Zoho research · Updated October 2026
Top platforms businesses migrate to Zoho from
Salesforce, HubSpot, Xero, Sage, Zendesk, Google Workspace: Zoho builds migration tools for the platforms its customers leave. This guide maps every source Zoho names, how each migration works, and the gotchas we plan for as a UK Zoho Premium Partner.
- Sources cited
- Updated October 2026
- Zoho Premium Partner
- No invented rankings
Platforms named in Zoho's own migration tools
Number of third-party sources each Zoho app names
Counted from Zoho's migration help pages, October 2026. A count of supported sources, not market share.
Key takeaways
Key findings
- No ranked data exists. Zoho publishes no breakdown of where its customers come from, so this page uses the sources Zoho builds migration tools for as the best available evidence.
- CRM: Zoho's migration wizard names 12 third-party CRMs, including Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Microsoft Dynamics, Freshsales, Act! and SugarCRM.
- Finance (UK): Zoho's UK Books migration page lists Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, FreeAgent, FreshBooks, QuickFile, Clear Books, Odoo, Bright, Dext and IRIS, and offers migration free of charge.
- Service: Zoho Desk's Zwitch tool migrates from Zendesk, Freshdesk, Salesforce, Kayako, Intercom, HappyFox and Help Scout, and Zoho warns to expect a 3% to 5% record failure rate.
- Email: more than 40% of new Zoho Workplace migrations came from Google and Microsoft (Zoho, 2022).
- Salesforce is the most documented switch. A Zoho-commissioned Nucleus Research study (2024) reports a 42% average reduction in total cost of ownership for mid-market firms moving from Salesforce.
Methodology
How we built this list
Zoho, like most vendors, does not publish where its customers switch from. So instead of a ranking, we used the clearest evidence available: the platforms Zoho spends engineering effort to migrate from.
A vendor only builds and documents a migration route when enough customers ask for it. We therefore read Zoho's official migration documentation for each major product [1][2][3][6][7], counted the third-party platforms each names, and added Zoho's own published customer stories and the one independent, though Zoho-commissioned, study of switching costs [9]. Where we add practical advice, it comes from our own Zoho migration projects and is labelled as such.
What this page cannot tell you: the share of Zoho customers who came from each platform. Any website quoting such percentages is not quoting Zoho.
Zoho's migration routes by product
Official tools and the sources they name
| Zoho app | Tool | Named sources | Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho CRM | Data Migration wizard | Salesforce, HubSpot, Pipedrive, Microsoft Dynamics, Insightly, Capsule, Freshsales, Bitrix24, Act!, SugarCRM, Maximizer, Highrise | API key or file |
| Zoho Books UK | Free migration service and import | Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, FreeAgent, FreshBooks, QuickFile, Clear Books, Odoo, Bright, Dext, IRIS | Assisted or CSV, TSV, XLS import |
| Zoho Desk | Zwitch | Zendesk, Freshdesk, Salesforce, Kayako, Intercom, HappyFox, Help Scout | Export file plus credentials, or API |
| Zoho Mail (Workplace) | Migration tools and wizard | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Exchange, Amazon WorkMail, GoDaddy, Titan | One-click, IMAP, PST or EML |
Sources: Zoho CRM data migration, Zoho Books UK migration, Zoho Desk Zwitch, Zoho Mail migration. Checked 18 Oct 2026.
CRM
Migrating to Zoho CRM from Salesforce, HubSpot and others
Zoho CRM is used by more than 300,000 businesses [15], and its built-in Data Migration wizard is the most developed of Zoho's switching tools.
The wizard maps files to modules and columns to fields automatically, and can create custom fields and modules during the migration [2]. Sources split into two groups [1]:
- Connected by API: HubSpot, Pipedrive, Highrise, Insightly and Capsule (API key), Freshsales (API token and instance URL) and Bitrix24 (inbound webhook). These run as a background job and Zoho emails you on completion.
- File-based: Salesforce (a zip of CSV files with an attachments folder), Microsoft Dynamics and Maximizer (CSV, as backup files must be converted first), Act!, SugarCRM, and any other system via file.
Why businesses leave Salesforce for Zoho
Salesforce is the most documented switch. Zoho's customer stories include Enzumo, which moved after seven years on Salesforce citing complexity, the need for a dedicated admin and poor adoption [11], and Bernard Health, which moved around 2016 after a Salesforce price rise and reports saving more than 70% a year [12]. A Nucleus Research study, commissioned by Zoho in 2024, found mid-market firms that switched cut total cost of ownership by an average of 42% [9].
Reported results of switching from Salesforce to Zoho CRM
Nucleus Research, commissioned by Zoho, 2024. Vendor-sponsored
Sources: Nucleus Research (PDF) and Zoho summary. Commissioned research; treat as indicative.
