# Freshsales vs Zoho CRM

**Leader by Vioscale score:** Freshsales

| Attribute | Freshsales | Zoho CRM |
|---|---|---|
| **Vioscale score** | 83.9 (73% (medium)) | 70.1 (72% (medium)) |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"Freshsales is a cloud-based customer relationship management platform designed to streamline sales operations and team productivity. The software provides features for lead capture, pipeline management, customer engagement, and sales forecasting, enhanced with artificial intelligence (Freddy AI) to automate routine tasks like email composition and deal scoring.","source":"https://www.freshworks.com/crm/sales/","question":"What is Freshsales?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"Freshsales is a commercial, proprietary SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) product developed and maintained by Freshworks, a cloud-based software company founded in 2010. It is not open-source and operates on a subscription-based business model with both free trial and paid plans.","source":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freshworks","question":"Is Freshsales open-source or commercial software?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"Freshsales offers a 21-day free trial that requires no credit card and has no usage restrictions during the trial period. The platform operates on a freemium model with both free and paid subscription tiers for ongoing use beyond the trial.","source":"https://www.freshworks.com/crm/sales/","question":"Does Freshsales offer a free trial or free plan?","confidence":0.9},{"answer":"Freshsales is designed for sales teams of various sizes and industries who want to optimize their sales processes and close deals more efficiently. The platform serves businesses ranging from startups to enterprises, with reported adoption by over 74,000 companies globally.","source":"https://www.freshworks.com/crm/sales/","question":"Who is Freshsales designed for?","confidence":0.92},{"answer":"Freddy AI is Freshsales' embedded artificial intelligence component that automates and enhances various sales tasks. It provides functionality such as intent scoring to identify high-value leads, automated email composition, deal recommendations based on customer data, and predictive insights to guide sales activities.","source":"https://www.freshworks.com/crm/sales/","question":"What is Freddy AI in Freshsales?","confidence":0.88},{"answer":"Freshsales is a cloud-based SaaS platform delivered entirely through the web browser. Users access the software remotely without needing to install or maintain on-premise infrastructure, which simplifies deployment and ensures automatic updates.","source":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freshworks","question":"Is Freshsales cloud-based or does it support on-premise deployment?","confidence":0.9},{"answer":"Core features of Freshsales include lead management and qualification, visual pipeline management using Kanban-style boards, 360-degree customer views for multi-channel engagement, deal tracking and forecasting, contact and activity management, and AI-powered task automation. The platform emphasizes reducing manual work through intelligent automation while providing visibility into the entire sales pipeline.","source":"https://www.freshworks.com/crm/sales/","question":"What are the core features of Freshsales?","confidence":0.92},{"answer":"Freshsales is the CRM product within the Freshworks suite, launched in 2016 as the company's second product offering. Freshworks, founded in 2010, is a cloud software company that also offers Freshdesk (customer service), Freshservice (IT service management), and other business solutions, with Freshsales representing their primary sales-focused CRM product.","source":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freshworks","question":"How does Freshsales relate to Freshworks?","confidence":0.95}]` | `[{"answer":"Zoho CRM is a cloud-based customer relationship management platform designed to help businesses manage customer interactions, sales pipelines, and team collaboration. The platform serves over 300,000 businesses globally across all industries, ranging from small teams to enterprises.","source":"https://www.zoho.com/crm/","question":"What is Zoho CRM and who uses it?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"Zoho CRM offers a freemium model with a perpetual free tier supporting up to 3 users, plus multiple paid subscription plans priced per user per month. Subscriptions are flexible with no long-term contracts required, and annual plans typically offer savings compared to monthly billing.","source":"https://www.zoho.com/crm/pricing.html","question":"What is Zoho CRM's pricing model?","confidence":0.93},{"answer":"Zoho CRM is proprietary commercial software, not open-source. It is a cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform operated and maintained by Zoho Corporation.","source":"https://www.zoho.com/crm/","question":"Is Zoho CRM open-source or proprietary?","confidence":0.98},{"answer":"Zoho CRM is exclusively cloud-based and accessible through web browsers and dedicated mobile applications. There is no self-hosted or on-premises deployment option available; all data and functionality reside in Zoho's cloud infrastructure.","source":"https://www.zoho.com/crm/","question":"How is Zoho CRM deployed, and what platforms does it support?","confidence":0.94},{"answer":"Key features include sales force automation with pipeline and territory management, AI-powered assistance for task automation and insights, lead management and nurturing, process automation through workflows and cadences, business intelligence with dashboards and reporting, and extensive customization options. The platform also supports omnichannel customer engagement and includes configure-price-quote (CPQ) functionality in higher-tier plans.","source":"https://www.zoho.com/crm/features/","question":"What are the main features and capabilities of Zoho CRM?","confidence":0.92},{"answer":"Yes, Zoho CRM integrates with over 1,000 third-party applications through its Zoho Marketplace. Users can connect to