10 Best Zoho CRM Alternatives & Competitors [Free & Cheap]

Zoho CRM has established itself as one of the most popular customer relationship management (CRM) tools globally. It is renowned for its scalability, affordability, and wide array of features, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes.

However, as your business grows, or if you require features more specialized for certain workflows, it’s worth considering Zoho CRM alternatives.

In this article, we'll explore the top competitors of Zoho CRM, breaking down their features, pricing, pros, cons, and unique advantages.

10 Best Zoho CRM Alternatives and Competitors (Free & Cheap)

1. HighLevel CRM

HighLevel CRM is an all-in-one marketing and customer relationship management platform that has risen as a popular choice for agencies and small businesses.

Known for its automation prowess, it consolidates various marketing tools into a single platform, offering far more than a traditional CRM.

Key Features:

• All-in-One Marketing Solution: Combines marketing automation, lead nurturing, CRM, and sales funnels into one.
• Automated Workflows: Streamline your lead nurturing and customer follow-ups with advanced automation tools.
• Appointment Scheduling: Integrated calendar and booking tools to manage appointments.
• White-label Options: Agencies can rebrand and resell the software to their clients.
• Comprehensive Reporting: Offers detailed analytics to track performance in marketing, sales, and customer engagement.

Advantages of HighLevel Over Zoho CRM:

• Built for Marketing Agencies: Unlike Zoho CRM, HighLevel focuses heavily on marketing tools and agencies, making it more suitable for users who need robust automation and lead management.
• White-label Capabilities: Zoho CRM doesn’t offer white-labeling, making HighLevel an ideal choice for agencies.
• All-in-One Platform: HighLevel combines multiple tools such as email marketing, SMS, funnels, and CRM into one, reducing the need for additional software.
• Enhanced Appointment Scheduling: Offers a more robust booking and scheduling feature compared to Zoho’s limited appointment tools.
• Focused on Automation: Advanced automation tools make HighLevel ideal for marketing-centric businesses, whereas Zoho CRM requires third-party integrations for more advanced automation.

Pros:

• Excellent for marketing agencies and small businesses looking to scale.
• Complete white-label and reseller options for agencies.
• Easy-to-use automated workflows.
• Multi-channel marketing tools integrated into one platform.
• Affordable pricing for the range of features it offers.

Cons:

• Learning curve due to its extensive set of tools.
• Overkill for businesses not focused on marketing.

Pricing: Starts at $97/month for the basic plan.

Get Started With HighLevel CRM For Free

2. HubSpot CRM

HubSpot is one of the most widely recognized names in CRM, offering a suite of marketing, sales, and customer service tools that seamlessly integrate.

The software is ideal for businesses of all sizes looking for a free, feature-rich CRM that can scale with growth.

Key Features:

• Marketing Hub: Email marketing, landing pages, and automated workflows to capture and nurture leads.
• Sales Hub: Advanced sales tracking, pipeline management, and customizable sales processes.
• Service Hub: Tools for customer support, including help desk, ticketing, and live chat.
• Free CRM: The basic CRM is entirely free, offering tools like lead management, deal tracking, and email scheduling.
• Customizable Dashboards: Create personalized reports and dashboards for detailed insights.

Advantages of HubSpot Over Zoho CRM:

• Freemium Model: HubSpot’s free CRM offers more features in its basic version compared to Zoho’s limited free plan.
• Better Integrations: HubSpot offers an extensive marketplace for third-party integrations, providing more flexibility than Zoho.
• Intuitive User Interface: HubSpot’s design is often considered more user-friendly, with a focus on simplifying complex tasks.
• All-in-One Platform: HubSpot provides marketing, sales, and service tools in a more cohesive way, especially with built-in email marketing and landing page tools, whereas Zoho splits these features into separate products.
• Automation and Personalization: HubSpot excels in personalized marketing automation, while Zoho often requires additional apps for advanced automation.

Pros:

• Free plan is robust enough for many small businesses.
• Easy-to-use interface with minimal learning curve.
• Scalable across marketing, sales, and customer service departments.
• Extensive integration capabilities.
• Comprehensive reporting and analytics tools.

Cons:

• Advanced features can become costly.
• Customization options may be limited in the free plan.

Pricing: Free CRM available; paid plans start at $45/month.

