Salesforce Sales Cloud vs Zoho CRM: pricing
Per-seat CRM pricing · snapshot captured June 2026
On the cheapest paid tier, Zoho CRM has the lower entry cost ($14/seat vs $25/seat). Salesforce Sales Cloud uses per-user; five editions; most billed annually and Zoho CRM uses per-user; four paid editions; free for up to 3 users. Their most-popular tiers are $175/seat/mo (Sales Cloud Enterprise) and $23/seat/mo (Professional); at the most-popular tier, Zoho CRM ($23/seat) is below Salesforce Sales Cloud ($175/seat). Both have a free tier. Snapshot June 2026 - vendors change pricing; verify on the vendor's pricing page before relying on these figures.
Data as of June 2026.
Salesforce Sales Cloud vs Zoho CRM side by side
| Factor | Salesforce Sales Cloud | Zoho CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor | Salesforce | Zoho |
| Category | Enterprise CRM platform | Value all-rounder |
| Pricing model | Per-user; five editions; most billed annually | Per-user; four paid editions; free for up to 3 users |
| Cheapest paid tier | $25/seat/mo | $14/seat/mo |
| Most-popular tier | Sales Cloud Enterprise ($175/seat/mo) | Professional ($23/seat/mo) |
| Free tier? | Yes | Yes |
| Free tier detail | Free Suite: a free CRM for up to 2 users (sales, service, email marketing basics), no expiry if you log in within 60 days. | Free plan for up to 3 users with lead/contact management, basic automation and dashboards. |
| Minimum seats | Starter Suite has no real minimum and offers monthly billing; higher editions are typically annual contracts. | No minimum-seat requirement; Ultimate is annual-only. |
| Billing | Starter Suite ($25) is the only edition with month-to-month billing; Pro/Enterprise/Unlimited are billed annually. A ~6% list increase landed on Enterprise/Unlimited in Aug 2025. | Annual billing saves ~20-30% vs monthly. Ultimate is annual-only. |
| Best for | Mid-market and enterprise teams needing deep customization, territory management and a huge app ecosystem. | Cost-conscious SMBs that want a lot of features per dollar, especially inside the wider Zoho One suite. |
Sources: Salesforce pricing · Zoho pricing.
Cheaper for small teams vs at the popular tier
Small / starting out: Both have a free tier, so try each. On the cheapest paid tier, Zoho CRM has the lower entry cost ($14/seat vs $25/seat).
At the most-popular tier: at the most-popular tier, Zoho CRM ($23/seat) is below Salesforce Sales Cloud ($175/seat). Remember per-seat list price is only part of the bill — check minimum seats (Salesforce: starter suite has no real minimum and offers monthly billing; higher editions are typically annual contracts. Zoho: no minimum-seat requirement; ultimate is annual-only.) and add-ons before deciding.
Verdict
On the cheapest paid tier alone, Zoho CRM has the lower entry cost ($14/seat vs $25/seat). But price isn't everything: Salesforce Sales Cloud (deepest customization and app ecosystem (appexchange)) versus Zoho CRM (free for up to 3 users). Read each full breakdown — Salesforce Sales Cloud and Zoho CRM — and total your real seat count in the cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Is Salesforce Sales Cloud or Zoho CRM cheaper?
On the cheapest paid tier, Zoho CRM has the lower entry cost ($14/seat vs $25/seat). And at the most-popular tier, Zoho CRM ($23/seat) is below Salesforce Sales Cloud ($175/seat). Beyond list price, watch the gotchas: Salesforce - per-seat list prices among the highest in the market; Zoho - best value only inside the wider zoho suite. snapshot captured June 2026.
Salesforce Sales Cloud vs Zoho CRM: which for a small team?
For a small team, favour whichever has a usable free tier and the lower entry price. Salesforce Sales Cloud: Free Suite: a free CRM for up to 2 users (sales, service, email marketing basics), no expiry if you log in within 60 days. Zoho CRM: Free plan for up to 3 users with lead/contact management, basic automation and dashboards. Also mind minimum seats: Salesforce - starter suite has no real minimum and offers monthly billing; higher editions are typically annual contracts.
Salesforce Sales Cloud vs Zoho CRM: what is the pricing model?
Salesforce Sales Cloud: Per-user; five editions; most billed annually. Zoho CRM: Per-user; four paid editions; free for up to 3 users. Snapshot June 2026 - vendors change pricing; verify on the vendor's pricing page before relying on these figures.
Does Salesforce Sales Cloud or Zoho CRM have a free plan?
Salesforce Sales Cloud has a free tier: Free Suite: a free CRM for up to 2 users (sales, service, email marketing basics), no expiry if you log in within 60 days. Zoho CRM has a free tier: Free plan for up to 3 users with lead/contact management, basic automation and dashboards.
More comparisons
Last updated: 2026-06-22