Choosing between Waalaxy and Closely for LinkedIn outreach comes down to five questions:
- Do you want a Chrome extension you can launch in minutes, or a cloud platform that runs without a browser tab open?
- Is your priority fast campaign setup with pre-built sequences, or data enrichment and AI lead qualification?
- Are you an individual rep or small team watching costs, or an agency that needs white-label branding and unlimited client accounts?
- Do you need email finding alongside LinkedIn, or waterfall enrichment with AI scoring?
- How important is LinkedIn account safety, and are you comfortable with browser-based automation versus dedicated residential proxies?
In short, here’s what we recommend:
👉 Waalaxy is the faster path to LinkedIn outreach for individuals and small teams. As a Chrome extension with 150,000+ users, it lets you import prospects from LinkedIn, pick from 99+ pre-built sequences, and start sending connection requests and follow-ups in minutes. Its AI message writer, Waami, generates outreach copy from four inputs, and a permanent free plan with 80 invitations per month means you can test without spending anything. The trade-off: it runs through your browser, caps invitations at 800 per month on paid plans, and its enrichment stops at email finding.
👉 Closely is the outbound platform for teams and agencies that need enrichment, AI qualification, and cloud execution in one place. Running 24/7 in the cloud with a dedicated residential proxy per LinkedIn account, it combines LinkedIn automation, multichannel campaigns, data enrichment from 30+ sources, and AI agents that research, score, and personalize outreach. A $999/month white-label plan with unlimited seats makes it strong for agencies. The trade-off: no free plan, a credit-based enrichment system that adds cost complexity, and a smaller user base of 10,000+ customers.
You can explore Waalaxy or Closely directly, or read on for our full comparison.
Waalaxy vs Closely at a glance
| Waalaxy | Closely | |
|---|---|---|
| Core Approach | Chrome extension, simplicity-first | Cloud-based, enrichment-first |
| Founded | 2019 (as ProspectIn) | 2021 |
| Users | 150,000+ | 10,000+ |
| Starting Price | €0/month (free plan) | $29/month (annual) |
| LinkedIn Invitations | 80–800/month depending on plan | Up to 30/day for established accounts |
| Execution Model | Browser must be open | Cloud-based, runs 24/7 |
| LinkedIn Safety | Extension with anti-detection scripts | Dedicated residential proxy per account |
| Data Enrichment | Email finder (20+ sources) | Waterfall enrichment (30+ sources) + AI agents |
| AI Features | Waami message writer | AI qualification, research, and personalization agents |
| Multichannel | LinkedIn + email (Business plan only) | LinkedIn + email (all paid plans) |
| White-Label | Not available | $999/month, unlimited seats |
| CRM Integrations | HubSpot, Pipedrive native; 2,000+ via Zapier/Make | HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, GoHighLevel, Zoho |
| Best For | Individual reps, small teams, beginners | Agencies, data-driven teams, high-volume prospectors |
The core difference: Simplicity versus depth
The split between these two platforms is what they optimize for.
Waalaxy grew from frustration with complexity. Co-founders Toinon Georget and Guillaume Portalier built it in 2019 as an internal tool because they were spending too much time finding and managing qualified LinkedIn leads. That origin shows in every design choice: a Chrome extension that installs in seconds, a library of pre-built sequences instead of a blank-canvas builder, and a permanent free plan with no credit card required. Waalaxy reports that 75% of their customers had never done LinkedIn outreach before using the platform. It is a tool built to get non-technical users sending outreach quickly.
Closely launched in 2021 with a different bet: that sales teams need more than message automation. Instead of just sending LinkedIn sequences, Closely built an outbound stack that includes data enrichment from 30+ real-time sources, AI agents for lead qualification and company research, and multichannel campaigns that coordinate LinkedIn and email in a single flow. Where Waalaxy asks “how do we make LinkedIn outreach simple?”, Closely asks “how do we automate the entire outbound workflow?”
Source: Closely
This difference shapes everything: Waalaxy’s Chrome extension gets you running faster but depends on your browser staying open. Closely’s cloud architecture runs campaigns around the clock but requires more setup and a credit system for enrichment.
