HubSpot CRM vs Zoho CRM: who will be voted the best CRM for your business in 2025?
In 2025, choosing a CRM no longer boils down to a product sheet or a pretty price table. It's a strategic commitment, a bit like choosing between a Mac and a PC, or between filter coffee and espresso. Same objective, but two very different visions.
In the CRM software arena, HubSpot and Zoho are vying for the attention of companies - from growing start-ups to ambitious SMEs.
One focuses on user experience and all-in-one integration. The other on customization, modularity... and a price/performance ratio that makes you think.
So, who comes out on top in the HubSpot CRM vs Zoho CRM duel?
We put on our gloves, compared the data, read the customer reviews (lots of them), dissected the features and tested the interfaces. And we tell you all about it. Without bullshit, with concrete use cases, and a tone that won't fall asleep in meetings.
What is HubSpot CRM?
Overview of HubSpot CRM
HubSpot CRM is the CRM we recommend to those who want to do everything right, right away.
Designed as a central cockpit for sales, marketing and customer service teams, it shines for its simplicity, its scalability... and its well-oiled brand image.
Its target market? SMEs and SMBs who want to structure their growth, without drowning in indigestible software. But also startups in an acceleration phase, attracted by its free version and native automations.
Its main use cases:
- Track prospects from A to Z without friction
- Align sales and marketing with a clear pipeline
- Automate campaigns without becoming a dev
- Centralize customer data without getting bogged down in integrations
Its positioning?
HubSpot presents itself as an all-in-one, user-first CRM. It doesn't take long to get the hang of it, the learning curve is gentle, and the interface... quite pleasant. And if need be, its ecosystem of "Hubs" (Sales, Marketing, Service, etc.) can take you very far.
Customers include companies such as Doctolib, WWF and SoundCloud, proving that it's possible to be mainstream without losing robustness.
Key features of HubSpot CRM
HubSpot is not short of features. It doesn't just manage contacts, it orchestrates the entire customer relationship, from the first click to customer loyalty. Here are the essential building blocks that make the difference:
- Ultra-intuitive contact management: complete timeline view, interaction history, automatic scoring. Everything is designed to provide context, effortlessly.
- Customizable sales pipelines: drag & drop pipeline creation, opportunity tracking, sales forecasts... even reluctant sales reps will find their way around.
- Integrated marketing automation: emails, campaigns, forms, landing pages... and above all, automation without coding. Yes, even for complex scenarios.
- Conversational tools: live chat, AI chatbot, integrated knowledge base, omnichannel support. You can talk to your prospects even when you're asleep.
- Customized dashboards & reporting: real-time KPIs, lead attribution, campaign ROI, all with clear, shared dashboards.
- Mobile CRM & Gmail/Outlook extension: smartphone management, real-time notifications, integration with everyday tools.
And if that's not enough? You can always activate the other "Hubs" (Marketing, Sales, Service, CMS) to create a real sales war machine.
HubSpot CRM
Advantages and disadvantages of HubSpot CRM
Like all good software, HubSpot CRM has its fans... and its frustrated ones. Here's a quick roundup of strengths and limitations, based on user feedback and expert analysis.
✅ What we like about HubSpot CRM
- A neat, easy-to-use interface: even non-techies love it. It's fluid, visual and easy to understand where to click.
- Really usable free version: you can seriously start a business with the Free plan, without paying a penny.
- Ultra-complete modular ecosystem: CRM, marketing, customer service, CMS, automation... everything is connected, everything communicates.
- Training and educational resources: the HubSpot Academy is a gold mine for getting to grips with the software and strengthening your processes.
- Powerful automations right from the intermediate plans: workflows, lead nurturing, automatic qualification... you save hours every week.
❌ What we don't like
- Pricing that climbs quickly: switching to "pro" or "enterprise" plans can sting, especially if you need several modules.
- Customization sometimes limited on certain advanced bricks (especially on reports or emailing, according to reviews).
- Uneven customer support depending on the plan: with the free version, you're pretty much on your own (even if the documentation is solid).
