Head to head
Zoho CRM vs Salesforce
A side-by-side look using only what was checked on each vendor's pricing page. No invented ratings or scores.
Prices last checked October 22, 2026
The short version
Both are all-in-one CRMs, but they're aimed at different stages. Pick Zoho CRM if you're a small, budget-conscious team that wants an affordable all-in-one and a free plan for up to 3 users. Pick Salesforce if you're a growing business that needs a scalable, customizable ecosystem and can budget for it: there's no free plan, and Pro Suite is a 4x jump from Starter Suite. Zoho's paid price is unverified, so confirm it on Zoho's page.
Side by side
| Field | ||
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes, forever free for up to 3 users: contact management, follow-up reminders, workflow automation, up to 10 custom email templates, data export up to 10 times, standard reports, 5,000 API calls/day, mobile apps | No. 30-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Cheapest paid plan | Standard: see Zoho's site. Unverified, price not shown on Zoho's pricing page. Confirm on the vendor page | Starter Suite: $25/user/month (starting price, billed monthly or annually; transaction fees apply) |
| Next tier / watch-outs | No paid-tier prices appeared on the page. The only figure shown was Zoho CRM Plus at "Starts at $20/user/month," a different bundle. Free plan caps at 3 users. Local taxes are added on top | Pro Suite is $100/user/month billed annually with a contract required (a 4x jump). Transaction fees apply. Premier Success Plan costs 30% of net license fees |
| Pricing page | zoho.com | salesforce.com |
| Pricing check | Not verified Pricing not verified from the vendor's page; check before buying. | Checked on vendor page |
Pros and cons
Zoho CRM
Pros
- Forever free plan for up to 3 users
- Free plan includes contact management, reminders, workflow automation, standard reports, and the mobile apps
Cons
- Free plan caps out at 3 users
- Standard price could not be confirmed on Zoho's page, so check your local price
Salesforce
Pros
- Scalable, customizable CRM ecosystem for growing businesses
- Starter Suite from $25/user/month, billed monthly or annually
Cons
- No free plan
- Pro Suite is $100/user/month on an annual contract, a 4x jump from Starter
- Transaction fees apply
Who should pick which
Pick Zoho CRM if
- You are in its target group: budget-conscious small teams in the Zoho ecosystem wanting an affordable all-in-one CRM.
- You want to start on a free plan. Salesforce has none.
- This matters to you: Forever free plan for up to 3 users.
- This matters to you: Free plan includes contact management, reminders, workflow automation, standard reports, and the mobile apps.
Pick Salesforce if
- You are in its target group: growing businesses needing a scalable customizable CRM ecosystem.
- You want a price that was confirmed on the vendor's own page.
- This matters to you: Scalable, customizable CRM ecosystem for growing businesses.
- This matters to you: Starter Suite from $25/user/month, billed monthly or annually.
Still unsure? Take the quiz or compare all 30 tools.
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