Zoho CRM vs Hubspot: Which CRM is Best for Your Business in 2025?
If you want an affordable, end-to-end platform you can roll out quickly and scale across sales, service, finance, and reporting, Zoho CRM (and Zoho One) usually delivers the best ROI for SMBs and mid-market teams in the UK.
HubSpot shines for teams prioritising a polished UI and marketing-led workflows, but costs escalate fast as you add Hubs, seats, and advanced features. (More on numbers below.) This guidance aligns with our audience’s priorities: cut admin, increase rep productivity, prove ROI, and get hands-on support.
So, which is right for you? Let’s break it down.
| What matters | Zoho CRM | HubSpot (Sales Hub / CRM Platform) |
|---|---|---|
| Cost structure | Low per-user CRM pricing; or Zoho One bundles 45+ apps for a flat per-employee fee. | Seats-based model across Hubs; bundling (Customer Platform/CRM Suite) simplifies buying but can be pricey. |
| AI | Zia AI for lead scoring, predictions, content, and new agentic AI sales assistants. | AI embedded across the Smart CRM; new lead-scoring tools and combined scores available in 2025 updates. |
| Reporting/BI | Deep link to Zoho Analytics; strong out-of-the-box dashboards. | Robust analytics; often extended via HubSpot reporting add-ons or external BI. |
| Ease of use | Modern UI; quick time-to-value; best when paired with a partner for setup & training. | Very slick UX; beloved by marketers; powerful but costs rise with scale. |
| Ecosystem | Native suite (Books, Desk, Inventory, FSM, Analytics) for full operating system coverage. | Large app marketplace; strong marketing & content tools natively. |
| Fit | Cost-conscious SMB/mid-market needing multi-department automation. | Teams wanting a marketing-first stack and premium UX, comfortable with higher TCO. |
Bottom line: If you want full-stack capability and the lowest TCO, go Zoho CRM / Zoho One. If you want a marketing-first UX and you’re okay with higher per-seat costs, go HubSpot.
Pricing & ROI: The Numbers That Matter
Zoho One (All-Employee plan): £37/user/month (annual) or £45/user/month (monthly). Flexible User plan: £80/user/month (annual) or £100/user/month (monthly).
HubSpot Customer Platform (CRM Suite): HubSpot now uses seats-based pricing across Hubs (no legacy minimums for Sales/Service) and offers bundled Customer Platform tiers (Starter/Pro/Enterprise). Exact monthly totals vary by seats and hubs selected. HubSpot+1 Independent UK guides peg Professional around £1,130/month and Enterprise around £3,740/month for the full suite (indicative; confirm in your portal).
Illustrative 10-person team (UK):
- Zoho One (All-Employee): ~£370/month for 10 employees (45+ apps incl. CRM, Desk, Books, Analytics).
- HubSpot CRM Suite Professional: ~£1,130/month baseline before add-ons/extra seats (marketing email volumes, reporting add-ons, etc.).
👉 ROI takeaway: Zoho’s suite economics typically yield 2–3× lower TCO for SMB/mid-market teams while covering more departments out of the box.
Let’s talk about how Zoho CRM can work for you!
Ease of Use & Implementation
- HubSpot: A famously polished UX that marketing teams love; onboarding is straightforward but costs grow as you expand hubs, seats, and limits.
- Zoho: Fast to value, especially when we run a Discovery Workshop and phase the rollout to protect productivity—something our personas explicitly value (less disruption, more adoption).
AI, Automation & Reporting in 2025
- Zoho Zia prioritises deals, generates content, forecasts, and—new in 2025—lets you deploy Zia Agents (“digital employees”) to handle SDR tasks, data enrichment, and coaching. Less admin, more selling.
- HubSpot AI: 2025 updates broaden lead scoring (combined contact + company scores) and evolve the scoring tool available in Pro+ tiers—great for marketing-led funnels.
Data Security & Compliance
Zoho CRM
- EU data residency by default (zoho.eu): Accounts created on zoho.eu are hosted in Zoho’s European data centres (Netherlands & Ireland); DC is assigned by region at signup and kept within that region.
- Certifications & controls: ISO 27001/27017/27018 and 27701 (privacy); encryption in transit & at rest; secure SDLC/OWASP controls.
- GDPR tooling & DPA: Consent management, double opt-in, data subject rights; Zoho will sign a DPA (with SCCs).
- Privacy stance: No ad-based business model; “we don’t sell your data.”