LinkedIn automation: Pre-built sequences versus conditional campaigns
Waalaxy keeps LinkedIn automation simple. You install the Chrome extension, search LinkedIn, click “Import Prospect,” and choose from 99+ pre-built campaign sequences covering connection requests, follow-up messages, profile visits, and email combinations. Sequences branch based on connection status, reply status, and email availability. Users can configure delays between steps up to 28 days and run A/B tests on invitation notes and messages.
Source: Waalaxy
Invitation limits depend on the plan: 80/month on free, 300/month on Pro (€19), and 800/month on Advanced (€49) and Business (€69). Waalaxy also supports intent-based targeting, letting users auto-import prospects who react to LinkedIn posts, visit profiles, or belong to specific groups and events. The platform prevents duplicates across all active campaigns. The main constraint is architectural: Waalaxy runs through your browser, so a Chrome tab must stay open for campaigns to execute. The extension intercepts LinkedIn’s extension-detection script, but browser-based automation still faces higher detection risk than cloud alternatives.
Closely takes a different approach. Campaigns run 24/7 in the cloud with no browser required. Each paid-plan LinkedIn account gets a dedicated residential proxy matched to that account’s login parameters, so LinkedIn sees requests from a consistent residential IP rather than a shared pool. Safety limits apply daily caps and randomized delays, and new accounts go through a warm-up period starting at 3-5 connection requests per day and scaling toward LinkedIn’s limit of 100 connection requests per week. Established accounts can run up to 30 connection requests per day.
Source: Closely
Instead of pre-built sequences, Closely uses a visual campaign builder where users assemble ordered actions and four conditional branch types: “If connected,” “If email found,” “If email opened,” and “If email clicked.” This gives more flexibility than a template library but requires more manual setup. Closely also automates withdrawal of unanswered pending connection requests, preventing campaigns from stalling when LinkedIn’s pending request cap is hit. For LinkedIn safety, Closely’s cloud architecture with dedicated proxies presents lower detection risk than Waalaxy’s browser extension. Both platforms enforce daily limits and randomized delays, but the execution models differ.
Multichannel outreach: Email as an add-on versus email built in
Waalaxy gates multichannel LinkedIn + email outreach behind its Business plan at €69/month. Lower-tier users can only run LinkedIn sequences. On the Business plan, users choose from 80+ LinkedIn and email multichannel templates and can start with LinkedIn then add email follow-ups, or start with cold email and follow up on LinkedIn. The cold email module supports personalization variables, automated follow-ups with configurable delays, and a performance dashboard.
Waalaxy’s email capabilities have drawn criticism, though. Reviewers on G2 and Capterra note that cold email outreach lacks rich text formatting and has limited variable insertion compared to the LinkedIn messaging module. There is no built-in email warmup; users must manage deliverability separately.
Closely includes multichannel LinkedIn + email outreach on all paid plans, starting at $29/month (annual). The campaign builder lets users combine LinkedIn actions (connection requests, profile visits, post likes, messages, skill endorsements, InMails) with email steps in a single sequence. A notable feature is a native “Find email” action embedded mid-sequence: rather than requiring a pre-enriched list, Closely discovers a contact’s email during the campaign and gates the email sent on whether an address was found.
Source: Closely
Closely’s conditional branching enables behavior-triggered channel switching. If a prospect doesn’t accept a connection request but an email was found, the sequence pivots to email automatically. Step delays range from 1 hour to 23 days, with an “Immediately” option. Campaign results sync to HubSpot, Salesforce, and Pipedrive.
For teams that need both LinkedIn and email from day one, Closely’s inclusion of multichannel on all paid plans is a cost advantage. Waalaxy users who want the same capability pay €69/month (Business), more than double the starting price.
Data enrichment and email finding
This is where the two platforms diverge most.
Waalaxy offers an Email Finder that uses waterfall enrichment across 20+ data sources to find verified professional email addresses from LinkedIn profiles. Every returned email passes through a triple verification process, and Waalaxy claims a 61%+ professional email match rate with less than 1% bounce rate. Credits follow a fair model: 1 credit = 1 email found, and you never pay for a failed search.
