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Side-by-side record

Bigin by Zoho vs. Fathom

A side-by-side view of the product records we have today. Use it to narrow the question, then confirm current pricing, limits, and security details with each vendor.

The short version

Bigin by Zoho starts at Free per seat, versus Fathom at $15. Fathom carries the higher aggregate rating (5.0/5 vs 4.6/5).

Full comparison

Bigin by Zohofrom Free
Fathomfrom $15 per user/month, billed annually (Team plan, 2+ users)
Audyense Score87ASExcellent76AS*Strong
PositioningSimple, affordable pipeline CRM built for small businesses and MSMEsFree AI notetaker for Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet
Free tierYesYes
DeploymentCloud / SaaSCloud / SaaS
Best fitStartup, SMBStartup, SMB, Mid-market
Pricing plans
  • FreeFree
  • Express$7
  • Premier$12
  • Bigin 360$18
  • Team$15
AI featuresPartialAI credits (1,000-3,000/mo) included on Premier and Bigin 360 tiers only; not available on Free/Express.—
Custom objectsNoLimited to default Contacts/Companies/Pipelines structure; no custom modules like full Zoho CRM.—
Email & calendar syncYesNative Zoho Mail, Google Workspace, and Microsoft 365 integration for email and calendar.—
Lead scoringPartialBasic pipeline/lead tracking; lacks the predictive/AI lead scoring found in full Zoho CRM.—
Mobile appYesNative iOS and Android apps.—
Native callingYesBuilt-in phone plus a marketplace of 50+ cloud telephony vendor integrations.—
Public APIYesDeveloper console and APIs available even on the Free tier.—
Reporting & dashboardsPartialCustomizable dashboards from the Express tier up, but reviewers describe reporting depth as basic versus full CRMs.—
Sales forecastingNoNo dedicated revenue forecasting module; reviewers cite this as a gap versus full Zoho CRM.—
Workflow automationYesAutomations included on all tiers, scaling from 3 (Free) to 100 (Bigin 360).—
Integrations verified2,000+—
Aggregate rating4.6 · 701 reviews5.0 · 6.9k reviews
Integrations
Zoho CRMZoho BooksZoho DeskZoho FlowZoho CampaignsZoho Mail+12 more
ZoomMicrosoft TeamsGoogle MeetSlack
Security & compliance
SOC 2ISO 27001GDPR
SOC 2 Type IIGDPRHIPAA
Pros
  • Simple, intuitive interface with a short learning curve (G2 Ease of Use score 9.1)
  • Strong price-to-value ratio for small businesses on tight budgets
  • Visual drag-and-drop pipeline management makes deal status easy to track
  • Built-in phone/telephony and support responsiveness are frequently praised
  • Free plan is fully featured for unlimited recordings/transcripts
  • Very high user satisfaction and ease-of-use scores on G2
  • Deep CRM and calendar integrations, plus MCP/API access
Cons
  • Limited customization of workflows, fields, and stage-transition rules versus full CRMs
  • Reporting and automation are comparatively basic; complex, multi-journey businesses find them restrictive
  • No custom objects/modules — locked to default Contacts/Companies/Pipelines structure
  • Businesses that scale quickly often need to migrate to full Zoho CRM
  • Managing multiple notetaker bots in one meeting can be clunky per reviews
Visit Bigin by Zoho ↗Visit Fathom ↗

Editorial read of this comparison

The table summarizes structured facts; this section explains what the differences mean for a real buying decision.

Where each tool fits, and where it may not

Bigin by Zoho

Bigin is Zoho's streamlined CRM aimed at small businesses and micro-enterprises that need to replace spreadsheets and scattered emails with a single pipeline-based workspace. It combines contact and deal management, built-in telephony, email/WhatsApp messaging, and workflow automation, with an emphasis on a roughly 30-minute setup instead of enterprise-CRM complexity.

A particularly good fit for: Small businesses and MSMEs (roughly 1-20 employees) replacing spreadsheets and email for lead/deal tracking Teams wanting a fast (~30-minute) setup without a dedicated CRM administrator Existing Zoho ecosystem users who want tight integration with Zoho Books, Desk, Campaigns, etc.

May be a poor fit if: Growing or mid-market sales orgs that need custom objects/modules, advanced field-level permissions, or predictive lead scoring Teams that require robust native sales forecasting and deep, configurable reporting out of the box

Fathom

Fathom is an AI meeting notetaker that records, transcribes, and summarizes calls across Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams, with searchable call history, AI-generated action items, and coaching scorecards on higher tiers.

A particularly good fit for: Individuals and teams wanting a strong free-forever meeting notetaker

May be a poor fit if: Teams needing deep sales conversation analytics beyond notetaking

Pricing and plan structure

Bigin by Zoho: Published starting price Free

  • FreeFree
  • Express$7 per user/month, billed annually
  • Premier$12 per user/month, billed annually
  • Bigin 360$18 per user/month, billed annually

Fathom: Published starting price $15 per user/month, billed annually (Team plan, 2+ users)

  • Team$15 per user/month

Capabilities worth validating

  • Bigin by Zoho: AI features, Email & calendar sync, Lead scoring, Mobile app, Native calling Integrations include Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, Zoho Desk, Zoho Flow.
  • Fathom: the record has no feature-level evidence yet; verify the workflow directly. Integrations include Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Slack.

Questions to answer before switching

  • Does Bigin by Zoho's selected plan include the features and limits we need?
  • Does Fathom's selected plan include the features and limits we need?
  • Does the exact integration path for Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, Zoho Desk support the sync direction, permissions, and volume we need?
  • Is a hosted-only deployment acceptable for the team and customers who will use this system?

How to evaluate this shortlist

A useful comparison turns the differences between Sales & CRM tools into a concrete test. Use these steps to avoid choosing from a feature table or the lowest headline price alone.

  1. Start with a representative Sales & CRM workflow, not a feature checklist. Define who will use it, what data goes in, and what outcome the team needs.
  2. Test the complete path through Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, Zoho Desk: permissions, sync direction, failure handling, and volume limits often matter more than the integration name.
  3. Compare the cost of the real scenario, including users, usage, storage, support, and contract requirements. The entry price alone does not measure adoption cost.
  4. Before switching, list the evidence gaps, request a demo of the critical workflow, and confirm security, data residency, export, and support with each vendor.

Some signals in these records are still incomplete. Treat that as a prompt to validate the workflow directly, not as a claim that a feature does not exist.

Research basis

Last checked: 2026-08-05. Pricing, integrations, feature support, and review signals can change, so treat this as a research snapshot and verify the final decision with the vendor.

Sources consulted: Bigin by Zoho product site, G2, Capterra; Fathom product site, G2, Capterra