Zoho CRM vs Freshsales

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Our analysts compared Zoho CRM vs Freshsales based on data from our 400+ point analysis of CRM Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

Product Basics

Zoho CRM enables an organization’s sales force to work more effectively and close more deals. It incorporates lead management, marketing automation, contact management, multichannel forecasting, territory management, and a host of other capabilities.

Built with conversational AI, it supports users by predicting lead and deal success, offering a voice assistant, and suggesting activities to automate based on behavior analysis. Users can leverage workflow automation to streamline manual tasks and stay on top of performance with real-time reporting and analytics.
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Freshsales is a cloud solution suitable for small and medium businesses across different industry verticals. Being one of the sales management and customer engagement offerings from Freshworks, it provides comprehensive features for managing leads and deals. Capabilities include a chronological timeline view of customer journey, AI-based lead scoring, built-in one-click phone, and native mobile apps for Android and iOS devices.
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$14/User, Monthly
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Tailored to your specific needs
$9/User, Monthly, Freemium
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Tailored to your specific needs
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Windows
Mac
Linux
Android
Chromebook
Windows
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Linux
Android
Chromebook
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile
Cloud
On-Premise
Mobile

Product Assistance

Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Documentation
In Person
Live Online
Videos
Webinars
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support
Email
Phone
Chat
FAQ
Forum
Knowledge Base
24/7 Live Support

