Intercom Customer Communications Platform vs Zoho CRM comparison

Intercom and Zoho are both solutions in the CRM category. Intercom is ranked #29 with an average rating of 9.0, while Zoho is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.3. Intercom holds a 0.3% mindshare in CRM, compared to Zoho’s 3.1% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of Intercom users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 88% of Zoho users who would recommend it.

Intercom Customer Communica...

Read 2 Intercom Customer Communications Platform reviews

136 Views
63 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Zoho CRM

Read 52 Zoho CRM reviews

2,172 Views
920 Comparison Views

88% willing to recommend

Intercom Customer Communica...

Zoho CRM

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Apr 20, 2025

Zoho CRM and Intercom compete in customer relationship management and customer communications platforms. Zoho CRM is more favorable in pricing and support, whereas Intercom's features make it a potentially superior choice overall.

Features: Zoho CRM focuses on lead management, analytics, and automation. Intercom provides real-time chat, personalized messaging, and customer engagement tools.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Intercom delivers an easy deployment model with dedicated customer service. Zoho CRM offers flexible deployment but might be less agile in service responsiveness.

Pricing and ROI: Zoho CRM offers a cost-effective solution with competitive ROI and more budget-friendly options. Intercom, while having higher setup costs, provides robust features justifying the price with potential long-term benefits in customer interaction.

To learn more, read our detailed CRM Report (Updated: June 2025).

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June 2025

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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

Intercom Customer Communica...

Ranking in CRM

29th

Average Rating

9.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

CRM Customer Engagement Centers (12th), Social CRM (6th)

Zoho CRM

Ranking in CRM

4th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Opportunity Management (4th), Sales Force Automation (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of June 2025, in the CRM category, the mindshare of Intercom Customer Communications Platform is 0.3%, up from 0.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zoho CRM is 3.1%, down from 4.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

CRM

Featured Reviews

Kumar Abhishek Anand

Director at Revivo Technologies

Customer support has improved significantly with seamless chat integration for quick resolutions

The feature we appreciate most about the Intercom Customer Communications Platform is the messenger functionality. We are able to integrate it into our application and provide support to customers directly through our application. The messenger works efficiently, allowing users to have conversations without entering their details repeatedly. There is conversation history available for each customer interaction, and they can access the help section within the chat itself. The Finn AI agent handles conversations both in chat and WhatsApp, which is particularly beneficial. Regarding automation tools, we have enabled the AI agent to answer customer queries instantly, reducing the need for constant staff presence. The AI agent quickly responds to customers and summarizes their issues, informing us when it cannot resolve a problem independently.

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AmerKhan

Senior Director - Head of Solution Engineering at Osol tech (Private) Limited

Diverse integrations assist in seamlessly aligning marketing efforts with sales tracking

Zoho CRM is flexible due to its integrations, like with Zoho Campaign, helping integrate marketing efforts with CRM processes. It offers a no-cost entry with the ability for three users to use it at no charge, which is beneficial for startups to explore the platform without financial strain. This enables me to start using the platform, handle opportunities, and get a feel before committing financially.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The live chat is pretty good because you can create a macro, which is a predefined input we can give customers."

"The feature we appreciate most about the Intercom Customer Communications Platform is the messenger functionality, allowing users to have conversations without entering their details repeatedly."

"The login and logout times of each employee of our company are recorded by Zoho CRM for productivity calculations"

"There's no installation required."

"For the most part, the solution is stable."

"Customer tracking, order management, sales tracking and PO tracking provide efficiency."

"The most valuable features are the lead, opportunity and task management as well as dashboard creation, reporting, contact management and campaigns."

"The initial setup is pretty fast."

"The solution is always stable."

"What I like best about Zoho CRM is the web form feature. I find Zoho CRM forms excellent."

More Zoho CRM pros

Cons

"It would be beneficial if there was a way to train the AI to better understand customer language."

"Sometimes, the solution lags and takes time to update something."

"Some of our clients could not develop their requirements using the product."

"I'm not sure that there is scalability potential for enterprises."

"The mobile application is a little complicated and could be simplified."

"The product's scalability and stability need improvement."