What is Zoho CRM?
Zoho CRM overview
Zoho CRM is the chameleon software par excellence. Less show-off than HubSpot, but formidably effective for those who want to control and customize everything, without blowing their budget.
Its target market? SMEs, ETIs and scale-ups who want a modular CRM capable of adapting to their specific sales cycle, with maximum freedom. And who like to get their hands dirty (at least a little).
Its main use cases:
- Centralize leads from multiple channels (email, networks, telephone, web...)
- Create advanced automations without code (or with it, if you like)
- Follow complex sales cycles with multiple contacts
- Monitor performance with customized reports
Its positioning?
Zoho plays the ultra-customizable CRM card, backed by a software suite (Zoho One) that covers just about everything: accounting, HR, project management, support, and so on. The approach is modular, but designed to remain coherent.
Customers include companies such as Amazon India, Bose and Suzuki, as well as a host of SMEs worldwide (over 250,000 corporate users according to Zoho).
Zoho doesn't promise immediate familiarity, but rather a solution tailored to your needs. A CRM that you can tailor to your needs, like a good old spreadsheet... only much sexier.
Key features of Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM is the modern salesperson's toolbox. Flexible, complete, sometimes a little dense... but when you know what you want, it can do it. Here are the features that make it so formidable:
- Advanced customer relationship management: 360° view of each contact, detailed segmentation, interaction history, multi-channel management (email, telephone, social networks, chat...).
- Process automation: personalized workflows, scoring rules, automatic lead assignment, reminders, alerts. You set it up, and Zoho does the work.
- SalesSignals: a real-time alert system when a prospect interacts with your brand (opens an e-mail, visits a page, clicks on a link...). Extremely useful for reacting at the right moment.
- Sales blueprints: a tool for modeling your sales processes step by step. Perfect for structuring a team or industrializing your pipeline.
- Zia, Zoho's AI: suggests leads to contact, predicts conversions, analyzes sentiment in e-mails... all with a touch of AI made in India.
- Customizable reports and dashboards: very granular, very powerful. Provided you know what you're looking for.
- Marketplace and integrations: +1000 extensions to connect Zoho to your tools (Slack, Mailchimp, Zapier, Google Ads, etc.).
It's dense, yes. But the level of control Zoho offers is rare at this price point.
Zoho CRM
Advantages and disadvantages of Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM is like the Swiss Army knife of customer management software: ultra-complete, but sometimes requiring you to read the manual. Here's what users and industry experts have to say.
✅ What we like about Zoho CRM
- Unbeatable features/price ratio: powerful automations and great functional depth... right from the first paying plans.
- Extensive customization: from the customer file to the business workflow, almost everything can be modified. And that's rare.
- Rich Zoho ecosystem: if you use other Zoho tools (Books, Projects, Desk...), integration is seamless and native.
- Well-thought-out Zia AI: not just marketing. Zia learns behaviors, suggests actions and detects trends. Pretty smart.
- Blueprints = concrete sales processes: ideal for structuring sales when moving from Excel to a real team.
❌ What we like less
- Interface less sexy than HubSpot: it has made progress, but remains sometimes busy or unintuitive for neophytes.
- Steeper learning curve: to take full advantage of Zoho's power, you need to spend a little (a lot?) time on it.
- Perfectible customer support, especially in European time zones.
- Occasional bugs or slowness mentioned in some reviews of Capterra and G2.
Zoho CRM vs. HubSpot: compare features
When it comes to CRM, it's not just about contact records and pipelines. What really makes the difference is usage. That's why we've compared HubSpot CRM and Zoho CRM on 5 key criteria, the ones field teams use every day.
