Softwr

CRM · head to head

Insightly vs Zoho Desk

Insightly logo

Insightly

CRM

CRM & project management for any business

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Zoho Desk logo

Zoho Desk

Customer Support

Context-aware help desk software

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Insightly record counts are capped by plan, at 100,000 on Plus and 500,000 on Enterprise, so the database size decides the tier; Zoho Desk free plan caps at three user licenses; paid plans (Express, Standard, Professional, Enterprise) are billed annually to get the listed rate, with monthly billing costing more, and light user seats are priced separately from full agent seats
  • They diverge on capability: Insightly covers Contact management, Zoho Desk covers Ticket management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Insightly and Zoho Desk actually diverge.

Attributes where Insightly and Zoho Desk differ
AttributeInsightlyZoho Desk
CategoryCRMCustomer Support
Founded20101996

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (subscription), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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 Insightly

  • Contact management
  • Deal tracking
  • Project management
  • Task management
  • Email integration
  • Mobile app
  • Mailchimp
  • Zapier

Only in Zoho Desk

  • Ticket management
  • Multi-channel support
  • AI assistant
  • Automation
  • Knowledge base
  • Zoho CRM
  • Salesforce
  • G Suite

Both cover

  • Reporting
  • Slack
  • SOC2
  • GDPR
  • ISO27001
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Insightly

  • CRM with project delivery tracking after the salenot Zoho Desk
  • Managing leads, opportunities and customer projects in one record setnot Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk

  • Multi-channel supportnot Insightly
  • IT help desknot Insightly
  • Customer servicenot Insightly

Where each one falls short

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

Insightly

  • Record counts are capped by plan, at 100,000 on Plus and 500,000 on Enterprise, so the database size decides the tier
  • Workflow automation requires the Professional plan at $49 per user per month
  • AI Copilot is metered by query, at 75 on Plus and 100 on Professional
  • Mass email is capped daily, at 2,500 on Plus and 10,000 on Enterprise
  • CRM, Marketing and Service are sold as three separate products, and Marketing is priced per account by prospect count starting at $99 for 2,000
  • Sandboxes and audit logging are Enterprise only at $99 per user per month

Zoho Desk

  • Free plan caps at three user licenses; paid plans (Express, Standard, Professional, Enterprise) are billed annually to get the listed rate, with monthly billing costing more, and light user seats are priced separately from full agent seats

Pricing, plan by plan

Insightly

Free
  • CRM Plus$29/user/month
    • lead and contact management
    • project management
    • advanced reports
  • CRM Professional$49/user/month
    • all Plus features
    • lead assignment/routing
    • workflow automation
  • CRM Enterprise$99/user/month
    • all Professional features
    • sandboxes
    • products/pricebooks/quotes

Zoho Desk

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 agents
    • Email ticketing
    • Help center
  • Standard$14/month
    • Social channels
    • Workflow automation
    • Customer happiness ratings
  • Professional$23/month
    • Multi-department
    • Round-robin assignment
    • Custom fields
  • Enterprise$40/month
    • AI Zia
    • Multi-brand help center
    • Advanced analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Insightly if

  • You need contact management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want deal tracking.
Insightly review

Choose Zoho Desk if

  • You need ticket management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want multi-channel support.
Zoho Desk review

Questions people ask

Is Insightly or Zoho Desk better?
Neither clearly leads. Insightly starts at Free and Zoho Desk at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Insightly or Zoho Desk?
Insightly starts at Free and Zoho Desk at Free.
Does Insightly or Zoho Desk run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Insightly for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Insightly best used for?
Insightly is most often used for crm with project delivery tracking after the sale, managing leads, opportunities and customer projects in one record set. Of those, crm with project delivery tracking after the sale and managing leads, opportunities and customer projects in one record set are not what Zoho Desk is typically brought in for.
What can Insightly do that Zoho Desk cannot?
Insightly covers Contact management, Deal tracking, Project management, Task management. Zoho Desk covers Ticket management, Multi-channel support, AI assistant, Automation. Both handle Reporting, Slack, SOC2, GDPR.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Insightly: How much does Insightly CRM cost?

Insightly CRM plans are priced per user per month when billed annually: Plus at $29, Professional at $49 (the most popular option), and Enterprise at $99. All plans include a 14-day free trial that requires no credit card.

Source
Zoho Desk: What is the starting price and trial period?

Zoho Desk offers a free forever plan with 3 user licenses, plus paid tiers starting from ₹420 per user per month when billed annually. A 15-day free trial is available without requiring a credit card.

Source
Insightly: Is there a free trial for Insightly?

Yes, Insightly offers a 14-day free trial across most products with no credit card required, allowing you to test CRM, Marketing Automation, Support & Ticketing, and AppConnect features.

Source
Zoho Desk: Are there lock-ins or hidden costs?

No lock-ins and no hidden costs. Once your 15-day free trial ends, your plan automatically downgrades to the free plan.

Source
Insightly: What record storage limits apply to Insightly CRM plans?

Insightly CRM Plus includes 100,000 records, Professional includes 250,000 records, and Enterprise includes 500,000 records. File storage increases from 10 GB on Plus to 100 GB on Professional and 250 GB on Enterprise.

Source
Zoho Desk: What payment methods are accepted?

Zoho Desk accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and PayPal. Bank transfer or check transfer is accepted for yearly subscriptions.

Source
Zoho Desk: Are there discounts for annual commitments?

Yes, Zoho Desk offers discounts on upfront annual commitments, with savings up to 34% off monthly rates.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on Insightly

More on Zoho Desk

Keep looking

Other head to heads