Get Started With HubSpot CRM For Free

3. Salesflare

Salesflare is a modern CRM designed for small and medium-sized businesses, with a heavy focus on automation and ease of use.

It eliminates much of the manual data entry associated with traditional CRMs by automatically pulling information from emails, social media, and other data sources.

Key Features:

• Automatic Data Entry: Automatically populates CRM records with data from emails, meetings, and other interactions.
• Email Tracking: Tracks when emails are opened and clicked, providing insights for better follow-ups.
• Sales Pipelines: Visual pipeline management for tracking deals, from leads to closure.
• Lead Scoring: Automatically scores leads based on their engagement level and interaction history.
• Integrations: Syncs with tools like Gmail, Outlook, and LinkedIn for seamless data management.

Advantages of Salesflare Over Zoho CRM:

• Automated Data Entry: Salesflare eliminates much of the manual data entry required in Zoho, making it easier for sales teams to manage their pipeline.
• User-Friendly Design: Designed with ease of use in mind, Salesflare requires minimal setup and learning compared to Zoho.
• Better for Small Teams: Salesflare is more streamlined for small to medium-sized teams, while Zoho’s feature set can sometimes be overwhelming.
• Email Tracking: Built-in email tracking without the need for third-party tools, unlike Zoho CRM.
• Lead Scoring: Automated lead scoring helps prioritize high-potential leads, which Zoho lacks in its basic plans.

Pros:

• Saves time with automated data entry.
• Excellent email tracking and lead management tools.
• Simple, user-friendly interface ideal for small teams.
• Great integrations with popular communication tools.
• Provides insightful reports with minimal setup.

Cons:

• Lacks some advanced features required by larger enterprises.
• Limited customization options compared to more robust CRMs.

Pricing: Starts at $29/month per user.

Get Started With Salesflare For Free

4. Monday.com

Monday.com is a versatile work operating system that combines project management with CRM functionality.

It allows teams to manage customer relationships, tasks, and projects all from a single platform.

Its flexible structure makes it ideal for businesses that need a highly customizable solution.

Key Features:

• Customizable Workflows: Tailor your sales pipeline, project management, and customer management to fit your specific needs.
• Collaborative Tools: Enables teams to collaborate on tasks, share files, and comment on progress in real time.
• Integrations: Connects with a wide range of third-party tools, including Slack, Gmail, and Trello.
• Visual Dashboards: Provides clear, visual overviews of project and sales progress through customizable dashboards.
• Task Automation: Automate repetitive tasks, such as sending follow-up emails and updating deal statuses.

Advantages of Monday.com Over Zoho CRM:

• Highly Customizable: Monday.com offers a more flexible platform where users can build their own workflows, while Zoho’s structure can feel rigid for some users.
• Better for Team Collaboration: Monday.com excels in task and project management, making it easier for teams to collaborate compared to Zoho’s CRM focus.
• Visual Dashboards: Provides more visually appealing and customizable dashboards for tracking sales and project metrics.
• Cross-Department Use: Monday.com is more than just a CRM—it also serves project management, HR, and other business functions.
• Automation Flexibility: Advanced automation features that can be tailored to multiple use cases, whereas Zoho often requires third-party apps for more flexibility.

Pros:

• Flexible and highly customizable for different business needs.
• Great collaboration tools for teams.
• Visual dashboards make it easy to track progress.
• Scalable across various departments, including sales, marketing, and HR.
• Seamless integration with third-party tools.

Cons:

• CRM features may not be as robust as dedicated CRM platforms.
• Can be expensive as you add more users and features.

Pricing: Starts at $8/user/month.

Get Started With Monday.com For Free

5. Vendasta

Vendasta is a comprehensive platform built for marketing agencies and businesses looking to scale.

It offers a robust suite of white-label products, including CRM, marketing automation, and sales tools.

Vendasta allows agencies to manage client relationships while offering white-label services like social media management, reputation management, and more.

Key Features:

• White-Label Solutions: Agencies can rebrand the entire platform and offer it to their clients.
• CRM & Marketing Automation: Combines lead management, nurturing, and customer engagement tools.
• Reputation Management: Track and improve your brand's online reputation with integrated tools.
• Task Automation: Automates repetitive processes like follow-up emails, lead scoring, and nurturing.
• Marketplace: Offers a wide range of third-party tools and services, allowing users to scale their offerings.

