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CRM · head to head

Scratchpad vs Zoho Desk

Scratchpad logo

Scratchpad

CRM

Faster workspace over Salesforce for sales reps to update pipeline, take notes and manage deals

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: Scratchpad scratchpad works with Salesforce and nothing else, with no HubSpot support, so it is off the shortlist entirely for any company on a different CRM regardless of how good the interface is.; 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: Scratchpad covers Spreadsheet pipeline views, Zoho Desk covers Ticket management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Scratchpad and Zoho Desk differ
AttributeScratchpadZoho Desk
Pricing modelPer user per monthsubscription
PlatformsWeb, Chrome extensionWeb, Ios, Android
CategoryCRMCustomer Support
FoundedUnknown1996

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Scratchpad

  • Spreadsheet pipeline views
  • Call recorder and notetaker
  • AI field updates
  • Deal and account agent
  • Hygiene monitor
  • Notes linked to records
  • Custom prompts
  • Kanban and forecast views

Only in Zoho Desk

  • Ticket management
  • Multi-channel support
  • AI assistant
  • Automation
  • Knowledge base
  • Reporting
  • Zoho CRM
  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Scratchpad

  • A 60-rep Salesforce team whose forecast is unreliable because opportunity fields are updated once a week in a panic before the pipeline callnot Zoho Desk
  • A rep who wants to update twenty opportunities in a grid rather than opening twenty Salesforce recordsnot Zoho Desk
  • A sales manager wanting stale and incomplete pipeline records flagged automatically instead of chased by emailnot Zoho Desk
  • A revenue operations lead trialling AI notetaking that writes back to CRM fields before committing budget, using the free tiernot Zoho Desk

Zoho Desk

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

Where each one falls short

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

Scratchpad

  • Scratchpad works with Salesforce and nothing else, with no HubSpot support, so it is off the shortlist entirely for any company on a different CRM regardless of how good the interface is.
  • AI credits are metered per user per month at 400 on Solo and 800 on Team, which means heavy notetaking use pushes teams towards Enterprise for capacity rather than for features.
  • There is no proper native mobile application, so representatives who wanted to update records from a car park between meetings are back in a mobile browser.
  • Sync with Salesforce and call processing can lag, and a pipeline view showing yesterday state during a forecast call undermines the exact meeting the tool was bought to improve.
  • It creates a second notes surface alongside native Salesforce notes, so organisations end up with deal history split across two places unless they explicitly ban one of them.

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

Scratchpad

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Workspace limited to 3 views
    • 10 hours a month of call recording and notetaking
    • AI field updates
  • Solo$19/month
    • Unlimited views with sheets and notes
    • Call recorder and notetaker
    • AI field updates
  • Team$49/month
    • Everything in Solo
    • 800 AI credits per user per month
    • Gong integration
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Unlimited AI credits
    • White-glove agent services included
    • Enterprise security and administration

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 Scratchpad if

  • You need spreadsheet pipeline views.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Chrome extension.
  • You also want call recorder and notetaker.
Scratchpad 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 Scratchpad or Zoho Desk better?
Neither clearly leads. Scratchpad 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, Scratchpad or Zoho Desk?
Scratchpad starts at Free and Zoho Desk at Free.
Does Scratchpad or Zoho Desk run on more platforms?
Scratchpad runs on Web, Chrome extension. Zoho Desk runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Scratchpad for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Scratchpad best used for?
Scratchpad is most often used for a 60-rep salesforce team whose forecast is unreliable because opportunity fields are updated once a week in a panic before the pipeline call, a rep who wants to update twenty opportunities in a grid rather than opening twenty salesforce records, a sales manager wanting stale and incomplete pipeline records flagged automatically instead of chased by email, a revenue operations lead trialling ai notetaking that writes back to crm fields before committing budget, using the free tier. Of those, a 60-rep salesforce team whose forecast is unreliable because opportunity fields are updated once a week in a panic before the pipeline call and a rep who wants to update twenty opportunities in a grid rather than opening twenty salesforce records are not what Zoho Desk is typically brought in for.
What can Scratchpad do that Zoho Desk cannot?
Scratchpad covers Spreadsheet pipeline views, Call recorder and notetaker, AI field updates, Deal and account agent. Zoho Desk covers Ticket management, Multi-channel support, AI assistant, Automation.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Scratchpad: Does Scratchpad work with HubSpot?

No. It is Salesforce-only.

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
Scratchpad: Is the free plan usable in production?

Yes for an individual: full workspace with three views, 10 hours of recording and 100 AI credits a month. Teams outgrow it on views and credits.

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
Scratchpad: Does it replace Salesforce licences?

No. Every user still needs their own Salesforce licence; Scratchpad is an interface on top.

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
Scratchpad: What are AI credits spent on?

Notetaking, summarisation, field update suggestions and agent queries. Enterprise removes the cap.

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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