Bigin vs Zoho CRM: simplicity or power, what should you choose from Zoho?
Zoho CRM or Bigin? It sounds like the title of a spin-off, but no: it's a real duel between two solutions... both from the same company. On the one hand, Zoho CRM, an all-in-one heavyweight. On the other, Bigin, its more agile little brother, designed for very small businesses and sales teams looking for simplicity.
So which one should you choose in 2025?
If you're wavering between modular power and minimalist efficiency, you've come to the right place. We've analysed both tools from every angle: functionality, pricing, user experience, integrations... Nothing has been left to chance. Above all, we'll help you make an informed choice, based on your real business needs.
Spoiler: there are no losers here, just two very different CRMs that aren't in the same league. The question is, which one are you playing in?
What is Bigin?
Overview of Bigin
Bigin is a bit like an espresso version of CRM: concentrated, fast and with no frills. Designed by Zoho for very small businesses, micro-businesses and the self-employed, it is aimed at those who want to structure their sales pipeline without spending three weeks onboarding.
Its positioning? An ultra-simplified, mobile-first CRM that allows you to manage your sales from A to Z without having to bother with unnecessary modules. There's no need for a thousand functions or a sprawling architecture. Just the essentials: a visual pipeline, simple automation, web forms, and rapid integration with everyday tools (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Zoom, etc.).
As far as customers are concerned, Bigin appeals to a wide range of profiles: start-ups in the launch phase, consultancies, freelancers and field sales staff who need a tool that is both mobile and intuitive.
Its promise is clear: to replace spreadsheets (we see you, Google Sheets fans), while remaining much simpler than a traditional CRM.
Bigin's main features
Bigin gets straight to the point. It offers the essential tools for tracking sales, automating tasks and saving time, without complexity.
Here are the key features to remember:
- Visual sales pipeline: drag-and-drop, customisable views, clear stages... the pipeline is simple, but frighteningly effective.
- Lightweight automation: create basic workflows (emails, tasks, status updates), without coding or getting lost in overly complex scenarios.
- Telephony & email integration: calls directly from the interface, synchronisation with Gmail, Outlook, etc.
- Web forms & lead capture: automatic generation of forms from personalised forms.
- Full mobile application: offline access, calls, push notifications... practical for sales reps in the field.
- Connection to key apps: Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Zoom, Zapier, Slack, Mailchimp, etc.
Bigin's approach: cover the sales cycle from start to finish, while remaining accessible right from the first time you use it.
Bigin by Zoho CRM
Advantages and disadvantages of Bigin
Bigin has one big advantage: it doesn't do much, but it does it well. And that can be both its greatest advantage... and its main limitation.
What we like about Bigin:
- Instant learning , even without being a CRM expert.
- A truly accomplished mobile application (unlike many tools on the market).
- Unbeatable value for money, with a plan from €7/month.
- Simple integration with the tools most commonly used by small organisations.
What we don't like:
- Little advanced customisation: perfect for simple uses, less so for complex processes.
- No advanced reporting or native marketing functions.
- Unsuitable for organisations with several sales teams or siloed processes.
Bigin is therefore an excellent starter CRM for structuring your prospecting in a straightforward way. But if you're aiming for a multi-level sales strategy with advanced automated workflows, it may soon show its limitations.
What is Zoho CRM?
Overview of Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM is the big brother in the sibling family. More mature, more robust, and clearly designed for SMEs, ETIs and large sales teams. Far from the minimalist simplicity of Bigin, it offers a comprehensive, modular CRM suite designed to support complex sales cycles, structured teams and multi-channel strategies.
It is aimed at those who need advanced personalisation, detailed reporting , advanced automation scenarios and a 360° view of their prospects and customers. All in an interface that can be adapted to almost any sector.
With over 250,000 enterprise customers worldwide, Zoho CRM is well established in the market, often seen as a more accessible alternative to Salesforce or HubSpot, without compromising on functionality.
So it's a solid choice for businesses that want a scalable CRM that can keep pace with their growth... and even provoke it.
Key features of Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM is clearly a comprehensive tool. It offers a wide range of modules to cover the entire customer relationship cycle, from initial contact to customer retention.
Here are the key features you need to know about:
- Customisable sales pipeline with advanced management of stages, roles and territories.
- Powerful automation via Blueprint or CommandCenter to manage complex scenarios.