Product Insights

  • Real-Time Data Analysis: Track KPIs across the sales cycle with advanced analytics tools providing visibility for everyone from the C-suite to sales reps. We set up dashboard widgets and customized the metrics displayed, so we could surface the most important data. The system includes standard and custom reports, which you can filter to locate specific information and blend to create multidimensional reports.
  • AI-Powered Performance Optimization: Use Zia is the system’s conversational AI assistant and helps users get more done and work smarter. We searched through our database by sending a request via text. You can use Zia to improve data accuracy, optimize timing for emails and calls, and understand the sentiment behind the emails your leads and customers send.
  • Automated Lead Creation: Use the email parser tool to automate lead creation by sending email enquiries to the parser email that extracts the information. You can then reduplicate and approve the leads to ensure they’re good. We could add and color code tags, create custom views for leads and view leads in Zoho sheets.
  • Support Mobility: Mobile CRM apps for both Android and iOS devices provide users with immediate access to important information, no matter where they are. Sales reps can view daily activities and optimize in-person meetings with geo-location. They can also manage records even while offline — all changes automatically sync once their device reconnects. The card scanner app, supported on iOS and Android devices as well, enables users to digitally capture business cards at events and meetings.
  • Personalized Solutions: Use the developer platform for full control over your software ecosystem. Unify data across business systems, develop apps and boost the capabilities of the CRM interface with a combination of tools including widgets, a REST API and SDKs for web and mobile. We found that it incorporates both code and WYSIWYG elements so users of all technical levels can leverage it successfully.
  • Easy To Set Up: Speed up the onboarding process via Zwitch, with the help of Zoho support staff or use the built-in tools to transfer from other CRM platforms. We liked how easy it was to navigate the header-style menu. Add new products, contacts and accounts with the same form style. Set up was also a breeze with helpful pop-ups and links to knowledge base articles if we got stuck.
  • Tailor-Made Customizations: Create your own workflow rules. We tested out adding a “Big Fish” tag when leads recorded an annual revenue of above $100,000 and a follow-up automation. You can also use the Kiosk Studio to build page layouts and automations, its a bit more technical but offers helpful pop-ups and tips. We were also able to create a rule that assigned all leads that started with a 222 area code to a specific user.
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  • Detailed Pipeline Data: Access detailed sales pipeline information by tracking multiple deals where different products are sold. Create up to ten custom pipelines, with the option to import pipelines from other CRMs. 
  • Personalized Responses: Establish a personal connection with customers with customized voicemail messages. Either type messages that are converted to audio or record and upload the voicemail messages directly to the platform. 
  • Free Version: Includes 24x5 email, chat, and phone support, and access to deals, accounts, leads, mobile apps and contacts. Available forever for unlimited users, and especially beneficial for small businesses. 
  • Part of the Freshworks Product Suite: Enhance capabilities and promote seamless data flow across multiple apps by integrating Freshsales with other Freshworks products. Tools include marketing automation, help desk, chat, project management, phone system and collaboration to achieve a fully unified software suite. 
  • Accurate Phone Activity Reports: Track the actual number of outgoing calls made by each sales rep across a specific period by generating shareable charts and tables. 
  • Real-Time Visitor Activities: Monitor website visitors’ activities in real time by using Javascript, PHP, Ruby, Java and Python libraries. 
  • Multi-Language Support: Offers 34 languages, including Arabic, Latvian, Romanian, Indonesian, English, Vietnamese and more. 
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  • Sales Force Automation: Automate tedious sales tasks such as lead generation and routing, data entry, email notifications, field updates and more. Optimize lead management, deal management, account management, contact management, and manage workflow and assignment rules.
  • Process Management: Enable your sales team to follow a standardized sales strategy. Use the blueprint feature to log offline processes such as order management or deal closure, ensuring consistent execution. Create automated approvals for common activities such as vacation time requests, capital expense reports and pricing discount requests. Additionally, you can set rules for assigning leads, escalating cases and validating CRM data.
  • Opportunity Management: Keep everyone’s antennas tuned to the same channel with Zoho’s activity tracking for all customer interactions like emails, calls, tasks and notes. Create deals and associate them with campaigns with drop-down fields and generate multiple pipelines using the standard template or your own personalized fields You can create a custom Kanban view using dropdown options and fields.
  • Multichannel Support: Connect with your email platform to send emails directly from the CRM. Connect your brand’s social media channel to respond in real-time, follow relevant conversations and automate lead generation. Use the Phonebridge integration to enable sales reps to easily log and track information from calls. You can also embed live chat and lead capture forms on your website to facilitate sales, marketing and customer service efforts.
  • Sales Enablement: Aid sales reps in their daily jobs using features like quotes and purchase orders (via integration with Zoho’s Finance Suite), a documents library, integration with Zoho’s presentation and document creation applications, and external-facing portals for partners and vendors. It also offers a calendar, a feature called SalesInbox for prioritizing the most lucrative emails, a web meeting platform through the Zoho Meeting integration, real-time notifications, collaboration feeds and more.
  • Performance Management: Gauge how a product, team or region is performing with forecasting tools. Group customers based on shared attributes (region, product, etc.) with territory management and gamify elements to encourage friendly competition that boosts performance among sales reps. Zia can also help improve performance by helping you target leads that are most likely to generate revenue. Your sales reps can engage with website visitors via chatbots for web and mobile, so every query receives attention even if they’re away from their desks.
  • Marketing Automation: Streamline marketing efforts by segmenting customers using a range of criteria, automating lead nurturing follow-ups, creating code-free web forms to gather customer information, scanning and uploading business cards, and analyzing campaign spending. Use capabilities like end-to-end event management, email campaign capabilities, surveys, and marketing details like budgets and performance metrics. A hierarchy feature lets you hook sub-campaigns to related main campaigns.
  • Team Collaboration: Use Feeds as a central location for collaborating, sharing announcements and offering advice. You can integrate chat functionality to facilitate everyday tasks and automatically send real-time sales updates. Users can leave notes on records or activities and tag other team members. Other features include groups for collaborating around specific events or for specific purposes, as well as project management tools via integration with Zoho Projects.
  • Third-Party Integrations: Connect with more than 50 third-party apps for collaboration, document management, live chat, telephony, messaging, events and meetings, quote management, document signing, lead management, marketing automation, social media, storage and more. Integrations include G Suite, Office 365, Slack, Shopify, Mailchimp, Facebook Ads, QuickBooks, GoToWebinar, DocuSign, Dropbox and Zapier.
  • Security: Store critical business data in secure vaults, choose where you want your data stored (U.S. and EU data centers) and encrypt data fields. Use audit logs to track activity, enable two-factor authentication and designate which IP addresses users can use to log in. Real-time backups on multiple servers ensure you won’t lose data due to a system-based or natural disaster.
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  • Smartforms: Automatically create new leads after visitors sign up on a web form, providing data from social media profiles, photos and activities on the website. 
  • 360-Degree Customer View: Access customers’ social profiles, products bought, website, interactions and appointments from a single screen. 
  • Velocity Reports: View the time required to convert qualified leads into customers and understand the stages in which sales reps are stuck. 
  • Revenue Analytics: Identify star performers, successful campaigns and leading territories using detailed revenue metrics.  
  • Push Notifications: Push notifications are sent whenever a new lead, task or deal is assigned to users and also offer reminders of upcoming meetings. 
  • Custom Reports: Track sales managers’ performance and sales figures using custom reports with tables and charts. Schedule reports to be delivered on a given date. 
  • Auto Profile Enrichment: Automatically enriches leads, contacts and accounts with their social and publicly listed information such as photos, company details and social profiles.  
  • Email Tracking: Real-time notifications on email opens and clicks facilitate prompt responses and optimize marketing efforts. 
  • Deal Status: Understand deal status in a better way by tracking deal value and the number of deals under review. 
  • Visual Sales Pipeline: Locate deals across stages and get a better view of the pipeline by sorting and filtering. 
  • Third-Party Integrations: The Marketplace provides third-party apps that can be integrated with Freshsales. Connect with Google Sheets, MailChimp and more via Zapier. 
  • Mobile App: With Android and iOS apps, record voice notes, move leads through pipeline stages, check in to meetings, view calendar, log calls and receive notifications. 
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Product Ranking

