Salesforce vs Zoho CRM: what will you actually pay?

Annual-billing rates taken from each vendor's own pricing page, with the date we read them. First-year totals include any one-time onboarding fee on record.

  • Prices from the vendor's own page
  • Every figure carries its date
  • Recorded onboarding fees included

Every price comes from the vendor's own pricing page and carries the date we read itLast full check How we check prices

Team size

Zoho CRM is cheaper per seat than Salesforce Sales Cloud at every tier, comparing entry to entry and top to top.

Zoho CRM is the cheaper entry at 5 seats. Its Standard plan costs $840 in year one (source, checked ) against Salesforce Sales Cloud Starter Suite at $1,500 (source, checked ), a gap of $660.

Zoho CRM is the cheaper entry at 25 seats. Its Standard plan costs $4,200 in year one (source, checked ) against Salesforce Sales Cloud Starter Suite at $7,500 (source, checked ), a gap of $3,300.

Zoho CRM is the cheaper entry at 50 seats. Its Standard plan costs $8,400 in year one (source, checked ) against Salesforce Sales Cloud Starter Suite at $15,000 (source, checked ), a gap of $6,600.

Cheaper is not better. Our dataset holds no feature detail for either vendor, so the two sides are not matched tier to tier and nothing here says what the extra money buys.

Free tiers and their recorded seat caps are covered in the free-tiers section below.

Gap between the two sides$660Zoho CRM is cheaper · first year at 5 seats
Gap between the two sides$3,300Zoho CRM is cheaper · first year at 25 seats
Gap between the two sides$6,600Zoho CRM is cheaper · first year at 50 seats

Plans at 5 seats

Salesforce Sales Cloud

6 plans · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
Cheapest plan that fits$1,500Starter Suite · first year at 5 seats
  1. Cheapest here
    Starter Suite
    $25 per seat a month
    $1,500
    first year · 5 seats
    • $25 × 12 × 5 seats = $1,500
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  2. Pro Suite
    $100 per seat a month
    $6,000
    first year · 5 seats
    • $100 × 12 × 5 seats = $6,000
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  3. Core
    was Enterprise, $175/seat/mo as of
    $195 per seat a month
    $11,700
    first year · 5 seats
    • $195 × 12 × 5 seats = $11,700
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  4. Advanced
    was Unlimited, $350/seat/mo as of
    $395 per seat a month
    $23,700
    first year · 5 seats
    • $395 × 12 × 5 seats = $23,700
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  5. Max
    was Agentforce 1 Sales as of , same price
    $550 per seat a month
    $33,000
    first year · 5 seats
    • $550 × 12 × 5 seats = $33,000
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  6. Free Suite
    $0 per seat a month
    —
    not available
    No seat limit is recorded for this $0 plan, so we can't confirm it fits; excluded rather than assumed unlimited.
    • storage gb per org: 10
    • flows per org: 5
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing

Zoho CRM

5 plans · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
Cheapest plan that fits$840Standard · first year at 5 seats
  1. Cheapest overall
    Standard
    $14 per seat a month
    $840
    first year · 5 seats
    • $14 × 12 × 5 seats = $840
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  2. Professional
    $23 per seat a month
    $1,380
    first year · 5 seats
    • $23 × 12 × 5 seats = $1,380
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  3. Enterprise
    $40 per seat a month
    $2,400
    first year · 5 seats
    • $40 × 12 × 5 seats = $2,400
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  4. Ultimate
    $52 per seat a month
    $3,120
    first year · 5 seats
    • $52 × 12 × 5 seats = $3,120
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  5. Free
    $0 per seat a month
    —
    not available
    Capped at 3 seats, not viable at 5 seats.
    • seats: 3
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html

Zoho CRM has 5 plans in our dataset against Salesforce Sales Cloud's 6, so this side ends 1 row short. Its highest-priced plan is Ultimate.