"There was a challenge while deploying Zoho when we brought an API code. Because integrations "aren't perfect" for every organization."

"Adding a new contract to the solution is quite complicated."

"We would like to always email users as soon as any new features are launched."

"Support could be more knowledgeable."

More Zoho CRM cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The licensing is the subscription, where we pay $50 per month per user."

"The product costs $35 per user per year."

"Compared to other CRMs, it is very cheap."

"The tool started out quite cheap. It's had some changes with small and medium business subscriptions, but it's still worth the price. I'd say it's priced a bit below the medium range."

"There is a license required for this solution."

"The basic plan has changed from $15 to $25 or $30."

"I rate the product a four out of ten. The cost for Zoho CRM is not fixed; different editions are available, and the features depend on the edition chosen. Some capabilities, such as integrating with workflows, might incur additional costs, but these are well-documented and not hidden."

"We consider it a good value and found it to be cost-effective."

More Zoho CRM pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Educational Organization

63%

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about Intercom Customer Communications Platform?

The live chat is pretty good because you can create a macro, which is a predefined input we can give customers.

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What needs improvement with Intercom Customer Communications Platform?

Sometimes, the solution lags and takes time to update something. If I put a specific tag on an inbound lead, it would take around five minutes for that tag to reflect throughout the solution for al...

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What is your primary use case for Intercom Customer Communications Platform?

We use the solution to capture leads and interact with them. Our company manages all the customer interactions through the solution.

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What do you like most about Zoho CRM?

Zoho CRM integrates easily with customer service workflows.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zoho CRM?

I rate the pricing as a five out of ten, as it offers good value for money.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Zoho CRM?

The analytics and AI suggestion features need improvement.

See all answers

Comparisons

No data available

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Compared 54% of the time

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Compared 8% of the time

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Compared 6% of the time

Oracle CRM vs Zoho CRM

Compared 6% of the time

Salesforce Sales Cloud vs Zoho CRM

Compared 6% of the time

More Zoho CRM Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

CRM Customer Engagement Centers

June 2025

Intercom Customer Communications Platform report

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Buyer's Guide

Zoho CRM

May 2025

Download Zoho CRM product report

Also Known As

Intercom

No data available

Overview

Intercom Customer Communications Platform enhances interactions by offering robust tools designed to streamline customer engagement and support, effectively catering to modern business communication needs.

Providing a comprehensive approach to customer interaction, Intercom facilitates seamless conversation management through its adaptable suite of messaging, logistical, and analytical features. Frequently utilized for customer support and marketing, its flexibility and user-friendly design encourage efficient communication. While offering valuable insights through analytics, some users note areas for improvement in customizability and pricing models, pointing towards a potential enhancement in fine-tuning its cost-effectiveness and adaptability to diverse business strategies.

What are the standout features of Intercom?

Live Chat: Immediate customer support through real-time messaging.
Automated Bot: Streamlines inquiries by handling routine questions.
Integration Capabilities: Connects seamlessly with third-party tools.
Inbox Management: Organizes conversations for efficient response.

What benefits and ROI should users look for?

Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: Faster resolutions lead to happier clients.
Improved Team Efficiency: Automation reduces manual workload.
Actionable Analytics: Data-driven insights optimize strategies.
Scalable Solutions: Adapts to growing business demands.

Industries such as e-commerce, SaaS, and tech-driven businesses often implement Intercom for its ability to provide personalized customer journeys. Its messaging platform excels in maintaining customer relationships and resolving issues quickly, which is crucial in these fast-paced sectors.

Intercom

Zoho CRM empowers organizations with a complete customer relationship lifecycle management solution for managing organization-wide Sales, Marketing, Customer Support & Service and Inventory Management.

Zoho

Sample Customers

Expensift, Moz, Invision, Salesforce, Droplr, Vend, BugHerd, Ghost, Put.io, Codeship

JetHub, Anderson Sales Advantage, ActionCoach, Milagro Advisory Group, TECO Pneumatic, Proteomics Consult

Find out what your peers are saying about Salesforce, Microsoft, SAP and others in CRM. Updated: June 2025.

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