HubSpot vs Zoho CRM: Choose the Best CRM Option for You

HubSpot CRM’s free-for-life platform supports unlimited users, which makes it a solid option for budget-conscious businesses seeking a scalable CRM with a robust set of contact management and lead generation features. Teams that are ready to upgrade to any of HubSpot CRM’s three paid Sales Hub plans can do so from within the free CRM. However, paying for HubSpot CRM is a less cost-efficient option compared to Zoho CRM’s lower per-user costs.

Zoho CRM has four tiers: Standard, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate. There’s also a free-for-life platform, but it’s a barebones version of the software and only supports three users. Thus, it’s better to purchase a Zoho CRM plan, which is quite affordable from just $14 per user, per month. Each paid tier at minimum includes workflows, scoring rules, and custom pipelines. Plus, users can test drive any Zoho CRM plan with a free 15-day trial (30 days with Ultimate).

HubSpot CRM has the edge when it comes to its depth of free tools; it particularly shines with its inbound lead generation via email marketing and website visits. All tiers include email tracking, live chat widgets, and one million contacts. HubSpot CRM’s premium tiers add advanced tools like custom forecasting and AI. There’s also the HubSpot CRM Suite, which combines features from Marketing Hub, Service Hub, and other HubSpot products.

Zoho CRM, meanwhile, has a deeper set of inbound tools across its paid plans at a lower cost than HubSpot CRM’s premium tiers. The social dashboard allows sales and marketing reps to connect with clients and track any brand mentions across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. That’s in addition to omnichannel engagement via email, live chat, and web-to-lead forms. Zoho CRM’s enterprise-level tier adds Zia AI to assist with forecasting, analytics, and workflows.

HubSpot CRM has a reputation for being a user-friendly CRM with an intuitive interface, a vast self-service knowledge base, and an excellent customer service staff. Implementation is fairly easy and likely won’t require much (if any) outside help. According to user reviews, a couple areas where HubSpot CRM could stand to be more substantial are reporting and customization.

Zoho CRM is a versatile platform that can be modified to fit a variety of niches. However, this versatility could make implementation more time consuming due to the software’s high level of customization. Once Zoho CRM is set up it’s quite easy to learn, although users lament its cumbersome interface and the inconsistent quality of Zoho’s customer support.

HubSpot CRM comes with a variety of pre-made report templates that users can filter and customize – but those components aren’t useful for anything beyond basic reporting. A custom report builder is available for more in-depth insights, although it’s only included with HubSpot CRM’s two priciest tiers. Generally speaking, HubSpot CRM will leave data-driven businesses wanting as even its custom reports are limited in the amount of variables offered.

Zoho CRM includes unlimited custom reports with most of its paid plans; its Standard plan caps it at 100 reports. In terms of CRM reporting depth, Zoho CRM and HubSpot CRM both run shallow; however, the Zoho Analytics plugin imbues advanced features such as Zia AI insights, over 250 data connectors, and daily-to-hourly data refreshes. Zoho Analytics runs between $24 and $455 per month, so it can easily add up, but a free version is available.

HubSpot CRM allows users to automate tasks like email follow-ups and data entry from scratch or with a guided template. HubSpot’s free CRM lacks sales automation, but its Sales Hub plans can support as many as 1,000 workflow rules. Though it’s not the strongest in this area – automation is largely tied to the sales pipeline – HubSpot CRM’s approach will be less intimidating for most.

Zoho CRM comes with more varied workflow tools that allow users to build a wide variety of sales automation processes and create form builders without any coding required. Workflow rules are standard with every plan, even Zoho’s free CRM. Enterprise-level tiers include AI workflow suggestions and usage reports. Businesses can add the Zoho Flow plugin from $10 per month for advanced code-based workflows and tighter third-party app integration.

HubSpot CRM’s mobile app includes several of the tools found in the full version of the software but adds a few app-exclusive functions that’ll come in handy for field reps. For instance, the HubSpot Keyboard integrates with compatible third-party messaging and scheduling apps to insert applicable HubSpot CRM data for easier contact and lead management. There’s also a business card scanner that automatically saves and syncs new contact details to the CRM.

Zoho CRM boasts an intuitive UI plus most of the tools one would expect in a mobile CRM. Notable features include Zia AI assistant, team activity feeds, and a map that identifies nearby prospects. Zoho’s mobile CRM doesn’t have a built-in card scanner (although one can be downloaded separately). However, Zoho CRM does a better job than HubSpot CRM in allowing users to add and update data offline that’ll automatically sync once there’s a connection.

Zoho Marketplace currently has more than 1,000 native app integrations that work with all paid Zoho CRM plans. Notable apps include Zoom, Mailchimp, Trello, Quickbooks, and Google Drive. There’s also Zoho’s wide range of products, which can add new functionality to Zoho CRM or enhance existing ones. While Zoho’s app plugins might cost extra, you can take advantage of over 400 apps available for free.

HubSpot's App Marketplace also features over 1,000 native app integrations, but only 45 of them are free. Notable integrations include Slack, Calendly, PandaDoc, Gmail, and Facebook Messenger. Most apps work with every HubSpot CRM plan, including its free-for-life platform.

HubSpot CRM offers 24/7 access to live chat, phone, and email support as standard with all of its paid Sales Hub plans. (Phone support is unavailable with the Starter plan.) Meanwhile, users of HubSpot’s free CRM are limited to HubSpot’s user community and self-service portal for help at any time. While this may seem like a major disadvantage, HubSpot’s knowledge base and forums are well-organized and always updating.

Zoho CRM offers paid users live chat, phone, and email support during local business hours, five days a week. Premium and Enterprise support plans can be purchased separately and cost a portion of the annual Zoho CRM subscription fee. These plans include 24/7 support, quicker response times, and onboarding assistance. Zoho CRM also has a self-service portal with troubleshooting articles and community forums, but it’s confusing to navigate.