Per-source notes: CRM
What moves, how, and what we plan for
| From | Method | What moves | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salesforce | Zip of CSVs plus attachments | Standard and custom objects, fields, attachments | Automation, reports and permissions are rebuilt, not migrated |
| HubSpot | API key | Core CRM records | Marketing assets and workflows stay behind |
| Pipedrive | API key | Core CRM records | Pipeline stages need mapping to Zoho layouts |
| Microsoft Dynamics | CSV via Zoho's team | Exported entities as CSV | Backup files must be converted to CSV first |
| Freshsales | API token and URL | Core sales records | Can be undone and re-run, use a test run |
| Act!, SugarCRM | File | Data and users (Act!) | Legacy custom fields need clean-up |
| Spreadsheets | File import | Any tabular data | No duplicate check during migration |
Method column from Zoho CRM data migration. Practical notes are Thoughtlogik experience.
Limits to plan around: up to 2 GB per file and 25 GB per import, no duplicate check during migration, records missing mandatory fields are skipped, and ten or more consecutive blank rows end a file [2]. Deduplicate before you migrate, not after.
Accounting
Migrating to Zoho Books from Xero, QuickBooks and Sage
In the UK, Zoho Books competes with the entry-level accounting packages most small businesses start on, and Zoho offers to migrate from them for free.
Zoho's UK migration page offers a free migration consultation for businesses on Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, FreeAgent, FreshBooks, QuickFile, Clear Books, Odoo, Bright, Dext and IRIS [3]. Zoho's global help also has guides for Tally, Wave and FreshBooks [5]. The inclusion of Odoo is telling: the two platforms compete for the same growing SME finance teams.
Zoho's UK help sets out the import order [4]: organisation and VAT settings, then the chart of accounts (parents before children), customers and vendors with opening balances, items with opening stock, bank accounts, opening balances at a chosen migration date, and finally open transactions in order: projects, purchases, sales, then manual journals. Files must be CSV, TSV or XLS.
What we advise UK finance teams
- Migrate at a period end, ideally a VAT quarter or year end, using the old system's trial balance for opening balances.
- Bring open items, not every transaction. Keep the old system read-only for history and audit.
- Plan payroll separately. Zoho Payroll is not available in the UK [14], so keep your HMRC-recognised payroll and post journals.
Per-source notes: accounting
UK sources Zoho names, with our practical notes
| From | Typical starting point | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Xero | Small firms with an accountant | Tracking categories need mapping to reporting tags |
| QuickBooks | Small firms, often US-style setup | Chart of accounts often needs UK VAT clean-up |
| Sage 50 or 200 | Established SMEs, desktop data | Long history; export only what you need |
| FreeAgent, QuickFile, Clear Books | Sole traders and micro firms | Simple data, quick moves; check VAT scheme settings |
| Odoo | Firms moving finance off an ERP | Stock and manufacturing data may not have a home in Books |
Source list from Zoho Books UK migration. Import order from Zoho Books UK help. Notes are Thoughtlogik experience.
Zoho notes that deposits and fund transfers are not imported directly and should be entered manually so accounts reconcile [4]. Build that into your cut-over checklist.
Customer service
Migrating to Zoho Desk from Zendesk, Freshdesk and others
Zoho Desk's Zwitch tool is unusually well documented, including its limits and expected failure rate.
Zwitch migrates agents, accounts, contacts, products, tickets with their threads, comments and attachments, and knowledge base articles. Knowledge base attachments are not migrated [6]. Each source needs an export file and credentials, and Zoho recommends a small sample migration before the full run. A second phase about two weeks later picks up new records and retries failures. Zoho tells customers to expect a 3% to 5% failure rate, returned in an error log, and supports up to 10 GB per migration on paid editions (2 GB on trial) [6].
Per-source notes: help desk
What Zwitch needs from each source
| From | Export and credentials | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Zendesk | JSON export, URL, email, API token | Macros and triggers are rebuilt in Zoho |
| Freshdesk | XML or JSON export, URL, API key | Map ticket statuses before migrating |
| Salesforce Service | CSV export, URL, email, password | Case fields need mapping to ticket fields |
| Kayako | SQL export, URL, email, password | Older versions may need data prep |
| Intercom | CSV, URL, access token | Conversations map to ticket threads |
| HappyFox, Help Scout | Fetched by API | Check attachment volumes against limits |
Source: Zoho Desk Zwitch documentation, checked Oct 2026. Watch-outs are Thoughtlogik experience.
Email and collaboration
Migrating to Zoho Mail and Workplace from Google and Microsoft
Email is where Zoho has published the clearest switching data, albeit from 2022.
