Comparison · Free plans

HubSpot CRM vs Zoho CRM

HubSpot wins onboarding and US mindshare on a permanent free CRM. Zoho wins seats, records, workflows, reports, and API on $0. This vertical weights ceiling and automation — so Zoho ranks ahead on purpose.

Updated September 26, 2026

US-based CRM

HubSpot CRM

6.0

Fairout of 10

The default US free CRM — permanent $0 tier with contacts, deal pipelines, and a reporting dashboard. Caps at two users and 1,000 contacts; advanced automation and WhatsApp are not what the free CRM is.

Free plan (permanent, up to 2 users / 1,000 contacts); paid seats from Starter

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Higher scoreInternational CRM

Zoho CRM

7.6

Strongout of 10

Permanent free edition for up to 3 users and 5,000 records — leads, deals, workflow automation, standard reports, and API calls on $0. One of the most complete free sales CRMs in the English-speaking market.

Free plan (permanent, up to 3 users); paid editions from Standard

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Criteria where HubSpot CRM wins

Ties

Criteria where Zoho CRM wins

Editorial verdict

How to choose between them

HubSpot is the free CRM Americans open first. Zoho is the free CRM that still works when a third teammate joins.

If you are solo or a pair and will upgrade into HubSpot hubs later, HubSpot’s free tier is the lower-friction start. If you need three users, five thousand records, and workflow automation without a card, Zoho’s free edition is the sharper $0 product.

Neither puts native WhatsApp on the free plan. The duel is ease and ecosystem versus what the free column already includes.

Score by criterion

In green, who wins the criterion. The overall score uses free plans weights: free-plan ceiling and automation on free weigh more.

CriterionHubSpot CRMZoho CRM

Pipeline on free1×
A deal or opportunity board you can run on the free plan without upgrading to see stages.
8.6
8.4
Automation on free1.3×
A rule, sequence, or autoresponder that fires on its own on the $0 plan. Task reminders alone do not count.
3.2
8.6
Email and reporting on free1×
Send or sync email inside the product, plus a sales report or dashboard beyond the pipeline board — all on the free plan.
7.8
8.0
Messaging on free0.7×
Native SMS or messaging inbox on the contact or deal on the free plan. WhatsApp Business API on free also counts. Marketplace apps, browser extensions, and paid-plan-only channels do not.
3.0
2.5
Free-plan ceiling1.4×
How far the permanent $0 plan goes on users, contacts, and storage before you must pay. An expiring trial does not count as a ceiling.
5.2
8.8
Learning curve0.8×
How quickly a small team can put contacts and deals into daily use on the free plan without a consultant.
9.0
6.8
Overall score
6.0
7.6

Native features

Only what is part of the product counts. Marketplace integrations or third-party apps are out.

FeatureHubSpot CRMZoho CRM

3+ users on freeNoYes
5k+ contacts on freeNoYes
Sales pipelineYesYes
Automation on freeNoYes
Email on freeYesYes
Reports on freeYesYes
Native messagingNoNo
API on freeYesYes

Compare with another rival

Each pair has its own page. The ranking only highlights the main duels — the rest are here and on each CRM profile.

Compare HubSpot CRM with

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