Source: Waalaxy
Credit allocation varies by plan: 25 free credits/month on Pro and Advanced, 500 credits/month on Business. Additional credits start at roughly €30/month for 500 credits. This is email finding only; Waalaxy does not offer phone number enrichment, company intelligence, or AI lead scoring.
Closely offers a Data Enrichment module that goes beyond email finding. The enrichment workflow starts with a LinkedIn data pull (name, job title, location, company, industry), then stacks optional steps: a Waterfall Work Email Finder querying multiple sources, a Waterfall Phone Number Finder, AI Lead Scoring against user-defined ICP criteria, and AI Personalization that generates custom fields for outreach. Closely claims 95%+ match rates for B2B email enrichment and 65% for phone numbers.
Source: Closely
Credit costs per action: 2 credits for LinkedIn enrichment, 2 for waterfall email, 20 for phone numbers, 5 for AI lead scoring with web search, 1 for AI scoring on offline data. Credits come bundled with plans: 3,000/month on Growth ($87/month annual) and 5,000/month on Essential ($145/month annual). The Starter plan ($29/month) includes no bundled credits, which limits its enrichment usefulness. When a lookup fails, credits are refunded. A Closely Surfer Chrome extension also enables single-profile enrichment while browsing LinkedIn, revealing phone numbers, work emails, and company details in one click.
For teams that just need email addresses to supplement LinkedIn outreach, Waalaxy’s email finder does the job. For teams that need phone numbers, AI qualification, and company research before any outreach begins, Closely’s enrichment module is more capable.
AI capabilities: Message writing versus research and qualification
Waalaxy’s AI focuses on one job: writing outreach messages. Waami takes four inputs (target audience, value proposition, differentiating factor, call to action) and generates a prospecting message in seconds. It supports five languages (English, French, Spanish, Italian, German) and trains on Waalaxy’s campaign history to produce messages consistent with patterns that have generated replies. An AI Prospect Finder suggests similar prospects, and an AI Prospect List Cleaner removes irrelevant contacts before campaigns launch. Waami’s structured input approach lowers the barrier for non-technical users who would struggle with open-ended prompts. The limit is scope: Waami handles message writing only, not research or qualification.
Source: Waalaxy
Closely’s AI operates across the pre-outreach workflow through Sales AI Agents. These agents run inside the enrichment workflow as automated pipelines that handle lead research, ICP qualification, and message personalization. A typical workflow might: pull LinkedIn data, find the company website, check for hiring signals, score ICP fit, and generate a personalized first sentence, all in one run. Closely provides 11 ready-made prompt templates covering B2B/B2C detection, SaaS verification, decision-maker evaluation, funding signals, and more. Each AI step offers two modes: Web Search (5 credits per row) for live internet research, or Offline Intelligence (1 credit per row) for reasoning over data already collected. The results feed into campaign message templates as dynamic variables, connecting research to outreach.
For users who want AI help with message copy, Waalaxy’s Waami is simpler and more accessible. For users who want AI to handle research and qualification before a message is written, Closely’s agent system is more comprehensive.
Pricing comparison
Waalaxy prices in euros per user per month, with three billing cadences: monthly, quarterly (20% savings), and yearly (50% savings).
| Plan | Monthly Price | LinkedIn Invitations | Email Finder Credits | Cold Email |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freemium | €0 | 80/month | 0 | No |
| Pro | €19/user/month | 300/month | 25/month | No |
| Advanced | €49/user/month | 800/month | 25/month | No |
| Business | €69/user/month | 800/month | 500/month | Yes |
| Enterprise | Custom | 800/month | 10,000/month | Yes |
Additional costs: Email Finder credit add-ons start at €30/month for 500 credits. The optional LinkedIn Inbox add-on is €20/month per user.