- Advanced dashboards and reports with predictive analysis (Zia AI).
- Marketing campaign management, lead scoring and dynamic segmentation.
- Team collaboration with internal chat, task management and process validation.
- Native connectors with over 500 applications (including Zoho Books, Slack, Google Ads, LinkedIn, etc.).
- Zia artificial intelligence to predict conversions, propose optimal contact times and analyse customer sentiment.
Zoho CRM stands out for its flexibility. Each company can activate only the modules that interest it, making it a scalable tool that can be adapted to different levels of commercial maturity.
Zoho CRM
Advantages and disadvantages of Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM is a bit like the Swiss army knife for salespeople: ultra-complete, sometimes almost too complete.
What we like:
- Wide functional coverage, from leads to customer service.
- Great freedom of customisation, without the need for a developer.
- Advanced automation scenarios, useful for structured teams.
- Seamless integration with the Zoho ecosystem (Books, Campaigns, Desk, etc.).
- Competitively priced against the big boys like Salesforce and HubSpot.
What we don't like:
- Less intuitive than Bigin at first glance, especially for non-technical profiles.
- Longer learning curve, especially if you activate several modules.
- Interface can be dense, depending on the configuration you choose.
Zoho CRM is an excellent choice for growing companies that want to structure their sales on a large scale. But it does take a little time to get the hang of.
Bigin vs Zoho CRM: compare features
One goes for the essentials, the other wants to cover everything. To choose between Bigin and Zoho CRM, you need to compare what really counts: pipeline, automation, reporting, personalisation and collaboration.
Here's a summary table before zooming in on each point:
| Functionality | Bigin | Zoho CRM |
| Sales pipeline | Simple and visual | Advanced and customisable |
| Automation | Basic (simple workflows) | Complex (Blueprint, AI) |
| Reporting & analysis | Standard | Complex with AI (Zia) |
| Customisation | Limited | Very advanced (layouts, rules) |
| Collaboration & team management | Basic | Advanced |
| Integrations | Targeted selection | Rich ecosystem + API |
Focus 1: Pipeline management
Bigin is all about clarity. A single, drag-and-drop pipeline with simple steps and an easy-to-read interface. Ideal for tracking a single sales line.
Zoho CRM offers much more advanced management: multiple pipelines, by team or by product line, customisation of stages, conditional progression rules. Useful when sales cycles become complex.
👉 To remember
Bigin is sufficient for a linear sales cycle. Zoho CRM has the advantage when managing multiple offers, teams or territories.
Focus 2: Sales automation
Bigin offers simple workflows: automatically send an e-mail, create a task, update a field... saving time without getting bogged down in conditional logic.
Zoho CRM goes much further. With Blueprint, you can define a real step-by-step sales scenario, with validation, attribution and multiple triggers. And thanks to Zia, the in-house AI, you can even automate based on behavioural predictions.
👉 To remember
Bigin is ideal for automating basic tasks. Zoho CRM is designed for companies that want to industrialise their sales processes.
Focus 3: Reporting and analysis
Bigin provides standard reports: number of opportunities, conversion rate, performance per sales rep. This is all you need to monitor your activity without overloading your teams.
Zoho CRM, on the other hand, offers a much richer level of analysis: cross-referenced reports, dynamic tables, sales forecasts... with, as a bonus, intelligent recommendations thanks to AI.
👉 To remember
If you manage your sales at a glance, Bigin will do the job. If you're looking to fine-tune your performance, Zoho CRM is a far more powerful ally.
Focus 4: Customising the tool
With Bigin, you can customise a few fields, change the pipeline stages and add a logo. That's enough to keep things clear, without breaking the ergonomics.
Zoho CRM, on the other hand, is almost like a giant Lego: customised layouts, conditional fields, validation rules, interface by user profile... You can adapt almost anything.
👉 To remember
Bigin deliberately limits the options to keep things simple. Zoho CRM adapts to the most specific processes, even if this means a bit of configuration.
Focus 5: Collaboration and team management
Bigin is designed for a small, unified sales team. It includes tasks, a shared inbox and a number of activity monitoring functions.
Zoho CRM deploys a true collaborative space: role assignment, multi-level supervision, access rules, milestone validation, and seamless integration with Zoho Cliq or Zoho Projects.
