STEL Order vs Zoho CRM (2026): Pricing, Features & Verdict
Zoho CRM is our pick, scoring 7.2/10 against 6.1/10 for STEL Order on our CRM criteria. Its biggest advantage: higher Integration score (8/10 vs 5/10). For 10 users, STEL Order costs about $40/mo, against $200/mo for Zoho CRM; both STEL Order and Zoho CRM have a free plan.
Last updated: November 2026
STEL Order
6.1/10
Cloud invoicing and ERP software from Spain's STEL Solutions. It covers quoting, invoicing, stock, field service jobs and bank reconciliation for contractors and small businesses.
Z
Zoho CRM
7.2/10
Cloud CRM from Zoho for small and mid-sized sales teams, with a free plan for 3 users and four paid per-user editions.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | Z Zoho CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.1/10 | 7.2/10 |
| Customization | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 5/10 | 8/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 5/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Security | 4/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Scalability | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | $40/mo Lite | $20/user/mo Standard |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | $40/mo Lite | $200/mo Standard |
| Features | ||
| Built-in Calling | Not listed | |
| Collaboration | Not listed | |
| Contact Management | Not listed | |
| Integrations | Not listed | |
| Lead Management | Not listed | |
| Mobile Access | Not listed | |
| Opportunity Management | Not listed | |
| Reporting & Analytics | Not listed | |
| Sales Automation | Not listed | |
| More features | ||
| Invoicing | Not listed | |
| Accountant Access | Not listed | |
| Financial Reporting | Not listed | |
| Expense Management | Not listed | |
| Online Payments | Not listed | |
| General Ledger | Not listed | |
| Tax Compliance | Not listed | |
| Multi-currency | Not listed | |
| Bank Reconciliation | Not listed | |
STEL Order vs Zoho CRM cost by team size
STEL Order and Zoho CRM cost the same at 1 user; STEL Order costs less from 5 users.
| Team size | STEL Order | Zoho CRM |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeFree | FreeFree |
| 5 users | $40/moLite | $100/moStandard |
| 10 users | $40/moLite | $200/moStandard |
| 25 users | $40/moLite | $500/moStandard |
| 50 users | $40/moLite | $1,000/moStandard |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Who STEL Order and Zoho CRM suit
STEL Order fits field teams and freelancers better; Zoho CRM fits enterprise better.
| Audience | STEL Order | Zoho CRM |
|---|---|---|
| Field Teams | 9/10Business and Pro add job dispatch, maintenance contracts, customer assets, GPS and offline mobile apps for technicians. | 4/10Mobile apps are included on every edition. |
| Enterprise | 2/10There is no evidence of multi-entity consolidation, security certifications or enterprise controls. | 6/10The Ultimate edition and custom functions are available, but reviewers say complex customization needs developers. |
| Freelancers | 7/10The free and Lite plans cover quotes, invoices and expenses, and STEL Accounting has a self-employed tier. | 5/10The free edition for up to 3 users suits very small operations. |
| Small Business | 8/10Low entry prices, a free plan and Spanish tax compliance suit small firms and sole traders. | 8/10The free 3-user plan and the low annual price for Standard make it easy for small teams to start. |
| Construction | 8/10The vendor targets contractors and trades such as electricians, HVAC and plumbing, combining work notes, quotes and invoicing. | Not rated |
| Customer Support Teams | Not rated | 4/10Customer portals and the integration with Zoho Desk support service use, but it is a sales CRM. |
| Developers | Not rated | 4/10Custom functions and the API allow extension, but developers are not the target users. |
| Maintenance Teams | 8/10It includes maintenance agreements, incident management and equipment tracking per customer. | Not rated |
| Manufacturing | Not rated | 4/10Inventory management and CPQ on the Professional edition suit product sellers. |
| Marketing Teams | Not rated | 5/10It integrates with Google Ads and Zoho Campaigns. |
| Mid-Market | Not rated | 8/10Professional and Enterprise add process automation, territories and AI, which suit growing sales organizations. |
| Sales Teams | Not rated | 8/10Pipelines, cadences, forecasting and built-in calling are designed for day-to-day selling. |
| Startups | Not rated | 7/10The free tier and annual pricing keep early costs low, but setup takes some learning. |
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose STEL Order
- Lower estimated cost for 10 users: $40/mo vs $200/mo
- Higher Support score (7/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Ease of Use score (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for field teams (9/10 vs 4/10)
- Better fit for freelancers (7/10 vs 5/10)
ZWhy choose Zoho CRM
- Higher Integration score (8/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Security score (7/10 vs 4/10)
- Better fit for enterprise (6/10 vs 2/10)
Pros & Cons
STEL Order
Pros
- The Business plan bundles field service features (job dispatch, maintenance contracts, customer equipment, signatures, GPS) with invoicing in one app, so trades firms do not need a separate FSM tool.
- Native iOS and Android apps work offline and sync later, which helps technicians invoice on site.
- Bank feeds from more than 250 banks auto-match transactions to invoices, and you confirm each match with one click.
- For Spain it offers Verifactu support with a choice of Verifactu or non-Verifactu mode, and it presents itself as TicketBAI guarantor software.
- The free plan and free accountant access lower the cost of trying it, and paid plans carry a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Invoices can be issued in a client's currency, with exchange rates calculated automatically.
Cons
- The full general ledger, tax returns and annual accounts sit in STEL Accounting, which is still in early-access beta.
- Ready-made integrations are few. Third-party reviewers note limited connectors, and WooCommerce sync is still in beta.
- API access is only on the top Pro plan.
- Annual and two-year plans renew automatically for the same term with no pro-rata refund, according to a 2026 third-party review.
- Each plan includes one user and extra seats are charged per user, so costs climb for larger teams.
- The vendor publishes no security certifications or hosting details, and its pricing pages show inconsistent figures across regions.
ZZoho CRM
Pros
- The free edition supports 3 users with mobile apps and basic workflows, so very small teams can use it at no cost.
- Annual billing for Standard costs about 14 USD per user per month, which is low for a CRM that includes forecasting and built-in calling.
- Reviewers praise how closely it works with other Zoho apps such as Desk, Campaigns and Analytics.
- Admins can heavily customize it with custom modules, Blueprint processes, widgets and custom functions.
Cons
- Monthly billing costs roughly 25 to 52 percent more per seat than annual billing.
- Reviewers report a learning curve, especially when building workflow automation.
- Advanced automation often needs developers or custom functions.
- Reviews often mention slow or limited customer support and occasional sluggish performance.
- Zia AI is only included from the Enterprise edition up.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Zoho CRM scores higher on our CRM criteria: 7.2/10 against 6.1/10 for STEL Order. The largest gap is in Integration: 5/10 for STEL Order and 8/10 for Zoho CRM.
STEL Order costs less for 10 users: about $40/mo on its Lite plan, against about $200/mo on its Standard plan for Zoho CRM, billed monthly.
Yes, both STEL Order and Zoho CRM have a free plan.
STEL Order is the better fit for field teams: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 4/10 for Zoho CRM.
