startbuddi vs Zoho: an honest comparison

Zoho CRM is a sales CRM priced per user with a free edition for 3 users, and Zoho One bundles it with 50+ other Zoho apps on one licence. startbuddi is one workspace with a CRM, shared inbox, marketing, pages, bookings and invoices built for small teams; pick Zoho if you want deep CRM customisation or the wider Zoho suite, and startbuddi if you want fewer moving parts.

We make startbuddi, so we're biased. We've tried to be fair: we list where Zoho is stronger, every fact about Zoho links to its source, and anything we couldn't confirm on their own site is marked "not published". Checked in September 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.

startbuddi

startbuddi is best for

Small teams that want CRM, inbox, marketing and invoices without assembling several apps

Zoho

Zoho is best for

Sales teams that want a customisable CRM, with the option of the 50+ app Zoho One suite

At a glance

Best for

startbuddiSmall teams that want CRM, inbox, marketing and invoices without assembling several apps

ZohoSales teams that want a customisable CRM, with the option of the 50+ app Zoho One suite

Free plan

startbuddiYes, the Free plan

ZohoYes, Zoho CRM Free

First paid plan

startbuddiStarter, $29 a month

ZohoZoho CRM Standard, ₹800 INR per user per month, billed annually

Checked

startbuddiPrice book, October 2026

ZohoSeptember 2026

Where each one is stronger

The short version. Zoho first, because it does some things better than we do.

Zoho is stronger at

Free edition for 3 usersZoho CRM Free includes workflow automation, standard reports, data import and mobile apps.

Deep customisationStandard adds custom modules, and higher editions add CPQ, process management and custom portals.

Mobile apps and a public APIZoho CRM lists mobile apps and API access (5,000 calls a day) even on the Free edition.

A bigger suite if you need itZoho One puts 50+ Zoho business apps under one licence and one invoice.

startbuddi is stronger at

One customer recordcontacts, deals, conversations, invoices, bookings and form answers sit on the same record.

Shared inbox for Africa's channelsWhatsApp, email, SMS, website chat, Instagram and Facebook arrive in one inbox, with SMS through Termii or Africa's Talking.

Marketing and pages in the same placeemail, SMS and WhatsApp campaigns, landing pages and forms feed the same contact list.

Invoices tied to dealsinvoices can be paid through Paystack or Stripe, and a paid invoice marks the deal won.

Chip across modulesChip drafts replies, follow-ups and emails, builds automations from a description and finds prospects.

Feature by feature

Each Zoho value links to where we found it. Anything their site doesn't state is marked "not published".

Show differences only

startbuddi and Zoho, feature by feature
Feature	startbuddi	Zoho
Free planFree plan: 1 seat and 250 contacts	Yes	Zoho CRM Free, 3 usersSource (opens in a new tab)
Contact management	Yes	YesSource (opens in a new tab)
Multiple sales pipelines	Yes	Standard and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Workflow automation	Starter plan and up	Yes, on FreeSource (opens in a new tab)
Mass emailCampaigns with a drag-and-drop builder and your own domain	Starter plan and up	Standard and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Web formsSubmissions create or update a contact	Yes	Standard and upSource (opens in a new tab)
InvoicesPaid online through Paystack or Stripe	Yes	Professional and upSource (opens in a new tab)
AI agentsChip on every screen; custom agents in AI Studio	Yes	Professional and upSource (opens in a new tab)
Mobile appsWeb app only; works in a mobile browser	No	YesSource (opens in a new tab)
Public APINot available yet; startbuddi connects to Zapier	No	Yes, 5,000 calls/day on FreeSource (opens in a new tab)
Wider app suiteCRM, marketing, pages, bookings, money, work and HR	One workspace	Zoho One: 50+ appsSource (opens in a new tab)

What each one looks like

Real screens, captured by us or taken from the official press kit, each dated.

startbuddi: Deals on the sales pipeline — **startbuddi** · Deals on the sales pipeline. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.

startbuddi: Contacts with their full history — **startbuddi** · Contacts with their full history. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.

startbuddi: One inbox for email, WhatsApp and chat — **startbuddi** · One inbox for email, WhatsApp and chat. Captured from our own account, personal details blurred.

Zoho's own screens are on Zoho's website. We don't show another company's product without a dated capture from a trial or its press kit.

Pricing side by side

List prices as each company publishes them. We never convert currencies.

See startbuddi pricing

startbuddi

FreeFree
Starter$29 a month
Growth$79 a month
Scale$199 a month

Prices in US dollars, billed monthly. From our pricing page, updated 7 Oct 2026.

Zoho

Zoho CRM FreeFree up to 3 usersSource (opens in a new tab)
Zoho CRM Standard₹800 INR per user per month, billed annuallySource (opens in a new tab)
Zoho CRM Professional₹1,400 INR per user per month, billed annuallySource (opens in a new tab)
Zoho CRM Enterprise₹2,400 INR per user per month, billed annuallySource (opens in a new tab)
Zoho CRM Ultimate₹2,600 INR per user per month, billed annuallySource (opens in a new tab)
Zoho One All Employee₦28,490 NGN per employee per month, billed annually (every employee must be licensed)Source (opens in a new tab)
Zoho One Flexible User₦69,300 NGN per user per month, billed annuallySource (opens in a new tab)

Checked in September 2026. Check Zoho's site for current plans.

Switching from Zoho

What moving across involves.

Export your data from Zoho CRMZoho CRM includes data export (the Free edition allows up to 10 exports). Export your contacts, and your leads if you keep people there, as CSV files.
Bring it into startbuddiIn Customers → Contacts, click Import and drop in the CSV (up to 10,000 contacts at a time). Check which column goes to which field, choose whether contacts you already have are updated or left alone, then import. There is no one-click Zoho connection yet, and deals don't come across in the import, so recreate open deals in your pipeline.
Set up your pipeline and channelsRecreate your pipeline stages in Customers → Pipeline and connect email, WhatsApp and website chat to the shared inbox.
Rebuild workflows by handZoho workflows and custom functions don't transfer. Rebuild them in Automations, or describe one and let Chip draft it.

Sources

Checked in September 2026. startbuddi prices come from our own price book. Zoho's website.

Questions people ask

Can I move from Zoho CRM to startbuddi?

Yes. Export your contacts from Zoho CRM as a CSV file and import the spreadsheet into startbuddi in Customers → Contacts. There is no one-click Zoho connection yet, and deals, workflows and templates need to be recreated.

Is startbuddi a replacement for Zoho One?

Partly. startbuddi covers CRM, marketing, pages, bookings, invoicing, projects and HR in one workspace, but it is not accounting software and has far fewer apps than Zoho One's 50+.

Does startbuddi have a free plan?

Yes. startbuddi has a Free plan for one person, and every paid plan has a 30-day trial. Zoho CRM's free edition covers 3 users.

Does startbuddi have mobile apps like Zoho?

No native apps yet. startbuddi is a web app that works in a phone's browser.