Zoho CRM vs Salesforce Sales Cloud
Verified ratings, real UK pricing and the compliance detail, weighed side by side — with a written verdict at the end.
Zoho CRM
CRM Software
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- United States
- India
- Australia
- Phone
- Live Chat
- Knowledge Base
- Forum
Salesforce Sales Cloud
CRM Software
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- United States
- Australia
- Germany
- Phone
- Knowledge Base
- Forum
Evenly matched on verified reviews — 4.0 against 4.1. Price and fit will decide this one, not the score.
The short version
What each one costs and how each one rates, side by side. Only the rows where leading means something are marked; vendor and availability are in the overview above.
| Detail | Zoho CRM | Salesforce Sales Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | ||
| Starting priceLowest paid tier, excluding VAT | £12/user/month | £20/user/month |
| Free version | YesYes | NoNo |
| Free trial | YesYes | YesYes |
| How it rates | ||
| Overall ratingMean of verified Assaylist reviews | 4.0 | 4.1 |
| Verified reviewsVolume is evidence, not a score — this row is not a contest | 248 reviews | 232 reviews |
Highlighted where one clearly leads. Rows without a highlight are not a contest.
How reviewers score them
Across the four dimensions we ask every reviewer about — and, below, the star split each average is built from.
- Zoho CRM
- Salesforce Sales Cloud
| Dimension | Zoho CRM | Salesforce Sales Cloud | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 4.0 | 4.0 | Level |
| Value for money | 4.1 | 3.9 | 0.2 to Zoho CRM |
| Customer support | 3.9 | 4.0 | 0.1 to Salesforce Sales Cloud |
| Functionality | 3.9 | 3.9 | Level |
What each average is made of
Two products can share an average and not share a reputation. These bars show the star split behind each score.
| Product | 5 star | 4 star | 3 star | 2 star | 1 star |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho CRM | 44% (108 reviews) | 31% (77 reviews) | 15% (37 reviews) | 8% (19 reviews) | 3% (7 reviews) |
| Salesforce Sales Cloud | 44% (101 reviews) | 31% (73 reviews) | 15% (35 reviews) | 6% (15 reviews) | 3% (8 reviews) |
Feature by feature
Everything either vendor publishes, split into what separates them and what they share.
- Both products
- 15%
- Only Zoho CRM
- 1048%
- Only Salesforce Sales Cloud
- 1048%
21 features listed across both products.
What only one of them does
Zoho CRM
10- AI sales assistant
- Analytics and dashboards
- Blueprint process builder
- Custom modules and fields
+ 6 more in the table below
Salesforce Sales Cloud
10- Advanced reporting and analytics
- AI features on higher tiers
- API access
- AppExchange marketplace
+ 6 more in the table below
Showing 21 of 21 features
| Detail | Zoho CRM | Salesforce Sales Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Where they differ · 20 | ||
| AI sales assistant | YesYes | NoNo |
| Analytics and dashboards | YesYes | NoNo |
| Blueprint process builder | YesYes | NoNo |
| Custom modules and fields | YesYes | NoNo |
| Email and telephony integration | YesYes | NoNo |
| Inventory management | YesYes | NoNo |
| Lead and contact management | YesYes | NoNo |
| Sales pipeline | YesYes | NoNo |
| Web forms | YesYes | NoNo |
| Workflow automation | YesYes | NoNo |
| Advanced reporting and analytics | NoNo | YesYes |
| AI features on higher tiers | NoNo | YesYes |
| API access | NoNo | YesYes |
| AppExchange marketplace | NoNo | YesYes |
| Automation and process builder | NoNo | YesYes |
| Custom application development | NoNo | YesYes |
| Highly configurable objects and workflows | NoNo | YesYes |
| Lead and opportunity management | NoNo | YesYes |
| Sales forecasting | NoNo | YesYes |
| Territory management | NoNo | YesYes |
| Where they match · 1 | ||
| Mobile app | YesYes | YesYes |
A dash means the vendor has not published a feature list — which is not the same as the feature being unavailable.
How they handle UK obligations
Checked against the vendor's own documentation or HMRC's published list. A dash means we have not verified it — never that it is missing.
| Detail | Zoho CRM | Salesforce Sales Cloud |
|---|---|---|
| Verified against vendor documentation | ||
| Data residency | United Kingdom or EU data centres | United Kingdom or EU hosting available |
What each tier costs
Both line-ups on one ladder, so the middle tier on one side sits next to the middle tier on the other.
Zoho CRM
Salesforce Sales Cloud
Free
FreeLower
- Up to 3 users
- Leads and contacts
- Basic automation
Starter Suite
£20/user/month
- Core CRM
- Email integration
- Simple automation
Standard
£12/user/monthLower
- Workflow rules
- Custom fields
- Reports and dashboards
Pro Suite
£80/user/month
- Greater customisation
- Forecasting
- Everything in Starter
Professional
£20/user/monthLower
- Inventory management
- Advanced automation
- Everything in Standard
Enterprise
£135/user/month
- Advanced automation
- Deep customisation
- API access
Rungs are matched by position in each vendor’s own line-up, not by what the tiers include — an entry plan on one side may cover more than the other. Prices exclude VAT unless stated, and per-seat plans are quoted per seat. Always confirm on the vendor’s own site.
Which should you choose?
Two answers, because there are two right ones depending on what you need.
Choose Zoho CRM if
- It costs less to get started — £12/user/month against £20/user/month.
- There is a free tier you can stay on, which Salesforce Sales Cloud does not offer.
- It lists 10 features Salesforce Sales Cloud does not, including ai sales assistant.
Choose Salesforce Sales Cloud if
- It lists 10 features Zoho CRM does not, including advanced reporting and analytics.
On verified Assaylist reviews, Salesforce Sales Cloud currently rates 4.1 against 4.0 for Zoho CRM. That gap is not the whole story: Zoho CRM starts at £12/user/month and Salesforce Sales Cloud at £20/user/month, so the right answer depends on the tier you actually need and on which one handles your UK obligations. Read both profiles before you commit, and confirm current pricing on the vendor's own site.
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