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 Social Aider 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 lead generation
  • Strength: AI personalization and CRM integrations
  • Users: Not specified

Starting at $29/month

Social Aider

  • Platform: Multiple social platforms
  • Best For: Social media scheduling for small teams
  • Strength: Affordable bulk and recurring posting
  • Users: 2011 users

Starting at $10/month

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

At a Glance

Platform Support

Feature Closely Social Aider
LinkedIn Deep automation with safe limits and human-like behavior Basic scheduling support
Email Outreach Multichannel campaigns integrating LinkedIn and email Not supported
X (Twitter) LinkedIn and email focus only Full scheduling support
Facebook & Instagram Not supported Multi-platform scheduling including these
Other Platforms (YouTube, Pinterest, etc.) Not supported Supports multiple social networks

Automation & Outreach

Feature Closely Social Aider
LinkedIn Automation Sequences Safe limits, human-like behavior for connections and messages Not available
Multichannel Campaigns Combines LinkedIn steps with email Not available
Recurring Posts Focus on outreach, not content posting Evergreen content recycling
Bulk Upload Data enrichment exports, but not for content CSV/spreadsheet for posts
Queue-Based Scheduling Sequence-based for outreach For consistent posting cadence

AI & Personalization

Feature Closely Social Aider
AI Personalization for Messages For DMs, InMails, and emails No AI features
Sales AI Agents Lead research, qualification, scoring, web research Not available
Data Enrichment Verified emails and phones from LinkedIn Not available
AI Content Generation AI for outreach, not content creation Lacks built-in AI

Integrations & CRM

Feature Closely Social Aider
CRM Integrations Deep with HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, GoHighLevel Not specified
Unified Inbox For LinkedIn DMs, InMails, and emails Basic team collaboration only
White-Label Platform Custom domain and branding for agencies Not available
Team Collaboration Team management and advanced analytics Basic for small groups

Analytics & Reporting

Feature Closely Social Aider
Outreach Analytics Across campaigns, sequences, and teams Not available
Performance Indicators Sales-focused analytics Simple reporting for posts
CRM Attribution Tracks outreach to CRM data Not available
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 and email automation, emphasizing sales features and CRM integrations. Social Aider begins at $10/month with a free tier, prioritizing affordable multi-platform scheduling for small users.

Closely

Starter Annual

$29/month

Solo users or small teams starting outbound

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

Growth Annual

$87/month

Growing teams with multiple accounts

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

Essential Annual

$145/month

Larger teams needing more scale

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

White-label Unlimited

$999/month

Agencies with unlimited needs

  • Unlimited seats
  • Complete customization
  • No usage caps

Custom

Custom

Tailored enterprise solutions

  • Custom accounts and credits
  • Advanced integrations

Social Aider

Free

Free

Beginners testing basic features

  • Limited social accounts
  • Basic post scheduling

Starter

$10/month

Individuals or small users

  • Increased social accounts
  • Recurring posts
  • Standard scheduling

Professional

$19/month

Power users needing bulk tools

  • Higher limits on accounts and posts
  • Bulk CSV upload
  • Basic team collaboration

Agency

$29/month

Small agencies managing clients

  • Maximum accounts and posts
  • Multi-client management
  • Full bulk and recurring features
Want simpler pricing? PostFlow offers straightforward plans focused on fast post creation. Try out now

Feature Deep Dive

Outreach & Automation Capabilities

Closely

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

Build prospect list → Create AI-personalized sequence → Automate multichannel outreach → Monitor unified inbox

Social Aider

Strengths
  • Queue-based scheduling for consistent posting
  • Recurring posts for evergreen content
  • Bulk upload via CSV for efficiency
  • Multi-account management from one dashboard
Workflow

Upload content in bulk → Set queue or recurring schedule → Post across platforms → Review basic performance

Closely dominates in sales-focused automation with LinkedIn and email integration, ideal for outbound prospecting. Social Aider excels at simple, automated content scheduling across social platforms but lacks outreach depth. Choose Closely for lead generation; Social Aider for routine posting.

