Bigin in a nutshell
Bigin is built for small teams that want to see their sales as a pipeline board without configuring much. It has a free plan for a single user with one pipeline and 500 records. Paid plans run $7 (Express), $12 (Premier) and $18 (Bigin 360) per user per month billed annually, or $9, $15 and $21 billed monthly.
What I like most is that Express already connects email, WhatsApp and Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok lead ads. For a small agency, a services firm or a shop that sells through messages, it's often all you need.
Zoho CRM Free: what you get and where it falls short
Zoho CRM's free edition covers up to 3 users with leads, deals, basic workflows, reports and the mobile app. It's a good way to learn how Zoho CRM is structured without paying.
The limits show up fast: few automations, no multiple sales pipelines, no serious integrations and capped data exports. If you plan to grow inside Zoho CRM, use it to learn, not to run the business long term.
Paid Zoho CRM: when it's worth it
Paid Zoho CRM starts at $14 per user per month billed annually (Standard), only slightly more than Bigin Premier. The difference is what you can build on top: enforced processes with Blueprint, custom modules, Deluge functions, quotes, inventory, portals and integration with the whole Zoho ecosystem.
It makes sense when you have more than one team, a process with approvals or stages that can't be skipped, need reports by rep and by channel, or plan to connect billing, support or analytics. For plan-by-plan detail, see our Zoho CRM pricing guide.
My recommendation by case
Solo or with one assistant, selling mostly through messages: start with Bigin Free or Express. You don't need more.
Two to five reps with a simple process: Bigin Premier or Zoho CRM Standard. If you expect to need automation or integrations within a year, go straight to Zoho CRM so you don't migrate later.
A multi-step process with approvals, quotes or several teams: Zoho CRM Professional. It's usually the sweet spot and covers most of these processes without custom development.
If you start on Bigin and grow, Zoho offers an upgrade path to Zoho CRM. It works, but rebuilding automations and fields takes effort, so it's worth choosing well from day one.
How to get started
You can try either one for free. If you sign up through our Zoho partner link, Zoho pays us a referral commission and you pay the regular price.
Not sure which fits? In a 30-minute call we'll look at your real process and tell you what we'd pick, even if it's the free plan.
Tell us how you sell today and how many people talk to customers. In a free 30-minute review we'll tell you whether Bigin or Zoho CRM fits and what it would cost to get started.