#9

among all
CRM Software

#8

among all
CRM Software

Find out who the leaders are

Analyst Rating Summary

87
78
100
71
92
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100
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Account and Contact Management
Lead Management
Opportunity Management
Platform Security
Product Management
Dashboards and Reports
Lead Management
Opportunity Management
Product Management
Communication Channels

Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

Zoho CRM
Freshsales
+ Add Product + Add Product
Account And Contact Management Communication Channels Dashboards And Reports Document Management Lead Management Mobile Capabilities Opportunity Management Partner Relationship Management Platform Capabilities Product Management Quotes, Orders, And Contracts Management Sales Performance Management Team Collaboration 100 92 93 97 100 84 100 60 95 100 84 91 93 71 96 100 56 100 79 100 0 79 100 54 82 83 0 25 50 75 100
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Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

88%
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12%
88%
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86%
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User Sentiment Summary

Great User Sentiment 11200 reviews
Excellent User Sentiment 1954 reviews
85%
of users recommend this product

Zoho CRM has a 'great' User Satisfaction Rating of 85% when considering 11200 user reviews from 5 recognized software review sites.

93%
of users recommend this product

Freshsales has a 'excellent' User Satisfaction Rating of 93% when considering 1954 user reviews from 6 recognized software review sites.

5.0 (20)
5.0 (19)
4.1 (2656)
4.7 (792)
n/a
4.55 (535)
4.3 (6776)
4.7 (448)
4.5 (797)
4.7 (102)
4.2 (951)
4.1 (58)

Awards

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Zoho CRM and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Account and Contact Management, Lead Management, Opportunity Management, Platform Capabilities and Platform Security.

Account and Contact Management Award
Lead Management Award
Opportunity Management Award
Platform Capabilities Award
Platform Security Award

SelectHub research analysts have evaluated Freshsales and concluded it earns best-in-class honors for Lead Management and Opportunity Management. Freshsales stands above the rest by achieving an ‘Excellent’ rating as a User Favorite.

User Favorite Award
Lead Management Award
Opportunity Management Award

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Work Offline: Users who mention this feature say the platform functions well even when used in offline mode.
Business Management: The system monitors business performance, populates the website with suitable visitors and keeps a tab on productivity and output, eliminating unmatched customers and removing hassle according to users who mention this aspect.
Affordable: Users said the software is budget-friendly as compared to other CRM systems and has considerably more adaptive features for the price.
Integrations: Reviewers appreciated Zoho’s integration with in-house tools that support unified workflows, flexibility and email functionality.
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Ease of Use: 97% of reviews talking about usability noted the system is user-friendly.
Interface: The user interface is simple, fast and can be navigated easily, as observed by 96% of reviewers who mention this feature.
Lead Management: According to 90% of users who talk about this feature, it helps generate, track, upload, convert, research and organize leads effectively.
Contact Management: The system helps store client information efficiently and find data quickly, as reported by 94% of users who reference this feature.
Configuration: 80% of reviewers who mention configuration asserted the system is easy and quick to set up.
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Learning Curve: Users mentioned some features and customization requires additional time and learning to implement.
Customer Support: Zoho’s customer support and inquiry resolution isn’t very responsive, according to users who refer to support. However, the chat support is comparatively better.
Lags and Delays: Reviewers noted there is sometimes a lag in notifications for email tracking and updates.
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Price: Although a free plan is available, it doesn’t include a lot of options, and adding advanced features gets expensive, according to 65% of reviews referencing cost.
Technical Glitches: Every user who talks about this aspect observed there are quite a few technical issues with APIs, migration and more.
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Zoho CRM is a cloud-based CRM solution that serves businesses of all sizes and across various industries. It provides users with real-time data analysis, AI-powered sales performance optimization and extensive automation and customization. You can streamline workflows and improve sales efficiency with lead nurturing, deal management, and third-party integrations.During our test run of their free trial, we loved working with standout features like the customizable dashboard, automated lead creation via the email parser and drop-down linking for account, product, lead and quote creation.However, users report a learning curve associated with full feature utilization and customization. Additionally, some advanced features and functionalities require upgrades to higher tiers making it expensive for smaller teams. Overall, Zoho CRM offers an interoperable solution for businesses looking for a customizable, affordable CRM platform.

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Suitable for SMBs, Freshsales provides easy-to-use tools for sales management, customer engagement and lead management. Its hassle-free configurations and intuitive interface are some standout features noted by reviews. Users also appreciate its ability to manage customer information efficiently and its broad lead management capabilities. However, the free plan doesn’t include useful features, adding advanced features gets costly and there are some technical issues that hinder usability. While integrations with other Freshworks products and Zapier are helpful, important third-party integrations such as LinkedIn and Hubspot are missing. Overall, it has a lot to offer and can be a good choice for smaller operations.

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Screenshots

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