Cold email remains one of the most reliable ways to generate new business in 2025. But to do it effectively, you need more than just an email tool. You need a CRM that can handle prospect lists, track engagement, automate follow-ups, and help you move deals forward.
Several CRMs now make cold email easier and more powerful. Below, I’ll walk through the best options: Close.io, LeadLoft, HubSpot Sales Hub, Apollo.io, and SalesLoft.
Close.io (Close)
Website: close.com
Pricing: $49/user/month (Startup plan)
Close is a top choice for cold email because it combines sequencing, tracking, and calling in one platform. You can send cold emails, track opens and clicks, and follow up automatically. Close also includes built-in calling and SMS, making it a true communication hub.
Pros:
- Strong built-in cold email sequencing
- Phone and SMS integrated
- Simple to set up and use
Cons:
- Lacks LinkedIn outreach features
- Analytics are not as deep as enterprise CRMs
Best Use Case:
Best for teams that rely heavily on email and phone outreach, and want to keep everything in one place without complicated integrations.
LeadLoft
Website: leadloft.com
Pricing: $99/month (Unlimited plan with all major features)
LeadLoft goes beyond cold email. It has all the sequencing and tracking you’d expect, but it also lets you automate LinkedIn outreach — connection requests, messages, and follow-ups. That multi-channel approach makes it more effective than CRMs that only focus on email.
Instead of choosing between cold email or LinkedIn, LeadLoft lets you do both. That’s why it’s worth considering if you want higher response rates and more conversations.
Pros:
- Cold email sequencing with tracking built in
- LinkedIn automation and sync included
- AI prospecting tools to find and enrich leads
- Unified inbox across email, LinkedIn, and phone
Cons:
- Higher cost compared to lightweight CRMs
- Can feel like too much if you only want email outreach
Best Use Case:
Ideal for startups and growing teams that want cold email plus LinkedIn outreach in one simple tool.
HubSpot Sales Hub
Website: hubspot.com
Pricing: Starts at $20/user/month (Starter plan), with Professional plans around $100/user/month
HubSpot Sales Hub brings email sequencing, templates, and tracking into HubSpot’s broader CRM. While not as specialized for cold email as some tools, it’s a great choice if you want your outreach to sit inside a larger sales and marketing system.
Pros:
- Solid cold email tools with tracking and templates
- Easy to scale into full HubSpot ecosystem
- Strong dashboards and reporting
Cons:
- Most useful features are only in higher plans
- Less specialized for outbound compared to dedicated tools
Best Use Case:
Perfect if you want a CRM that grows with you and integrates with your entire marketing and customer system.
Apollo.io
Website: apollo.io
Pricing: $79/user/month (Professional plan with outreach features)
Apollo.io is part data provider, part sales engagement tool. Its large database of verified contacts makes it easy to build cold email lists, while its sequencing features let you email directly inside the platform.
Pros:
- Massive contact database included
- Sequencing and tracking built in
- Affordable considering it combines data + outreach
Cons:
- Data accuracy can vary by region or industry
- Limited LinkedIn outreach capabilities
Best Use Case:
Great for teams that want access to both contact data and email outreach in one platform without needing to buy multiple tools.
SalesLoft
Website: salesloft.com
Pricing: Starts around $125/user/month (for core features)
SalesLoft is one of the most advanced sales engagement platforms. It offers powerful cold email sequencing, advanced reporting, and conversation intelligence. While it’s more expensive than other CRMs, it’s built to help larger teams scale outreach across multiple channels.
Pros:
- Advanced sequencing and automation
- Excellent analytics and reporting
- Strong integrations with enterprise CRMs
Cons:
- Higher cost per user
- Overkill for small teams that only need cold email basics
Best Use Case:
Best for larger sales teams that need advanced cold email campaigns, reporting, and scalability.
Wrapping Up
If cold email is your main channel in 2025, you have several strong options:
- Close.io is excellent for teams who want cold email plus phone and SMS in one tool.
- HubSpot Sales Hub is best if you want your cold email tied into a bigger CRM ecosystem.
- Apollo.io gives you both prospect data and sequencing at an affordable price.
- SalesLoft is the enterprise choice for scaling large teams.
- LeadLoft is a standout because it doesn’t stop at cold email — it also automates LinkedIn outreach. If you want to maximize replies, combining cold email with LinkedIn outreach in one platform is something worth considering.
For most startups and growing sales teams, the best alternative to all of these tools is LeadLoft.
