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Customer Success · head to head

Better Proposals vs Zoho CRM

Better Proposals logo

Better Proposals

Customer Success

Create Proposals That Win

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoho CRM logo

Zoho CRM

All industries

The world's favorite CRM

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zoho CRM has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Better Proposals documents are metered by tier, at 10 a month on Starter and 50 on Premium; Zoho CRM free tier limited to 3 users only
  • They diverge on capability: Better Proposals covers Proposal templates, Zoho CRM covers Lead management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Better Proposals and Zoho CRM actually diverge.

Attributes where Better Proposals and Zoho CRM differ
AttributeBetter ProposalsZoho CRM
Starting price$19/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryCustomer SuccessAll industries
Founded20161996

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Better Proposals

  • Proposal templates
  • Digital signatures
  • Payment collection
  • Custom branding
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot
  • Stripe
  • Web support

Only in Zoho CRM

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

Both cover

  • Analytics
  • Zapier

What people use each for

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

Better Proposals

  • Sending branded sales proposals with digital signaturesnot Zoho CRM
  • Taking payment at the point of signaturenot Zoho CRM
  • Tracking when a prospect opens and reads a proposalnot Zoho CRM
  • Reusable content library and templatesnot Zoho CRM
  • Approval workflows before a proposal goes out, on the Enterprise tiernot Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM

  • Sales automationnot Better Proposals
  • Lead managementnot Better Proposals
  • Customer supportnot Better Proposals
  • Marketing automationnot Better Proposals
  • Analytics & reportingnot Better Proposals

Where each one falls short

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

Better Proposals

  • Documents are metered by tier, at 10 a month on Starter and 50 on Premium
  • The Starter plan at $13 a month is a single user
  • Custom domains, CRM integrations and the API all need Premium at $21 per user per month
  • Approvals, content locking and advanced permissions are Enterprise only at $42 per user per month
  • The Nudge follow-up feature is a $10 per user per month add-on, and custom design starts at $1,495

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

Better Proposals

$19/month
  • Starter$19/month
    • 10 proposals/month
    • Templates
    • Analytics
  • Premium$29/month
    • Unlimited proposals
    • Custom domain
    • Integrations

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 Better Proposals if

  • You need proposal templates.
  • You also want digital signatures.
Better Proposals 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 Better Proposals or Zoho CRM better?
Neither clearly leads. Better Proposals starts at $19/month and Zoho CRM at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Better Proposals or Zoho CRM?
Zoho CRM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $19/month for Better Proposals and Free for Zoho CRM.
Does Better Proposals or Zoho CRM run on more platforms?
Better Proposals runs on Web. Zoho CRM runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
Can I use Zoho CRM for free?
Yes. Zoho CRM has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Better Proposals starts at $19/month.
What is Better Proposals best used for?
Better Proposals is most often used for sending branded sales proposals with digital signatures, taking payment at the point of signature, tracking when a prospect opens and reads a proposal, reusable content library and templates. Of those, sending branded sales proposals with digital signatures and taking payment at the point of signature are not what Zoho CRM is typically brought in for.
What can Better Proposals do that Zoho CRM cannot?
Better Proposals covers Proposal templates, Digital signatures, Payment collection, Custom branding. Zoho CRM covers Lead management, Deal tracking, Contact management, Sales automation. Both handle Analytics, Zapier.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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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