Comparison of key features
| Functionality | HubSpot CRM | Zoho CRM |
| User interface | Ultra-fluid, intuitive | Complete, yet dense |
| Automations | Simple and powerful | Highly advanced, more technical |
| Integrated AI | Yes (HubSpot AI, co-pilots) | Yes (Zia AI) |
| Process customization | Medium (depending on plan) | Very advanced |
| Third-party integrations | +1500, very varied | +1000, excellent in Zoho ecosystem |
| Native marketing functionalities | Yes, highly developed | Present but less central |
| Multi-channel management | E-mail, chat, social networks | Comprehensive multi-channel |
| Easy to set up | Excellent | Average (needs configuration) |
Focus 1: Automations
HubSpot is all about simplicity. Workflows are created by drag-and-drop, with ready-to-use scenarios: lead nurturing, scoring, reminders... Automation is fluid, even without being an expert.
Zoho, on the other hand, goes one step further. Blueprints, multi-step workflows, conditional rules, macros, customized functions in Deluge (its in-house language)... Almost anything can be scripted. But this requires a real configuration phase.
👉 To remember
For young or non-technical teams, HubSpot facilitates headache-free automation. For complex processes, Zoho offers formidable granularity.
HubSpot to automate quickly and efficiently, Zoho to get to the heart of business logic.
Focus 2: Customization
Zoho is the king of customization. Every field, every module, every process step can be customized. It's even possible to create customized modules, customer or partner portals, and dedicated views by role.
HubSpot offers more controlled customization, particularly in its higher-level plans. Pipelines, fields and forms can be customized, but the framework remains more "designed" by the editor.
👉 To remember
If you have a standard sales cycle, HubSpot is sufficient. If you have specific needs or a complex organization, Zoho has the edge.
Zoho CRM adapts to your organization. HubSpot offers an efficient, but less modular structure.
Focus 3: UX and user experience
This is where HubSpot shines. Modern interface, fluid navigation, clear terminology. You can feel that the design has been thought out to help teams adopt the software quickly. Special mention must be made of the HubSpot Academy, which helps you get to grips with the software.
Zoho CRM has progressed, but remains a little more dense. Lots of menus, sometimes an overload of information on the screen, and a more "power user" oriented user experience. It does the job, but takes some getting used to.
👉 To remember
If you've got a sales team that's not very tech-savvy, you're better off with a crystal-clear UX. HubSpot is clearly more accessible from day one.
HubSpot CRM is easy to use. Zoho CRM is richer, but less intuitive.
Focus 4: AI and intelligent assistants
Zia, Zoho's AI assistant, offers predictions, task suggestions, sentiment analysis, intelligent reports... It's powerful, but you need data to get anything out of it.
At HubSpot, AI is also well integrated: automatic email generation, recommended actions, AI-powered chatbots. The interface is simpler, but sometimes less sophisticated in terms of analysis.
👉 To remember
Both AIs have their strengths, but Zia is more complete. HubSpot compensates with better interface integration.
Zia for advanced analysis, HubSpot AI for a fluid, actionable experience.
Focus 5: Native marketing features
HubSpot is historically a marketing automation tool. It has everything: landing page creation, A/B testing, advanced emailing, segmentation, tracking, multi-channel campaigns... It's a veritable marketing arsenal.
Zoho CRM offers marketing tools, but that's not its core business. For more complete functionalities, you need Zoho Campaigns, a separate tool to be connected.
👉 To remember
If your marketing team pilots campaigns from the CRM, HubSpot is unbeatable. For sales-only use, Zoho remains relevant.
HubSpot CRM natively integrates marketing. Zoho CRM delegates it to other modules in the Zoho ecosystem.
Zoho CRM vs HubSpot: compare prices
Choosing a CRM also means making a budgetary decision. Especially when one plays the smart freemium card (HubSpot) and the other the surgical quality/price ratio card (Zoho).
