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Customer Support · head to head

Amazon Connect vs Zoho CRM

Amazon Connect logo

Amazon Connect

Customer Support

Cloud contact center from AWS

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Zoho CRM logo

Zoho CRM

CRM

The world's favorite CRM

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Amazon Connect telephony is charged separately from the platform, so the $0.038 per minute voice rate is not the whole cost of a call; Zoho CRM free tier limited to 3 users only
  • They diverge on capability: Amazon Connect covers Voice, Zoho CRM covers Lead management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amazon Connect and Zoho CRM actually diverge.

Attributes where Amazon Connect and Zoho CRM differ
AttributeAmazon ConnectZoho CRM
Pricing modelusage-basedsubscription
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryCustomer SupportCRM
Founded20061996

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Amazon Connect

  • Voice
  • Chat
  • Tasks
  • ML-powered analytics
  • Contact Lens
  • Outbound campaigns
  • Forecasting
  • Salesforce

Only in Zoho CRM

  • Lead management
  • Deal tracking
  • Contact management
  • Sales automation
  • Analytics
  • Mobile CRM
  • Email marketing
  • AI assistant (Zia)

Both cover

  • SOC2
  • HIPAA
  • ISO27001

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Amazon Connect

  • Cloud contact centre with no per-seat licencenot Zoho CRM
  • Voice, chat, email and SMS in one queuenot Zoho CRM
  • Conversational analytics and agent assistnot Zoho CRM
  • Outbound campaigns and automated contactnot Zoho CRM
  • Workforce scheduling for contact centre agentsnot Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM

  • Sales automationnot Amazon Connect
  • Lead managementnot Amazon Connect
  • Customer supportnot Amazon Connect
  • Marketing automationnot Amazon Connect
  • Analytics & reportingnot Amazon Connect

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Amazon Connect

  • Telephony is charged separately from the platform, so the $0.038 per minute voice rate is not the whole cost of a call
  • Every channel is metered individually: $0.010 per chat message, $0.080 per email and $0.014 per SMS
  • Rates vary by region and by third-party provider, so a published figure is indicative rather than final
  • Cost tracks contact volume, which makes forecasting hard for a queue with seasonal peaks

Zoho CRM

  • Free tier limited to 3 users only
  • Steep pricing when scaling beyond 10 users
  • Limited offline capabilities compared to some competitors
  • Setup and configuration can require significant customization

Pricing, plan by plan

Amazon Connect

Free
  • Pay-as-you-go$undefined/mo
    • Chat: $0.010 per message sent or received
    • Voice: $0.038 per minute
    • Email: $0.080 per message sent or received

Zoho CRM

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 3 users
    • Basic modules
    • Standard dashboards
  • Standard$14/month
    • Sales forecasting
    • Custom dashboards
    • Workflow automation
  • Professional$23/month
    • Inventory management
    • AI predictions
    • Advanced customization
  • Enterprise$40/month
    • Zia AI assistant
    • Multi-currency
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Amazon Connect if

  • You need voice.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want chat.
Amazon Connect review

Choose Zoho CRM if

  • You need lead management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want deal tracking.
Zoho CRM review

Questions people ask

Is Amazon Connect or Zoho CRM better?
Neither clearly leads. Amazon Connect starts at Free and Zoho CRM at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amazon Connect or Zoho CRM?
Amazon Connect starts at Free and Zoho CRM at Free.
Does Amazon Connect or Zoho CRM run on more platforms?
Amazon Connect runs on Web. Zoho CRM runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Amazon Connect for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Amazon Connect best used for?
Amazon Connect is most often used for cloud contact centre with no per-seat licence, voice, chat, email and sms in one queue, conversational analytics and agent assist, outbound campaigns and automated contact. Of those, cloud contact centre with no per-seat licence and voice, chat, email and sms in one queue are not what Zoho CRM is typically brought in for.
What can Amazon Connect do that Zoho CRM cannot?
Amazon Connect covers Voice, Chat, Tasks, ML-powered analytics. Zoho CRM covers Lead management, Deal tracking, Contact management, Sales automation. Both handle SOC2, HIPAA, ISO27001.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amazon Connect: How much does Amazon Connect cost?

Amazon Connect uses pay-as-you-go pricing with no minimums or long-term contracts. Costs are $0.010 per chat message, $0.038 per voice minute, $0.080 per email message, and $0.014 per SMS or third-party messaging message.

Source
Zoho CRM: Does Zoho CRM have a free tier?

Yes. Zoho CRM offers a free plan for up to 3 users that includes core CRM functionality like lead, contact, and account management, basic workflow automation, and customizable dashboards.

Source
Amazon Connect: Is Amazon Connect free to try?

Amazon Connect offers a free trial option for new customers to get started at no cost. Ongoing usage is charged based on consumption with no minimum commitment required.

Source
Zoho CRM: What does Zoho CRM cost for a paid plan?

Zoho CRM pricing ranges from $14 per user per month for the Standard plan up to $52 per user per month for the Ultimate plan when billed annually. Most sales teams use the Professional plan around $23/user/month or Enterprise at $40/user/month.

Source
Amazon Connect: What are Amazon Connect's per-channel pricing differences?

Communication channel costs vary: voice at $0.038 per minute is the most expensive, email at $0.080 per message, SMS at $0.014 per message, and chat at the lowest rate of $0.010 per message. All pricing is per message or per minute consumed with no unused portions charged.

Source
Zoho CRM: Is Zoho CRM independent or owned by another company?

Zoho CRM is part of Zoho Corporation, which is independent and bootstrapped. The parent company was founded in 1996 as AdventNet, rebranded to Zoho in 2009, and has never accepted external venture funding.

Source
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