Advantages of Monday.com Over Zoho CRM:

• White-Labeling: Vendasta’s white-label capabilities allow agencies to rebrand and resell their services, a feature Zoho lacks.
• Reputation Management Tools: Vendasta includes reputation management as part of its CRM, whereas Zoho would require a third-party integration.
• Agency-Centric Features: Vendasta is specifically designed for agencies that need to manage multiple clients, while Zoho is more general-purpose.
• Marketplace: Vendasta’s marketplace is broader and offers more ready-made tools for agencies to deploy for their clients.
• Dedicated Client Portal: Vendasta offers a client portal where customers can manage their services, which Zoho lacks in its CRM suite.

Pros:

• Excellent for agencies offering white-label services.
• A wide range of built-in marketing and sales tools.
• Scalable with a marketplace of third-party services.
• Integrates CRM with social media management and reputation tracking.
• Strong automation tools to simplify lead nurturing and customer retention.

Cons:

• Pricing can escalate as you scale and add more tools.
• Overly complex for businesses not focused on white-label services.

Pricing: Custom pricing based on your agency's size and needs.

6. ActiveCampaign

ActiveCampaign is a powerful CRM and marketing automation tool that excels in customer engagement and communication.

It’s particularly well-suited for small to medium-sized businesses looking for a robust, automation-first CRM that combines email marketing, customer relationship management, and sales automation into one platform.

Key Features:

• Automation First: ActiveCampaign offers a rich set of automation features for email marketing, lead nurturing, and customer journeys.
• Integrated Email Marketing: Create personalized and automated email campaigns directly from the CRM.
• CRM and Sales Automation: Track leads, manage deals, and automate your sales pipeline with ease.
• Customer Segmentation: Segment customers based on behavior, activity, and preferences for more targeted communication.
• Advanced Reporting: Get insights into campaign performance, customer engagement, and sales forecasts.

Advantages of ActiveCampaign Over Zoho CRM:

• Superior Email Marketing Automation: ActiveCampaign is renowned for its advanced email automation capabilities, which are more powerful than Zoho's built-in email marketing tools.
• Better Customer Journey Mapping: ActiveCampaign excels at visualizing and managing customer journeys with advanced segmentation, which Zoho lacks.
• Marketing & Sales Automation: ActiveCampaign combines CRM with marketing automation, eliminating the need for multiple tools, unlike Zoho which separates its CRM from its marketing suite.
• Easier Integration: ActiveCampaign integrates more seamlessly with third-party marketing tools than Zoho CRM.
• Better Lead Scoring: Lead scoring in ActiveCampaign is more dynamic and flexible compared to Zoho’s more basic lead management features.

Pros:

• Powerful automation for marketing and CRM tasks.
• Excellent email marketing tools with advanced customization.
• Great for businesses looking to automate customer engagement.
• Easy-to-use visual customer journey tools.
• Flexible integration with a wide variety of third-party applications.

Cons:

• Pricing can increase rapidly with advanced features.
• Automation setup can be complex for beginners.

Pricing: Starts at $15/month.

7. Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM that emphasizes pipeline management and deal tracking. It’s designed for businesses that need a clear, visual approach to managing their sales process.

With its intuitive interface and focus on simplicity, Pipedrive is ideal for teams looking to streamline their sales efforts.

Key Features:

• Visual Sales Pipeline: Track leads and deals through every stage of the sales cycle with a visual pipeline.
• Deal Management: Organize and prioritize deals with customizable pipelines and automation tools.
• Email Integration: Track emails and schedule follow-ups directly within the CRM.
• Reporting & Insights: Offers in-depth analytics on sales performance, team productivity, and customer behavior.
• Mobile App: Manage your pipeline and deals on the go with Pipedrive’s mobile application.

Advantages of Pipedrive Over Zoho CRM:

• Visual Pipeline Management: Pipedrive offers a more intuitive, drag-and-drop sales pipeline compared to Zoho’s more traditional CRM interface.
• Sales-Centric Design: Pipedrive is designed specifically for sales teams, offering tools like deal tracking and sales forecasting that are more user-friendly than Zoho.
• Email Integration: Pipedrive’s email tracking is more integrated with the sales process, whereas Zoho requires additional setup.
• Simplicity: Pipedrive’s interface is designed for ease of use, making it simpler for small sales teams compared to the more complex Zoho CRM.
• Mobile Experience: Pipedrive offers a more seamless mobile experience, making it easier to manage sales on the go than with Zoho’s mobile app.