Here's a comparison table to help you make up your mind before you pull out your bank card.
| Plan / Features | HubSpot CRM | Zoho CRM |
|
1️⃣ Free |
✅ Yes - unlimited contacts, emails, basic pipelines | ✅ Yes - 3 users, limited functionality |
|
2️⃣ Entry-level |
Starter - 15€/month/user | Standard - 14€/month/user |
| Functions included (entry) | - Simple automation - Email marketing - Customizable pipelines |
- Advanced automation - Multi-channel lead management - Customized reporting |
|
3️⃣ Intermediate |
Professional - 90€/month/user | Professional - 23€/month/user |
| Functions included (interm.) | - Multi-step workflows - Deal scoring - Advanced reporting |
- Zia AI (forecasts, alerts) - Sales blueprint - Multiple integrations |
|
4️⃣ Advanced / Premium |
Enterprise - 150€/month/user | Enterprise - €40/month/user |
| Functions included (advanced) | - Advanced AI - Personalized permissions - Complex hierarchies |
- Zia voice commands - Custom modules - External portals |
|
5️⃣ Complete CRM Suite |
CRM Suite - according to profile includes Sales + Marketing + Service |
Zoho CRM Plus - €52/month/user includes 8 Zoho apps (Campaigns, Desk, etc.) |
👉 To remember
Zoho CRM is clearly more affordable, especially for SMEs or growing teams.
HubSpot CRM 's free entry is attractive... but quickly becomes costly if you need advanced features or multi-party collaboration.
Zoho CRM vs. HubSpot: which interface is more intuitive?
A CRM can be ultra-powerful... but useless if nobody knows how to use it.
User experience (UX) is what makes the difference between a tool that's been adopted and one that's been abandoned after 3 months. And here, HubSpot and Zoho aren't exactly playing in the same league.
On the one hand, HubSpot is all about fluidity and simplicity. On the other, Zoho offers a dense, yet ultra-configurable interface.
| Criteria | HubSpot CRM | Zoho CRM |
| User-friendliness | ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩ - Very fast, clear interface, smooth onboarding | ⭐⭐✩✩✩ - Requires time to adapt, especially without support |
| Design / navigation | ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩ - Modern UI, logical menu, pleasant to use | ⭐⭐✩✩✩ - Lots of menus, dense interface |
| UX customization | ⭐⭐⭐✩✩ - Good visual customization of pipelines and fields | ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩ - Highly customizable, right down to the complete layout |
| Mobile / App | ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩ - Well-rated app, very fluid | ⭐⭐⭐✩✩ - Functional but a little less fluid |
| Learning curve | ⭐⭐✩✩✩ - Very weak, even for non-techies | ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩ - Longer, but logical for advanced users |
| User support (help, guides) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - HubSpot Academy + very active community | ⭐⭐⭐✩✩ - Comprehensive help but sometimes slow support |
👉 To remember
HubSpot CRM is easy to learn and use.
Zoho CRM requires more effort at the outset, but can offer an ultra-customized experience for those who like to configure.
Zoho CRM vs HubSpot: compare integrations
An isolated CRM is like a smartphone without Internet: frustrating and quickly limited.
The ability of a CRM to integrate with your existing tools (ERP, accounting, marketing, support, etc.) is crucial to avoid lengthy copy-pasting and streamline your workflows.
HubSpot and Zoho are both strong in this area, but with different rationales: HubSpot relies on a hyper-rich App Marketplace, Zoho on an interconnected in-house ecosystem.
| Criteria | HubSpot CRM | Zoho CRM |
| Number of integrations | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - +1500 apps available (Slack, Zapier, Salesforce, Shopify, etc.) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩ - +1000 integrations via Marketplace and Zoho One |
| Easy to connect | ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩ - Connection in just a few clicks via App Marketplace | ⭐⭐⭐✩✩ - Parameterization sometimes more technical |
| Native ecosystem | ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩ - Integrated marketing, sales and service hubs | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Zoho Suite (Desk, Books, Campaigns, Projects...) fluid and coherent |
| Inter-app automation | ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩ - Interconnected workflows via Zapier, natively possible | ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩ - Native automation + open API |
| Integration support | ⭐⭐⭐⭐✩ - Good doc and active community | ⭐⭐⭐✩✩ - Support sometimes less responsive |
👉 To remember
HubSpot CRM is ideal if you want to easily connect your CRM to a multitude of existing tools.
