Freshsales CRM vs Zoho CRM: Which is Best in 2025?

Choosing the right CRM can feel like picking teams for a big game.

Are you stuck deciding between Freshsales CRM vs Zoho CRM?

You’re worried about picking the wrong tool, wasting time, and messing up customer relationships. 

Luckily, there’s a way to figure this out.

We’ll briefly break down Freshsales CRM and Zoho CRM to see which one shines. 

Let’s get you the answers you need!

Overview

We dove deep into Freshsales and Zoho CRM, testing their features firsthand.

Our team explored user interfaces, tracked customer interactions, and analyzed reporting tools to bring you a real-world comparison.

What is Freshsales CRM?

Okay, so Freshsales CRM. Think of it as your sales sidekick.

It’s built to help your team close deals faster.

It’s pretty easy to get the hang of, too.

Also, explore our favorite Freshsales CRM alternatives…

Key Benefits

• Intuitive Interface: Get up and running in minutes; no tech skills required.
• Visual Sales Pipeline: See precisely where your deals stand at a glance.
• Built-in Phone and Email: Connect with customers directly within the platform.
• AI-Powered Insights: Get intelligent recommendations to close more deals.

Pricing

All the plans will be billed annually.

• Growth + 500 Marketing Contacts: $9/user/month.
• Pro + 500 Marketing Contacts: $39/user/month.
• Enterprise + 500 Marketing Contacts: $59/user/month.

What is Zoho CRM?

Zoho CRM is a big player.

It does a lot more than just sales.

You can manage everything: marketing, support, the works.

It’s like a whole business toolkit.

Also, explore our favorite Zoho CRM alternatives…

Key Benefits

• Feature-rich: Zoho CRM’s platform packs a ton of features. It offers sales automation, marketing tools, and even help desk functionality.
• Affordable: Zoho CRM offers a free plan for up to 3 users. Even their paid plans are very competitive.
• Customization options: Tailor Zoho CRM to fit your business needs. You can create custom fields, modules, & workflows.
• Excellent integrations: Zoho CRM integrates with over 500 other apps, including popular tools like Google Workspace and Mailchimp.
• Strong reporting: Get detailed insights into your sales performance with customizable reports and dashboards.

Pricing

All the plans will be billed annually.

• Standard: $14/user/month.
• Professional: $23/user/month.
• Enterprise:$40 /user/month.
• Ultimate: $52/user/month.

Feature Comparison

Let’s examine the core of these two platforms.

We’ll compare key features and highlight the strengths of each CRM to help you determine which is the best fit for your business needs.

1. User Interface (UI) and Ease of Use

• Freshsales CRM:
  • Offers an intuitive UI designed for ease of use. The layout aims to streamline the sales process, making it quick for sales team members to adopt.
  • Freshworks has prioritized a clean design, reducing the learning curve.
• Zoho CRM:
  • Provides a highly customizable UI, which can lead to a steeper learning curve.
  • While powerful, the extensive options can sometimes overwhelm new users.

2. Sales Force Automation

• Freshsales CRM:
  • Focuses on automating core sales tasks, including leads and deals management, and provides sales force automation.
  • Freddy, their AI, assists in prioritizing leads and predicting deal closures.
• Zoho CRM:
  • Offers comprehensive sales force automation with advanced workflow capabilities, allowing for complex automation sequences.
  • It extends beyond sales, integrating with other Zoho apps for broader business process automation.

3. Leads and Deals Management

• Freshsales CRM:
  • Provides a visual pipeline for managing leads and deals, with real-time updates and tracking.
  • It offers a transparent sales process overview, aiding in effective deal closure.
• Zoho CRM:
  • Offers robust lead and deal management with extensive customization, allowing for detailed tracking and segmentation.
  • It offers in-depth reporting on the sales process.

4. Marketing Automation

• Freshsales CRM:
  • Includes basic marketing automation features, such as email campaigns and template creation.
  • It’s designed to align sales and marketing efforts.
• Zoho CRM:
  • Provides advanced marketing automation with features like campaign management, social media integration, and customer journey mapping.
  • It is a complete crm solution.

5. CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote)

• Freshsales CRM:
  • Offers a built-in CPQ tool to help your sales team create quotes faster.
• Zoho CRM:
  • Also, it offers CPQ functionality with advanced customization and can be integrated with other Zoho finance products.

6. Productivity

• Freshsales CRM:
  • Focuses on enhancing productivity with features like a built-in phone system and AI-driven insights.
  • Designed to streamline daily tasks and improve efficiency.
• Zoho CRM:
  • Offers a wide range of productivity tools, including workflow automation, calendar integration, and document management.
  • Aids in managing complex operations.

What to Look For When Choosing CRM Software?

• Data Security: Ensure the CRM complies with industry standards and offers robust data protection.
• Reporting and Analytics: Look for customizable dashboards and reports that provide actionable insights.
• Customization Options: Determine if the CRM allows you to tailor fields, workflows, and layouts to match your needs.
• Customer Reviews and Reputation: Research user reviews and vendor reputation to gauge reliability and satisfaction.
• Implementation and Support: Assess the vendor’s onboarding process and ongoing support availability.
• Industry-Specific Features: If applicable, check if the CRM offers features tailored to your industry’s unique requirements.

