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Marketing · head to head

Hootsuite vs Zoho CRM

Hootsuite logo

Hootsuite

Marketing

Save time and grow on social media

From
$99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoho CRM logo

Zoho CRM

CRM

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: Hootsuite no free tier available; minimum cost is $99/user/year annually; Zoho CRM free tier limited to 3 users only
  • They diverge on capability: Hootsuite covers Content scheduling, Zoho CRM covers Lead management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hootsuite and Zoho CRM actually diverge.

Attributes where Hootsuite and Zoho CRM differ
AttributeHootsuiteZoho CRM
Starting price$99/yearFree
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android, Api
CategoryMarketingCRM
Founded20081996

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 Hootsuite

  • Content scheduling
  • Social inbox
  • Content calendar
  • Analytics & reporting
  • Social listening
  • Team collaboration
  • Approval workflows
  • Bulk scheduling

Only in Zoho CRM

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

Both cover

  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • SOC2
  • ISO27001
  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Hootsuite

  • Social media schedulingnot Zoho CRM
  • Community managementnot Zoho CRM
  • Social advertisingnot Zoho CRM
  • Analytics & reporting
  • Team collaborationnot Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM

  • Sales automationnot Hootsuite
  • Lead managementnot Hootsuite
  • Customer supportnot Hootsuite
  • Marketing automationnot Hootsuite
  • Analytics & reporting

Both are used for analytics & reporting, on those jobs the choice comes down to price and fit rather than capability.

Where each one falls short

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

Hootsuite

  • No free tier available; minimum cost is $99/user/year annually
  • Monthly billing significantly more expensive than annual (20-30% premium)
  • Advanced data export via SFTP available only to Enterprise tier customers

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

Hootsuite

$99/year

No published plan breakdown. See the Hootsuite review.

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 Hootsuite if

  • You need content scheduling.
  • You also want social inbox.
Hootsuite 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 Hootsuite or Zoho CRM better?
Neither clearly leads. Hootsuite starts at $99/year and Zoho CRM at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hootsuite or Zoho CRM?
Zoho CRM has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/year for Hootsuite and Free for Zoho CRM.
Does Hootsuite or Zoho CRM run on more platforms?
Hootsuite 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. Hootsuite starts at $99/year.
What is Hootsuite best used for?
Hootsuite is most often used for social media scheduling, community management, social advertising, analytics & reporting. Of those, social media scheduling and community management are not what Zoho CRM is typically brought in for.
What can Hootsuite do that Zoho CRM cannot?
Hootsuite covers Content scheduling, Social inbox, Content calendar, Analytics & reporting. Zoho CRM covers Lead management, Deal tracking, Contact management, Sales automation. Both handle Twitter, LinkedIn, SOC2, ISO27001.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Hootsuite: What is Hootsuite's pricing structure?

Hootsuite offers four annual plans: Standard at $99/user/year, Professional at $199/user/year, Advanced at $399/user/year, and Enterprise with custom pricing. Monthly billing is available at 20-30% higher cost.

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
Hootsuite: Does Hootsuite offer a free tier?

No. Hootsuite does not offer a free tier or freemium plan. A 30-day trial is available, and skipping the trial provides 25% off annual plans.

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
Hootsuite: How many integrations does Hootsuite support?

Hootsuite advertises support for over 100 integrations, claiming more than any other social media management platform.

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
Hootsuite: Can users export their data from Hootsuite?

Yes. Hootsuite offers Advanced Analytics data export as CSV files to SFTP folders for Enterprise users, with daily exports and 90-day retention. Standard and Professional plans have more limited export capabilities.

Source
Hootsuite: Does Hootsuite offer API access?

Yes. Hootsuite provides a REST API for building custom applications and integrations, though API capabilities vary by plan level.

Source
Hootsuite: Does Hootsuite offer self-hosted or on-premise deployment?

No. Hootsuite is a cloud-based SaaS platform only. There is no self-hosted or on-premise deployment option available.

Source
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