👉 To remember
For a single, close-knit team, Bigin is sufficient. For a structured sales organisation with several levels of reporting, Zoho CRM has a clear advantage.
Bigin vs Zoho CRM: compare prices
Bigin and Zoho CRM follow two very distinct pricing strategies. Bigin is ultra-affordable, while Zoho CRM is more scalable, but also more technical (and more expensive as needs grow).
Here is a detailed comparison of the 2025 offers:
| Plan | Zoho CRM | Bigin |
| Free | 0/month - Up to 3 users, contact and task management, simple reporting | 0/month - 1 user, 1 pipeline, 500 records, integrated email, mobile application |
| Entry-level | 14/month (Standard) - Lead scoring, dashboards, simple automation, basic integrations | 7/month (Express) - 50,000 records, light automation, calls, web forms, essential integrations |
| Mid-range | 23/month (Professional) - Email marketing, inventory management, blueprint, custom reports | 12/month (Premier) - Multiple pipelines, advanced automation, custom views, APIs |
| Top of the range | 40/month (Enterprise) - IA Zia, CommandCenter, multi-pipelines, custom modules, process validation | 18/month (Bigin 360) - Zoho suite integration (Desk, Books...), enriched reports, priority support |
| Premium | 52/month (Ultimate) - Advanced BI, sandbox, extended storage, premium support | - |
👉 To remember
- Bigin does not offer a premium plan equivalent to Zoho CRM's Ultimate. It is based on a VSE/SME approach.
- Zoho CRM offers a clear ramp-up, but with a steeper learning curve.
Bigin vs Zoho CRM: which interface is more intuitive?
Between radical simplicity and modular power, the user experience is bound to be different. And it starts as soon as you log on.
Bigin relies on a streamlined interface, centred on a single visual pipeline. There's no friction: you know immediately where to click, even without training. The whole thing is fluid, designed to be mobile-first, with real consistency between web and app.
Zoho CRM, on the other hand, offers a denser interface. Multiple modules, customisable views, interactive dashboards: it's rich, but it can also be intimidating. On the other hand, once properly configured, the tool becomes a real commercial war machine. It even allows you to adapt the interface according to user roles and profiles.
| Criteria | Bigin | Zoho CRM |
| Getting started | Immediate, intuitive | More complex, requires configuration |
| Interface customisation | Basic (views and fields) | Very advanced (layouts, profiles, modules) |
| Mobile & accessibility | Fluid, efficient application | Complete mobile application, but denser |
| Learning curve | Very low | Medium to high, depending on the depth used |
| Suitable for which profile? | Very small businesses, self-employed, field sales teams | Structured SMEs, multiple teams, advanced uses |
👉 To remember
- Bigin is perfect if you want a simple, ready-to-use tool that requires no training.
- Zoho CRM is aimed at teams who need a tailor-made CRM, at the cost of a little more set-up.
Bigin vs Zoho CRM: compare integrations
Bigin and Zoho CRM are both integrated into the Zoho ecosystem... but not the only one. Their ability to connect to third-party apps (Google, Microsoft, Slack, Mailchimp, Zapier...) can make all the difference depending on your software stack.
| Criteria | Bigin | Zoho CRM |
| Number of native integrations | ~25 direct integrations (Google, Microsoft, Zoom, Mailchimp, Zoho Desk...) | 500+ integrations via Marketplace (Zoho Apps, third-party tools, telephony, social networks, accounting, etc.) |
| Zoho ecosystem | Partial integration (Bigin 360) with Zoho Books, Zoho Desk | Full native integration with all Zoho apps (Campaigns, Books, Desk, Projects, Cliq, Analytics, etc.) |
| Compatibility with external tools | Targeted: Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Zoom, Mailchimp, Zapier | Extensive: Google, Microsoft, Slack, LinkedIn, Facebook Ads, QuickBooks, Xero, WhatsApp Business, VoIP telephony, sector-specific business tools, etc. |
| Automation & connectors | Zapier, Zoho Flow for simple automation (sending emails, adding tasks, etc.) | Advanced connectors via Zoho Flow, Zapier, direct API + integration into native workflows (Blueprint, CommandCenter) |
| Easy to set up | Very simple, plug & play, little configuration required | More complex, requiring configuration, but highly customisable |
| API & openness | API access in paying plans, simple documentation | Rich, well-documented API, webhooks, in-depth access to CRM data (particularly for third-party developers or integrators) |
👉 To remember
Bigin is fast and frictionless. Zoho CRM is the large-scale customisation option, but it does require a bit of implementation.