Every plan from both, cheapest first

  1. Cheapest overall
    Zoho CRM
    Standard
    $14 per seat a month
    $840
    first year · 5 seats
    • $14 × 12 × 5 seats = $840
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  2. Zoho CRM
    Professional
    $23 per seat a month
    $1,380
    first year · 5 seats
    • $23 × 12 × 5 seats = $1,380
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  3. Cheapest here
    Salesforce Sales Cloud
    Starter Suite
    $25 per seat a month
    $1,500
    first year · 5 seats
    • $25 × 12 × 5 seats = $1,500
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  4. Zoho CRM
    Enterprise
    $40 per seat a month
    $2,400
    first year · 5 seats
    • $40 × 12 × 5 seats = $2,400
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  5. Zoho CRM
    Ultimate
    $52 per seat a month
    $3,120
    first year · 5 seats
    • $52 × 12 × 5 seats = $3,120
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  6. Salesforce Sales Cloud
    Pro Suite
    $100 per seat a month
    $6,000
    first year · 5 seats
    • $100 × 12 × 5 seats = $6,000
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  7. Salesforce Sales Cloud
    Core
    was Enterprise, $175/seat/mo as of
    $195 per seat a month
    $11,700
    first year · 5 seats
    • $195 × 12 × 5 seats = $11,700
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  8. Salesforce Sales Cloud
    Advanced
    was Unlimited, $350/seat/mo as of
    $395 per seat a month
    $23,700
    first year · 5 seats
    • $395 × 12 × 5 seats = $23,700
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  9. Salesforce Sales Cloud
    Max
    was Agentforce 1 Sales as of , same price
    $550 per seat a month
    $33,000
    first year · 5 seats
    • $550 × 12 × 5 seats = $33,000
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  10. Salesforce Sales Cloud
    Free Suite
    $0 per seat a month
    —
    not available
    No seat limit is recorded for this $0 plan, so we can't confirm it fits; excluded rather than assumed unlimited.
    • storage gb per org: 10
    • flows per org: 5
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  11. Zoho CRM
    Free
    $0 per seat a month
    —
    not available
    Capped at 3 seats, not viable at 5 seats.
    • seats: 3
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html

Plans at 25 seats

Salesforce Sales Cloud

6 plans · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
Cheapest plan that fits$7,500Starter Suite · first year at 25 seats
  1. Cheapest here
    Starter Suite
    $25 per seat a month
    $7,500
    first year · 25 seats
    • $25 × 12 × 25 seats = $7,500
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  2. Pro Suite
    $100 per seat a month
    $30,000
    first year · 25 seats
    • $100 × 12 × 25 seats = $30,000
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  3. Core
    was Enterprise, $175/seat/mo as of
    $195 per seat a month
    $58,500
    first year · 25 seats
    • $195 × 12 × 25 seats = $58,500
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  4. Advanced
    was Unlimited, $350/seat/mo as of
    $395 per seat a month
    $118,500
    first year · 25 seats
    • $395 × 12 × 25 seats = $118,500
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  5. Max
    was Agentforce 1 Sales as of , same price
    $550 per seat a month
    $165,000
    first year · 25 seats
    • $550 × 12 × 25 seats = $165,000
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  6. Free Suite
    $0 per seat a month
    —
    not available
    No seat limit is recorded for this $0 plan, so we can't confirm it fits; excluded rather than assumed unlimited.
    • storage gb per org: 10
    • flows per org: 5
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing

Zoho CRM

5 plans · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
Cheapest plan that fits$4,200Standard · first year at 25 seats
  1. Cheapest overall
    Standard
    $14 per seat a month
    $4,200
    first year · 25 seats
    • $14 × 12 × 25 seats = $4,200
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  2. Professional
    $23 per seat a month
    $6,900
    first year · 25 seats
    • $23 × 12 × 25 seats = $6,900
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  3. Enterprise
    $40 per seat a month
    $12,000
    first year · 25 seats
    • $40 × 12 × 25 seats = $12,000
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  4. Ultimate
    $52 per seat a month
    $15,600
    first year · 25 seats
    • $52 × 12 × 25 seats = $15,600
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  5. Free
    $0 per seat a month
    —
    not available
    Capped at 3 seats, not viable at 25 seats.
    • seats: 3
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html

Zoho CRM has 5 plans in our dataset against Salesforce Sales Cloud's 6, so this side ends 1 row short. Its highest-priced plan is Ultimate.

