” … As a free CRM software, it comes with many limitations — or deal-breakers — that may make a paid software a better choice for your business. Here are the main drawbacks we found to using the free version of Zoho CRM:

• Lacks customization. One of the biggest drawbacks to the free version of Zoho CRM is that it doesn’t come with a lot of customization options. So if you need to tailor the software to your business’s unique needs — such as by adding custom reports, your own functions and additional modules — you’ll need to purchase the most expensive plan, which costs $35 per user per month.
• Clunky interface. We tried Zoho CRM ourselves and, like some small business owners told us, it felt clunky and not as intuitive as other software we considered. Our initial impression is that it takes too many steps to perform simple tasks, and navigating each section took some time to get used to. Nonetheless, we still found it relatively easy to use. There is a simple navigation bar at the top of the dashboard that contains a tab for each function, such as Leads, Accounts, Contacts and more. There is also a simple button that lets you add new items in just one click, as well as a search bar to help you easily find content.
• Customer service. Although there are several ways to get help using Zoho CRM, the free version doesn’t come with phone support. The company’s 24-hour (Monday to Friday) toll-free phone support is available only to users with a paid account, so you’re out of luck if you need to speak to someone ASAP. Additionally, we have been told that Zoho’s help desk system can be extremely slow or unresponsive even after submitting multiple tickets, so you shouldn’t expect to get help from a representative right away.”