Lemlist → Close

Plan mapping at the entry paid tier

The lowest non-free, non-custom tier on each side. Use this for the "if I'm on $X with Lemlist, what's the equivalent on Close?" gut check.

Step-by-step migration

1. 01

   Export your list from Lemlist

   Pull a fresh CSV of every active subscriber. Capture the fields you actually use downstream: email is required, name is standard, signup date and tier (free/paid) are useful when Lemlist provides them.

2. 02

   Provision Close

   Sign up, set sender identity, and verify your sending domain (DKIM, SPF, DMARC). Do this before importing the list; sending from an unverified domain is the single fastest way to land in spam at the moment of cutover.

3. 03

   Import the list and map fields

   Upload the CSV. Map email + name + any custom fields. Decide whether to import as one list or split into segments/tags. Lemlist-style organization rarely maps 1:1, so plan the split before the upload, not after.

4. 04

   Rebuild automations and templates

   Close's automation builder is structurally similar but won't import Lemlist's flows directly. Rebuild only what you actively use; the move is a chance to delete the unused ones rather than lift-and-shift dead infrastructure.

5. 05

   Send a test broadcast

   Pick a small segment and send a real broadcast (not just a preview). Verify deliverability, link clicks, and unsubscribe flow. If anything's off, you find it before the announcement, not after.

6. 06

   Announce the move and cut over

   Send your last broadcast from Lemlist announcing the new sender domain and what to expect. Cut over DNS and sending from Close on the same day, not staggered. A dual-send week creates more confusion than it prevents.

Lemlist-to-Close specific gotchas

Universal steps cover most of the work. These are the failure modes unique to this exact pair.

• #1

  Sequence rebuild: Lemlist sequences (multi-step email + LinkedIn + WhatsApp + manual tasks across days/weeks) DON'T transfer to Close workflows. Close workflows are CRM-side automation (status changes, task creation, tag application); the outbound-cadence-execution layer is structurally different. Plan to rebuild only the email-and-calls steps; the LinkedIn / WhatsApp steps need a separate vendor or get dropped.

• #2

  Lead and contact import: Lemlist's contact list with sequence-state metadata exports CSV cleanly. Close imports CSVs into leads + contacts with custom fields. Map Lemlist's sequence-state fields (current step, last opened, replied) onto Close custom fields BEFORE importing; otherwise the historical engagement data is lost.

• #3

  Calling infrastructure swap: Lemlist's calling is via integration with Aircall / Twilio / similar; Close has native calling with no separate provider. The phone-number procurement (local numbers for SDR territories), call-recording configuration, and voicemail-drop setup all need to be re-done in Close. Plan a 1-2 week cutover where both tools are live and you migrate by SDR team.

• #4

  Email-sender consolidation: Lemlist's per-user multi-sender model ($9/user/sender past the included 3-or-5) doesn't have an equivalent in Close. Close email is sender-per-user. If your team runs multi-domain sending for deliverability, you'll need a separate email-warmup tool (or accept the deliverability risk of single-sender-per-user).

• #5

  Reporting model shift: Lemlist's reports center on sequence performance (open rates, reply rates, conversion per step); Close's reports center on pipeline performance (conversion rates per stage, deal velocity, leaderboards). The metrics SDR managers track day-to-day will change shape. Document the existing Lemlist reports BEFORE migrating so you can rebuild equivalents in Close where they map (and accept that some don't).

• #6

  Workflow-tooling decoupling: many teams using Lemlist + a separate CRM have integration-glue (Zapier, native CRM-to-Lemlist sync) that becomes unnecessary post-migration. Audit the Zaps and integration code that disappear; the time saved is part of the migration ROI but only if you actually delete the no-longer-needed glue.

Common questions

Is Close cheaper than Lemlist?

At the entry tier, yes: Close starts at $9/mo while Lemlist starts at $63/mo. Pricing scales differently above that, so check the side-by-side plan grid for your specific contact count.

Will my data transfer cleanly?

Most sales engagement data transfers, but rarely 1:1. The "Pair-specific gotchas" section above is hand-curated for this exact migration: it covers what exports from Lemlist, how it imports into Close, and which structural pieces (workflows, integrations, custom domains) require rebuild rather than direct port. The constraint usually isn't the data export; it's the rebuild work for anything Close models differently.

How long does the migration take?

A clean migration for this pair is typically 1-2 weeks of focused work: data export, integration reconnection (CRMs, webhooks, payment processors), feature rebuild for whatever doesn't port directly, test run, cutover. The constraint is rarely the export itself; it's the integration reconnection and the rebuild work for any feature that Close models differently from Lemlist.

Are Lemlist and Close in the same category?

No. Lemlist is primarily a sales engagement tool; Close is primarily a crm tool. The migration involves changing both your tooling AND part of your workflow shape; the "Why migrate" and "Bad fit" sections above are honest about whether that's the right move for your team.

Where can I see Lemlist vs Close side-by-side?

The /compare/close-vs-lemlist page on TierGauge shows side-by-side plans, headline pricing, included features, and limit comparison at the entry paid tier. This migration guide is the long-form decision narrative; the compare page is the data-only dashboard.