How to Migrate from Salesforce to Zoho CRM: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Why Businesses Are Switching from Salesforce to Zoho CRM
| Factor | Salesforce | Zoho CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (per user/mo) | Free → $350 (Unlimited) | Free → $52 (Ultimate) |
Why businesses make the switch:
- Cost savings: Businesses that move from Salesforce to Zoho CRM save at least 90% on CRM expenses, and a 10-person team can save over $36,000 annually, according to Zoho.
- Simpler admin: Modifications that took two weeks can be completed in twenty minutes, eliminating the need for an army of Salesforce administrators.
- All-in-one ecosystem: Zoho Books, Campaigns, Desk, and Analytics are all natively integrated with Zoho CRM.
- AI included: Salesforce Einstein requires premium plans, while Zia AI is included at no additional cost.
| Plan | Description | Price (USD) | Billing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | Beginner-friendly | $14 | /user/month |
| Professional | Automation and AI | $23 | /user/month |
| Enterprise | Deep customizability | $40 | /user/month |
| Ultimate | Bespoke solutions | $52 | /user/month |
Before You Begin: Pre-Migration Checklist
- Audit Salesforce org: List all standard objects (Leads, Contacts, Accounts, Opportunities), custom objects, fields, and automation rules.
- Identify custom fields: Note that Zoho CRM only allows ~300 custom fields per module and decide whether to keep, merge, or delete them.
- Clean your data first: Delete duplicates, inactive users, test data, and incomplete contacts before data export.
- Map Salesforce objects to Zoho modules: e.g., Salesforce Opportunities → Zoho Deals; Salesforce Cases → Zoho Desk Tickets.
- List all active automations: Identify Salesforce Process Builder flows, Apex triggers, and validation rules that need rebuilding.
- Set up Zoho CRM roles and profiles first: Before data import, set up Zoho CRM roles and profiles according to the Salesforce permission structure.
- Plan a phased migration: Never migrate everything at once — start with a pilot dataset to catch mapping errors early.
Step-by-Step: How to Migrate from Salesforce to Zoho CRM
Step 1: Export Your Data from Salesforce
- Navigate to Salesforce → Setup → Data → Data Export → Schedule Export
- Select "Include All Data" to capture every object, or choose specific modules only
- Download the ZIP file — large orgs may receive multiple ZIP files across modules
- Open and verify each CSV file to confirm records and column headers are intact
- Save exports in an organised folder labelled by module (Leads, Contacts, Deals, etc.)
Pro tip: Always double-check your exported data before importing into a new system to avoid errors and data loss.
Do not edit the CSV files after export. Any column header changes will break Zoho's auto field-mapping during import.💭Final Thoughts
About the Author
Arul Raj
Director at ZoFlowX & Founder of Inboxist
Director at ZoFlowX (Zoho Authorized Partner) and Founder of Inboxist (Klaviyo Silver Partner), specializing in Email Marketing, Deliverability, Marketing Automation, and CRM with 14+ years of experience.
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