Zoho vs Salesforce CRM: Choose The Perfect CRM For Your Business

Are you intrigued to learn which customer relationship management software is the best fit for your organization? Look no further, explore the comparison of the two CRM solutions: Zoho vs Salesforce. But as we embark on the comparison journey of Zoho CRM and Salesforce CRM, let’s take a step back and understand CRM itself.

Gone days are obsolete when businesses relied on spreadsheets and manual processes to manage their relationship with customers. The advent of cloud-based CRM software like Salesforce and Zoho makes it easier for businesses to streamline their customer interactions, sales, marketing, support & services, and so on.

Let’s now jump into the comparison of Salesforce CRM and Zoho CRM to find out which one is the right choice for your business.

What is Salesforce CRM?

Salesforce is a cloud-based Software-as-a-Service customer relationship management platform that was founded in February 1999 by Marc Benioff, and Parker Harris. It makes it easier for businesses to store, access, and manage customer data easily.

Salesforce is a cloud-based solution which means it can be easily accessed from any device with an active Internet connection.

To learn more about Salesforce customer relationship management software and its evolution throughout the years, you can refer to our previous blog: “What Is Salesforce? Guide To Understanding It And Its Evolution”.

What is Zoho CRM?

Zoho CRM is cloud-based customer relationship management software from Zoho Corporation. It was introduced in 2005 with the vision of improving the overall productivity of organizations by streamlining the sales process and customer relationships.

Zoho CRM brings sales, marketing, and customer support activities together to enable them all with a shared understanding of customers. It offers a robust suite of tools for automating business processes and streamlining customer engagement. Every size of business be it small or large business can rely on the Zoho CRM to achieve the success they desired for.

Zoho vs Salesforce: A Detailed Comparison

Here we present you with a detailed and fair comparison of Zoho vs Salesforce to figure out which one is the right choice for you:

Zoho vs Salesforce: Maturity

Salesforce CRM was introduced in 1999. It has been a dominating player in the field of CRM platforms for more than two decades.

On the other hand, Zoho CRM debuted in 2005, six years after Salesforce. Zoho CRM has also grown progressively since then. However, still, Salesforce is mature CRM software when compared to Zoho.

Who Wins:

Salesforce CRM

Zoho vs Salesforce: Customization

Customization makes CRM software align with the vision of business needs. Therefore, it is one of the must-have things to consider when choosing a CRM.

Salesforce CRM is a highly customizable platform that enables businesses to tailor their CRM according to their needs. Be it fields, layouts, workflows, or business processes, Salesforce CRM makes everything customizable. Furthermore, Salesforce employs an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, which makes it easy to enable businesses to do the desired customization on their own without any coding knowledge or communication with Salesforce developers.

While Zoho CRM also favors customization to make it adapt to unique business needs. It enables the customization of fields, buttons, and layouts to effectively manage their customer relationship. The process of making customization to Zoho CRM requires coding knowledge which makes it essential for businesses to rely on developers to customize the platform. This makes the customization process more cumbersome and time-consuming.

Who Wins

In terms of Customization, Salesforce CRM is a more prominent player, making it the right choice for businesses to adopt unparalleled customization. For example, if you want to create a rollup summary, Salesforce enables you to do so using an intuitive point-and-click interface. Zoho, on the other hand, requires you to write code to create a rollup summary.

Zoho vs Salesforce: Scalability

Today’s rapidly evolving landscape of business requires highly scalable customer relationship management software to adapt to the evolving needs rapidly.

Salesforce and Zoho both CRM software operate on cloud-based architecture, which makes them highly scalable. In response to the growth, businesses can scale the CRM platform to support their growth easily.

Who Wins:

Draw. Salesforce and Zoho both strive for scalability at the same level.

Zoho vs Salesforce: Integration Capabilities

The integration capabilities are among the most important factors to consider when selecting the right CRM software. Integration ensures the seamless flow of data between CRM and other applications used by businesses to create a single source of truth.

Salesforce CRM comes with unparalleled integration capabilities. It offers compatibility with various Middleware and ETL tools. These tools are responsible for seamless data synchronization between third-party systems and Salesforce, which is the foundation of successful integrations. The robust APIs and developers’ tools improve the platform’s flexibility of integrations. Custom integrations can also be created with REST and SOAP APIs to tailor the platform to easily integrate with applications.

Salesforce also has an online marketplace called AppExchange, which is a vast ecosystem of pre-built integrations and third-party applications that are best fit to extend the capabilities of the platform.

Zoho CRM, on the other hand, also offers integration capabilities. The platform can be easily integrated with more than 800+ applications such as Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, and so on. Furthermore, Zoho also has a marketplace where you can find applications that can be easily integrated with CRM. However, the Zoho marketplace is not as extensive as the Salesforce AppExchange.

Who Wins: Salesforce is the preferred choice in terms of integrations. AppExchange offers a wider selection of applications over Zoho that can be easily configurable with the platform.

Zoho vs Salesforce: Analytics and Reporting

Analytics and reporting capabilities draw a clear line of difference between Salesforce and Zoho CRM.

Salesforce CRM provides robust analytics capabilities, allowing businesses to analyze vast amounts of data and uncover meaningful patterns and trends. Salesforce also makes use of AI to automate the process of generating reports, data visualization, and interactive dashboards. Users can design reports with drag-and-drop functionality, apply filters and groupings, and schedule automated report generation. Salesforce’s reporting capabilities provide flexibility and agility, enabling businesses to monitor sales pipelines, track campaign performance, and gain real-time insights into their business operations.

