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 Iconosquare 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 and Email
  • Best For: Outbound sales and prospecting
  • Strength: AI personalization and safe automation
  • Users: Not specified

Starting at $29/month

Iconosquare

  • Platform: Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, Pinterest, Threads, YouTube
  • Best For: Analytics and multi-profile management
  • Strength: 100+ metrics and custom reporting
  • Users: Thousands of brands and agencies

Starting at €33/month

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

At a Glance

Platform Support

Feature Closely Iconosquare
LinkedIn Deep automation for connections, DMs, InMails Scheduling, analytics, and engagement tracking
Email Outreach Multichannel campaigns with personalization Not supported
Instagram, Facebook, TikTok LinkedIn and email only Full support with cross-posting and DMs
X (Twitter), Pinterest, YouTube, Threads Not supported Comprehensive multi-platform coverage
CRM Integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce) Deep sync for leads and attribution API access on higher tiers

Automation & Outreach

Feature Closely Iconosquare
LinkedIn Automation Sequences Safe limits and human-like behavior Scheduling only, no automation
Multichannel Campaigns LinkedIn + email steps Cross-posting but no outreach
AI Personalization for Messages For DMs, InMails, emails with lead research Caption writing and hashtags
Data Enrichment (Emails, Phones) From LinkedIn profiles and exports Not available
Unified Inbox LinkedIn DMs, InMails, emails Comments, mentions, DMs across platforms

Analytics & Reporting

Feature Closely Iconosquare
Outreach Analytics Campaign, sequence, team performance Social-specific metrics
Social Media Analytics (100+ Metrics) Limited to outreach Real-time metrics across platforms
Custom Dashboards & Reports Basic analytics Automated PDF/XLS exports
White-label Reporting For agencies with custom branding On higher tiers for clients
Social Listening Not available Competitors, hashtags, mentions

AI & Content Tools

Feature Closely Iconosquare
Sales AI Agents (Research, Qualification) Lead scoring and web research Not available
AI Caption & Hashtag Suggestions Not available Content inspiration and writing
Best Time to Post Not available Suggestions based on analytics
Media Library & Bulk Upload Not available Saved captions and bulk features

Collaboration & Agency Features

Feature Closely Iconosquare
Team Management & Permissions For sales teams and agencies Role-based for social teams
Approval Workflows Not available Custom content approvals
White-label Platform Custom domain and branding for agencies Reporting and dashboard customization
Multi-location/Profile Management Multiple LinkedIn accounts Groups for multi-profiles

Integrations & Extras

Feature Closely Iconosquare
CRM Integrations HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, GoHighLevel API on Excel+
Instagram Giveaway Picker Not available Fair winner selection
Advanced Analytics Retention Standard Unlimited on higher tiers
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 to $999/month for white-label unlimited. Iconosquare starts at €33/month with a free tier, focusing on analytics value. Closely suits sales teams with CRM needs, while Iconosquare offers better entry for social analytics.

Closely

Starter Annual

$29/month

Solo users starting outbound

  • 1 LinkedIn account
  • Unlimited email accounts
  • White-label included
  • Outreach automation and multichannel campaigns

Growth Annual

$87/month

Small teams scaling prospecting

  • 3 LinkedIn accounts
  • Unlimited email accounts
  • Bonus 3,000 credits/month
  • White-label included

Essential Annual

$145/month

Growing sales teams

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

Custom

Custom

Large teams with advanced needs

  • Custom LinkedIn accounts
  • CRM integrations and webhooks
  • Smart Inbox and advanced analytics

White-label Unlimited

$999/month

Agencies with many clients

  • Unlimited seats
  • Complete customization
  • No usage caps

Iconosquare

Free

€0/month

Basic testing

  • 2 social profiles
  • 1 user
  • 10 posts/month per profile
  • Basic analytics

Launch

€33/month

Solo social managers

  • 5 social profiles
  • 1 user
  • 100 posts/month
  • Standard analytics, AI tools

Scale

€69/month

Small teams

  • 5 social profiles
  • 3 users
  • Unlimited posts
  • Unified inbox, competitor tracking

Excel

Custom pricing

Mid-sized teams

  • 5 social profiles
  • 6 users
  • Unlimited groups
  • White-label reporting, API

Custom

Custom pricing

Enterprises and agencies

  • 20+ profiles
  • Unlimited users
  • Tailored for multi-location
Want simpler pricing? PostFlow offers straightforward plans focused on fast post creation. Try out now