Closely prices in USD per LinkedIn seat, with monthly and annual billing (40% discount on annual).
| Plan | Monthly Price | Annual Equivalent | LinkedIn Seats | Bundled Credits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $49/month | $29/month | 1 | None |
| Growth | $127/month | $87/month | 3 | 3,000/month |
| Essential | $205/month | $145/month | 5 | 5,000/month |
| Custom | $350/month | $206/month | 10 | Not published |
| White-Label | $999/month | $999/month | Unlimited | Not published |
All Closely paid plans include multichannel outreach (LinkedIn + email), CRM integrations, and the Chrome extension. Credits cover email finding (4 credits), phone lookups (20 credits), and AI personalizations (2 credits). The Starter plan receives no bundled credits, limiting it to LinkedIn automation without enrichment.
Cost comparison for common scenarios:
For a solo user wanting LinkedIn + email outreach: Waalaxy Business at €69/month versus Closely Starter at $49/month (or $29 annual). The Closely Starter includes no enrichment credits, while Waalaxy Business includes 500 email finder credits. If you need enrichment on Closely, the Growth plan at $127/month ($87 annual) with 3,000 credits is the practical minimum, though it includes 3 LinkedIn seats.
For a 5-person sales team: Waalaxy Business at €345/month (5 x €69) versus Closely Essential at $205/month ($145 annual) for 5 seats with 5,000 credits. Closely costs less per seat at this size, but Waalaxy includes 2,500 email finder credits (5 x 500) versus Closely’s 5,000 general credits.
For agencies: Waalaxy offers team plans but no white-label capability. Closely’s $999/month white-label plan includes unlimited seats, brand customization (logo, domain, colors), a multi-client dashboard, and branded reporting. This is Closely’s strongest advantage for agency buyers.
Contract flexibility differs too. Waalaxy allows cancellation anytime by disabling auto-renewal at least 24 hours before renewal, with access retained until the end of the paid period. Closely requires 30 days’ notice to cancel, prohibits mid-term downgrades, and treats all payments as non-refundable beyond a 2-day window for first-time buyers. Waalaxy’s cancellation terms are more flexible.
Who should choose Waalaxy?
Choose Waalaxy if:
- You want the fastest path from zero to running LinkedIn outreach, with no technical setup
- You’re an individual rep, founder, or recruiter who values simplicity over feature depth
- Pre-built sequences and a guided AI message writer matter more than custom campaign logic
- You want a permanent free plan to test LinkedIn automation before committing
- Your primary need is LinkedIn prospecting with email as a secondary channel
- You’re comfortable with browser-based automation and can keep a Chrome tab open during campaigns
- You want a lower entry price for individuals (€19/month for Pro with 300 invitations)
- Your team is small (under 5 people) and doesn’t need white-label agency features
- CRM integration through Zapier and Make is sufficient for your workflow
- You prefer a platform with a large user community and review history (4.6 on G2, 4.4 on Capterra)
Who should choose Closely?
Choose Closely if:
- You need campaigns to run 24/7 in the cloud without keeping a browser open
- LinkedIn account safety is a priority, and you want a dedicated residential proxy per account
- Your enrichment needs go beyond email finding: you need phone numbers, AI lead scoring, and company research
- You want AI agents that research, qualify, and personalize outreach before a message is sent
- Multichannel LinkedIn + email outreach is essential from day one, not locked behind a higher tier
- You’re an agency that needs white-label branding, unlimited client accounts, and a flat monthly price
- You manage multiple LinkedIn sender accounts (3, 5, or 10) from a single dashboard
- Your CRM is Salesforce, GoHighLevel, or Zoho (which Closely supports natively, while Waalaxy does not)
- You’re willing to invest time in configuring custom campaign logic with conditional branching
- You prioritize enrichment depth and are comfortable with a credit-based model
Final verdict
Waalaxy and Closely solve the same problem (scaling LinkedIn outreach) but approach it from opposite directions.
Waalaxy is the faster start. Its Chrome extension installs in seconds, pre-built sequences eliminate configuration decisions, and Waami AI writes your first message from four inputs. The permanent free plan, a €19/month starting price, and 150,000+ users give it the track record and community to back its simplicity claims. For individuals and small teams who want LinkedIn outreach without complexity, Waalaxy delivers.
