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Software · head to head

DEAR Systems vs Zoho CRM

DEAR Systems logo

DEAR Systems

Software

Cloud inventory management for growing businesses

From
$249/month
Rated
-
Zoho CRM logo

Zoho CRM

Software

The world's favorite CRM

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Zoho CRM has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: DEAR Systems dEAR Systems is sold as Cin7 Core and priced on the Cin7 pricing page; Zoho CRM free tier limited to 3 users only
  • They diverge on capability: DEAR Systems covers Inventory control, Zoho CRM covers Lead management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which DEAR Systems and Zoho CRM actually diverge.

Attributes where DEAR Systems and Zoho CRM differ
AttributeDEAR SystemsZoho CRM
Starting price$249/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, Web, MobileWeb, Ios, Android, Api
Founded20121996

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 DEAR Systems

  • Inventory control
  • Purchase orders
  • Sales orders
  • Manufacturing
  • Accounting integration
  • Xero
  • Shopify
  • WooCommerce

Only in Zoho CRM

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

Both cover

  • QuickBooks

What people use each for

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

DEAR Systems

  • Inventory and order management for wholesale and e-commerce sellersnot Zoho CRM
  • Manufacturing with bills of materials and material requirements planningnot Zoho CRM
  • Syncing stock and orders with Xero or QuickBooks Onlinenot Zoho CRM
  • Multi warehouse stock control across unlimited locationsnot Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM

  • Sales automationnot DEAR Systems
  • Lead managementnot DEAR Systems
  • Customer supportnot DEAR Systems
  • Marketing automationnot DEAR Systems
  • Analytics & reportingnot DEAR Systems

Where each one falls short

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

DEAR Systems

  • DEAR Systems is sold as Cin7 Core and priced on the Cin7 pricing page
  • The $349 per month Standard plan caps sales orders at 6,000 per year, includes 5 users and 2 e-commerce integrations
  • Material requirements planning requires the Pro plan at $599 per month
  • Advanced warehouse management requires the Advanced plan at $1,199 per month
  • Additional users, extra integrations, API access, forecasting and advanced automations all cost extra and are priced by the sales team
  • The Omni enterprise plan is custom priced with no published rate

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

DEAR Systems

$249/month
  • Standard$249/month
    • 5 users
    • Inventory management
    • Order management
  • Retailing$399/month
    • 10 users
    • POS integration
    • B2B portal

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 DEAR Systems if

  • You need inventory control.
  • You work on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want purchase orders.

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.

Questions people ask

Is DEAR Systems or Zoho CRM better?
Neither clearly leads. DEAR Systems starts at $249/month and Zoho CRM at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, DEAR Systems or Zoho CRM?
Zoho CRM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $249/month for DEAR Systems and Free for Zoho CRM.
Does DEAR Systems or Zoho CRM run on more platforms?
DEAR Systems runs on Cloud, Web, Mobile. 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. DEAR Systems starts at $249/month.
What is DEAR Systems best used for?
DEAR Systems is most often used for inventory and order management for wholesale and e-commerce sellers, manufacturing with bills of materials and material requirements planning, syncing stock and orders with xero or quickbooks online, multi warehouse stock control across unlimited locations. Of those, inventory and order management for wholesale and e-commerce sellers and manufacturing with bills of materials and material requirements planning are not what Zoho CRM is typically brought in for.
What can DEAR Systems do that Zoho CRM cannot?
DEAR Systems covers Inventory control, Purchase orders, Sales orders, Manufacturing. Zoho CRM covers Lead management, Deal tracking, Contact management, Sales automation. Both handle QuickBooks.

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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