Salesforce vs Zoho
A side-by-side look at 2 Productivity tools for 2026 — the verdict, pricing, ratings, features, and what readers think.
salesforce.com
Best for Mid-size and enterprise sales organizations that need deep customization
The world's #1 CRM platform for sales, service, and marketing.
Visit Salesforce
zoho.com
Best for Small and mid-sized businesses that want one affordable suite for CRM, finance and operations
Suite of 45+ cloud-based business apps for every aspect of your business.
Visit ZohoPricing compared
Salesforce
$25/user/mo
Zoho
Zoho CRM free for 3 users; paid plans per user/month
Head to head
| Salesforce | Zoho | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $25/user/mo | Zoho CRM free for 3 users; paid plans per user/month |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Try for free on paid suites | Free trial on paid Zoho CRM editions |
| Platforms | Web · iOS · Android | Web · iOS · Android |
Pros & cons
Salesforce
Pros
- Deepest customization and the largest partner ecosystem of any CRM listed here.
- Starter Suite at $25 per user per month brings sales, service and marketing tools to small teams.
- Core through Max tiers add built-in AI, Slack, Tableau and Agentforce capabilities.
- Mature enterprise security and admin controls on higher tiers.
- Free Suite tier shown on Salesforce's pricing page.
Cons
- Pricing climbs steeply: Core $195, Advanced $395 and Max $550 per user per month.
- Pro Suite is $100 per user per month and billed annually.
- Premier support and several add-ons are paid extras.
- Typically needs admin or partner help to configure well, so it is heavy for small teams.
Zoho
Pros
- Zoho CRM has a forever-free edition for up to 3 users with workflow automation.
- Over 45 apps spanning CRM, finance, HR, marketing and IT under one login.
- Zoho One bundles the suite for a single per-user price.
- CRM is available in 28 languages.
- Month-to-month plans with no contract lock-in on Zoho CRM.
Cons
- The breadth of the suite means a steeper setup and learning curve than single-purpose tools.
- Advanced CRM features such as AI agents, process management and CPQ start on Professional, not the free edition.
- Local taxes such as VAT or GST are charged on top of listed prices.
- Pricing varies by app and edition, so total cost is harder to predict than a flat per-seat tool.
Features compared
| Salesforce | Zoho | |
|---|---|---|
| Plans & pricing | ||
| Free tier | ✗ No | ✓ Yes |
| Free trial | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Pricing model | Per seat / usage-based | Per seat / per app or bundled (Zoho One) |
| Platforms & access | ||
| Web app | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Mobile apps | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Desktop app | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Self-hosted option | ✗ No | ✗ No |
| Offline mode | ✗ No | — |
| Integrations & extensibility | ||
| Public API | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Webhooks | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Native integrations | 3,000+ via AppExchange | 1,000+ via Zoho Marketplace & Zapier |
| Automation (Zapier/Make) | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Security & compliance | ||
| SSO / SAML | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Two-factor auth | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| SOC 2 | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| GDPR compliant | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Encryption at rest | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Collaboration | ||
| Team workspaces | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Real-time collaboration | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Role-based permissions | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Guest access | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Support | ||
| Email support | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Live chat support | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Phone support | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Knowledge base | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |