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CRM · head to head

Keap vs Zoho Desk

Keap logo

Keap

CRM

CRM and marketing automation for small business

From
$29/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Zoho Desk logo

Zoho Desk

Customer Support

Context-aware help desk software

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zoho Desk has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Keap the entry price is $299 a month and includes only 2 user licences, with each additional user at $39 a 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
  • They diverge on capability: Keap 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 Keap and Zoho Desk actually diverge.

Attributes where Keap and Zoho Desk differ
AttributeKeapZoho Desk
Starting price$29/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
CategoryCRMCustomer Support
Founded20001996

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), 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 Keap

  • Contact management
  • Pipeline management
  • Email marketing
  • Marketing automation
  • Sales automation
  • Zapier
  • Stripe
  • Google Ads

Only in Zoho Desk

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

Both cover

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

What people use each for

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

Keap

  • Contact management and CRMnot Zoho Desk
  • Marketing automationnot Zoho Desk
  • Sales pipeline managementnot Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk

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

Where each one falls short

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

Keap

  • The entry price is $299 a month and includes only 2 user licences, with each additional user at $39 a month
  • Price varies with contact count, and the bands are only visible by entering a number into a calculator on the page
  • Implementation services are described as required rather than optional
  • Text marketing beyond the included 500 messages is a separate add on running from $24 to $279 a 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

Keap

$29/month
  • Lite$29/month
    • Contact management
    • Email marketing
  • Standard$59/month
    • Everything in Lite
    • Sales automation
    • Pipeline management
  • Professional$149/month
    • Everything in Standard
    • Advanced automation
    • AI features

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 Keap if

  • You need contact management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want pipeline management.
Keap 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 Keap or Zoho Desk better?
Neither clearly leads. Keap starts at $29/month and Zoho Desk at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Keap or Zoho Desk?
Zoho Desk has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $29/month for Keap and Free for Zoho Desk.
Does Keap 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 Zoho Desk for free?
Yes. Zoho Desk has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Keap starts at $29/month.
What is Keap best used for?
Keap is most often used for contact management and crm, marketing automation, sales pipeline management. Of those, contact management and crm and marketing automation are not what Zoho Desk is typically brought in for.
What can Keap do that Zoho Desk cannot?
Keap covers Contact management, Pipeline management, Email marketing, Marketing automation. Zoho Desk covers Ticket management, Multi-channel support, AI assistant, Automation. Both handle Reporting, Slack, GDPR, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Keap: How much does Keap cost?

Keap costs $299/month billed at $2,988/year for the main plan, which includes 2 user licenses. Additional users cost $39/month each.

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
Keap: What text messaging fees does Keap charge?

Text marketing tiers range from $24 to $279/month with included message allotments. Overages are $0.015 per message and $0.01 per minute for voice.

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
Keap: Is implementation included in Keap pricing?

Implementation services are required at additional cost. Package pricing is available through Keap sales.

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
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