In February 2022 Zoho reported that Zoho Workplace had more than 16 million users and that more than 40% of new migrations came from Google and Microsoft. Migrations from Google-hosted domains rose 120% after Google ended its free legacy Workspace edition [8].
Zoho Mail supports one-click migration from Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 covering email, calendars and contacts, plus IMAP from those and other providers, Exchange Server migration, and PST or EML file import through its migration wizard [7]. IMAP keeps folders and read status; POP does not, so avoid it where you can.
Zoho Workplace growth signals
Zoho announcement, February 2022
Source: Zoho newsroom, 2022. Dated; we found no newer breakdown.
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FAQs
Migrating to Zoho FAQs
Cannot see your question? Our UK consultants are happy to talk it through.
Which platforms do most businesses migrate to Zoho from?
Zoho does not publish a ranking. Based on the sources its migration tools support, the common routes are Salesforce, HubSpot and Pipedrive to Zoho CRM; Xero, QuickBooks and Sage to Zoho Books in the UK; Zendesk and Freshdesk to Zoho Desk; and Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 to Zoho Mail.
Is migrating to Zoho free?
Zoho's built-in tools, such as the CRM Data Migration wizard and Desk's Zwitch, are included with the products, and Zoho's UK Books page offers free migration support. Planning, data clean-up, field mapping and rebuilding automation are separate work that you or a partner carry out.
Can I migrate from Salesforce to Zoho CRM?
Yes. You export Salesforce data as a zip of CSV files with an attachments folder and import it through Zoho CRM's migration wizard, which maps objects to modules and can create custom fields. Workflows, reports and permissions are rebuilt in Zoho rather than migrated.
How long does a migration to Zoho take?
The data load itself can take hours or days. The project around it, covering mapping, clean-up, test runs, rebuilding automation and training, typically takes 3 to 8 weeks for a focused CRM and longer for multi-app moves. See our Zoho CRM timeline research.
Will I lose data when migrating to Zoho Desk?
Zoho itself says to expect a 3% to 5% failure rate on Zwitch migrations, with failed records returned in an error log for correction. Running a sample migration first and reviewing the log within Zoho's two-week window keeps permanent data loss to a minimum.
How much history should I bring into Zoho Books?
Zoho's process is built around opening balances at a migration date plus open transactions. Most UK firms bring opening balances and open invoices and bills, and keep the old system read-only for history. Bringing every past transaction adds time and rarely adds value.
Can I move from Odoo to Zoho, or Zoho to Odoo?
Yes. Zoho's UK Books migration page lists Odoo as a source, and Odoo can import Zoho data through its spreadsheet import tools. As a partner for both, we advise on which platform fits before anything moves. See Zoho vs Odoo use cases.
Sources
- Zoho CRM, Data migration (help) help.zoho.com/portal/en/kb/crm-nextgen/data-administration/data-migrat
- Zoho CRM, Migrate data (help) zoho.com/crm/help/migrate-data.html
- Zoho Books UK, Migrate to Zoho Books for free zoho.com/uk/books/migration.html
- Zoho Books UK help, Migrating from other software zoho.com/uk/books/help/migration/migrating-to-zoho-books-from-other-so
- Zoho Books help, Tally to Zoho Books migration zoho.com/books/help/migration/tally-to-zoho-books.html
- Zoho Desk, Migrate data from other help desks (Zwitch) help.zoho.com/portal/en/kb/desk/data-administration/zwitch/articles/mi
- Zoho Mail, Migration to Zoho Mail from other email servers zoho.com/mail/help/adminconsole/migration.html
- Zoho newsroom, Zoho Workplace growth (Feb 2022) prezohoweb.zoho.com/news/zoho-workplace-touts-consecutive-years-of-exc
- Nucleus Research, Switching to Zoho CRM (commissioned by Zoho, 2024, PDF) zoho.com/sites/zweb/images/crm/nucleus-research-switch-to-zoho-crm.pdf
- Zoho, Nucleus Research summary zoho.com/enterprise/infuse25-nucleus.html
- Zoho CRM customer story, Enzumo zoho.com/crm/customers/enzumo.html
- Zoho CRM customer story, Bernard Health (c.2016) prezohoweb.zoho.com/crm/customers/bernard-health.html
- Zoho CRM, Zwitch from SugarCRM zoho.com/crm/zwitch/sugar-crm-alternative.html
- Zoho Payroll, supported countries zoho.com/payroll
- Zoho CRM product page (300K+ businesses) zoho.com/crm
Sources checked 18 October 2026. Counts of named sources are our own tally of Zoho's documentation. Zoho publishes no data on the share of customers by previous platform. Practical notes are Thoughtlogik experience.
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