Pros:

• Simple, visual sales pipeline management.
• Excellent for small and medium-sized sales teams.
• Easy to use, with minimal setup required.
• Great email tracking and deal management features.
• In-depth reporting and analytics to track sales performance.

Cons:

• Lacks some advanced marketing automation features.
• Not ideal for businesses looking for an all-in-one CRM and marketing tool.

Pricing: Starts at $14.90/month per user.

8. Insightly

Insightly is a cloud-based CRM designed for businesses that need a comprehensive tool for managing both sales and projects.

It combines CRM functionality with project management features, making it an excellent choice for businesses looking to integrate both aspects in one platform.

Key Features:

• CRM & Project Management: Manage leads, deals, and customer relationships alongside projects and tasks.
• Custom Dashboards: Create visual dashboards to track performance and project status.
• Email Integration: Sync your email accounts to manage communication directly within the CRM.
• Workflow Automation: Automate tasks like lead assignment, follow-ups, and customer notifications.
• Advanced Reporting: Generate detailed reports on customer behavior, sales performance, and project progress.

Advantages of Insightly Over Zoho CRM:

• Project Management Features: Insightly includes built-in project management tools, which are missing in Zoho CRM.
• Customizable Dashboards: Provides more advanced customization for dashboards compared to Zoho’s more basic reporting tools.
• Email Sync: Insightly offers better email integration, allowing users to manage communications without leaving the CRM.
• CRM & Project Tracking: Combining CRM and project management in one platform, Insightly is more holistic than Zoho’s CRM, which focuses only on customer relationships.
• Easier Workflow Automation: Insightly’s workflow automation is more intuitive and easier to implement than Zoho’s automation features.

Pros:

• Combines CRM with project management for a complete business solution.
• Excellent for tracking both customer relationships and project progress.
• Intuitive email integration and workflow automation.
• Customizable dashboards for tracking key metrics.
• Advanced reporting features for both sales and project management.

Cons:

• Lacks some marketing automation features.
• Can be overwhelming for smaller businesses not focused on project management.

Pricing: Starts at $29/month per user.

9. Freshsales

Freshsales , part of the Freshworks suite, is a user-friendly CRM that focuses on sales automation and lead management.

It’s particularly well-suited for businesses looking to streamline their sales process while leveraging AI-driven insights and automation.

Key Features:

• AI-Powered Insights: Provides AI-driven insights and predictions to help improve sales outcomes.
• Lead Scoring: Automatically score leads based on their activity and engagement levels.
• Sales Automation: Automate repetitive tasks like follow-up emails, lead assignments, and deal progression.
• Multichannel Communication: Manage communications across email, phone, chat, and more.
• Pipeline Management: Visual pipeline management to track deals through various stages.

Advantages of Freshsales Over Zoho CRM:

• AI-Powered Sales: Freshsales uses AI to offer better predictive insights and lead scoring compared to Zoho’s basic analytics tools.
• Multichannel Communication: Offers a more integrated communication tool across phone, chat, and email, while Zoho focuses primarily on email.
• Simpler Sales Automation: Freshsales simplifies sales automation with more intuitive workflows compared to Zoho’s complex setups.
• AI-Driven Lead Scoring: Freshsales’ AI-driven lead scoring is more advanced than Zoho’s basic lead management system.
• Affordable Pricing: Freshsales is generally more affordable, especially for businesses that need advanced sales features without a high price tag.

Pros:

• Excellent AI-driven sales insights and lead scoring.
• Simple and effective multichannel communication across email, phone, and chat.
• Streamlined sales automation and workflows.
• Advanced pipeline management with a visual interface.
• Affordable pricing, especially for small and medium-sized businesses.

Cons:

• Lacks some of the advanced marketing automation features available in other CRMs.
• Limited customization for more complex sales processes.

Pricing: Starts at $15/month.

10. EngageBay

EngageBay is an affordable CRM that combines marketing, sales, and customer support into one platform.

With its free plan and affordable pricing, it's an excellent alternative for small businesses and startups that need an all-in-one tool without breaking the bank.

