The Zoho Cliq Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Zoho Cliq in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Zoho Cliq
The Insider’s Guide
Team chat, calls and meetings from the Zoho suite
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among team communication apps, read from Zoho Cliq’s own pages.
Made by Zoho Corporation · checked Oct 9, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Zoho Cliq’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Zoho Cliq’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.4
GPA, above 31 of the 33 other team communication apps we grade
Zoho Cliq is Zoho's team communication app, combining chats, channels and threads with audio and video calls, meetings with screen sharing, and voice and video messages. A developer platform adds bots, slash commands, functions and widgets, and extensions connect Cliq to other Zoho apps and third-party tools. It is sold on its own and is also included in the Zoho Workplace, People Plus and Zoho One suites.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Zoho Cliq, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It's laid out the way chat apps usually are, and it runs on Linux and a car dashboard as well.
- 1
Best for team chat at a flat price, especially on Zoho
Small teams that need guest chat should look elsewhere.
- 2
Paid plans start at $16.20 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $16.20 per month for up to 25 users, billed annually (Standard).
- 3
There is a free plan
10,000 searchable messages, 100 GB of file storage per organization, 100 participants per group or channel, and meetings of up to 100 people limited to 60 minutes.
- 4
It runs on 6 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
- 5
Chats, channels and threads
Unlimited 1-1 and group chats on every plan, with organization and personal channels, threads, read receipts and @mentions. Paid plans raise groups to 500 participants.
- 6
Calls and meetings
1-1 audio and video calls, screen sharing and meetings for up to 100 participants. Professional and Enterprise allow 1,000 active participants and 10,000 viewers.
- 7
Voice and video messages
Audio and video messages and screen recordings can be sent in chat, limited to 5 minutes on Free, 15 on Standard and 60 on Professional and Enterprise.
- 8
A 3.4 GPA, above 31 of 33
That is against the other team communication apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Zoho Cliq you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Zoho Cliq at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $16.20 per month for up to 25 users, billed annually (Standard)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Free trial of the paid plans: 15 days according to the homepage, 14 days according to the pricing FAQ
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Zoho Corporation
- Category
- Team Communication
- Our grade
- 3.4 GPA, very good
- Store rating
- 4.8 on the App Store, 6,465 ratings
The report card
Best for team chat at a flat price, especially on Zoho
Zoho Cliq is team chat with calls and meetings, and Standard is a flat $16.20 a month for up to 25 people. But the free plan only searches 10,000 messages and ends meetings at 60 minutes, guest chat and roles need Professional, which bills for at least 10 seats, compliance tools are Enterprise only, and older reviews describe a crashy phone app. Small teams that need guest chat should look elsewhere.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Standard is $16.20 a month for up to 25 people, the whole team, which is about 65 cents a head with 25 of you. Professional is $1.80 a user and Enterprise $3.60, against the $7 a month this category typically starts at, but both bill for at least 10 users. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free covers the whole team with 100 GB of storage between you, but only 10,000 messages are searchable, which ten people get through in a month. Meetings end at 60 minutes, and there's no call recording or outside channels until you pay. |
| Features | B | Chats, channels and threads, 1-1 calls, meetings with screen sharing for up to 1,000 on the dearer plans, voice and video messages, external channels, and bots, slash commands and widgets on every plan including free. Guest chat, tasks and roles wait for Professional, which bills for 10 users minimum. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.77 on the App Store from about 6,500 ratings. It's laid out the way chat apps usually are, and it runs on Linux and a car dashboard as well. Reviews from 2020 and 2021 describe crashes and notifications that ignored settings. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android. Zoho Projects, Desk and Mail plug straight in, with Google Drive, Google Calendar, GitHub, Zendesk and Dropbox alongside, and there's a REST API plus functions, schedulers and databases for building your own. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Zoho Cliq is for
- Fits if your company already runs on Zoho Projects, Desk or Mail
- Works for teams of up to 25 on a small budget, at $16.20 a month for everyone, Linux users included
Who it is not for
- Tight if you're staying free, as only 10,000 messages are searchable and meetings end at 60 minutes
- Not for you if you're five people wanting guest chat, tasks or roles, since Professional bills for at least 10
- Skip it if you need call recording or outside channels for nothing, because both start on Standard
- Too light for compliance teams on a budget, as audit history, eDiscovery and data loss prevention are Enterprise only
- Watch out: a 26th person takes you from $16.20 to about $47 a month, and Zoho's pages disagree on the trial, 15 days or 14
Good to know
Good for
- Organizations already using Zoho apps such as Zoho Projects, Desk or Mail
- Small teams: Standard is a flat monthly price for up to 25 users
- Teams that want to build bots, commands and widgets inside chat
Worth knowing
- The Free plan searches only 10,000 messages, caps meetings at 60 minutes and has no call recording or external channels.
- Standard is a flat price covering up to 25 users, while Professional and Enterprise are per user with a 10-user minimum.
- Guest chat, task management, roles and permissions, and live events need Professional or Enterprise.
