Zoho Cliq review (2026): features, pros and cons, pricing
Team chat from Zoho with channels, calls and bots, with a free tier and per-user paid plans.
Verdict at a glance
Zoho Cliq is team chat from Zoho with channels, group chats, calls and bots. It stands out for its free tier and for teams already using Zoho apps such as CRM and Projects, where chat sits inside the suite.
Pros
- Easy to use with a clean interface.
- Strong fit when the rest of the stack is Zoho.
What is Zoho Cliq?
Team chat from Zoho with channels, calls and bots, with a free tier and per-user paid plans. It is built for teams already on Zoho apps (CRM, Projects, Workplace) that want chat inside that suite and small teams that want a free tier with 100-person channels and group chats.
Category: Team Chat and Messaging Software
Zoho Cliq key features
| Feature | What we found |
|---|---|
| Channels and threading | Channels up to 100 participants and group chats up to 100 participants on Free. |
| Built-in video and huddles | 1:1 audio/video calls; meetings up to 100 participants (Free, Standard) or 1,000 active participants plus 10,000 viewers (Professional, Enterprise); 60-minute cap on Free. |
| Search and message history limits | 10,000 searchable messages on Free; unlimited on Standard and above. |
| App integrations and bots | Extensions and bots; Free is limited to 10 extensions and 100 bots per company. |
| Guest and external access | Guest chat on Professional and Enterprise, not on Free or Standard. |
| Security and admin controls | SSO listed on all plans; audit logs on Enterprise only; retention and eDiscovery policies; encryption at rest and in transit. |
Zoho Cliq pricing
Cliq has four plans: Free, Standard, Professional and Enterprise. Free caps searchable messages at 10,000, limits meetings to 60 minutes, and allows 10 extensions and 100 bots per company. Standard has no minimum users and adds unlimited searchable messages and 24-hour meetings. Professional and Enterprise require at least 10 users, and storage jumps from 100 GB per company to 100 GB per user. Billing is monthly or annual, and annual saves 10%. Flexible plans exist and need a minimum of 25 Enterprise users. The vendor's pricing pages show no amounts in Germany.
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 10,000 searchable messages, meetings capped at 60 minutes, 100 GB per company, 10 extensions and 100 bots per company | |
| Standard | per user per month | Unlimited searchable messages, 24-hour meetings, 100 GB per company; no minimum users | |
| Professional | per user per month | Minimum 10 users, 100 GB per user, guest chat, meetings up to 1,000 active participants | |
| Enterprise | per user per month | Minimum 10 users, 100 GB per user, audit logs |
Zoho's pricing pages show no amounts for visitors in Germany. A third-party copy of the plan comparison lists 10, 25 and 50 per user for Standard, Professional, Enterprise but gives no currency or billing period, so these are not recorded as prices. Pricing page states annual billing saves 10%.
Who Zoho Cliq is best for
Best for
- Teams already on Zoho apps (CRM, Projects, Workplace) that want chat inside that suite.
- Small teams that want a free tier with 100-person channels and group chats.
Not ideal for
- Buyers who need audit logs below the Enterprise plan.
- Teams that need a verified public USD price list before talking to Zoho.
Zoho Cliq alternatives
SlackTeams wanting channel-based chat with a large app ecosystem.
Microsoft TeamsOrganizations already on Microsoft 365 and Entra ID.
Google ChatTeams already on Google Workspace that want chat without a second license.
MattermostOrganizations that must self-host or run air-gapped chat.
FlockSmall teams (up to about 100 members) wanting low-cost chat with a free tier.
ChantySmall teams wanting cheap per-user chat with tasks.
What Zoho Cliq really costs
- Billing
- Monthly and annual.
- Annual discount
- 10% (stated on pricing page)
- Minimum seats
- 10 users on Professional and Enterprise; none on Standard.
Add-ons and extras to budget for
- Flexible plans exist (flexible-pricing page) and require a minimum of 25 Enterprise users, per the vendor page.
Questions to ask about price
- How much can the price rise at renewal, and is the increase capped in the contract?
- Are there one-time costs for implementation, onboarding or data migration?
Is Zoho Cliq worth the price?
Cliq is good value for small teams that live in Zoho apps and want chat included, especially on the free tier. Standard suits teams that outgrow the message and meeting caps without a 10-seat minimum. It gets more expensive when you need guest chat, which starts at Professional, or audit logs, which are Enterprise only. Those two plans also carry a 10-user minimum, so a five-person team that needs guests pays for ten.
Worth it if
- Teams already on Zoho apps (CRM, Projects, Workplace) that want chat inside that suite.
- Small teams that want a free tier with 100-person channels and group chats.
Look elsewhere if
- Buyers who need audit logs below the Enterprise plan.
- Teams that need a verified public USD price list before talking to Zoho.
Pricing details most reviews leave out
- Audit logs are Enterprise only; guest chat starts at Professional.
- Professional and Enterprise need at least 10 users, Standard has no minimum.
- Storage is 100 GB per company on Free and Standard but 100 GB per user on Professional and Enterprise.
- Free meetings stop at 60 minutes; paid plans allow 24 hours.
Our verdict on Zoho Cliq
Zoho Cliq is team chat with channels, calls and bots, and it comes with a free tier plus per-user paid plans. The big cost question is that Zoho's pricing pages show no amounts for visitors in Germany. A third-party copy of the plan comparison lists 10, 25 and 50 per user for Standard, Professional and Enterprise, but gives no currency or billing period, so treat those as unconfirmed.
What is clear is how the plans are shaped. Free is genuinely usable for small teams, with 100-person channels and group chats. Paid plans lift the 10,000 searchable message cap and the 60-minute meeting limit. Annual billing saves 10%. G2 rates it 4.4 from 261 reviews, and the main praise is ease of use and fit with other Zoho apps.
Zoho Cliq FAQ
What is Zoho Cliq used for?
Zoho Cliq is team chat from Zoho with channels, group chats, calls and bots. It stands out for its free tier and for teams already using Zoho apps such as CRM and Projects, where chat sits inside the suite. It suits teams already on Zoho apps (CRM, Projects, Workplace) that want chat inside that suite.
Does Zoho Cliq have a free plan?
Yes. Free allows channels and group chats of up to 100 participants, 10,000 searchable messages and meetings up to 60 minutes. It also limits you to 10 extensions and 100 bots per company.
Is there a minimum number of users?
Standard has no minimum. Professional and Enterprise require at least 10 users, and the flexible plans need a minimum of 25 Enterprise users.
How much does annual billing save?
The pricing page states annual billing saves 10%. Zoho's pages show no dollar amounts for visitors in Germany, so confirm the price in your own currency.
Sources
Every fact on this page comes from Zoho Cliq's own pricing, product or documentation pages, G2 and company records, checked on October 24, 2026. Unknown values are left out instead of estimated.