Every plan from both, cheapest first

  1. Cheapest overall
    Zoho CRM
    Standard
    $14 per seat a month
    $4,200
    first year · 25 seats
    • $14 × 12 × 25 seats = $4,200
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  2. Zoho CRM
    Professional
    $23 per seat a month
    $6,900
    first year · 25 seats
    • $23 × 12 × 25 seats = $6,900
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  3. Cheapest here
    Salesforce Sales Cloud
    Starter Suite
    $25 per seat a month
    $7,500
    first year · 25 seats
    • $25 × 12 × 25 seats = $7,500
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  4. Zoho CRM
    Enterprise
    $40 per seat a month
    $12,000
    first year · 25 seats
    • $40 × 12 × 25 seats = $12,000
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  5. Zoho CRM
    Ultimate
    $52 per seat a month
    $15,600
    first year · 25 seats
    • $52 × 12 × 25 seats = $15,600
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  6. Salesforce Sales Cloud
    Pro Suite
    $100 per seat a month
    $30,000
    first year · 25 seats
    • $100 × 12 × 25 seats = $30,000
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  7. Salesforce Sales Cloud
    Core
    was Enterprise, $175/seat/mo as of
    $195 per seat a month
    $58,500
    first year · 25 seats
    • $195 × 12 × 25 seats = $58,500
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  8. Salesforce Sales Cloud
    Advanced
    was Unlimited, $350/seat/mo as of
    $395 per seat a month
    $118,500
    first year · 25 seats
    • $395 × 12 × 25 seats = $118,500
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  9. Salesforce Sales Cloud
    Max
    was Agentforce 1 Sales as of , same price
    $550 per seat a month
    $165,000
    first year · 25 seats
    • $550 × 12 × 25 seats = $165,000
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  10. Salesforce Sales Cloud
    Free Suite
    $0 per seat a month
    —
    not available
    No seat limit is recorded for this $0 plan, so we can't confirm it fits; excluded rather than assumed unlimited.
    • storage gb per org: 10
    • flows per org: 5
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  11. Zoho CRM
    Free
    $0 per seat a month
    —
    not available
    Capped at 3 seats, not viable at 25 seats.
    • seats: 3
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html

Plans at 50 seats

Salesforce Sales Cloud

6 plans · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
Cheapest plan that fits$15,000Starter Suite · first year at 50 seats
  1. Cheapest here
    Starter Suite
    $25 per seat a month
    $15,000
    first year · 50 seats
    • $25 × 12 × 50 seats = $15,000
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  2. Pro Suite
    $100 per seat a month
    $60,000
    first year · 50 seats
    • $100 × 12 × 50 seats = $60,000
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  3. Core
    was Enterprise, $175/seat/mo as of
    $195 per seat a month
    $117,000
    first year · 50 seats
    • $195 × 12 × 50 seats = $117,000
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  4. Advanced
    was Unlimited, $350/seat/mo as of
    $395 per seat a month
    $237,000
    first year · 50 seats
    • $395 × 12 × 50 seats = $237,000
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  5. Max
    was Agentforce 1 Sales as of , same price
    $550 per seat a month
    $330,000
    first year · 50 seats
    • $550 × 12 × 50 seats = $330,000
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  6. Free Suite
    $0 per seat a month
    —
    not available
    No seat limit is recorded for this $0 plan, so we can't confirm it fits; excluded rather than assumed unlimited.
    • storage gb per org: 10
    • flows per org: 5
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing

