Head-to-Head Specification Audit
Zendesk vs Zoho CRM
Mid-Market & Enterprise Support Teams · Global
Specification Matrix
| Metric | Zendesk | Zoho CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $19/mo | $14/moBetter |
| API Rate Limit | 200 req/minBetter | 100 req/min |
| Target Country | Global | South Africa |
| Category | Customer Support | CRM |
| Compliance (vendor-stated) | CCPA, GDPR, HIPAA, ISO27001, SOC2 | GDPR, POPIA, SOC2 |
| Hosting Regions | US-East, US-West, EU-West, AP-Southeast, AU-East | US-East, EU-West, IN-Central |
| Native Integrations | 6 listedTie | 6 listedTie |
Zendesk — Key Specs
Vendor-stated- ✓Industry standard for enterprise customer support — 100,000+ businesses
- ✓AI Agents handle tier-1 support automatically — deflects 40%+ of tickets
- ✓Sunshine Platform allows custom CRM objects and workflows
- ✓Marketplace with 1,500+ apps and integrations
Zoho CRM — Key Specs
Vendor-stated- ✓Best value CRM for South African companies — ZAR pricing available
- ✓Zia AI: sales predictions, anomaly detection, next best time to contact
- ✓POPIA-compliant: data residency and DPA options for ZA companies
- ✓Free tier: 3 users, core CRM features
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is lower-priced, Zendesk or Zoho CRM?+
Zoho CRM starts at $14/mo, which is lower than Zendesk at $19/mo. Verify current pricing on each vendor's website.
Which compliance frameworks do Zendesk and Zoho CRM list?+
Both list GDPR, SOC2 in their vendor documentation. Zendesk additionally lists CCPA, HIPAA, ISO27001. Zoho CRM additionally lists POPIA. These are vendor-stated frameworks. VektorIndex has not independently audited these claims.
Does Zendesk or Zoho CRM list POPIA as a supported compliance framework?+
Zoho CRM lists POPIA (Protection of Personal Information Act) as a supported compliance framework per its vendor documentation. VektorIndex has not independently verified this claim. South African organisations should request the vendor's current Data Processing Agreement and confirm data residency settings before processing personal information. Zendesk does not list POPIA as a supported compliance framework in its public documentation. Contact the vendor to confirm their position before processing South African personal information.
Which has a higher documented API rate limit — Zendesk or Zoho CRM?+
Zendesk has a higher documented API rate limit at 200 req/min versus Zoho CRM at 100 req/min.
Which data hosting regions do Zendesk and Zoho CRM support?+
Zendesk lists hosting regions: US-East, US-West, EU-West, AP-Southeast, AU-East. Zoho CRM lists hosting regions: US-East, EU-West, IN-Central. For data residency requirements in Global, confirm exact region configuration directly with each vendor.
Data last updated: 29 August 2026 — Sourced from official vendor documentation. Not independently audited. Report incorrect information
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