When should you choose Bigin or Zoho CRM?
Both CRMs are good. But as with any good story, it's all a question of context. Here are some clear scenarios to tip the balance in the right direction.
If this sounds like you... Bigin is for you
- You're just starting out with a CRM and you want to avoid gas factories.
- You work on your own or in a small sales team (VSE, freelance, microstructure).
- Your sales cycles are simple and linear.
- You already use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 and you want a tool that is compatible quickly.
- You're looking for a CRM that's quick to set up and offers excellent value for money.
- You want to replace Excel without having to resort to the complexity of a "corporate" CRM.
👉 In short: Bigin is an ideal starter CRM, fast, clear and accessible. Perfect for laying the foundations without getting lost in the settings.
If this sounds like you... Zoho CRM is your ally
- You have a structured team, with several roles, pipelines or hierarchical levels.
- Your sales cycles are complex, multi-channel or long.
- You need personalisation, advanced automated scenarios or a 360° view of the customer.
- You already use several tools from the Zoho ecosystem (Books, Campaigns, Desk, etc.) or you want to centralise everything.
- You have a data-driven strategy, with extensive reporting requirements.
- Your goal is to scale without changing tools within 12 months.
👉 In short: Zoho CRM is a scalable CRM designed for growing companies that want to professionalise their sales management.
What we've learned from the Bigin vs Zoho CRM battle
We've compared everything: features, price, interface, automation, integrations... And if you're still on the fence, here's a final table to help you match your needs with the right tool.
| Your needs | Recommendation |
| You're launching your business or structuring your first sales | Bigin - simple, fast, affordable |
| You have a sales team in the field or on the move | Bigin - fluid mobile app, visual pipeline |
| You manage several pipelines or products | Zoho CRM - multi-pipeline management, roles, automation |
| You need a tool that can be customised as you wish | Zoho CRM - layouts, rules, advanced automation |
| You work with simple tools (Google, Outlook) | Bigin - plug & play integration |
| You have a rich software stack and advanced needs | Zoho CRM - API connectors, broad integrations, Zoho ecosystem |
| Your budget is ultra-tight | Bigin - from €0, very comprehensive Express plan |
| You're looking for a scalable solution to support your growth | Zoho CRM - clear ramp-up, plans adapted to each stage |
FAQ about Bigin vs Zoho CRM
1. What is the main difference between Zoho CRM and Bigin?
Zoho CRM is a full-featured CRM, designed for structured companies with several teams or processes. Bigin is a lighter version, designed for very small businesses or users who want to get straight to the point, without complexity.
2. Is Bigin enough to manage an entire commercial activity?
Yes, as long as your sales cycle is simple and linear. Bigin manages contacts, deals, emails, calls and even simple automations. But it quickly reaches its limits if you have several teams or offers to manage.
3. Is it possible to start with Bigin and then migrate to Zoho CRM?
Yes, and that's one of the advantages of staying with the same company. Zoho makes it possible to upgrade seamlessly from Bigin to Zoho CRM, with easy data migration.
4. Which is the easiest to learn?
Bigin, without hesitation. The interface is ultra-simple, even for users who have never used a CRM before. Zoho CRM requires more configuration, but ultimately offers more power.
5. What about customer support?
Both benefit from Zoho support, but Bigin offers lighter support (especially for the first plans). Zoho CRM, from the Enterprise plans onwards, offers priority support, and even dedicated support with the Ultimate plan.
6. Can Bigin or Zoho CRM be connected to other software?
Yes. Bigin integrates essential tools such as Google, Outlook, Zoom and Mailchimp. Zoho CRM offers over 500 integrations, with a very rich ecosystem and a complete API.
7. Which CRM should you choose for a fast-growing start-up?
Zoho CRM, because it offers greater scalability, customisation and large-scale collaboration possibilities. Bigin, on the other hand, is perfect for getting off to a fast start.
8. Is Zoho CRM a credible alternative to Salesforce or HubSpot?
Absolutely. Zoho CRM is often chosen as a more flexible and affordable alternative, particularly by SMEs and SMIs who want to avoid the red tape of Salesforce or the costs of HubSpot Pro/Enterprise.
Article translated from French