Zoho CRM

5 plans · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
Cheapest plan that fits$8,400Standard · first year at 50 seats
  1. Cheapest overall
    Standard
    $14 per seat a month
    $8,400
    first year · 50 seats
    • $14 × 12 × 50 seats = $8,400
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  2. Professional
    $23 per seat a month
    $13,800
    first year · 50 seats
    • $23 × 12 × 50 seats = $13,800
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  3. Enterprise
    $40 per seat a month
    $24,000
    first year · 50 seats
    • $40 × 12 × 50 seats = $24,000
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  4. Ultimate
    $52 per seat a month
    $31,200
    first year · 50 seats
    • $52 × 12 × 50 seats = $31,200
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  5. Free
    $0 per seat a month
    —
    not available
    Capped at 3 seats, not viable at 50 seats.
    • seats: 3
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html

Zoho CRM has 5 plans in our dataset against Salesforce Sales Cloud's 6, so this side ends 1 row short. Its highest-priced plan is Ultimate.

Every plan from both, cheapest first

  1. Cheapest overall
    Zoho CRM
    Standard
    $14 per seat a month
    $8,400
    first year · 50 seats
    • $14 × 12 × 50 seats = $8,400
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  2. Zoho CRM
    Professional
    $23 per seat a month
    $13,800
    first year · 50 seats
    • $23 × 12 × 50 seats = $13,800
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  3. Cheapest here
    Salesforce Sales Cloud
    Starter Suite
    $25 per seat a month
    $15,000
    first year · 50 seats
    • $25 × 12 × 50 seats = $15,000
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  4. Zoho CRM
    Enterprise
    $40 per seat a month
    $24,000
    first year · 50 seats
    • $40 × 12 × 50 seats = $24,000
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  5. Zoho CRM
    Ultimate
    $52 per seat a month
    $31,200
    first year · 50 seats
    • $52 × 12 × 50 seats = $31,200
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html
  6. Salesforce Sales Cloud
    Pro Suite
    $100 per seat a month
    $60,000
    first year · 50 seats
    • $100 × 12 × 50 seats = $60,000
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  7. Salesforce Sales Cloud
    Core
    was Enterprise, $175/seat/mo as of
    $195 per seat a month
    $117,000
    first year · 50 seats
    • $195 × 12 × 50 seats = $117,000
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  8. Salesforce Sales Cloud
    Advanced
    was Unlimited, $350/seat/mo as of
    $395 per seat a month
    $237,000
    first year · 50 seats
    • $395 × 12 × 50 seats = $237,000
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  9. Salesforce Sales Cloud
    Max
    was Agentforce 1 Sales as of , same price
    $550 per seat a month
    $330,000
    first year · 50 seats
    • $550 × 12 × 50 seats = $330,000
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  10. Salesforce Sales Cloud
    Free Suite
    $0 per seat a month
    —
    not available
    No seat limit is recorded for this $0 plan, so we can't confirm it fits; excluded rather than assumed unlimited.
    • storage gb per org: 10
    • flows per org: 5
    Verified · salesforce.com/sales/pricing
  11. Zoho CRM
    Free
    $0 per seat a month
    —
    not available
    Capped at 3 seats, not viable at 50 seats.
    • seats: 3
    Verified · zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html

All prices are in US dollars on annual billing. First-year total = annual per-seat rate × 12 × seats, plus any one-time onboarding fee, which is billed once per organisation, not per seat; the following year drops the fee. Neither vendor's dataset record carries a minimum-seat requirement for these plans, so none is added. Each vendor's plans run cheapest first in a single column. A plan whose recorded seat cap is below the team size sorts last, with an em dash and the reason, and so does a $0 plan with no seat limit on record: we can't confirm it fits, so it is left out of the cheapest-plan figure rather than assumed unlimited. Each plan row shows its own verification date and source; some rows were rechecked more recently than others.