Feature Deep Dive

Outreach and Automation Capabilities

Closely

Strengths
  • LinkedIn sequences with safe, human-like actions
  • Multichannel campaigns blending LinkedIn and email
  • AI personalization for DMs, InMails, emails
  • Sales AI agents for lead qualification and research
  • Data enrichment from LinkedIn exports
Workflow

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

Iconosquare

Strengths
  • Centralized scheduling calendar with cross-posting
  • Best time to post suggestions
  • AI-powered caption and hashtag tools
  • Media library for bulk uploads
  • No deep automation, focuses on publishing
Workflow

Plan content in calendar → Use AI for captions → Schedule across platforms → Track performance

Closely dominates in sales outreach with LinkedIn/email automation and AI agents, ideal for prospecting. Iconosquare is stronger for social content scheduling and publishing across platforms but lacks outreach depth. Choose Closely for B2B sales, Iconosquare for brand posting.

Closely outreach automation features

Analytics & Reporting

Closely

Strengths
  • Advanced outreach analytics for campaigns and teams
  • CRM attribution for lead tracking
  • Performance across sequences and multichannel
  • Basic but sales-focused insights
Limitations
  • No social media metrics depth
  • Limited to outreach data

Iconosquare

Strengths
  • 100+ real-time metrics across platforms
  • Custom dashboards and automated reports
  • White-label and exportable (PDF/XLS)
  • Competitor benchmarking and social listening
  • Unlimited retention on higher tiers
Limitations
  • Less focus on sales attribution

Iconosquare provides superior social analytics with broad metrics and reporting tools, perfect for data-driven brands. Closely offers targeted outreach analytics tied to CRM. For comprehensive social ROI, Iconosquare wins; for sales pipeline tracking, Closely.

Closely outreach analytics

Integrations and CRM Sync

Closely

Strengths
  • Deep integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, GoHighLevel
  • Automatic lead sync and attribution
  • Webhooks for custom workflows
  • Enriched data flows to CRM
Workflow

Run campaign → Capture replies/leads → Sync to CRM → Track attribution

Iconosquare

Strengths
  • API access for integrations on Excel+
  • Supports major social APIs
  • No native CRM depth
Limitations
  • Integrations limited to API, no deep CRM sync

Closely excels with robust CRM integrations for sales teams, ensuring seamless data flow. Iconosquare's API is flexible but lacks sales-specific sync. Closely is essential for outbound with CRM; Iconosquare suits general social integrations.

Closely CRM integrations

Collaboration and Agency Features

Closely

Strengths
  • Team management for sales outreach
  • White-label with custom domain/branding
  • Unlimited seats on top tier
  • Shared campaigns and analytics
Limitations
  • No approval workflows
  • Focused on sales teams, not creative approvals

Iconosquare

Strengths
  • Role-based permissions and approvals
  • Unlimited groups for multi-profiles
  • White-label reporting and dashboards
  • Dedicated support for agencies
Limitations
  • Higher tiers for full agency tools

Both offer strong agency features, but Iconosquare's approval workflows and multi-profile groups suit social agencies better. Closely's white-label is sales-oriented. For creative collaboration, Iconosquare; for outbound agency services, Closely.

Closely white-label agency features
Prefer a streamlined tool? PostFlow focuses purely on creating great LinkedIn content quickly. Try out now

Use Case Comparison

Outbound Sales Team

Closely 🏆

Excellent

AI automation, multichannel campaigns, and CRM sync perfect for prospecting and lead qualification.

Best Plan: Growth Annual ($87/month)

Score: 10/10

Iconosquare

Poor

Lacks outreach automation and CRM focus; better for social posting.

Best Plan: Not suitable

Score: 2/10

Marketing Agency Managing Clients

Closely

Good

White-label for LinkedIn services, but limited to outreach, no multi-platform.

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

Score: 7/10

Iconosquare 🏆

Excellent

White-label reports, multi-profile groups, approvals for client management across platforms.

Best Plan: Custom

Score: 10/10

B2B Founder Scaling Prospecting

Closely 🏆

Excellent

Safe LinkedIn automation and AI personalization without building SDR team.

Best Plan: Starter Annual ($29/month)

Score: 9/10

Iconosquare

Fair

LinkedIn analytics helpful, but no prospecting tools.

Best Plan: Launch (€33/month)

Score: 5/10

Multi-Location Brand

Closely

Fair

Multiple LinkedIn accounts, but no social multi-profile depth.

Best Plan: Essential Annual ($145/month)

Score: 6/10

Iconosquare 🏆

Excellent

Unlimited groups for local profiles, analytics across locations.

