Comparison
Zoho Bigin alternative for phone sales teams: NerdCRM at $4/seat
Zoho Bigin vs Pipedrive Lite vs NerdCRM for a small team that sells by phone: prices at 5 and 10 seats, how each one records calls, and when each is the better pick.
Zoho Bigin Express is $9 per user per month billed monthly ($7 billed yearly) and records calls through Bigin's own built-in phone, with numbers and minutes bought from Zoho. NerdCRM is $4 per user per month and records calls from MicroSIP or Nerd Dial with any SIP provider you already use, links each recording to the right contact and deal by phone number, and can score Bangla and English calls with AI. Pick Bigin if you live in email and the Zoho suite; pick NerdCRM if your team sells by phone.
Bigin vs Pipedrive vs NerdCRM, side by side
Entry paid tiers. Prices in USD as listed on each vendor's site on 28 October 2026. Pipedrive shows different prices in different countries.
| Feature | Zoho Bigin Express | Pipedrive Lite | NerdCRM Single plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per user / month, billed monthly | $9 | $19 | $4 |
| Per user / month, billed yearly | $7 | $14 | $4 (monthly only) |
| 5 seats / month, billed monthly | $45 | $95 | $20 |
| Free plan | 1 user | 14-day trial only | Up to 5 users |
| Call recording | Built-in Zoho phone | Through a marketplace calling app | Included |
| Use your own SIP provider and softphone | Through integrations | Through integrations | MicroSIP (Windows), Nerd Dial (Mac) |
| Recording linked to the deal by phone number | Logged as an activity | Depends on the app | ✓ |
| Recording storage | 1,000 minutes free, then paid | Set by the calling app | 45 days, no storage fee |
| AI call scoring and lead qualification (Bangla and English) | — | — | +$5/user add-on |
| WhatsApp Business integration | Through integrations | Campaigns and shared inbox on your own number | |
| Kanban pipelines | 3 team pipelines | ✓ | ✓ |
| Email workflows and automations | 30 automations, mass email | Email sync from Growth | Cold email sequences |
| Native mobile apps | ✓ | ✓ | Browser only |
| CSV import / export | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cancel anytime | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Zoho Bigin is one of the best value CRMs for small teams, and it does record calls. The question for a phone-heavy team is how: Bigin records through its own built-in phone, so your calls move to numbers and minutes you buy from Zoho. NerdCRM records the calls your reps already make from MicroSIP or Nerd Dial on your own SIP provider, and links each one to the right deal.
At a glance
Billed monthly, NerdCRM saves $25 a month at 5 seats against Bigin Express and $75 a month against Pipedrive Lite. Billed yearly, Bigin Express drops to $7 per seat and the gap narrows to $15 a month. Pipedrive has no built-in calling at all; you add a marketplace app such as CloudTalk, Aircall or JustCall and pay for it separately.
When Bigin is the right pick
- Your team works mostly through email, with occasional calls
- You already use Zoho Books, Desk or Campaigns and want one vendor
- You want native mobile apps and a long list of ready-made automations
- You are happy to buy phone numbers and minutes from Zoho, and Zoho offers numbers in your country
When Pipedrive is the right pick
- You want polished visual reports and a large integration marketplace
- You already use a calling tool such as Aircall or CloudTalk that has a Pipedrive app
- Budget per seat matters less than ecosystem
When NerdCRM is the right pick
- The phone is the main channel: recruiters, agencies, EdTech admissions, real estate, BPOs
- You already have a SIP provider (or want a local one) and do not want to move your numbers
- Managers want to see every dial, answered or not, not only the calls that connected
- You sell in Bangla, or a mix of Bangla and English, and want AI to score the calls
- You want one price per seat, with WhatsApp campaigns and cold email included
How NerdCRM links recordings
Reps call from MicroSIP on Windows or Nerd Dial on Mac. A small uploader sends each recording straight to private cloud storage, and the server matches the call’s phone number against your contacts and deals and attaches the audio to the record that matches. If a number matches nothing, the recording appears under Unlinked recordings, where you can attach it by hand.
Recording storage
NerdCRM keeps every recording for 45 days with no storage fee. Teams that want every call transcribed and scored can add AI Call Analysis for $5 per user per month; the scores and lead recommendations stay on the contact after the audio is deleted. Bigin gives each organization 1,000 minutes of recording storage, then you delete old recordings or buy more.
Migration: CSV in, about 30 minutes
Export contacts, companies and deals from Bigin as CSV. Import each file in NerdCRM (Settings → Import), map your stage names to the new pipeline, and you can run the same pipeline the same day.
Try it before you switch
Open the live demo: a phone sales workspace with sample deals, contacts and call activity, no signup needed. If it fits, the free plan covers up to 5 users with no credit card. You can also compare NerdCRM with Pipedrive and HubSpot’s free CRM.
Corrected 28 October 2026: an earlier version of this page said Bigin had no call recording. Bigin records calls through its built-in phone. Prices were also updated, and Pipedrive’s entry plan is now called Lite.
Frequently asked questions
Does Zoho Bigin offer call recording?
Yes. Bigin has a built-in phone, available even on the free plan, that can record incoming and outgoing calls. You buy phone numbers and calling minutes from Zoho, number availability varies by country, and each organization gets 1,000 minutes of recording storage before it has to delete old recordings or buy more. Bigin also connects to third-party phone systems. NerdCRM works the other way round: your reps keep the SIP provider and softphone they already use, and NerdCRM picks up each recording and links it to the right contact and deal.
How much do you save at 5 users?
Billed monthly, Zoho Bigin Express is $45 a month for 5 users ($9 × 5) and NerdCRM is $20 ($4 × 5), a saving of $25 a month. Billed yearly, Bigin Express is $35 a month for 5 users, so the saving is $15 a month. Calling minutes are extra on both: on Bigin you buy them from Zoho, on NerdCRM you pay your own SIP provider.
Can I migrate my Bigin data to NerdCRM?
Yes. Export contacts, companies and deals from Bigin as CSV and import them with NerdCRM's CSV importer. Field mapping is flexible. We help early customers with the migration; email hello@nerddevs.com.
What does Bigin do better than NerdCRM?
Bigin has native iOS and Android apps, more pre-built automations, a mass email tool, and close integration with Zoho Books, Desk, Campaigns and the rest of the Zoho suite. Its Premier plan adds AI writing and record summaries. If your team is mostly email-first, or you already run on Zoho, Bigin is a strong pick.
Is NerdCRM made by Zoho?
No. NerdCRM is built by Nerddevs, a software company in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is independent of Zoho.
See it in action
A read-only demo with phone-heavy sales data, ready in one click. No signup required.
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