popular business tools, and developers can build custom integrations using Zoho's REST APIs.","source":"https://www.zoho.com/crm/","question":"Does Zoho CRM support integrations with other applications?","confidence":0.9},{"answer":"Zoho CRM offers multiple tiers (Free, Standard, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate) with increasing capabilities. The Free edition supports up to 3 users with basic contact and workflow management. Higher tiers progressively add AI agents, advanced automation, inventory management, custom functions, and enterprise features like multi-team management and approval workflows.","source":"https://www.zoho.com/crm/pricing.html","question":"What are the main differences between Zoho CRM editions?","confidence":0.91},{"answer":"Zoho CRM competes with platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, and Microsoft Dynamics. Zoho generally positions itself as more affordable and accessible to small and mid-market businesses, with strong AI capabilities and extensive customization. Unlike some competitors, Zoho offers a persistent free tier and does not require long-term contracts.","source":"https://www.zoho.com/crm/","question":"How does Zoho CRM compare to alternative CRM platforms?","confidence":0.85}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true}` | `{"cloud":true}` |
| description.long | A cloud-based sales CRM that enables teams to organize contacts, manage deals through visual pipelines, and automate repetitive tasks. It integrates AI-powered insights and lead scoring to streamline the sales process. | A cloud-based sales and customer management platform that combines artificial intelligence with workflow automation and an intuitive user interface to help businesses streamline sales processes, team collaboration, and customer engagement. |
| features.capabilities | `{"api_access":true,"mobile_app":false,"forecasting":true,"lead_scoring":true,"custom_fields":true,"email_integration":true,"contact_management":true,"pipeline_management":true,"workflow_automation":true,"reporting_dashboards":true}` | `{"api_access":true,"mobile_app":true,"custom_fields":true,"contact_management":true,"pipeline_management":true,"workflow_automation":true,"reporting_dashboards":true}` |
| integrations.count | 1,200 | 7 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Email"},{"name":"Chat"}]` | `[{"name":"Zoho Creator"},{"name":"Zoho Books"},{"name":"Zoho Catalyst"},{"name":"Zoho Cliq"},{"name":"Zoho RPA"},{"name":"Google APIs"},{"name":"YouTube APIs"}]` |
| market.availability | `{"hqCountry":"US","primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"web":true}` | `{"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":false,"name":"Growth","summary":"$9/user/month, billed annually","features":["Kanban view","Contact lifecycle stages","Chat, Email, and phone","Email templates","Custom fields","Basic workflows"],"commitment":"annual","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"seat","amount":9,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For startups and SMBs","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Pro","summary":"$39/user/month, billed annually","features":["Everything in Growth, plus:","Contact scoring","Deal insights","Custom sales activities","Territory management","Sales sequences"],"commitment":"annual","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"seat","amount":39,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For growing and mid-sized businesses","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Enterprise","summary":"$59/user/month, billed annually","features":["Everything in Pro, plus:","Forecasting insights","Field-level permissions","Custom modules","Sandbox","Audit logs"],"commitment":"annual","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"seat","amount":59,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"For mid to large-sized businesses","contactSales":false}],"addOns":[{"name":"Branded documents","components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"seat","amount":19,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}]},{"name":"Freddy AI Agent","components":[{"per":{"qty":100,"unit":"sessions"},"kind":"per_unit","amount":49,"currency":"USD"}]}],"summary":"From $9/user/month, billed annually. Free 21-day trial.","currency":"USD","freeTier":false,"sourceUrl":"https://www.freshworks.com/crm/pricing/?utm_medium=home&amp;utm_campaign=hellobar&amp;utm_source=organic","retrievedAt":"2026-08-14T15:28:05.444Z","freeTrialDays":21,"startingPrice":{"amount":9,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["year"]}` | `{"type":"freemium","summary":"Flexible pricing with free tier available; specific plan details not publicly listed","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.zoho.com/crm/","retrievedAt":"2026-08-14T15:22:12.246Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | no | yes |
| pricing.model | commercial | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | low | low |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| release.cadence_days | 30 | 45 |
| reliability.sla_pct | 99.9 | - |
| reliability.status_page | yes | yes |
| security.disclosure_policy | yes | yes |
| security.gdpr | yes | yes |
| security.hipaa | - | yes |
| security.iso27001 | yes | yes |
| security.soc2 | yes | yes |

## Capabilities (CRM Software)

| Capability | Freshsales | Zoho CRM |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Contact & account management | ✓ | ✓ |
| Deal / pipeline management | ✓ | ✓ |
| Lead scoring | ✓ | - |
| **Communication** |  |  |
| Email sync & tracking | ✓ | - |
| **Automation** |  |  |
| Marketing automation | - | - |
| Workflow automation | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Insight** |  |  |
| Reporting & dashboards | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sales forecasting | ✓ | - |
| **Access** |  |  |
| Native mobile app | ✗ | ✓ |
| **Extensibility** |  |  |
| Public API | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom fields & objects | ✓ | ✓ |

*Source: Vioscale. Generated 2026-09-01T17:01:35.640Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*
