Capsule CRM vs Zoho CRM
We give Capsule CRM a 3.2 GPA and Zoho CRM a 3.8, out of 4.0. Zoho CRM grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Capsule CRM
Small-business CRM for contacts, sales pipelines and projects
Zoho CRM
Sales CRM with a free edition, process automation and Zia AI
How we grade them
| 3.2GPACapsule CRMVery good | 3.8GPAZoho CRMExcellent | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BStarter is $18 a user a month on yearly billing, a little under the $23 or so that's typical, with 30,000 contacts, a shared mailbox and basic reporting. But automations, email sync and more than one pipeline need Growth at $36, and email campaigns are a separate add-on from $11 a month. | AStandard is $14 a person a month on yearly billing, when paid CRMs here start at about $23 in the middle. And it's not a stripped plan: workflows, cadences, forecasting and AI agents are in. Pay monthly and it's $20, mind. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree with no time limit for up to 2 users, with a sales pipeline and a project board. But it stops at 250 contacts and 5 custom fields, and a growing business will fill that fast. Fine for a look, tight to live on. | AFree for up to 3 users with 5,000 records, 1 GB of files, lead, contact and deal management and the phone apps. No card needed. A tiny team could sit here for years. You only get 5 workflow automations and the standard reports, though. |
| Features | BContact records with notes, emails and files, a kanban pipeline with a forecast, project boards for after the sale, automations, reporting and AI summaries. Solid basics. Email campaigns aren't built in, though, and every plan caps your contacts, right up to 240,000 on Ultimate. | ALeads, contacts and deals, workflows, follow-up cadences, forecasting, dashboards, the Zia AI assistant and record pages you can redesign without code. Quoting and inventory arrive on Professional, territories and customer portals on Enterprise. |
| Ease of use | BThere's no App Store rating on record for it, so a B is our ceiling. The phone apps log calls by themselves and sync offline changes once you're back online, and on Starter an AI will draw up your pipeline stages. | B4.4 from about 2,700 App Store ratings, which is a B on our ladder. The phone apps add and edit records offline and sync when you're back online, and they'll scan a business card for you. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, iPhone and Android. It connects to Gmail, Microsoft 365, Xero, QuickBooks, Mailchimp, Zapier and Zendesk, and there's an API. No desktop app, but it runs in any browser. | AWeb, iPhone, iPad and Android. It connects to Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Slack, Teams, Zoom, Mailchimp, QuickBooks and Zapier, and there's an API. No desktop app, but a CRM is happy enough in a browser tab. |
| Best for | small firms tracking sales and client projects | a lot of CRM for not much money |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Capsule CRM and Zoho CRM. How we grade
Where they differ
- Capsule CRM starts at $18 per user / month, billed annually ($22 billed monthly). Zoho CRM starts at $14 per user / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly).
- Capsule CRM also covers tasks, kanban boards and reports.
At a glance
| Capsule CRM | Zoho CRM | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $18 per user / month, billed annually ($22 billed monthly) | $14 per user / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Free plan for up to 2 users: 250 contacts, 5 custom fields, 1 sales pipeline with custom milestones and a single project board. No time limit. | Free edition for up to 3 users: lead, contact and deal management, tasks and events, 5,000 records, 1 GB of file storage, up to 5 workflow automations and the mobile apps. No credit card required. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of any paid plan, no card required | 15-day free trial |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Zestia Ltd | Zoho Corporation |
| Price read from | capsulecrm.com | zoho.com |
| Checked | Oct 5, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Capsule CRM
- Solo users and pairs who want a free CRM for up to 250 contacts
- Small businesses that manage both sales and client projects
- Nonprofits, which are offered a 30% discount
Zoho CRM
- Small teams that want a free CRM for up to 3 users
- Businesses that want detailed customization and process automation
- Companies already using other Zoho apps
Worth knowing
Capsule CRM
- The Free plan is limited to 2 users, 250 contacts, 5 custom fields and one sales pipeline.
- Workflow automations, email sync and multiple pipelines start at Growth, $36 per user / month billed annually ($40 monthly).
- Paid plans cap contacts: 30,000 on Starter, 60,000 on Growth, 120,000 on Advanced and 240,000 on Ultimate.
- Email campaigns come from a separate Marketing add-on, listed from $11 a month.
Zoho CRM
- The Free edition is limited to 3 users, 5,000 records and 5 workflow automations.
- Monthly billing costs more: Standard is $20 instead of $14 per user, and Professional $35 instead of $23.
