Z 
Zoho CRM
Cheap, complete, and bundled with forty other Zoho apps.
NOT REALLY
why this verdict
Keep paying — Microsoft has not replaced it
Microsoft's version overlaps, but does not finish the CRM job, so this one still earns its $14/mo.
- A named launch, not a vibe named, unlinked
- Price is the moat, and AI did not change it. Microsoft, January 15, 2024 — no announcement link recorded yet.
- How much of the job it covers not the job editorial call
- Parts of it. The job still needs the tool to get finished.
- Is there a free way to do it? yes
- 1 of 2 listed replacements have a usable free tier: HubSpot.
- What the call is worth $168/yr
- $14/mo at the entry paid tier — $168 a year per seat.
Reason composed from the fields above missing: announcement linked recorded: free replacement listed recorded: two or more escape hatches
- Threatened by
- Microsoft
- Since
- January 15, 2024
- List price
- $14/mo
- Per year
- $168
The backstory
Zoho CRM competes on price and breadth rather than sophistication. AI assistants make CRM data easier to query, which helps Zoho as much as anyone. Its position — good enough software at a third of the price, with the rest of the suite included — is orthogonal to the AI wave.
Escape hatches
H 
HubSpot Free tier, nicer UI.
hubspot.com open_in_new F 
Freshsales Similar price point.
freshworks.com open_in_new1 of 2 replacements have a usable free tier.