Closely outreach automation features

AI Features & Data Enrichment

Closely

Strengths
  • AI for personalization in DMs, emails, and InMails
  • Sales AI agents handling research and scoring
  • Enrichment with verified contacts from LinkedIn
  • Credit-based AI usage for scalability
Limitations
  • No content creation AI
  • Credits required for heavy use

Social Aider

Strengths
  • Basic automation without AI complexity
Limitations
  • No AI personalization or enrichment
  • Lacks advanced lead tools

Closely's AI suite is purpose-built for sales personalization and lead enhancement, setting it apart for B2B outreach. Social Aider offers no AI, focusing on straightforward scheduling, making it less suitable for data-driven prospecting.

Integrations & Team Features

Closely

Strengths
  • Deep CRM integrations (HubSpot, Salesforce, etc.)
  • Unified inbox for all replies
  • White-label for agencies with custom branding
  • Team management and advanced analytics
Workflow

Integrate with CRM → Run team campaigns → Sync leads automatically → Generate branded reports

Social Aider

Strengths
  • Basic team collaboration for small groups
  • Multi-client dashboard for agencies
Limitations
  • No CRM or deep integrations
  • Limited to basic sharing

Closely provides robust CRM sync and white-label options for sales teams and agencies, ensuring seamless data flow. Social Aider's collaboration is basic and sufficient for small scheduling teams but falls short in integration depth.

Closely CRM integrations

Analytics & Reporting

Closely

Strengths
  • Advanced outreach analytics for campaigns and teams
  • CRM attribution for lead tracking
  • Performance across sequences
Limitations
  • Sales-focused, not social engagement metrics

Social Aider

Strengths
  • Simple performance indicators for posts
  • Basic reporting on scheduling
Limitations
  • No advanced or customizable analytics
  • Lacks depth for sales or teams

Closely offers comprehensive sales analytics with CRM ties, perfect for measuring outreach ROI. Social Aider provides minimal reporting adequate for basic post performance but not for strategic insights.

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

AI automation, multichannel campaigns, and CRM integrations streamline LinkedIn and email prospecting.

Best Plan: Growth Annual ($87/month)

Score: 10/10

Social Aider

Poor

Lacks sales tools; only basic scheduling without outreach features.

Best Plan: Not suitable

Score: 2/10

Small Business Social Media Scheduler

Closely

Fair

Useful for LinkedIn but no multi-platform support or content focus.

Best Plan: Starter Annual ($29/month)

Score: 5/10

Social Aider 🏆

Excellent

Affordable multi-platform scheduling with recurring posts fits tight budgets.

Best Plan: Starter ($10/month)

Score: 9/10

Agency Offering Lead Generation Services

Closely 🏆

Excellent

White-label platform, unlimited seats, and AI tools enable client outreach at scale.

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

Score: 10/10

Social Aider

Fair

Basic agency features for scheduling, but no lead gen or white-label depth.

Best Plan: Agency ($29/month)

Score: 6/10

Freelance Social Media Manager

Closely

Poor

Overkill for content scheduling; focused on sales automation.

Best Plan: Not suitable

Score: 3/10

Social Aider 🏆

Excellent

Low-cost bulk upload and recurring posts ideal for managing client socials.

Best Plan: Professional ($19/month)

Score: 9/10

B2B Founder Scaling Prospecting

Closely 🏆

Excellent

Combines automation, enrichment, and CRM sync without needing an SDR team.

Best Plan: Essential Annual ($145/month)

Score: 9/10

Social Aider

Poor

No prospecting tools; only social posting.

Best Plan: Not suitable

Score: 2/10

Marketing Team Running Multichannel Campaigns

Closely 🏆

Good

Strong for LinkedIn/email touchpoints with analytics.