- CPQ and inventory management start at Professional; territory management, custom functions and customer portals need Enterprise.
- Prices exclude local taxes, and the CRM Plus and Zoho One bundles are priced separately from Zoho CRM.
Key features
Capsule CRM
- Contact management
- Each contact record holds notes, emails and files. Contact limits rise with the plan, from 250 on Free to 240,000 on Ultimate.
- Sales pipeline
- Opportunities move through a kanban-style pipeline with custom milestones, and a pipeline dashboard shows conversion rate and forecast. Multiple pipelines need Growth or above.
- Project boards
- Project boards track the work delivered after a sale. The free plan has a single board, Growth allows multiple boards and Advanced lists 50.
- Workflow automations
- From the Growth plan, automations run a repeatable series of tasks, email notifications or stage changes on pipeline and project boards.
- AI tools
- Starter includes an AI pipeline generator. Growth adds AI summaries of recent activity, contact and business enrichment, and a meeting prep brief that is still in beta.
- Mobile apps
- The iOS and Android apps log calls automatically, sync changes made offline once reconnected, and show caller ID on iOS for unsaved numbers.
Zoho CRM
- Lead, contact and deal management
- Leads, accounts, contacts and deals are tracked through the sales cycle. Paid editions add multiple pipelines and sales forecasting, and Enterprise adds territory management.
- Workflow and process automation
- Workflow and assignment rules handle routine updates, cadences run sequences of follow-ups, and Blueprint holds a team to a structured sales process.
- Zia AI
- Zia gives predictions and recommendations, rewrites emails and flags anomalies. The pricing page lists AI agents from Standard and an AI sales assistant from Enterprise.
- Analytics and forecasting
- Reports, dashboards and forecasts track sales performance, with anomaly detection on top. The Free edition is limited to standard reports.
- Canvas and customization
- Layouts and fields can be customized, and Canvas redesigns record pages without code. Enterprise adds custom functions, wizards and customer portals.
- Mobile apps with offline mode
- iPhone, iPad and Android apps can add, edit and delete records offline and sync when back online. They also include a business card scanner.
Plans
Capsule CRM
Free$0
Maximum 2 users, with 250 contacts, 5 custom fields, 1 sales pipeline and custom sales milestones.
Starter$18
per user / month, billed annually ($22 billed monthly)
30,000 contacts, email templates, a shared mailbox, basic reporting, premium integrations, goals and the AI pipeline generator.
Growth$36
per user / month, billed annually ($40 billed monthly)
60,000 contacts, workflow automations, advanced sales reporting, multiple pipelines and project boards, email sync and AI summaries.
Advanced$54
per user / month, billed annually ($60 billed monthly)
Everything in Growth with 120,000 contacts, 50 sales pipelines and 50 project boards.
Ultimate$72
per user / month, billed annually ($75 billed monthly)
For teams of 5 or more: 240,000 contacts, a dedicated account manager, custom training and ongoing priority support.
Zoho CRM
Free$0
Up to 3 users and 5,000 records, with lead, contact and deal management, standard reports and the mobile apps.
Standard$14
per user / month, billed annually ($20 billed monthly)
Workflows and assignment rules, cadences, reports and dashboards, sales forecasting, AI agents and self-service kiosks.
Professional$23
per user / month, billed annually ($35 billed monthly)
Adds CPQ, email intelligence, process automation, widgets, inventory management and Google Ads integration.
Enterprise$40
per user / month, billed annually ($50 billed monthly)
Adds the AI sales assistant, journey orchestration, territory management, custom functions, wizards and customer portals.
Ultimate$52
per user / month, billed annually ($65 billed monthly)
Higher feature limits, custom AI and ML models, data preparation, and consulting and migration assistance.
Ways to pay less
Capsule CRM
- Annual discount
Save up to 18% by paying annually
Capsule's pricing page says paying annually saves up to 18%: Starter is $18 per user a month billed annually against $22 billed monthly.
- Nonprofit
30% discount for nonprofits
Capsule's page for nonprofit organizations says it offers them a 30% discount; nonprofits with special requirements are asked to get in touch.
Zoho CRM
- Annual discount
Save up to 34% with yearly billing
Zoho's pricing page says yearly plans save up to 34%. Standard is $14 per user a month billed annually versus $20 monthly, and Professional is $23 versus $35.
- By country
Lower price shown to buyers in India
On October 9, 2026 Zoho's pricing page showed Standard at ₹800 per user / month to a visitor in India, where the US dollar price is $14 billed annually. A Starter edition priced in rupees is listed too.