Closely is the deeper platform. Cloud execution with dedicated proxies, enrichment from 30+ sources, AI qualification agents, and a $999/month white-label plan make it the stronger choice for agencies and data-focused teams. Including multichannel outreach on all paid plans (versus Waalaxy’s Business-only gating) is an advantage for budget-conscious teams that need both channels. The trade-off is a credit system that adds cost complexity and a smaller user base with less independent review coverage.
The choice comes down to where you want the platform to do the heavy lifting. If your bottleneck is getting campaigns live quickly, Waalaxy removes friction. If your bottleneck is enriching, qualifying, and personalizing outreach before it goes out, Closely automates the steps that happen before the first message.
Try Waalaxy or Closely to see which fits your outreach workflow.
Waalaxy vs Closely FAQ
What is the main difference between Waalaxy and Closely?
Waalaxy is a Chrome extension LinkedIn outreach tool designed for simplicity, offering 99+ pre-built sequences and a permanent free plan for individuals and small teams. Closely is a cloud-based outbound platform that combines LinkedIn automation with data enrichment from 30+ sources, AI qualification agents, and a white-label agency tier. Waalaxy optimizes for fast setup; Closely optimizes for enrichment depth and always-on execution.
Which platform is safer for my LinkedIn account?
Closely’s cloud architecture with a dedicated residential proxy per paid LinkedIn account presents lower detection risk than Waalaxy’s Chrome extension model. Both platforms enforce daily limits and randomized delays to mimic human behavior. However, all LinkedIn automation tools operate in tension with LinkedIn’s Terms of Service, and neither can eliminate account restriction risk entirely.
Can I use Waalaxy and Closely for both LinkedIn and email outreach?
Yes, but availability depends on the plan. Closely includes multichannel LinkedIn + email outreach on all paid plans starting at $29/month (annual). Waalaxy restricts cold email sequences to the Business plan at €69/month. On Waalaxy’s free, Pro, and Advanced plans, outreach is LinkedIn-only.
How do the free plans compare?
Waalaxy offers a permanent free plan with 80 LinkedIn invitations per month, basic automation, and live chat support. Closely does not have a free plan but provides 50 free enrichment credits per month to any account. For trying LinkedIn outreach at no cost, Waalaxy’s free plan is more useful.
Which platform has better data enrichment?
Closely has deeper enrichment capabilities. Its waterfall enrichment queries 30+ sources for emails and phone numbers, and includes AI agents for lead scoring, company research, and message personalization within the enrichment workflow. Waalaxy’s Email Finder queries 20+ sources for verified email addresses only, with no phone number enrichment or AI qualification. Waalaxy claims a 61%+ email match rate; Closely claims 95%+ for emails and 65% for phone numbers.
Which is better for agencies managing multiple clients?
Closely is the stronger agency choice. Its $999/month white-label plan includes unlimited seats, brand customization (logo, domain, colors), a multi-client dashboard, and branded PDF reporting. Waalaxy offers team management and a centralized dashboard for up to 20 members, but does not provide white-label branding or a flat-rate unlimited-seat model.
How does pricing compare for a single user?
Waalaxy starts at €0/month (free plan) with 80 LinkedIn invitations, scaling to €69/month for multichannel capability with 500 email finder credits. Closely starts at $49/month ($29 annual) for one LinkedIn seat with multichannel outreach but no enrichment credits. For a single user wanting both LinkedIn and email with some enrichment, Waalaxy Business at €69/month and Closely Starter at $49/month are the closest comparison points, though Waalaxy includes more enrichment credits at that price.
Do both platforms integrate with my CRM?
Both integrate with HubSpot and Pipedrive. Closely also offers native integrations with Salesforce, GoHighLevel, and Zoho CRM. Waalaxy connects to Salesforce, Zoho, and other CRMs through Zapier, Make, or n8n rather than directly. For teams using Salesforce or GoHighLevel as their primary CRM, Closely’s native integrations offer tighter data sync without middleware.