- Audit history, eDiscovery and data loss prevention are limited to Enterprise.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$16.20
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Zoho Cliq has a free plan. Paid plans start at $16.20 per month for up to 25 users, billed annually (Standard).
Free
$0
Chats and channels, 10,000 searchable messages, 100 GB of storage per organization, and meetings for up to 100 participants capped at 60 minutes.
Standard
$16.20
per month for up to 25 users, billed annually ($18 billed monthly)
Flat price covering up to 25 users. Unlimited searchable messages, external channels, call recording, 24-hour meetings, custom domain and basic usage reports.
Professional
$1.80
per user / month, billed annually ($2 billed monthly)
10 users minimum. 100 GB of storage per user, guest chat, task and team management, roles and permissions, live events and on-demand chat summaries.
Enterprise
$3.60
per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly)
10 users minimum. Adds audit history, advanced usage reports, eDiscovery, data loss prevention and branded meetings.
The free plan
10,000 searchable messages, 100 GB of file storage per organization, 100 participants per group or channel, and meetings of up to 100 people limited to 60 minutes.
Trying it first
Free trial of the paid plans: 15 days according to the homepage, 14 days according to the pricing FAQ
Read from zoho.com on Oct 9, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save 10% with yearly billing
Zoho's pricing page lists a 10% saving for yearly billing: Professional is $1.80 per user / month billed annually against $2 billed monthly.
Stated on zoho.comNonprofit
Special pricing for nonprofits and schools
The pricing page says discounts and special pricing apply to nonprofit organizations and educational institutions, arranged by contacting Zoho. No amounts are published.
Stated on zoho.comBy country
Lower price shown to buyers in India
On October 9, 2026 the pricing page showed Standard at ₹675 a month for up to 25 users, billed annually, to a reader in India. The price data the page loads lists $16.20 in US dollars.
Stated on zoho.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
6
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
Team chat, calls and meetings from the Zoho suite. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, whiteboard, workflow automation, team chat, video calls, file sharing.
Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android.
- Chats, channels and threads
- Unlimited 1-1 and group chats on every plan, with organization and personal channels, threads, read receipts and @mentions. Paid plans raise groups to 500 participants.
- Calls and meetings
- 1-1 audio and video calls, screen sharing and meetings for up to 100 participants. Professional and Enterprise allow 1,000 active participants and 10,000 viewers.
- Voice and video messages
- Audio and video messages and screen recordings can be sent in chat, limited to 5 minutes on Free, 15 on Standard and 60 on Professional and Enterprise.
- External channels and Networks
- From Standard, external channels bring in people from other organizations, 5 per user license. Networks, a separate space for partners, is a paid add-on; Professional and Enterprise include 3.
- Developer platform
- Bots, slash commands, message actions, functions, schedulers, databases and widgets are available on every plan with per-plan quotas, alongside a REST API.
- On-demand chat summary
- Professional and Enterprise can generate a summary of a chat on request, part of what Zoho describes as AI-powered conversations.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Zoho Projects
- Zoho Desk
- Zoho Mail
- Google Drive
- Google Calendar
- GitHub
- Zendesk
- Dropbox
Who makes Zoho Cliq
Zoho Cliq is made by Zoho Corporation, a privately held software company with more than 60 business applications. It earns money from subscriptions to its products, sold one at a time or as suites, and says it shows no ads in them and has never taken money from investors.
- Founded
- 1996zoho.com
- Based
- Chennai, Indiazoho.com
- Ownership
- Privately held. Privately held, with no parent company: its press releases describe Zoho as privately held and profitable, and its About page says it has never taken money from investors.zoho.com
- Funding
- Zoho says on its About page that it has never taken money from investors, and its press releases describe it as privately held and profitable.zoho.comzoho.com
- Team
- More than 19,000 people worldwide, according to a press release of September 2026zoho.com
- Founders and leaders
- Hiring
- Its careers portal lists 2 full-time openings: Technical Support Engineers and Sales Executivescareers.zohocorp.com
- Affiliate program
- 15% commission on every qualified sale for the first 12 months, rising to 18% and 20% in the higher affiliate tiers. The cookie lasts 90 days and referred customers get $100 in wallet credits.zoho.com
- Partner program
- Zoho Partner Program with tracks for consulting partners, global system integrators, value-added distributors and value-added resellers. Its overview page states no commission or discount rates.zoho.com
- Lately
- Collaborate using Poll extension · September 2026
- Always be informed with GitHub Informer · September 2026
- Take Cliq Meetings to the Conference Room · September 2026
- Zoho Cliq 7.0 and more · August 2026
Read on Oct 6, 2026 from the company’s own pages and from news reports. What is not stated there is left out.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
31/33
Other team communication apps it is graded above
Zoho Cliq's GPA of 3.4 is higher than 31 of the 33 other team communication apps we grade.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 30 of 33) and worst on free plan and trial (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $16.20 a month, against a middle price of $7 for the category: 22 of the 28 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 34 team communication apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Zoho Cliq’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 30 of 33
- CFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 33
- BFeaturesAbove 26 of 33
- AEase of useAbove 28 of 33
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 15 of 33
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 31 team communication apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Zoho Cliq is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Zoho Cliq you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.4 is higher than 31 of the 33 other team communication apps we grade. It costs $194.40 a year.
