Bigin by Zoho CRM vs Salesforce Essentials comparison

Zoho and Salesforce are both solutions in the CRM category. Zoho is ranked #25 with an average rating of 8.0, while Salesforce is ranked #15 with an average rating of 8.1. Zoho holds a 0.9% mindshare in CRM, compared to Salesforce’s 0.6% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Zoho users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 92% of Salesforce users who would recommend it.

Bigin by Zoho CRM

Read 3 Bigin by Zoho CRM reviews

560 Views
554 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Salesforce Essentials

Read 14 Salesforce Essentials reviews

562 Views
556 Comparison Views

92% willing to recommend

Bigin by Zoho CRM

Salesforce Essentials

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Bigin by Zoho CRM and Salesforce Essentials based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two CRM solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Bigin by Zoho CRM vs. Salesforce Essentials Report (Updated: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Bigin by Zoho CRM vs. Salesforce Essentials

September 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 869,566 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

Bigin by Zoho CRM

Ranking in CRM

25th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

6.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Salesforce Essentials

Ranking in CRM

15th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

6.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the CRM category, the mindshare of Bigin by Zoho CRM is 0.9%, up from 0.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Salesforce Essentials is 0.6%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

CRM Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Salesforce Essentials	0.6%
Bigin by Zoho CRM	0.9%
Other	98.5%

CRM

Featured Reviews

Vivek_Kumar@

Zoho Developer at KG CRM Solutions LLP - Zoho Authorized Partner

Has supported lead and deal tracking for small businesses but lacks deeper customization options

The pipeline management has helped to streamline the sales processes in that I can develop the business pattern where we can send automated emails and automated calls at different stages. For example, when a lead enters a system, we can automatically generate welcome emails. Once any modification in the lead is done, such as when it's qualified, we can send them qualified emails or acknowledgment emails based on the business pipeline. This user-friendly interface has helped my customers adapt quicker to Bigin by Zoho CRM as, after customization or completion of the project, I will make a Loom video to train the clients through the sessions, and through the Loom videos and SOPs, they can adapt easily to Bigin by Zoho CRM. They can also adapt to all the applications.

Read full review

Srini-Dhanaraj

Founder & CEO at imfine.club

Manages service requests and dispatches engineers to resolve issues

I work from home for a heater manufacturing company. They wanted to move away from their current SAP CRM system to Salesforce. There is a fulfillment process, which involves taking an order, delivering it, and providing service. Salesforce is used to manage the order-taking process. Once an order is taken, the backend system, SAP ERP, handles product manufacturing, delivery, and installation. After installation, the Service Cloud in Salesforce takes over for ongoing service management. Once your order is confirmed, integration with the SAP ERP backend will be seamless. The system takes the sales order from Salesforce and starts processing it for procurement, starting with creating a production order, manufacturing, and then delivery. Once the product is delivered, this information is passed back to Salesforce Service Cloud. In the Service Cloud, a service engineer receives a notification indicating that a product needs to be delivered to a specific location for installation. The engineer then inspects and installs the product at the designated site. SAP ERP manages the product manufacturing and delivery processes. After the product is delivered to the customer, Salesforce Service Cloud takes over. It manages service requests and dispatches engineers to resolve issues reported by customers. Service Cloud captures the information and creates an incident record when a customer reports a product fault. Engineers receive this information and promptly visit the client site to fix the issue. The solution is easy to implement. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"I rate Bigin by Zoho CRM nine out of ten."

"We can add users and products to the workflows."

"The pipeline management has helped to streamline the sales processes in that I can develop the business pattern where we can send automated emails and automated calls at different stages."

"We use Salesforce Essentials for everything we do on the sales side."

"I can download the data to Excel, create tables, and do whatever I want. I am very comfortable with the tool's mobile application. Its main benefit is transparency because I can share it with representatives."

"Salesforce Essentials is a reliable and powerful application."

"Their reporting and analytics features have a very significant impact on my company's operational efficiency."

"High availability is really important for us when getting our reports as a vendor."

"The solution helps to track the performance of salespersons before closing deals."

"Salesforce makes tracking every product and customer activity easy, enabling managers to monitor their products, such as key products and their peak performance."

"Their reporting and analytics features have a very significant impact on my company's operational efficiency."

More Salesforce Essentials pros

Cons

"Bigin by Zoho CRM is a very limited application; we cannot customize it as we want."

"Zoho CRM needs to incorporate HRM."

"Bigin by Zoho CRM is a very limited application; we cannot customize it as we want."

"The user interface is too modular and fragmented, posing challenges. The UI could be much better by the year 2025."

"The solution could be cheaper."

"Areas that could be improved or upgraded in the next release include analytics, automation capabilities, and stability."

"Less integration would be better. It should work independently."

"Integrating Salesforce with SAP, considering our business relies heavily on SAP for ERP, has been quite challenging due to the intricate product configurations. Unlike standard products like computers with a few options, our products have hundreds of configurable options, making the integration complex. If such integration were possible, it would have been easier to understand the unique nature of our industry and the limited number of customers who buy steel products, unlike consumer electronics."

"The solution's UI is not user-friendly."

"Salesforce Essentials operates in a table format where the entire user interface is based on tables, more specifically pivot tables. This is not very user-friendly for mobile."

"Salesforce Essentials does not contain domain-specific solutions."

"When we use mixed languages, it can be uncomfortable because there seems to be no consideration for right-to-left speakers. It feels like these tools were developed by people who only speak left-to-right languages and didn't consider other language types' needs."