HubSpot (CRM Platform / Sales Hub)
- EU data centre option: New portals can choose EU hosting (Frankfurt); existing portals can migrate via HubSpot’s tool.
- Certifications & controls: Hosted on providers with SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001; enterprise-grade physical and infra security.
- GDPR & DPA: Up-to-date Data Processing Agreement (incl. UK addendum/SCCs) governs processing and transfers.
Bottom line: Both platforms can meet GDPR requirements. If you need guaranteed EU residency out of the gate, Zoho (zoho.eu) keeps customer data in EU data centres by default. If you prefer HubSpot, ensure your portal is provisioned in the EU (or migrated) and your DPA is signed.
Best Use Cases in 2025
Choose Zoho CRM / Zoho One when…
- You need suite value across departments. Sales + Service (Desk) + Finance (Books) + Reporting (Analytics) without stitching vendors together.
- TCO matters. You want predictable per-employee pricing and the lowest cost to scale across teams.
- You want fast time-to-value. Phased rollout, low-code tweaks, quick wins for busy sales teams.
- You plan to automate beyond Sales. Approvals, quote-to-cash, ticket ↔︎ deal visibility, basic inventory/FSM links as you grow.
- You’re already on Zoho. Adding CRM (or consolidating into Zoho One) unlocks unified data and simpler adoption.
- You prefer a partner-led implementation. Tailored build, training, and ongoing optimisation with a Zoho Premium Partner (Goldstar).
Choose HubSpot (CRM Platform / Sales Hub) when…
- Marketing is your centre of gravity. Inbound, content, email, forms, and journeys are where you win.
- You want the slickest marketing UX out of the box. Minimal setup to get campaigns live fast.
- You’re okay with higher TCO as you scale. Multiple hubs/seats/add-ons are acceptable for that integrated marketing experience.
- You’re already a HubSpot Marketing shop. Keeping CRM + Marketing native keeps ops simple for the team.
Why a Zoho Premium Partner (Goldstar IT) changes outcomes
Long-term optimisation: Training, health checks, integrations, and iterative improvements as your business evolves.
This is central to our brand promise: open, effective, and enjoyable to work with—a partner who treats your business like our own.
Tailored build: We fit Zoho to your processes, not the other way round—rooted in our Discovery Workshop approach.
Faster ROI: Phased go-lives and human-centric project management minimise disruption and drive adoption.
Make Zoho CRM drive sales – not just record them!
Boosting ROI with an existing Zoho deployment
If you already use Zoho Books, Desk, or Analytics, adding Zoho CRM supercharges your ROI:
- Sales sees invoices and support tickets in one place.
- Finance gets accurate, live revenue forecasts.
- Leaders access cross-department reporting at a glance.
👉 Result: Switching on more Zoho apps results in fewer errors, faster decisions, happier customers, and bigger profits.
Check out some of our other clients and see how multiple Zoho apps have worked for them!
Zoho CRM vs Hubspot FAQs
Generally yes—especially with Zoho One at £37/user/month (annual) for all employees, giving you 45+ apps vs. paying across multiple HubSpot Hubs.
Yes. HubSpot’s free tier is generous (contacts, email tracking, chat), but advanced automation/reporting require paid Hubs.
Zoho added agentic AI (Zia Agents). HubSpot updated lead scoring tools (combined scores, new UX).
Absolutely. But it’s especially strong for SMBs and mid-market firms looking for enterprise features without the price tag.
Yes. Many firms standardise on Zoho One to scale across departments with a predictable cost base.
Work with a Zoho Premium Partner that runs discovery, change management, training, and ongoing optimisation—that’s our core operating model.
In conclusion which is better in 2025 – Zoho CRM or Hubspot?
If your goal is maximum capability at the lowest predictable cost, choose Zoho CRM (ideally via Zoho One). If your motion is marketing-first and you’re comfortable with a higher TCO for a premium UX, choose HubSpot. Already using Zoho apps? Adding Zoho CRM compounds ROI with a single data model across sales, service, finance, and reporting.
Working with a Zoho Premium Partner like Goldstar IT de-risks the whole journey—discovery, phased rollout, training, and ongoing optimisation—so you see value in weeks, not months.
Next step — pick your path:
👉 Want numbers? Book a free cost comparison call with Goldstar IT
👉 Not ready to talk? Download a free Zoho CRM trial
👉 Need more info? Visit our CRM resources hub