Salesforce CRM seamlessly integrates with external analytics and business intelligence tools, further enhancing its reporting capabilities. Users can integrate Salesforce with popular analytics platforms such as Tableau or Power BI to leverage additional advanced analytics features. This integration expands the possibilities for data analysis and visualization, allowing businesses to gain deeper insights and create comprehensive reports.

Zoho comes with Zoho Analytics, a business intelligence and analytics platform which makes it easy for businesses to create reports and dashboards with the required information. However, when it comes to integrating with external analytics tools, Zoho potentially restricts businesses from leveraging the full power of third-party analytics platforms. This lack of integration options may hinder businesses seeking more advanced reporting and analytics features beyond what Zoho CRM offers out of the box.

In contrast, Zoho CRM’s analytics capabilities are comparatively limited. While it offers basic reporting functionality, it may lack the advanced analytics tools necessary for in-depth data analysis and predictive modeling. This can limit businesses’ ability to uncover hidden patterns and trends, hindering their decision-making process.

Who wins:

Salesforce is a more capable CRM when it comes to analytics and reporting capabilities than Zoho CRM.

Zoho vs Salesforce: Customer Support and Resources

Let’s learn how Salesforce CRM and Zoho CRM stand out in terms of customer support & resources.

Salesforce CRM provides robust customer support options, including phone, email, and live chat support. Businesses can rely on Salesforce’s knowledge base including documentation, knowledge articles, tutorials, and video guides. to address their queries and resolve any technical issues promptly. Salesforce’s customer support is known for its responsiveness, ensuring businesses receive timely assistance when needed.

The Salesforce Trailhead platform provides interactive and gamified learning modules to help users gain expertise in using the CRM effectively. Additionally, Salesforce’s online community, Trailblazer Community, allows users to connect with peers, ask questions, and access valuable insights and best practices.

Zoho CRM also offers customer support channels, but its level of responsiveness and availability may not match that of Salesforce. Users may encounter longer response times or limited support options, potentially leading to delays in issue resolution and hindered productivity. The availability of user-generated content and community-driven support may be limited in comparison, making it more challenging for users to access a wide range of helpful resources.

Who wins:

Salesforce. Salesforce CRM excels in providing comprehensive customer support and an abundance of valuable resources, surpassing the offerings of Zoho CRM. The combination of responsive customer support and a rich resource library positions Salesforce as the preferred choice for businesses seeking reliable assistance and a wide range of knowledge to support their CRM journey.

Zoho vs Salesforce: Mobile Accessibility

Mobile accessibility is also a key factor when making the selection of the best CRM for a business.

Salesforce CRM offers a mobile application that employs a robust set of features allowing users to access a vast amount of CRM information on their mobile devices. The application is compatible with both Android and iOS devices. You can easily download the Salesforce mobile application from Google Play Store and App Store.

The Zoho CRM also offers a mobile application that is compatible to work with both Android and iOS users. The application provides seamless access to the data on mobile devices.

Who wins:

Both Salesforce and Zoho CRM offer a convenient mobile application. Therefore it is a draw between Salesforce vs Zoho when it comes to mobile accessibility.

Salesforce vs Zoho: Pricing

Pricing is the biggest factor that influences the selection of CRM for businesses. Let’s figure out Salesforce CRM vs Zoho CRM to find out which one offers more price to value.

Salesforce CRM pricing is calculated based on the products you select. For instance, if you select, then the price ranges from $25/user/month to $300/user/month. Similarly, the cost will vary depending on other Salesforce product selections. Furthermore, these Salesforce products can also be integrated with each other, therefore, the cost will differ. The best practice to gain a precise understanding of Salesforce CRM pricing, you should consult with a Salesforce development company.

Zoho CRM has 5 different pricing structures. The price ranges from $23 to $52. Depending on the business needs, you can select the plan that meets your needs.

Who Wins:

Zoho CRM takes the clear lead when it comes to pricing. However, when it comes to value for money, Salesforce is a more extensive platform that streamlines entire business operations.

Salesforce CRM vs Zoho CRM: Which One is Right For Your Business?

Zoho CRM is a cost-effective solution that provides solid features for small and medium-sized businesses. It offers customization options, integration capabilities, scalability, and mobile accessibility. Zoho CRM’s pricing plans are more affordable compared to Salesforce, making it a suitable choice for businesses with budget constraints. However, Zoho CRM may have limitations in terms of advanced analytics and reporting capabilities.

On the other hand, Salesforce CRM is a mature and comprehensive platform that caters to businesses of all sizes. It offers unparalleled customization options, extensive integration capabilities, robust analytics and reporting features, and reliable customer support. Salesforce CRM’s mobile accessibility and its vast ecosystem of third-party applications make it a preferred choice for businesses seeking advanced functionalities and flexibility. However, Salesforce CRM generally has a higher price tag, especially for larger organizations. Salesforce CRM for small businesses is also available to make it cost-effective for organizations to adopt the great capabilities of Salesforce CRM.

You can also read here why businesses choose Salesforce CRM over others.

It is recommended to thoroughly assess your business needs, evaluate the features and pricing of both CRM platforms, and consider factors such as scalability, customization, integration capabilities, and analytics to make an informed decision that aligns with your business goals and objectives.