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.

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

Freshsales CRM offers four pricing tiers:

• Growth ($9/user/month): Adds features like visual sales pipelines, email marketing, and basic reporting.
• Pro ($39/user/month): Unlocks advanced features like AI-powered insights, multiple sales pipelines, and time-based automation.
• Enterprise ($59/user/month): For large teams needing custom reporting, dedicated account management, and advanced security features.

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.

Key Benefits

• Feature-rich: Zoho CRM packs a ton of features into its platform. You get 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

Zoho CRM offers you a free plan for up to 3 users with limited features. Their paid plans start at just $10 per user per month, billed annually.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 (Our Pick)

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.

Frequently Asked Questions