EngageBay provides email marketing, landing page creation, and CRM capabilities at a fraction of the cost of larger players like Zoho.

Key Features:

• All-in-One CRM: Includes sales automation, marketing tools, and customer service functionalities.
• Email Marketing: Offers a built-in email marketing tool with automation for drip campaigns and follow-ups.
• Lead Scoring: Automatically score leads based on engagement and activity.
• Landing Page Builder: Create responsive landing pages to capture leads directly within the platform.
• Affordable Pricing Plans: Offers one of the most budget-friendly pricing structures, making it accessible for small businesses.

Advantages of Engagebay Over Zoho CRM:

• More Affordable: EngageBay offers a significantly cheaper pricing model, with more features available in its free and lower-tier plans compared to Zoho.
• All-in-One Platform: While Zoho separates its CRM from its marketing tools, EngageBay combines sales, marketing, and customer support into one platform.
• Better for Small Businesses: EngageBay’s pricing and ease of use make it better suited for startups and small businesses compared to Zoho’s more complex setup.
• Landing Page Builder: Unlike Zoho CRM, EngageBay includes a built-in landing page builder to help capture leads from campaigns directly.
• Free Tier: EngageBay offers a free plan with access to basic CRM and marketing automation features, which Zoho CRM does not provide.

Pros:

• Comprehensive CRM with sales, marketing, and support in one platform.
• Easy to use, even for beginners.
• Extremely affordable with a generous free plan.
• Good range of features for small businesses and startups.
• Includes email marketing, automation, and landing page creation tools.

Cons:

• Limited advanced features compared to more premium CRMs.
• Not as scalable for larger enterprises or teams.

Pricing: Free plan available. Paid plans start at $8.99/month.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the top alternatives to Zoho CRM?

Several strong alternatives to Zoho CRM include GoHighLevel , HubSpot, Salesflare, Monday.com, and ActiveCampaign. Each offers distinct features, like GoHighLevel's focus on marketing automation or HubSpot's comprehensive free CRM. These tools provide businesses with options depending on their size, industry, and specific needs for CRM functionality.

2. Why should I consider an alternative to Zoho CRM?

Businesses may seek alternatives to Zoho CRM if they need:

• More advanced marketing automation (e.g., GoHighLevel or ActiveCampaign).
• A simpler, more user-friendly interface (e.g., HubSpot).
• Better integration with specific tools like Google Workspace or Slack.
• More competitive pricing or features tailored for small business growth, such as offered by Salesflare.

3. Which Zoho CRM alternative is best for small businesses?

For small businesses, GoHighLevel , HubSpot, and Salesflare are excellent alternatives to Zoho CRM. HubSpot offers a robust free plan, Salesflare is designed for smaller teams with intuitive sales automation, and GoHighLevel includes comprehensive marketing features alongside CRM functionalities, helping businesses grow more efficiently.

4. Is HubSpot a better alternative to Zoho CRM?

HubSpot is often seen as a strong competitor to Zoho CRM because:

• It offers a free tier that includes CRM, marketing, and customer service tools.
• The interface is generally easier to use, particularly for non-technical users.
• HubSpot's sales and marketing automation tools are more advanced for larger teams. However, Zoho CRM might still be better for those seeking deeper customization options at a lower price.

5. Which Zoho CRM alternative provides the best marketing automation features?

GoHighLevel and ActiveCampaign are excellent for marketing automation. GoHighLevel is built with agencies and marketers in mind, offering everything from funnels to SMS and email marketing automation. ActiveCampaign, known for its user-friendly interface, provides powerful automation workflows, email sequencing, and audience segmentation.

6. What is the most affordable alternative to Zoho CRM?

For businesses seeking an affordable option, EngageBay and Zoho competitors like Freshsales offer budget-friendly pricing. EngageBay’s free and entry-level plans offer an all-in-one platform for marketing, sales, and service automation at a price point accessible to startups and small businesses.

7. Does GoHighLevel offer a better feature set than Zoho CRM?

GoHighLevel offers a broader set of features for marketing-focused businesses. It includes landing page builders, marketing funnels, and automation tools, making it more suitable for marketing agencies and those looking for an all-in-one sales and marketing platform. In contrast, Zoho CRM is more customizable and scalable for a broader range of industries, but may lack some of the advanced marketing automation found in GoHighLevel.