More Salesforce Essentials cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"Salesforce Essentials is quite expensive, almost 10 out of 10. I don't have the exact cost, but we found it to be very expensive based on our budget constraints."

"I rate Salesforce Essentials' pricing an eight out of ten."

"It's a perpetual license, and the subscription can be expensive."

"We chose quarterly payments."

"The tool is moderately priced."

"The pricing is a bit on the expensive side."

"There is a need to make yearly payments towards the licensing costs attached to the solution."

"The pricing is on the higher side, especially with additional costs for professional services like consultants."

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which CRM solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

869,566 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	5
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	7

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Bigin by Zoho CRM?

We can add users and products to the workflows.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Bigin by Zoho CRM?

The user interface is too modular and fragmented, posing challenges. The UI could be much better by the year 2025.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for Bigin by Zoho CRM?

I am not currently using Bigin by Zoho CRM ( /products/bigin-by-zoho-crm-reviews ), but I have used it in a previous company for about five years. I often recommend Bigin by Zoho CRM ( /products/bi...

See all answers

What do you like most about Salesforce Essentials?

Salesforce provides the best they have with the current version. Most of the features we need are already there, and it's very easy to use.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Salesforce Essentials?

Salesforce Essentials is very expensive, but it delivers exceptional value. It is a good platform to have if you can afford it because it has numerous add-ons and modules. Anything that Salesforce ...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Salesforce Essentials?

We use a limited number of automated workflows in Salesforce Essentials. The workflows we implement are designed to make sales teams' lives easier when executing certain tasks. Instead of requiring...

See all answers

Comparisons

HubSpot Sales Hub vs Bigin by Zoho CRM

Compared 43% of the time

Odoo vs Bigin by Zoho CRM

Compared 20% of the time

Bitrix24 vs Bigin by Zoho CRM

Compared 19% of the time

HubSpot CRM vs Bigin by Zoho CRM

Compared 17% of the time

More Bigin by Zoho CRM Competitors

No data available

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

CRM

September 2025

Download Bigin by Zoho CRM product report

Buyer's Guide

Salesforce Essentials

September 2025

Download Salesforce Essentials product report

Overview

Bigin by Zoho CRM is a streamlined CRM platform designed to meet the needs of small businesses, offering essential CRM functionalities with ease of use, enabling businesses to efficiently manage customer interactions and sales processes.

It operates as a lightweight CRM focusing on pipeline visibility and data-driven decision-making. Users can track deals, schedule follow-ups, and collaborate across teams, providing a simple yet effective way to enhance customer relationships. Bigin is acclaimed for its balance between robust features and simplicity. While it proves invaluable for small business operations, users indicate that enhancements in customization and scalability could elevate its utility further.

What are the standout features of Bigin by Zoho CRM?

Pipeline Management: Visualize and manage sales pipelines effectively.
Email Integration: Seamlessly integrate and manage email accounts.
Workflow Automation: Automate repetitive tasks to increase efficiency.
Mobile Access: Cloud-based accessibility from mobile devices.
Customizable Fields: Tailor fields to match business requirements.

What benefits or ROI should users expect?

Increased Efficiency: Streamlines sales processes, saving time.
Improved Collaboration: Facilitates better team communication.
Enhanced Decision-Making: Provides insights for informed choices.
Cost-Effectiveness: Affordable for small businesses.

Bigin by Zoho CRM is often used in small and medium enterprises needing straightforward CRM solutions without the complexities of larger systems. Industries such as retail, service-based businesses, and startups find its features particularly useful, helping teams focus on customer engagement and sales growth.

Zoho

Salesforce Essentials is a cloud-based CRM tool for businesses seeking flexible, scalable, and customizable solutions to enhance sales and customer support processes.

Designed for seamless integration across multiple channels, Salesforce Essentials includes Sales and Service Cloud to simplify sales tasks and customer management. It enhances finance, credit, and quality processes with user-friendly AI capabilities and predictive analytics. Despite its strengths, there is room for improvement in SAP integration, interface simplicity, and report generation. Cost-effectiveness and support for diverse languages are also potential upgrade areas. Businesses use this CRM solution for lead management, opportunity tracking, and automating sales workflows, transitioning from paper-based methods to digital efficiency.

What are the essential features of Salesforce Essentials?

Scalability and Flexibility: Accommodates growth and customization needs.
Multiple Channel Integration: Enhances finance and quality processes.
User-Friendly: Easy navigation with AI capabilities.
Cloud Deployment: Includes Sales and Service Cloud features.
Predictive Analytics: Improves productivity and tracking.
Mobile App Support: Facilitates on-the-go access and management.

What benefits or ROI can users expect from Salesforce Essentials?

Improved Productivity: Automation features save time and streamline tasks.
Enhanced Customer Management: Centralizes interaction and data handling.
Ease of Transition: From manual to automated workflows.
Performance Monitoring: Standardizes processes for better oversight.

In the retail industry, businesses employ Salesforce Essentials for customer data management and transparency in order processing. Healthcare providers use it for patient engagement and streamlined communication. Financial services utilize it for billing management and compliance, harnessing automation tools for efficient data handling.

Salesforce

Buyer's Guide

Bigin by Zoho CRM vs. Salesforce Essentials

September 2025

Free Report: Bigin by Zoho CRM vs. Salesforce Essentials

Find out what your peers are saying about Bigin by Zoho CRM vs. Salesforce Essentials and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

869,566 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our Bigin by Zoho CRM vs. Salesforce Essentials report.

See our list of best CRM vendors.

We monitor all CRM reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.