Zoho CRM is genuinely powerful, and that is the problem for a one-person business: the power comes with modules, settings, and admin work scoped for a sales team. Orbit is a far simpler all-in-one CRM with one AI assistant, Hiro, that does the follow-up instead of asking you to configure it. The free plan needs no credit card.
Zoho CRM can do almost anything. Custom modules, workflow rules, blueprints, scoring, territory management, and a sprawling Zoho ecosystem of connected apps. For a growing sales team with someone to administer it, that depth is an asset.
For a solo operator, the depth is the friction. You spend the first week configuring instead of selling, and every screen offers settings you will never use. Zoho is also a suite, so the CRM is one app among dozens, and the pull is always to adopt more of the ecosystem. When you are one person, that breadth is weight you carry, not leverage you use.
The search for an alternative is usually a search for ninety percent less setup, plus something that actually does the busywork rather than giving you more knobs to turn.
Orbit trades depth of configuration for depth of execution. A simple all-in-one CRM core, and one AI assistant, Hiro, doing the busywork. Hiro hands you drafts to approve.
Zoho earns its keep when you need that depth. If you run a team, want granular automation and scoring, rely on the wider Zoho suite for accounting, support, or marketing, or need fine-grained roles and permissions, Zoho CRM does things Orbit simply does not. Orbit has one pipeline on the free plan and a simple money ledger, not enterprise configuration.
Stay on Zoho if you are building a configurable system for a team. Choose Orbit when you are the team, the bottleneck is follow-through rather than configuration, and you want sales handled as a solo founder without an admin.
Yes. Orbit is scoped to a solo operator: one pipeline, GTD-style tasks, contact timelines, and one AI assistant, Hiro, that does the follow-up. There are no modules, blueprints, or territory rules to configure. Zoho is more powerful and more configurable, which is exactly why it feels heavy for a team of one.
Yes. Export your leads, contacts, and deals from Zoho as CSV files, then import the contacts into Orbit and map your fields. Most people skip the modules they never used and finish the move in an afternoon.
Orbit has a free plan with no credit card that includes 250 contacts, one pipeline, unlimited tasks, a calendar, a built-in email inbox with 100 sends a month, and basic Tables. Pro is $14 a month or $112 a year, with an optional 30-day free trial that requires a card. AI is included with free monthly credits.
Stay on Zoho if you run a team, need granular automation, scoring, roles, and permissions, or rely on the wider Zoho suite for accounting, support, or marketing. Orbit is built for solo operators who want less setup and one assistant that does the busywork.
Orbit is free to start, no credit card. Import your Zoho contacts and let Hiro draft your first follow-ups today.
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