Best Plan: Growth Annual ($87/month)

Score: 8/10

Social Aider

Fair

Multi-platform but no email or deep multichannel integration.

Best Plan: Agency ($29/month)

Score: 5/10

Budget-Conscious Small Agency

Closely

Fair

Powerful but pricing may strain small budgets without sales focus.

Best Plan: Starter Annual ($29/month)

Score: 6/10

Social Aider 🏆

Excellent

Affordable tiers with multi-client support for basic scheduling.

Best Plan: Agency ($29/month)

Score: 10/10

Sales Leader Needing Outreach Analytics

Closely 🏆

Excellent

Advanced analytics and CRM attribution track campaign ROI.

Best Plan: Essential Annual ($145/month)

Score: 10/10

Social Aider

Poor

Basic reporting insufficient for sales metrics.

Best Plan: Not suitable

Score: 3/10

User Managing Evergreen Content

Closely

Poor

No content scheduling or recycling; outreach only.

Best Plan: Not suitable

Score: 2/10

Social Aider 🏆

Excellent

Recurring posts and queues perfect for evergreen recycling.

Best Plan: Professional ($19/month)

Score: 9/10

Solo User Prospecting on LinkedIn

Closely 🏆

Good

Starter plan covers basics, but may be complex for casual use.

Best Plan: Starter Annual ($29/month)

Score: 7/10

Social Aider

Fair

Cheap scheduling but no prospecting.

Best Plan: Starter ($10/month)

Score: 4/10

Team Posting Content Across Platforms

Closely

Poor

Limited to LinkedIn/email, no broad content tools.

Best Plan: Not suitable

Score: 3/10

Social Aider 🏆

Good

Basic collaboration for small teams on multiple platforms.

Best Plan: Agency ($29/month)

Score: 8/10

Enterprise Sales Team Running Outbound

Closely 🏆

Excellent

Custom plans with unlimited features and integrations.

Best Plan: Custom

Score: 9/10

Social Aider

Poor

Not scaled for enterprise sales needs.

Best Plan: Not suitable

Score: 2/10

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

Pros and Cons

Closely

Pros

  • Comprehensive LinkedIn and email automation with safe practices
  • AI personalization and sales agents for efficient outreach
  • Deep CRM integrations ensure data sync
  • Unified inbox simplifies reply management
  • White-label options for agencies
  • Advanced analytics for campaign optimization
  • Flexible annual pricing with discounts

Cons

  • Complex interface for basic users
  • Higher pricing not ideal for solo casual use
  • No content creation or broad social scheduling
  • Onboarding needed for advanced features
  • Credit system for AI and enrichment
  • Limited to LinkedIn/email, no other platforms

Social Aider

Pros

  • Very affordable with free tier and low starting price
  • Supports multi-platform scheduling and recurring posts
  • Bulk upload saves time for agencies
  • Simple interface for core scheduling needs
  • Basic team collaboration for small groups
  • Queue management for consistent posting

Cons

  • Expired SSL certificate raises reliability issues
  • Limited features and no recent innovations
  • No AI, integrations, or advanced analytics
  • Inconsistent support reported
  • Unclear roadmap and basic reporting only
  • Not suited for sales or outreach
Want the best of both worlds? Try PostFlow for fast content creation without the complexity. Try out now

Final Verdict

Closely and Social Aider target different ends of social media management. Closely is a robust sales automation tool for LinkedIn and email, with AI and CRM depth for outbound teams. Social Aider is a lean scheduler for multi-platform content, emphasizing affordability but lacking advanced features.

Select Closely for sales-driven LinkedIn and email campaigns requiring AI and integrations. Opt for Social Aider if budget-friendly social scheduling across platforms is your need. For hybrid use, combine Closely for outreach and Social Aider for content posting.

Overall Scores

Closely

4.5 / 5.0

Lead Generation: 10/10

Multi-Platform: 2/10

Social Aider

2.8 / 5.0

Lead Generation: 1/10

Multi-Platform: 8/10

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