A Zoho One alternative for small teams and freelancers
Zoho One is a broad bundle of many business applications from one vendor. It suits companies that want a lot of tools under one roof. If you are looking for a Zoho One alternative, you may simply want fewer tools that you use every day, starting free and paying only where you need more. The Lead suite is built around that idea, for small businesses and freelancers.
No credit card. Every app except CashLead has its free plan, with no time limit.
A large bundle or the apps you actually use
A bundle like Zoho One gathers many applications under one subscription. That can be very convenient when your team uses many of them.
The Lead suite takes another path: a few specialized apps, each doing one job, each with its own free plan except CashLead. One free Lead account signs you in to all of them and links those that exchange data; CashLead reads the exports you upload. You pay per app, only in the one that needs a paid plan, and you never pay for tools you do not open.
Zoho One and the Lead suite, point by point
A general comparison of approaches. For details of Zoho One's current offer, refer to Zoho directly.
| Point | Zoho One | Lead suite |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | A broad bundle of many business applications | Sales, projects, invoicing, bookkeeping, trade shows, team cards, website visits |
| Subscription | One bundle subscription, according to Zoho's pricing | Per app, only where you need more |
| Free start | Depends on Zoho's current offer | A free plan in every app except CashLead, no credit card, no time limit |
| Account | One vendor account | One Lead account, the same sign-in in every app |
| Linking | Within the vendor's ecosystem | Through the account, no API key or connector |
The Lead apps
CRMlead
A dated next action on every lead, a morning list, kanban pipeline, emails filed on the right lead. Free up to 50 leads.
ProjectLead
Steps, tasks, deadlines and time tracking. Free for 3 active projects and 1 person.
InvoiceLead
Quotes, invoices, reminders and double-entry books for Switzerland, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States. Free for 5 invoices and 10 receipt scans per month.
Greetlead
The card the whole team signs from their phones, delivered by email on the chosen day. Free account, card paid when sent.
VisitLead
See which companies visit your website, without spying on anyone. Free: how many companies, their city and their visits, without their names.
When Zoho One remains a good choice
- Your team uses many different applications and wants them all from one vendor.
- You need areas the Lead suite does not cover, such as stock or payroll.
- You already work well with Zoho One: there is no reason to change.
- The Lead suite fits better when you want a few tools that start free, linked from day one, for a small team or a freelancer.
An AI Assistant that asks before it writes
In My account, the ERPlead AI Assistant reads your profile, your organization, your plan in each app, your subscriptions (read only) and your open sessions, and opens the right screen. It prepares changes such as display name, language or organization name on one “To confirm” card, and one click on “Confirm” applies them all. Nothing is written without that click. The free plan includes the equivalent of 10 requests per month, and each Lead app except CashLead has its own built-in AI Assistant for its own job.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Lead suite replace every Zoho One app?
No. It covers sales, projects, invoicing, bookkeeping, trade shows, team cards and website visits. If you rely on other areas, Zoho One or a specialized tool remains the right choice for those.
How is pricing different?
Each Lead app except CashLead has a free plan, and you pay per app only when you need more: Pro at €19 per month or Pro+ at €39 per month, up to 5 people. ScanLead is free, every feature included.
Do the Lead apps work together?
Yes. Apps used by the same company are linked through the Lead account: contacts, deals, quotes, projects and hours move from one to the next.
Is it suitable for a freelancer?
Yes. All free plans work for one person, and you can invite people later from the same account.
Where is my data hosted?
The Lead account and its data are hosted in Frankfurt. VisitLead is hosted in Frankfurt too and never keeps the visitor's IP address.
Read next
Start with the apps you need
Create your free Lead account in one minute. No credit card, a free plan in every app except CashLead.