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CRM · head to head

Salesforce vs Zendesk

Salesforce logo

Salesforce

CRM

World's #1 CRM

From
$25/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zendesk logo

Zendesk

Customer Support

Champions of customer service

From
$19/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Salesforce sales Cloud tiers as captured 2 January 2024: Starter Suite $25/user/month, Professional $80/user/month, Enterprise $165/user/month, all USD billed annually; 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: Salesforce covers Contact management, Zendesk covers Ticket management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Salesforce and Zendesk actually diverge.

Attributes where Salesforce and Zendesk differ
AttributeSalesforceZendesk
Starting price$25/month$19/month
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb
CategoryCRMCustomer Support
Founded19992007

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Salesforce

  • Contact management
  • Opportunity management
  • Lead management
  • Reports & dashboards
  • Email integration
  • Workflow automation
  • Mobile access
  • AppExchange

Only in Zendesk

  • Ticket management
  • Omnichannel support
  • Knowledge base
  • Live chat
  • Call center
  • Analytics & reporting
  • Automation
  • Customer satisfaction

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Mailchimp
  • SOC2
  • ISO27001
  • HIPAA

What people use each for

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

Salesforce

  • Sales managementnot Zendesk
  • Customer servicenot Zendesk
  • Marketing automationnot Zendesk
  • Lead generationnot Zendesk
  • Analytics & reportingnot Zendesk

Zendesk

  • Help desk and ticketing system managementnot Salesforce
  • Omnichannel customer supportnot Salesforce
  • Knowledge base and self-service portalsnot Salesforce
  • AI-assisted customer servicenot Salesforce

Where each one falls short

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

Salesforce

  • Sales Cloud tiers as captured 2 January 2024: Starter Suite $25/user/month, Professional $80/user/month, Enterprise $165/user/month, all USD billed annually

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

Salesforce

$25/month
  • Essentials$25/month
    • Account & contact management
    • Opportunity tracking
    • Lead management
  • Professional$80/month
    • Everything in Essentials
    • Complete CRM
    • Lead scoring
  • Enterprise$165/month
    • Everything in Professional
    • Workflow automation
    • Advanced analytics
  • Unlimited$330/month
    • Everything in Enterprise
    • Unlimited customizations
    • 24/7 support

Zendesk

$19/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Zendesk review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Salesforce if

  • You need contact management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want opportunity management.
Salesforce review

Choose Zendesk if

  • You need ticket management.
  • You also want omnichannel support.
Zendesk review

Questions people ask

Is Salesforce or Zendesk better?
Neither clearly leads. Salesforce starts at $25/month and Zendesk at $19/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Salesforce or Zendesk?
Salesforce starts at $25/month and Zendesk at $19/month.
Does Salesforce or Zendesk run on more platforms?
Salesforce runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. Zendesk runs on Web.
What is Salesforce best used for?
Salesforce is most often used for sales management, customer service, marketing automation, lead generation. Of those, sales management and customer service are not what Zendesk is typically brought in for.
What can Salesforce do that Zendesk cannot?
Salesforce covers Contact management, Opportunity management, Lead management, Reports & dashboards. Zendesk covers Ticket management, Omnichannel support, Knowledge base, Live chat. Both handle Slack, Mailchimp, SOC2, ISO27001.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Source
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.

Source
Zendesk: What are the contract terms?

Zendesk subscriptions are month to month, annual, or multi-year. Annual billing typically costs less than monthly payments.

Source
Zendesk: Can I upgrade or downgrade my plan?

Yes, changes may apply immediately or at renewal depending on your subscription terms.

Source
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