CRM · head to head
Bigin vs Zendesk
Bigin
CRM
Zoho pipeline CRM for small businesses, priced well below Zoho CRM itself
- From
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
The short version
- Only Bigin has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Bigin the plan limits are the product boundary, not a soft guideline: three pipelines on Express and thirty automations will constrain any business with more than a couple of distinct sale types, and the only fix is to pay up a tier.; Zendesk aI agents operate on per-resolution billing; customers pay only when an AI agent successfully resolves a ticket without escalation
- They diverge on capability: Bigin covers Multiple pipelines, Zendesk covers Ticket management.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Bigin and Zendesk actually diverge.
Identical on both: 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 Bigin
- Multiple pipelines
- Teampipes
- Built-in telephony
- Email integration
- Workflow automation
- Mobile apps
- Zoho ecosystem
- Free onboarding
Only in Zendesk
- Ticket management
- Omnichannel support
- Knowledge base
- Live chat
- Call center
- Analytics & reporting
- Automation
- Customer satisfaction
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Bigin
- A five-person sales team wants a real CRM for under 50 US dollars a month total and will never use the territory management or forecasting depth in Zoho CRM.not Zendesk
- A business already running Zoho Books or Zoho Mail wants a CRM in the same account with native links rather than a bridged third-party tool.not Zendesk
- A services firm wants to run client onboarding and delivery as pipelines alongside sales, which is what Teampipes exists for, without buying a separate project tool.not Zendesk
- A buyer evaluating Zoho CRM Standard should price Bigin first, because for straightforward pipeline selling it is roughly a third of the cost on the same platform.not Zendesk
Zendesk
- Help desk and ticketing system managementnot Bigin
- Omnichannel customer supportnot Bigin
- Knowledge base and self-service portalsnot Bigin
- AI-assisted customer servicenot Bigin
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Bigin
- The plan limits are the product boundary, not a soft guideline: three pipelines on Express and thirty automations will constrain any business with more than a couple of distinct sale types, and the only fix is to pay up a tier.
- Outgrowing Bigin means migrating to Zoho CRM, a different product with different objects and configuration, so the cheap start becomes a project later rather than a plan upgrade.
- The free plan is one user with 500 records and no automation, which makes it a trial rather than a usable free tier of the kind Zoho CRM competitors offer.
- Reporting and analytics are basic compared with Zoho CRM, with no serious forecasting, territory management or custom module building, so sales operations functions have nothing to work with.
- Zoho runs two overlapping CRMs and has an obvious incentive to keep Bigin limited, so features that would make it a genuine competitor to Zoho CRM are unlikely to arrive however much customers ask.
Zendesk
- AI agents operate on per-resolution billing; customers pay only when an AI agent successfully resolves a ticket without escalation
- Copilot and Contact Center features available as separate add-ons at £50+/agent/month
- Advanced routing, workforce engagement, and approval workflows limited to Enterprise tier
- Highest tier requires sales consultation and custom pricing
Pricing, plan by plan
Bigin
Free- FreeFree
- One user only
- 500 records
- One pipeline
- Express$7/month
- Three pipelines
- 50,000 records
- 30 workflow automations
- Premier$12/month
- Five pipelines
- 100,000 records
- 50 workflow automations
- Bigin 360$18/month
- Fifteen pipelines
- One million records
- 100 workflow automations
Zendesk
$19/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Zendesk review.
Which should you pick?
Choose Bigin if
- You need multiple pipelines.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, watchOS.
- You also want teampipes.
Questions people ask
- Is Bigin or Zendesk better?
- Neither clearly leads. Bigin starts at Free and Zendesk at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Bigin or Zendesk?
- Bigin has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Bigin and $19/month for Zendesk.
- Does Bigin or Zendesk run on more platforms?
- Bigin runs on Web, iOS, Android, macOS, watchOS. Zendesk runs on Web.
- Can I use Bigin for free?
- Yes. Bigin has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Zendesk starts at $19/month.
- What is Bigin best used for?
- Bigin is most often used for a five-person sales team wants a real crm for under 50 us dollars a month total and will never use the territory management or forecasting depth in zoho crm., a business already running zoho books or zoho mail wants a crm in the same account with native links rather than a bridged third-party tool., a services firm wants to run client onboarding and delivery as pipelines alongside sales, which is what teampipes exists for, without buying a separate project tool., a buyer evaluating zoho crm standard should price bigin first, because for straightforward pipeline selling it is roughly a third of the cost on the same platform.. Of those, a five-person sales team wants a real crm for under 50 us dollars a month total and will never use the territory management or forecasting depth in zoho crm. and a business already running zoho books or zoho mail wants a crm in the same account with native links rather than a bridged third-party tool. are not what Zendesk is typically brought in for.
- What can Bigin do that Zendesk cannot?
- Bigin covers Multiple pipelines, Teampipes, Built-in telephony, Email integration. Zendesk covers Ticket management, Omnichannel support, Knowledge base, Live chat.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Bigin: Is Bigin the same as Zoho CRM?
No. It is a separate, cheaper product on its own domain with its own pricing, aimed at small businesses, and it is deliberately capped so it does not compete with Zoho CRM.
Zendesk: What is included in the free trial?
You'll have access to all features on the Zendesk Customer Service Suite Professional plan for 14 days, with Copilot included by default.
SourceBigin: How much cheaper is it?
Express is 7 US dollars per user per month annually against Zoho CRM Standard at a higher rate, and the gap widens against the upper Zoho CRM tiers.
Zendesk: How is Zendesk pricing calculated?
Base subscription pricing is determined by your selected plan tier and the number of agent seats needed. Additional costs include usage-based features like App Builder and Voice, plus optional add-ons.
SourceBigin: What happens when I outgrow the pipeline limits?
You move up a Bigin tier to five or fifteen pipelines, and beyond that you migrate to Zoho CRM, which is a data and configuration migration rather than a switch.
Zendesk: What are the contract terms?
Zendesk subscriptions are month to month, annual, or multi-year. Annual billing typically costs less than monthly payments.
SourceBigin: Is the free plan usable?
Only for one person with a very small contact list. It is one user, 500 records, one pipeline and no automation.
Zendesk: Can I upgrade or downgrade my plan?
Yes, changes may apply immediately or at renewal depending on your subscription terms.
SourceRelated pages
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