Head-to-head
Zoho CRM vs Close: which one in 2026?
Zoho CRM is a broad customer relationship platform from Zoho with a free tier for up to 3 users and a ladder of five plans. Close is a sales-focused CRM with calling, email and SMS built in and a 14-day trial instead of a free plan. The choice is breadth and price range against a tighter outbound sales workflow.
Verdict
Close is the better fit for an outbound team that lives on the phone, because dialing, SMS and call coaching are part of the product rather than add-ons. Zoho CRM is the better starting point for a small team on a budget or one that expects to need quoting, portals or inventory. Neither vendor states whether customer data trains AI models, and Zoho's dollar pricing and Close's billing periods were not confirmed, so check both before buying.
Zoho CRM and Close side by side
| Zoho CRM | Close | |
|---|---|---|
| Price entry | $14 per user per month (Standard, billed annually) | $9 per user per month (Solo, billed annually) |
| Cheapest way in | A free plan for up to 3 users with no expiry, covering contacts, reminders, workflow automation, API access and mobile apps. | No permanent free plan. A 14-day trial with no credit card, then Solo, which shows two prices ($19 and $9) without saying which is monthly. |
| Price ladder | The pricing page we read showed only rupee prices: from ₹800 per user per month (Standard) to ₹2600 (Ultimate). No dollar prices were read. | Five tiers from Solo to a custom plan. Growth lists $109 and $99, Scale $149 and $139, with monthly versus annual left unlabeled. |
| Calling and messaging | A built-in phone system arrives on the Standard plan, alongside email integrations. Dialing is one feature among many modules. | Calling, email and SMS are core. Smart Views dial a priority list in order, and a power dialer arrives on Growth. |
| Breadth of modules | Lists CPQ, client portals, inventory, customer journeys, territory management and a developer sandbox across the upper tiers. | Narrower on purpose: pipeline by stage and value, workflows on new leads, call recording and coaching on Scale. |
| AI features | Zia and a multi-agent platform, plus an AI-generated Canvas list view from an uploaded layout image. Credit limits were not found. | Chloe answers questions from pipeline and call data. AI credits per user: 500, 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 across the four listed tiers. |
| Where AI uses your data | Whether customer data trains models is not stated on the security page; machine learning appears there only for malware detection. | OpenAI and Anthropic are listed as subprocessors for AI features. Whether they or Close train on customer data is not stated. |
| Security evidence | No certification is named on the security page. Encryption is TLS 1.2 or 1.3 in transit and 256-bit AES at rest, with an audit portfolio linked. | A SOC 2 Type II report is available on request, with scope not stated on the page. Hosting is on AWS, region not stated. |
| Data after you leave | Removed from the active database at the next clean-up, which runs every 6 months, and deleted from backups after 3 months. | After the trial ends the account pauses and data is kept for a limited period. The length was not stated. |
Where each one wins
Zoho CRM wins on
- Zoho CRM is the only one of the two with a free plan that has no expiry, up to 3 users.
- Zoho CRM publishes a deletion timeline: 6-month clean-up cycle and backups cleared after 3 months. Close does not.
- Zoho CRM stretches further into CPQ, portals, inventory and territory rules, which a growing business may need later.
Close wins on
- Close puts calling, SMS and email at the center, with a dialer that works down a priority list.
- Close names a SOC 2 Type II report, while Zoho's security page names no certification.
- Close shows its AI credit allowance per user on every listed tier, so AI usage can be planned.
Which to pick
Pick Zoho CRM if
You want a CRM you can start on for free, expect to add modules such as quoting or portals, and accept that its pricing was read only in rupees.
Pick Close if
Your team sells mostly by phone and email, you want dialing inside the CRM, and a SOC 2 Type II report on request matters to your buyers.
Each tool in context: Zoho CRM, Close profile, and the full Best CRM Software in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Does Zoho CRM have a free plan, and how does Close compare?
Zoho CRM has a free plan for up to 3 users with no expiry. It includes contact management, reminders, workflow automation, API access and mobile apps. Close has no permanent free plan, only a 14-day trial with no credit card. When the trial ends, the account pauses.
Which of the two shows dollar prices I can quote?
Only Close showed dollar prices on the page we read, and it shows two figures per tier without labeling monthly versus annual. Zoho's pricing page appeared only in rupees (₹800 to ₹2600 per user per month), and its US pricing page could not be opened, so no dollar figure is given here.
Do Zoho CRM or Close train AI on my customer data?
Neither page says. Zoho's security page mentions machine learning only for malware detection. Close's security page lists OpenAI and Anthropic as subprocessors for AI features but says nothing about training. Ask each vendor for written terms on this before loading customer records into AI features.
Which CRM has the stronger security documentation?
Close names a SOC 2 Type II report, available on request, though its scope is not stated. Zoho names no certification on its security page and points to a compliance portfolio instead, which was not opened. Both describe encryption at rest. Neither page states where the data region sits.