Zoho CRM has the edge if you're looking for an all-in-one integrated ecosystem, where everything is designed to work together.
When to choose HubSpot CRM or Zoho CRM?
Beyond features and price, the real criterion is your business context.
Here are the scenarios where HubSpot or Zoho has a clear advantage.
If... HubSpot CRM is for you
- You're looking for a CRM that's quick and easy to deploy, so that your teams can adopt it in a matter of days.
- Your priority is to boost marketing as well as sales (campaigns, landing pages, nurturing).
- You need a free CRM to get you started, but with the possibility of upgrading.
- Your team is not very technical, and prefers a clear interface rather than a highly customizable tool.
- You want to benefit from a complete ecosystem, without having to multiply the number of service providers (HubSpot Sales, Marketing, Service, CMS...).
If... Zoho CRM is for you
- You're looking for a highly-customizable CRM to match your specific business processes.
- Your budget is limited, but you don't want to sacrifice advanced functionality.
- You work with complex or multi-contact sales cycles, requiring detailed follow-up.
- You like to configure, test and modulate your tool to adapt it to your organization.
- You're considering switching to an integrated software suite (Zoho One) covering CRM, accounting, HR, customer support, etc.
What to learn from the Zoho CRM vs HubSpot battle
In the final analysis, there's no real loser in this duel. HubSpot CRM and Zoho CRM both meet very real needs... but for companies with different profiles.
HubSpot is the rocket ready to take off, designed to seduce marketing and sales teams with a crystal-clear interface. Zoho is the configurable Swiss Army Knife, ideal for organizations that want a tailor-made CRM without breaking the bank.
Summary table Need / Recommendation
| Need | Our recommendation |
| Free CRM to get you started | HubSpot CRM |
| Intuitive interface and rapid adoption | HubSpot CRM |
| Powerful native marketing campaigns | HubSpot CRM |
| Advanced, customizable automation | Zoho CRM |
| Complex, multi-contact sales cycles | Zoho CRM |
| Tight budget, but need for depth | Zoho CRM |
| Complete software suite (CRM + accounting + HR) | Zoho CRM (Zoho One) |
FAQ on Zoho CRM vs. HubSpot
Is HubSpot CRM really free?
Yes, HubSpot offers a 100% free plan, with no time limit, that lets you manage your contacts, create pipelines and send basic emails. However, as soon as you need advanced automation or more advanced reporting, you need to switch to the paid plans.
Is Zoho CRM more affordable than HubSpot?
Generally speaking, yes. Zoho CRM starts at €14/month/user, compared with €20/monthfor HubSpot Starter. And its superior plans are still considerably cheaper than HubSpot's, for comparable features.
Which is easier to use?
HubSpot CRM wins this point: modern interface, almost immediate learning curve, well-designed onboarding. Zoho CRM is more powerful, but requires a set-up phase and time to adapt.
Which is best for SMEs?
It all depends. If the priority is marketing + rapid growth, HubSpot is often the logical choice.
If the priority is budget + customization, Zoho has a clear advantage.
Can HubSpot and Zoho be customized in the same way?
No. Zoho CRM offers a much higher level of customization: fields, workflows, modules, dashboards, even the very structure of the CRM.
CRM remains more focused, even if its higher-level plans add flexibility.
Which CRM is the most complete for marketing?
No surprise: HubSpot CRM, historically designed as a marketing automation tool. It includes landing pages, advanced tracking, nurturing and marketing ROI reporting. Zoho CRM is more sales-oriented and delegates marketing to Zoho Campaigns.
What about integrations with other tools?
HubSpot CRM seduces with its App Marketplace (+1500 integrations).
Zoho CRM integrates with over 1,000 apps, but its real strength is the Zoho One ecosystem, which covers accounting, HR, customer support and more.
HubSpot CRM or Zoho CRM: which is better in 2025?
There is no universal "best", only the best for your context:
- HubSpot for simplicity and integrated marketing.
- Zoho for personalization and budget control.
Article translated from French