Details, sources and caveats

How the tiers line up

The verdict above compares list price per seat only. Pairing: at the entry paid tier, Salesforce Sales Cloud Starter Suite ($25/seat/mo; salesforce.com/sales/pricing, checked ) is $11/seat/mo dearer than Zoho CRM Standard ($14/seat/mo; zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html, checked ); at the top tier, Salesforce Sales Cloud Max ($550/seat/mo; salesforce.com/sales/pricing, checked ) is $498/seat/mo dearer than Zoho CRM Ultimate ($52/seat/mo; zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html, checked ). In between, Salesforce Sales Cloud Pro Suite ($100/seat/mo; salesforce.com/sales/pricing, checked ), Salesforce Sales Cloud Core ($195/seat/mo; salesforce.com/sales/pricing, checked ), and Salesforce Sales Cloud Advanced ($395/seat/mo; salesforce.com/sales/pricing, checked ) are dearer per seat than every Zoho CRM middle tier, namely Zoho CRM Professional ($23/seat/mo; zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html, checked ) and Zoho CRM Enterprise ($40/seat/mo; zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html, checked ). The vendors have different tier counts, so tiers are compared entry-to-entry and top-to-top, not matched one-for-one, and by position, not feature parity.

The free tiers

Salesforce Sales Cloud Free Suite (salesforce.com/sales/pricing, checked ) costs $0, with no seat limit recorded in our dataset (so we can't say whether it is capped); Zoho CRM Free (zoho.com/crm/zohocrm-pricing.html, checked ) costs $0, capped at 3 seats.

What each charges extra for

No onboarding fee is recorded for Salesforce Sales Cloud, which means we haven't found one, not that we've confirmed there isn't one. No onboarding fee is recorded for Zoho CRM, which means we haven't found one, not that we've confirmed there isn't one. The totals add recorded fees only.

Salesforce Sales Cloud

  • No onboarding fee is recorded for Salesforce Sales Cloud in our dataset — that means we haven't found one, not that we've confirmed there isn't one.

Our dataset doesn't yet capture Salesforce Sales Cloud's add-on pricing, so nothing is shown here rather than a guessed figure.

Zoho CRM

  • No onboarding fee is recorded for Zoho CRM in our dataset — that means we haven't found one, not that we've confirmed there isn't one.
  • Local taxes (VAT, GST) are charged in addition to Zoho CRM's listed prices, per the vendor's own pricing page as recorded in our dataset notes. The prices on this page do not include them.

Our dataset doesn't yet capture Zoho CRM's add-on pricing, so nothing is shown here rather than a guessed figure.

Taxes: Zoho CRM's pricing page states local taxes (VAT, GST) are charged in addition to its listed prices, so what you pay will be higher than the figures on this page. Our dataset records no tax statement for Salesforce Sales Cloud's prices, so don't assume the two are quoted on the same tax basis.

Who each is wrong for, on price alone

On price alone, Salesforce Sales Cloud is the harder case to make at the entry, middle, and top tiers, where Zoho CRM is cheaper per seat.

A lower price does not make a tool the better or the worse one. Check the specific tier's feature list on each vendor's own page before you decide.

Where published pricing runs out

Salesforce Sales Cloud: a published per-seat rate is available through Max, the top plan in our dataset. Whether buying it requires a sales conversation is not recorded for this vendor.

Zoho CRM: a published per-seat rate is available through Ultimate, the top plan in our dataset. Whether buying it requires a sales conversation is not recorded for this vendor.

Sources

Each plan's first mention in the text carries its source link and retrieval date; the plan rows and this Sources list repeat them. Not every plan was rechecked on the same day.

Where our data is thin

  • No feature detail is recorded for Salesforce Sales Cloud and Zoho CRM, so we can't say what any tier includes or whether tiers at similar prices do the same job.
  • No seat or contact limits are recorded for Salesforce Sales Cloud's Starter Suite, Pro Suite, Core, Advanced, and Max plans; the totals add no cap or minimum that isn't in the dataset.
  • No seat or contact limits are recorded for Zoho CRM's Standard, Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate plans; the totals add no cap or minimum that isn't in the dataset.
  • Salesforce Sales Cloud's add-on pricing is not captured in our dataset.
  • Zoho CRM's add-on pricing is not captured in our dataset.
  • Annual-billing rates only: monthly-billing rates are not shown on this page.