How to save up to 50% on licenses by migrating from Salesforce to Zoho CRM

The recent price increase in Salesforce has left many companies with a key question: is it still worth paying so much for a CRM? For organizations looking to optimize resources without sacrificing productivity, this increase becomes a burden that directly impacts profitability.

The good news is that there is a more affordable, comprehensive, and internationally recognized alternative: Zoho CRM. With this platform, companies can save up to 50% in licensing costs, gain operational simplicity, and access an ecosystem of applications covering sales, marketing, support, finance, and operations.

The real impact of Salesforce’s price increase  

When an essential tool like a CRM increases its fees, the consequences are felt at different levels of the organization:

• Operating budget: more resources allocated to maintaining the platform, less investment in new initiatives.
• Limited growth: high costs make it difficult to add users, modules, or integrations.
• Internal motivation: teams feel restricted when technology becomes a financial burden instead of a productivity enabler.

In this context, more and more companies are looking for alternatives that combine innovation, security, and competitive pricing.

Zoho CRM: award-winning innovation and transparent costs  

Zoho CRM is not only more affordable, it is also backed by international awards that recognize it as a leader in its category:

• Visionary in Gartner’s 2024 Magic Quadrant™ for sales force automation platforms.
• Nucleus Research 2024 – Leader in the SFA Technology Value Matrix.
• Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice 2023 in lead management.
• TrustRadius Top Rated CRM 2023, based on customer satisfaction.

These recognitions confirm that Zoho CRM offers a far better cost-benefit ratio than Salesforce, without sacrificing innovation or scalability.

Security and privacy as core pillars  

Zoho has made security and privacy a priority from the beginning. The platform is backed by international certifications such as:

• ISO/IEC 27001 – Information security management.
• ISO/IEC 27701 – Information privacy.
• ISO/IEC 27017 and 27018 – Cloud security and personal data protection.
• SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, and HIPAA – Global compliance standards.

This ensures that companies not only gain access to a more affordable CRM, but also a reliable solution to protect sensitive information.

How to migrate from Salesforce to Zoho CRM: a practical guide  

Migrating a CRM doesn’t have to be traumatic. With the right plan, the transition is secure, agile, and can become the perfect opportunity to optimize data and processes.

1. Initial audit and planning  

• Modules used in Salesforce (Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities, Cases, etc.) are analyzed.
• Dependencies such as workflows, triggers, or external integrations are identified.
• A mapping document is created to define how each element will be transferred to Zoho CRM.

💡 Example: a company with more than 200 fields in Salesforce reduced that number to less than 120 during migration, eliminating obsolete data and simplifying processes.

2. Data cleanup and preparation  

• Duplicate records are removed.
• Unused fields are cleaned up.
• Date, currency, and text formats are standardized.

This ensures that the data migrated to Zoho is consistent and easy to use from day one.

3. Zoho CRM setup  

• Modules and fields are customized according to business needs.
• Picklists, module relationships, and user permissions are configured.
• The flexibility of Zoho is leveraged to optimize processes that were more rigid in Salesforce.

4. Data migration  

• A test migration (e.g., 50 records) is conducted to validate correct data import.
• Then a full migration is carried out in logical order: Accounts → Contacts → Opportunities → Activities → Attachments.
• Relationship preservation is ensured (e.g., an account linked to its contacts and opportunities).

5. Rebuilding automations and integrations  

• Approval flows, alerts, and lead assignments are recreated in Zoho Blueprints and workflow rules.
• Costly external integrations are replaced by native Zoho One apps (e.g., Zoho Desk for support, Zoho Sign for digital signatures).
• Custom functions in Apex are translated into Deluge, Zoho’s scripting language, reducing complexity.

6. Validation and testing  

• Record counts between Salesforce and Zoho are compared.
• Real-case tests are conducted to confirm that automations work correctly.
• Key users test the system before the full rollout.

7. Training and ongoing support  

• Teams are trained on using Zoho CRM.
• Close support is provided during the first weeks, ensuring a smooth transition.

Conclusion: turning the price increase into an opportunity  

The increase in Salesforce licenses doesn’t have to be an unavoidable burden. Zoho CRM is a more affordable, award-winning, and secure alternative that allows you to maintain — and even boost — productivity while significantly reducing costs.

At InterConnecta, we help organizations migrate from Salesforce to Zoho CRM strategically, ensuring continuity, security, and alignment with their business goals.

Are you paying too much for Salesforce or another CRM?
Schedule a consultation with our experts and discover how easy it can be to migrate to Zoho CRM and take a step toward a more profitable and efficient future.