: 10/10
Small Team Needing CRM Sync
Closely 🏆
Excellent
Seamless integrations keep sales data in sync.
Best Plan: Essential Annual ($145/month)
Score: 10/10
AuthoredUp
Poor
No integrations; manual data handling.
Best Plan: Not suitable
Score: 1/10
Budget-Conscious Creator
Closely
Fair
Higher cost for non-sales use; features underutilized.
Best Plan: Starter Annual ($29/month)
Score: 4/10
AuthoredUp 🏆
Excellent
Low entry price with core tools for creators.
Best Plan: Individual Yearly ($16.63/month)
Score: 9/10
Pros and Cons
Closely
Pros
- Comprehensive multichannel automation for LinkedIn and email
- Safe, human-like LinkedIn actions to avoid bans
- Deep CRM integrations for seamless sales workflows
- AI agents and personalization boost outreach efficiency
- Unified inbox simplifies reply management
- White-label options for agencies
- Flexible credits for enrichment and AI use
- Strong analytics for campaign ROI
Cons
- Complex interface for basic users
- Higher pricing not ideal for solos or casual use
- No content creation or post scheduling
- Requires onboarding for advanced features
- Credits system can add usage costs
- Focused on sales, not branding or inbound
AuthoredUp
Pros
- Purpose-built LinkedIn editor with advanced formatting
- Unlimited drafts, snippets, and template library
- Deep analytics for post optimization and growth
- Chrome extension for in-platform workflow
- Easy multi-profile and team collaboration
- Affordable pricing with yearly discounts
- Historical post analysis and reuse
- Privacy-focused with EU hosting
Cons
- No AI content generation or automation
- Chrome-dependent; limited on other browsers
- Per-profile pricing scales for teams
- LinkedIn-only; no multichannel support
- No CRM or external integrations
- Interface may overwhelm basic posters
Final Verdict
Closely and AuthoredUp both enhance LinkedIn strategies but target different users: Closely for sales automation and outbound efficiency, AuthoredUp for content mastery and analytics-driven growth. Closely turns prospecting into pipeline, while AuthoredUp builds authority through optimized posts.
Select Closely if your goal is direct sales outreach and pipeline growth. Opt for AuthoredUp if you're focused on content creation and organic LinkedIn engagement. For hybrid needs, combine them: Closely for leads, AuthoredUp for branding.
Overall Scores
Closely
Content Creation: 4/10
Value: 7/10
AuthoredUp
Content Creation: 10/10
Value: 9/10
Other Comparisons
Explore more tool comparisons to help you make the best decision:
