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HCL Domino vs Zoho Creator comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 17, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
5.0
Opinions on HCL Domino ROI vary, with some reporting positive returns and operational benefits, despite initial deployment challenges.
Sentiment score
3.8
Zoho Creator offers cost-effective custom solutions enhancing functionalities, reducing expenses, and improving operational efficiency, despite varied subscription values.
For instance, a company I worked with compared spending on Salesforce, which was 15 crore, to our expenses with Zoho Creator, which was only 2 crore annually.
I have seen a return on investment with Zoho Creator because we eliminated a point of sale software that was charging us 5 lakhs per year across all 26 malls.
Using Zoho Creator is affordable for my business as it helps save time.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.0
HCL Domino customer support is generally positive, praised for promptness and helpfulness, yet some find it complex and unfriendly.
Sentiment score
5.2
Zoho Creator support is generally helpful with responsive service, though delays occur, especially in email and complex issues.
I would rate the technical support 10 out of 10 because they provide excellent assistance.
Delays arise once the support team must refer to backend processes or developers, highlighting the need for enhancement in their overall support system.
All documentation exists, detailing even the smallest elements; by reading through it properly, one can manage without additional support.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.2
HCL Domino offers effective scalability for many, but faces challenges with large databases affecting reliability for some users.
Sentiment score
5.8
Zoho Creator scales user additions and expansions well, though large data volumes may cause performance and cost challenges.
Being browser-based allows me to drag and drop components immediately, deploying in seconds on a live application.
We are continuing to build on top of what was initially created for them, ensuring that scalability is never an issue as long as you understand how to utilize Zoho properly.
When my customers' needs are growing, Zoho Creator is able to adapt to these growing needs because it's a build-it-yourself application.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
HCL Domino is praised for its stability and reliability, though some report performance declines with larger databases.
Sentiment score
6.4
Zoho Creator is praised for reliability, stability, flexibility, and resilience, with minor lagging and potential scalability challenges noted.
The core elements of coding and daily scripting remain unchanged despite interface updates, assuring continuity in my work.
You can't rely on any software in business if it's not going to be stable and reliable.
Offering versatile flexibility for various integrations, such as WhatsApp and email API integration.
 

Room For Improvement

HCL Domino requires improved integration, updated interface, better performance, enhanced scalability, security, and support for modern technologies.
Zoho Creator users seek improved customization, integration, data handling, support, and cost-effective solutions for enhanced usability and efficiency.
In-line editing of documents and a document viewer are functionalities that would be beneficial.
In terms of scalability, there are certain limitations if the data volume is large due to execution limits.
Enhancing the user interface could also be beneficial, as the company's focus seems more on functionality.
I want to see improvements in Zoho Creator focusing on AI capabilities because there currently seems to be very little AI usage in Zoho compared to the advancements in other software.
 

Setup Cost

HCL Domino pricing is seen as high, $100/user annually, affecting smaller enterprises' decisions against competitors like Microsoft Exchange.
Zoho Creator offers flexible pricing and competitive value, appealing to both small and large enterprises despite potential setup costs.
The Notes client is very expensive, costing around $105 per client.
Zoho offers customizable pricing options, such as Zoho One, which provides access to all 40 applications for 1250.
For INR, the standard cost is 480 per month, the professional tier is around 1,200, and the enterprise level is 1,500, based on the subscription level per user for Zoho Creator.
Pricing is a little on the higher side for the Indian market, especially for mid-sized and small-sized companies with 30 to 40 users.
 

Valuable Features

HCL Domino offers strong security, seamless integration, cross-platform versatility, robust encryption, and efficient storage with DAOS for comprehensive application support.
Zoho Creator offers flexible, low-code application development, integration, and customization with advanced features like drag-and-drop and Deluge scripting.
Its hybrid nature allows the use of both web-based applications and Notes client-based applications.
The seamless integration with third-party applications and services in Zoho Creator greatly enhances its utility in my business environment, as the ease of integration is impressive.
For analytics, we employ two tools: Zoho Creator itself and Zoho Analytics, where we can use SQL queries to fetch data from multiple platforms.
We can generate QR codes for free, whereas in CRM, QR generation requires external purchases.
 

Categories and Ranking

HCL Domino
Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software
17th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
22
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Zoho Creator
Ranking in Rapid Application Development Software
12th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.2
Number of Reviews
34
Ranking in other categories
Low-Code Development Platforms (8th)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Rapid Application Development Software category, the mindshare of HCL Domino is 0.6%, up from 0.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zoho Creator is 1.0%, up from 1.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Rapid Application Development Software Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Zoho Creator1.0%
HCL Domino0.6%
Other98.4%
Rapid Application Development Software
 

Featured Reviews

Jason Levine - PeerSpot reviewer
A tool that offers great security and integration capabilities
The solution facilitates our company's workflow automation needs since it is a platform that allows users to build whatever workflows they want. The product is used for application development in our organization for our customers, as we operate as consultants. The features of the product that I found to be beneficial for the productivity of my company's team stems from the fact that it can be integrated directly into HCL Notes email so that you can manage your workflows there, and you don't have to change contacts a go to a separate application to deal with a document approval process since it can be done directly from emails. HCL Domino is one of the leading products in the industry, so it is definitely ahead of the other tools in the market. In our company, some departments use HCL Domino for emails rather than other solutions because it is more secure. The tool has an impact on the management of sensitive data in our company. My only suggestion to those who plan to use HCL Domino is that they should not be daunted by the old UI it offers. The collaboration tool of HCL Domino has affected the internal communication processes in our organization. The collaboration tool of HCL Domino is something that the solution has been offering from the time it was introduced in the market as an expensive product. The impact or value on our company from the use of the product can be proven by the fact that with the solution, it is possible to automate processes or workflows while ensuring that there is consistency, lack of human errors, and efficiency. Earlier, I would have rated the tool eight out of ten. Presently, considering the increase in the number of integrations that the product allows and its movement to meet industry standards, I rate the overall tool a nine out of ten.
VishalKumar7 - PeerSpot reviewer
User experience metadata and workflow customization have been streamlined
The creator needs improvement; for instance, if I create a widget that has dynamic data, it cannot get published. When we publish a page that contains a widget, dynamic data does not appear. That is the problem with Zoho Creator, so it needs improvement. The portal user aspect is also costly; for example, purchasing 250 portal users can be expensive for clients who require them monthly. It creates a financial burden similar to how customer logins on e-commerce websites such as Flipkart or Amazon are generally free. Thus, Zoho Creator needs to offer free access for all portal users as they are essential for the application's usage. In Zoho Creator, we cannot work on UI customization as expected; if I want an application resembling a Figma design, there are limitations on UI changes.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Government
11%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Construction Company
7%
Computer Software Company
18%
Financial Services Firm
10%
Educational Organization
8%
Healthcare Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business16
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise2
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business22
Midsize Enterprise4
Large Enterprise7
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about HCL Domino?
The most valuable features of the solution are security and integration.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HCL Domino?
The Notes client is very expensive, costing around $105 per client. Overall, HCL Domino is a costly product.
What needs improvement with HCL Domino?
One challenge I faced with HCL Domino was fully understanding its capabilities because initial use may lead to misconceptions based on simpler platforms. Exploring and comprehending what is possibl...
What do you like most about Zoho Creator?
The deployment process is quite straightforward.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zoho Creator?
The pricing, setup cost, and licensing cost of Zoho Creator are very cost-effective compared to other similar tools. The information is available on the website. It is effective for small businesse...
What needs improvement with Zoho Creator?
I would appreciate more API integrations and more documentation terms related to Deluge Script in Zoho Creator. They have some documentation, but as a developer, additional documentation with examp...
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

IBM Lotus Domino, Lotus Domino
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

A1 Telekom, Acubiz, Afrisam, E. A. Juffali & Brothers, Fiducia & GAD, and Pakistan State Oil
Estate Crush Winery, Integra Services, Avidpays, Napa Valley Film Festival, Marionnaud, The Institute of Hormonal Health, Stone Tapert
Find out what your peers are saying about HCL Domino vs. Zoho Creator and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
869,566 professionals have used our research since 2012.