Final Verdict

So, which CRM wins? For most, Zoho CRM takes the lead.

It’s powerful. It handles a lot. Yes, it can be tricky to learn. But once you get it, it’s a beast.

Freshsales offers a good choice if you need something simple, especially if you love their free trial.

But for deep features and growth, Zoho is strong.

Both CRMs provide solid customer support. We tested them. We used them.

We know what works. Trust us; Zoho gives you more bang for your buck.

Consider your business size and needs. If you’re a small team, Freshsales might be enough. However, if you plan to scale, Zoho’s flexibility is key. 

Take advantage of those free trials. See for yourself.

More of Freshsales CRM

Here’s a brief comparison of Freshsales CRM with these software solutions:

• Freshsales CRM vs Gohighlevel: Freshsales CRM focuses on AI-driven sales automation and pipeline management, while GoHighLevel is a broader platform offering extensive marketing, sales, and agency automation features.
• Freshsales CRM vs Pipedrive: Freshsales CRM provides a comprehensive sales solution with integrated communication and AI, whereas Pipedrive excels in visual sales pipeline organization and deal tracking.
• Freshsales CRM vs Keap: Freshsales CRM emphasizes intuitive sales management and AI-powered insights; Keap offers powerful sales and marketing automation with a focus on contact management.
• Freshsales CRM vs ActiveCampaign: Freshsales CRM is a dedicated sales CRM with built-in phone and email; ActiveCampaign is strong in marketing automation, email campaigns, and advanced segmentation.
• Freshsales CRM vs Hubspot: Freshsales CRM offers AI-powered sales tools and a quicker setup; HubSpot provides an extensive all-in-one suite covering marketing, sales, and customer service.
• Freshsales CRM vs Clickfunnels: Freshsales CRM is a sales-focused CRM for managing customer interactions, whereas ClickFunnels is a specialized tool for building sales funnels and landing pages.
• Freshsales CRM vs Folk: Freshsales CRM offers a comprehensive sales platform with AI and automation; Folk focuses on simple, collaborative contact management and visual pipeline organization.
• Freshsales CRM vs Instantly: Freshsales CRM is a full-fledged sales CRM with robust features; Instantly is primarily an email outreach and cold email automation tool.
• Freshsales CRM vs ClickUp: Freshsales CRM is designed for streamlining sales processes and managing pipelines; ClickUp is a versatile work OS that encompasses project management, tasks, and CRM functionalities.
• Freshsales CRM vs Monday CRM: Freshsales CRM provides a dedicated sales solution with intelligent insights, while Monday CRM offers highly customizable boards for managing workflows, including CRM.
• Freshsales CRM vs Capsule CRM: Freshsales CRM offers a more robust sales CRM with AI features; Capsule CRM focuses on straightforward contact management and sales opportunity tracking.
• Freshsales CRM vs Insightly: Freshsales CRM is a dedicated sales tool with AI and comprehensive sales automation; Insightly provides a broader CRM experience, including strong project management capabilities.
• Freshsales CRM vs Salesforce: Freshsales CRM offers an intuitive, AI-powered sales platform with competitive pricing; Salesforce is a highly customizable, enterprise-grade CRM with an extensive ecosystem and advanced features.
• Freshsales CRM vs Zendesk: Freshsales CRM focuses on sales automation and pipeline management, while Zendesk is primarily a customer service platform with robust ticketing and support features.

More of Zoho CRM

Here’s a concise comparison of Zoho CRM with its alternatives:

• Zoho CRM vs GoHighLevel: Zoho CRM offers broad traditional CRM features; GoHighLevel specializes in marketing automation for agencies.
• Zoho CRM vs Pipedrive: Zoho CRM is feature-rich and affordable; Pipedrive provides a simpler, visual sales pipeline.
• Zoho CRM vs Keap: Zoho CRM is a holistic CRM; Keap excels in integrated sales and marketing automation.
• Zoho CRM vs ActiveCampaign: Zoho CRM provides comprehensive CRM; ActiveCampaign leads in advanced marketing automation.
• Zoho CRM vs HubSpot: Zoho CRM is cost-effective and offers diverse features; HubSpot is user-friendly and offers an expansive platform, but it can be pricier.
• Zoho CRM vs ClickFunnels: Zoho CRM is a complete business management suite; ClickFunnels focuses on building conversion-optimized sales funnels.
• Zoho CRM vs Folk: Zoho CRM is a broad, customizable CRM; Folk is a simpler, collaborative contact management tool.
• Zoho CRM vs Instantly: Zoho CRM provides full-cycle CRM; Instantly specializes in cold email outreach at scale.
• Zoho CRM vs ClickUp: Zoho CRM is a dedicated CRM solution; ClickUp is primarily a versatile project management platform.
• Zoho CRM vs Monday CRM: Zoho CRM offers deep CRM functionality; Monday CRM emphasizes visual workflows within a broader work OS.
• Zoho CRM vs Capsule CRM: Zoho CRM is extensive and customizable; Capsule CRM is known for its simplicity and ease of use.
• Zoho CRM vs Insightly: Zoho CRM provides comprehensive CRM functions; Insightly combines CRM with project management.
• Zoho CRM vs Salesforce: Zoho CRM is an affordable, feature-packed alternative; Salesforce is a highly customizable, market-leading enterprise solution.

Frequently Asked Questions