Does Zoho CRM or Salesforce Sales Cloud have a free plan?

Zoho CRM has a free plan. Salesforce Sales Cloud does not, though it offers a free trial.

How long is the Zoho CRM and Salesforce Sales Cloud free trial?

Zoho CRM offers a 15-day free trial, and Salesforce Sales Cloud offers a 30-day free trial.

Which is easier to use, Zoho CRM or Salesforce Sales Cloud?

In VERILO's editorial assessment Zoho CRM is the easier of the two, scoring 3 out of 5 against 2 for Salesforce Sales Cloud. That is a judgement about how quickly a new team gets productive, not a measured benchmark.

Zoho CRM vs Salesforce

Both of these are the answer to the same question — "we need a CRM we can shape around our own process" — and they answer it at wildly different prices. Zoho CRM offers custom modules, layouts and blueprints from $20 per user per month. Salesforce offers deeper customisation of objects, processes and permissions than anything else on the market, starting at $25 and reaching $165 per user at Enterprise.

Which should you choose?

Choose Zoho CRM if

Small businesses that want a full-featured CRM at a low price
Teams already using Zoho Books, Desk or Mail
Companies that need custom modules and guided sales processes

Visit Zoho CRM

Choose Salesforce Sales Cloud if

Mid-sized and enterprise sales organizations with complex processes
Companies with a dedicated CRM administrator
Businesses that need compliance, territories and advanced forecasting

Visit Salesforce Sales Cloud

Cheapest to start

Not confirmed

Free plan

Zoho CRM

Highest editor rating

Salesforce Sales Cloud · 4.3

Comparison of Zoho CRM and Salesforce Sales Cloud
Compare	Zoho CRM Visit site	Salesforce Sales Cloud Visit site
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	Yes	Yes
Starting price	From $20/mo	From $25/mo
Editor rating	4.2	4.3
Ease of use	Moderate (3/5)	Takes time (2/5)
Category	Sales & CRM	Sales & CRM
Pricing model	Free edition for up to 3 users. Standard is approximately $20 per user per month ($14 billed annually), Professional approximately $35 ($23 annually), Enterprise approximately $50 ($40 annually), Ultimate approximately $65 ($52 annually).	No free plan; free trial available. Starter Suite is approximately $25 per user per month, Pro Suite approximately $100, Enterprise approximately $165, Unlimited approximately $330, all billed annually; AI-focused editions are priced higher.
Plans	Free — Free Standard — $20/user/mo Professional — $35/user/mo Enterprise — $50/user/mo	Starter Suite — $25/user/mo Pro Suite — $100/user/mo Enterprise — $165/user/mo Unlimited — $330/user/mo
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android, Browser extension, API	Web, iOS, Android, API
Integrations	Gmail, Google Workspace, Mailchimp, Microsoft 365, Outlook, QuickBooks, Shopify, Slack, WhatsApp, Zapier	Gmail, Google Workspace, Mailchimp, Make, Microsoft 365, Outlook, QuickBooks, Slack, Zapier
Best for	Small businesses that want a full-featured CRM at a low price Teams already using Zoho Books, Desk or Mail Companies that need custom modules and guided sales processes	Mid-sized and enterprise sales organizations with complex processes Companies with a dedicated CRM administrator Businesses that need compliance, territories and advanced forecasting
Pros	Free edition for up to three users with core CRM features Low per-user pricing across all paid tiers Deep customization: custom modules, layouts and blueprints Strong automation and approval workflows on Professional and above Tight integration with Zoho Books, Desk, Campaigns and Mail	Unmatched customization of objects, processes and permissions Largest CRM app ecosystem through AppExchange Strong forecasting, territory management and reporting at scale Mature security, compliance and audit capabilities AI features (Einstein, Agentforce) integrated across the platform
Cons	Dense interface with a noticeable setup and learning curve Some features feel dated compared with newer CRMs Best experience depends on adopting other Zoho products Support quality varies by plan and region	Expensive, with steep jumps between tiers and add-ons Requires admin expertise or a partner to configure and maintain Slower, denser interface than modern small-team CRMs Annual contracts and per-user pricing add up quickly
AI agents	No	Yes
AI assistant	Yes	Yes
API access	Yes	Yes
Custom fields	Yes	Yes
Email sync (Gmail / Outlook)	Yes	Yes
Forms & surveys	Yes	No
Import & export	Yes	No
Lead scoring	Yes	Yes
Mobile app	Yes	Yes
Reporting & dashboards	Yes	Yes
Roles & permissions	Yes	Yes
SSO / SAML	No	Yes
Visual pipeline	Yes	Yes
Workflow automation	Yes	Yes

Common questions

Does Zoho CRM or Salesforce Sales Cloud have a free plan?: Zoho CRM has a free plan. Salesforce Sales Cloud does not, though it offers a free trial.
How long is the Zoho CRM and Salesforce Sales Cloud free trial?: Zoho CRM offers a 15-day free trial, and Salesforce Sales Cloud offers a 30-day free trial.
Which is easier to use, Zoho CRM or Salesforce Sales Cloud?: In VERILO's editorial assessment Zoho CRM is the easier of the two, scoring 3 out of 5 against 2 for Salesforce Sales Cloud. That is a judgement about how quickly a new team gets productive, not a measured benchmark.

Our verdict

For most small and mid-sized businesses, Zoho CRM does enough of what Salesforce does at a fraction of the cost, and it keeps a free edition for up to three users where Salesforce has none. Salesforce earns its price at scale: territory management, forecasting and compliance, plus the AppExchange ecosystem — but it expects a dedicated administrator, and VERILO rates it 2 out of 5 for ease of use against Zoho's 3. Choose Salesforce when the process genuinely is complex and someone owns it. Choose Zoho CRM in every other case, and budget setup time rather than licence fees.

Visit Zoho CRM Visit Salesforce Sales Cloud

Zoho CRM vs Salesforce

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Common questions

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