Best Plan: Scale (€69/month)

Score: 10/10

Data-Driven Marketer

Closely

Good

Outreach analytics and CRM attribution, but limited social metrics.

Best Plan: Growth Annual ($87/month)

Score: 7/10

Iconosquare 🏆

Excellent

100+ metrics, custom dashboards, competitor tracking for ROI focus.

Best Plan: Scale (€69/month)

Score: 10/10

Solo LinkedIn User

Closely

Good

Basic automation, but complex for casual use; pricing high for solos.

Best Plan: Starter Annual ($29/month)

Score: 6/10

Iconosquare 🏆

Excellent

Free tier and low-cost Launch for LinkedIn scheduling/analytics.

Best Plan: Free or Launch (€33/month)

Score: 8/10

Social Media Team

Closely

Poor

No multi-platform or content creation focus.

Best Plan: Not suitable

Score: 3/10

Iconosquare 🏆

Excellent

Unified inbox, scheduling, AI tools for team workflows.

Best Plan: Scale (€69/month)

Score: 9/10

Sales Leader Needing Analytics

Closely 🏆

Excellent

Team analytics, CRM attribution for outbound ROI.

Best Plan: Essential Annual ($145/month)

Score: 9/10

Iconosquare

Fair

LinkedIn analytics available, but not sales-specific.

Best Plan: Launch (€33/month)

Score: 5/10

Agency Offering LinkedIn Services

Closely 🏆

Excellent

White-label, unlimited for client prospecting.

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

Score: 10/10

Iconosquare

Good

White-label reports, but no LinkedIn automation.

Best Plan: Custom

Score: 7/10

Brand Tracking Competitors

Closely

Poor

No social listening.

Best Plan: Not suitable

Score: 2/10

Iconosquare 🏆

Excellent

Social listening for hashtags, mentions, competitors.

Best Plan: Scale (€69/month)

Score: 10/10

Small Team Running Multichannel Campaigns

Closely 🏆

Excellent

LinkedIn + email with AI, ideal for sales touchpoints.

Best Plan: Growth Annual ($87/month)

Score: 9/10

Iconosquare

Good

Cross-posting, but no email or deep multichannel.

Best Plan: Scale (€69/month)

Score: 7/10

Enterprise Needing Advanced Reporting

Closely

Fair

Sales analytics, white-label, but limited scope.

Best Plan: Custom

Score: 6/10

Iconosquare 🏆

Excellent

Custom reports, unlimited retention, API for enterprises.

Best Plan: Custom

Score: 10/10

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 limits
  • AI personalization and sales agents for efficient prospecting
  • Deep CRM integrations for seamless lead sync
  • Unified inbox for all replies in one place
  • White-label platform ideal for agencies
  • Flexible pricing with annual discounts and unlimited emails
  • Strong analytics for outbound campaigns

Cons

  • Interface complex for basic users
  • High pricing for solos compared to lightweight tools
  • No content creation or multi-platform social support
  • Requires onboarding for advanced features
  • Limited to B2B outbound, not general social management
  • No free tier or specified trial

Iconosquare

Pros

  • Advanced analytics with 100+ metrics and custom reports
  • Multi-platform support including emerging networks
  • Robust scheduling, unified inbox, and AI content tools
  • Powerful collaboration with approvals and permissions
  • Free tier and affordable entry for testing
  • Social listening and giveaway tools
  • White-label for agencies on higher plans

Cons

  • Complex interface for small teams or solos
  • No outreach automation or CRM depth
  • Pricing in euros may complicate for non-EU users
  • AI tools not as advanced for sales personalization
  • Advanced features require custom pricing
  • Limited to social, no email integration
Want the best of both worlds? Try PostFlow for fast content creation without the complexity. Try out now

Final Verdict

Closely and Iconosquare target different needs in social and sales tools. Closely is a powerhouse for LinkedIn/email automation and CRM-driven prospecting, ideal for outbound sales. Iconosquare shines in multi-platform social analytics, scheduling, and team collaboration for data-focused brands.

Choose Closely if your focus is sales outreach via LinkedIn/email with CRM needs. Opt for Iconosquare for comprehensive social media management and analytics across platforms. For hybrid needs, use Closely for sales and Iconosquare for social branding.

Overall Scores

Closely

4.5 / 5.0

Multi-Platform: 2/10

Value: 7/10

Iconosquare

4.5 / 5.0

Multi-Platform: 10/10

Value: 8/10

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