Discover folk - the CRM for people-powered businesses
When WhatsApp drives your sales efforts, selecting the right CRM can mean the difference between securing a deal and losing a lead. In the comparison of Zoho CRM vs Brevo, you’ll find features like instant chat access, seamless message logging, AI-powered follow-ups, and drag-and-drop workflows; however, each platform offers unique advantages in terms of customization, pricing transparency, and pipeline sophistication. Meanwhile, a next-gen contender is quietly revolutionizing the concept of true WhatsApp integration.
Why WhatsApp CRM Integration Matters
Integrating WhatsApp directly with your CRM closes the gap between conversations and revenue. With automated contact syncing and message logging, you can eliminate manual data entry and prevent lost leads—transforming every interaction into an actionable record.
- Accelerate response times by automatically triggering follow-ups and reminders as soon as a customer engages.
- Enhance engagement through personalized, template-driven outreach that feels tailored and genuine.
- Simplify workflows with a single, unified dashboard for chats, contacts, and campaign analytics.
When your team can view every WhatsApp message alongside emails, calls, and deals, they spend less time searching for context and more time closing deals—turning casual conversations into consistent conversions.
What is Zoho CRM?
Zoho CRM combines AI-driven insights with extensive customization, empowering sales teams to close deals more efficiently. Its intelligent assistant, Zia, forecasts deal outcomes, identifies anomalies, and offers real-time recommendations for optimized next steps. The platform integrates email, social media, live chat, and telephony into a single hub, ensuring that no lead is overlooked.
With drag-and-drop dashboards and advanced analytics, you gain clear visibility into every stage of your sales pipeline. Its WhatsApp integration allows you to automate sending and responding to WhatsApp Business messages directly within the CRM, complete with templated notifications and a shared team inbox to track all interactions.
What is Brevo?
Previously known as Sendinblue, Brevo provides an all-in-one growth platform that integrates email, SMS, WhatsApp, and live chat with a complimentary built-in CRM. Its Aura AI assistant generates impactful campaign copy in seconds and activates multichannel automations to nurture leads effortlessly.
With the ability to segment contacts based on behavior or demographics, you can send hyper-targeted messages that drive conversions. Affordable and highly scalable, Brevo is ideal for teams seeking a unified marketing and sales solution. By utilizing the WhatsApp Business API, Brevo enables the creation of both campaign and transactional messages, boasting an impressive average open rate of 98% and the capability to send personalized bulk or one-to-one messages at scale.
Feature comparison of Zoho CRM and Brevo
Two-Way Messaging
With Zoho CRM's native WhatsApp Business integration through the Business Messaging API, you can enjoy seamless two-way messaging. Every WhatsApp interaction is automatically recorded under the relevant contact, providing your team with clear visibility into client communications. You can assign conversations to specific agents, and replies are synchronized instantly within the CRM interface.
Brevo also facilitates two-way WhatsApp communication using its Conversations app. Sales and support teams can send campaigns or messages and manage replies in a dedicated inbox. Although it isn't fully integrated into the CRM, it still allows for real-time conversation management.
Template Management
Within Zoho CRM, users can create, store, and manage approved WhatsApp templates using the messaging API. These templates are suitable for bulk messaging or can be triggered automatically within workflow automations. The system adheres to WhatsApp Business guidelines, facilitating large-scale outreach while ensuring message quality and traceability of approvals.
Brevo also enables the creation and management of WhatsApp Business API templates through its dashboard or API. Once approved by Meta, these templates can be utilized in campaigns or transactional messages, making them perfect for marketing applications.
Automated Responses & Chatbots
Through WhatsApp, users can share various media types such as images, PDFs, videos, and GIFs. All media files exchanged in chats are automatically saved in contact records or help desk tickets, providing sales and support teams with complete context for each interaction without the hassle of switching tabs.
HighLevel boasts robust native automation features, including WhatsApp chatbots, appointment schedulers, and intelligent auto-replies. You can initiate flows based on keywords (like one-word responses), customer behaviors, or time-specific actions. This is an excellent solution for businesses aiming to automate routine sales and support tasks while still keeping a personal touch.
Multimedia Support (Images, Videos, Files)
WhatsApp allows users to share a diverse range of media, including images, PDFs, videos, and GIFs. All media files exchanged in chats are automatically saved in contact records or help desk tickets, providing sales and support teams with complete context for each interaction without the need to switch tabs.
Brevo’s WhatsApp integration fully supports multimedia messages like images, videos, and documents. These are displayed in the Conversations UI, ensuring that agents can access all content from a single view.
Contact & Lead Synchronization
WhatsApp messages can automatically generate new contacts or leads in Zoho CRM, or update existing ones, ensuring that your team never loses track of a conversation or forgets to follow up. This seamless synchronization supports ticket creation, making it ideal for both support and sales workflows.
Brevo facilitates the syncing of WhatsApp contacts through API or automation tools, though contact creation is not automatic by default and may necessitate configuration via Make or custom API connections.
Workflow Triggers & Notifications
Zoho CRM workflows can be activated by WhatsApp events such as incoming messages or user interactions. This functionality allows for automatic follow-up messages, updates to CRM fields, and notifications to team members. The versatility of Zoho’s automation engine seamlessly integrates WhatsApp into your comprehensive sales process.
Workflows initiated by WhatsApp activities can be accessed via API or external tools. For instance, an incoming message can update contact information or launch a CRM campaign, although the logic operates outside of Brevo’s core platform.
folk CRM: The Ultimate CRM Integrated with WhatsApp
If your sales team uses WhatsApp to connect with leads and seal deals, folk CRM's WhatsApp integration is a true game-changer.
With folk’s WhatsApp CRM, every conversation is automatically synced and recorded within your CRM—eliminating the hassle of manual copy-pasting and ensuring no messages are lost. You’ll gain complete visibility into your team's WhatsApp interactions with leads and customers, allowing you to always grasp the context behind each deal. Whether it's a follow-up or a crucial decision point, all the information you need is right at your fingertips.
However, folk is more than just WhatsApp.
It seamlessly integrates with Gmail, Outlook, LinkedIn, Google Meet, Instagram, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and more—enabling you to manage emails, meetings, and social interactions all in one comprehensive platform. Import contacts from any source and manage them effortlessly within folk.
What truly distinguishes folk is:
AI agents that enhance your sales process by automating workflows, uncovering deal insights, and increasing productivity—liberating your team from administrative tasks so they can concentrate on closing deals.
Are you ready to revolutionize your sales operations and achieve remarkable results?
Conclusion
Both Zoho CRM and Brevo offer unique features for WhatsApp integration, with Zoho providing advanced AI insights and customization, while Brevo excels in multichannel automation and user-friendly messaging. However, folk stands out as a superior alternative, effortlessly integrating WhatsApp and other platforms like Gmail and LinkedIn. With AI-driven workflows, automated contact syncing, and comprehensive visibility into communications, folk empowers your sales team to focus on closing deals and enhancing customer relationships without the administrative burden.
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Discover folk CRM - Like the sales assistant your team never had