What you could not
- Chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
- Video calls.
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- Storing and serving files for other people.
- An endless canvas that stays smooth with hundreds of things on it.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- Hooks into the device itself: widgets.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Zoho Cliq’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, Pumble and Flock
The 5 tools Zoho Cliq is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.8GPA
Slack
Free plan · from $7.25/mo
Channel-based team messaging with huddles, workflows and AI.
- Zoho Cliq also covers whiteboard.
- Slack also covers documents.
- 3.0GPA
Microsoft Teams
Free plan · from $4.00/mo
Chat, video meetings and calling tied into Microsoft 365.
- Only Zoho Cliq lists a Linux app.
- Zoho Cliq also covers workflow automation.
- Microsoft Teams also covers transcription and noise cancellation.
- 2.8GPA
Google Chat
Free plan · from $7/mo
Team messaging and spaces built into Google Workspace.
- Only Zoho Cliq lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Zoho Cliq also covers whiteboard, workflow automation and video calls.
- Google Chat also covers tasks.
- 3.6GPA
Pumble
Free plan · from $2.49/mo
Team chat with unlimited message history on the free plan.
- Zoho Cliq also covers whiteboard and workflow automation.
- 2.4GPA
Flock
Free plan · from $4.50/mo
Team messenger with channels, video calls and shared to-dos.
- Zoho Cliq also covers whiteboard and workflow automation.
- Flock also covers tasks.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
14
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Zoho Cliq free?
Zoho Cliq has a free plan. 10,000 searchable messages, 100 GB of file storage per organization, 100 participants per group or channel, and meetings of up to 100 people limited to 60 minutes.
How much does Zoho Cliq cost?
Zoho Cliq lists 4 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Zoho Cliq work on?
Zoho Cliq is available on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
Does Zoho Cliq offer any discounts?
Zoho Cliq publicly lists the following: Save 10% with yearly billing; Special pricing for nonprofits and schools; Lower price shown to buyers in India.
How is Zoho Cliq rated?
Zoho Cliq's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6,465 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
Is Zoho Cliq open source?
Zoho Cliq is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 9, 2026.
Does Zoho Cliq have an API?
Yes. Zoho Cliq offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Zoho Cliq integrate with?
Zoho Cliq's listing names Zoho Projects, Zoho Desk, Zoho Mail, Google Drive, Google Calendar, GitHub, Zendesk and Dropbox.
Does Zoho Cliq have a free trial?
Yes. Free trial of the paid plans: 15 days according to the homepage, 14 days according to the pricing FAQ.
Who makes Zoho Cliq?
Zoho Cliq is made by Zoho Corporation. Privately held, with no parent company: its press releases describe Zoho as privately held and profitable, and its About page says it has never taken money from investors.
What are the alternatives to Zoho Cliq?
The closest alternatives to Zoho Cliq in our directory are Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, Pumble and Flock.
How does Zoho Cliq compare with other team communication apps?
Zoho Cliq's GPA of 3.4 is higher than 31 of the 33 other team communication apps we grade.
Is Zoho Cliq good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Zoho Cliq A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $16.20 a month, against a middle price of $7 for the category: 22 of the 28 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Zoho Cliq?
To replace Zoho Cliq you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Zoho Cliq’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Based on Zoho Cliq's home, pricing, mobile app, Linux download and what's-new pages as of 9 October 2026, and its App Store reviews. There were no Hacker News comments about it to read. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-07-11.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Zoho Corporation. Prices change, so check zoho.com before you buy.
- zoho.com/cliq/pricing.html
- zohowebstatic.com/sites/zweb/json/pricing/cliq-pricing-val.json
- zoho.com/cliq/plan-comparison.html
- zoho.com/cliq/
- zoho.com/cliq/mobile-apps.html
- zoho.com/cliq/desktop/windows.html
- zoho.com/cliq/desktop/osx.html
- zoho.com/cliq/desktop/linux.html
- zoho.com/cliq/apps.html
- zoho.com/aboutus.html
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Zoho Cliq, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/zoho-cliq
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Zoho Cliq: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/zoho-cliq
Know someone choosing between team communication apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/zoho-cliq/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded team communication apps after Zoho Cliq, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Team Communication Insider's GuideEvery one of the 34 team communication apps we grade, compared
- Discord Insider's GuideFree text, voice and video chat built around servers3.6 GPA
- Pumble Insider's GuideTeam chat with unlimited message history on the free plan3.6 GPA
- Jitsi Meet Insider's GuideFree, open-source video meetings you can self-host3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Zoho Cliq’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Zoho Cliq is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Zoho Corporation. Prices and plans change: check zoho.com before you buy.