Daylite: Zoho Alternative Built for Mac-Based Service Businesses

What’s the main difference?

Daylite

Zoho

Unified, Mac-native, and all-inclusive

Modular, enterprise-grade, and extensible

Daylite is an all-in-one business management platform where everything lives in one database. CRM, Opportunities, Projects, Mail, Calendar, Tasks, and Notes connect through intelligent linking that preserves your complete business history. No separate tools to purchase or integrate.

Zoho offers a suite of standalone tools (CRM, Projects, Invoice, Books) that can be purchased individually or combined through Zoho One. Each tool handles a specific function and requires integration setup to share data between platforms.

Native Mac and iOS apps work offline and sync through Daylite Cloud. Apple ecosystem integration with Calendar and Contacts. No browser required because the app runs natively on your devices. Everything you need is built in.

Browser-based platform designed for cross-platform compatibility. Offers mobile apps but no native Mac integration. Additional features require third-party extensions from the Zoho Marketplace. Limited offline access requires constant connectivity.

Opportunities Board provides visual pipeline management with probability tracking and forecast dates. When opportunities (sales) are won, they can be easily converted directly into projects that continue through pipeline-based delivery with all client context preserved. Activity Sets automate repetitive workflows by generating tasks and appointments from templates.

Zoho CRM provides pipeline tools with Blueprint workflows, Zia AI predictions, and powerful automation options. However, when deals close, project teams don't automatically receive the sales context. Moving data to Zoho Projects requires integration configuration, adding steps to your workflow.

Daylite is ideal for consultants, agencies, designers, legal firms, and other service professionals on Mac who want their CRM, sales tracking, and project delivery handled in one place without stitching together multiple separate tools.

Zoho is best suited for large enterprises with multiple departments, dedicated IT resources to manage platform connections, budgets for multiple subscriptions, and a need for extensive third-party integrations and advanced AI-powered automation.

Why choose Daylite over Zoho?

Get everything you need to run a service business in one platform, already connected. Not scattered across separate subscriptions.

	Zoho	Daylite
Contact and company management with custom fields	✓	✓
Visual pipeline for tracking deal stages	✓	✓
Project management with tasks and milestones	✓	✓
Calendar and scheduling tools	✓	✓
Reusable workflow templates for repeatable processes	✓	✓
Mobile access on iOS devices	✓	✓
Single subscription includes a unified workspace where CRM, sales, projects, email, calendar, tasks, and notes work together	✕	✓
Intelligent linking that connects every contact, opportunity, project, email, task, and note to relevant records	✕	✓
Kanban-style visual Boards allows for seamless tracking of Opportunities and Projects	✕	✓
Built-in Estimates tool that auto-populates from Opportunity data	✕	✓
Smart Lists for auto-updating segmented views that keep priorities clear	✕	✓
Worklist to flag and prioritize tasks, always visible on the Home view and Sidebar	✕	✓
Native Mac and iOS apps with full offline database access and two-way Calendar and Contacts sync	✕	✓
No integration setup required between sales and project tools	✕	✓

Unified Platform vs. Separate Tools

Stop switching between apps to manage a single client relationship.

Zoho splits business functions across separate tools, with CRM for contacts and sales, and Projects for delivery. Each requires its own subscription and setup. Moving data between platforms means manual integration work, and closing a deal in CRM doesn't transfer context to Projects.

Daylite is built as a single interconnected platform:

Everything lives in one database: CRM, Sales (Opportunities), Projects, Mail, Calendar, Tasks, and Notes; no integration needed
Complete client history in one view, called Activity View, shows every email, meeting, note, task, and deal with a contact in a single timeline
Work from any starting point, whether a task, project, or contact, and see all related records instantly
Turn emails into action by creating tasks, scheduling appointments, or linking messages to projects directly from your inbox
Find anything with one search, where searching a client name instantly surfaces all related contacts, deals, projects, emails, and notes
Native Mac and iOS apps provide full offline access to your complete database, syncing through Daylite Cloud

Taking a client from inquiry to invoice to return customer shouldn't require piecing together separate tools. In Daylite, everything connects and nothing exists in isolation.

Relationship-Driven Sales vs. Standard Sales Approach

See the full story behind every deal, not just the current pipeline stage.

Zoho CRM offers pipeline management with Blueprint workflows and Zia AI for deal predictions. However, generating quotes requires switching to Zoho Invoice with manual integration to sync data. When deals close, teams must manually connect customer information across platforms.

Every opportunity in Daylite stays connected to the people and history behind it:

Opportunity (sales) records show everything in context, including the contact, their company, all related emails, meeting notes, tasks, and documents in chronological order on a single screen
The Opportunities Board displays all open opportunities organized by stage, visualizing your pipeline with cards that show probability percentages, forecasted close dates, and the contacts associated with each deal
Categories and keywords let you segment data consistently across Daylite, including sales opportunities, by service type, lead source, or any other criteria that matter to your business
Built-in Estimates pull client details directly from the Opportunity, then let you add line items from saved Products and Services with preset pricing and taxes
Mail in Daylite links emails automatically to the right contacts, opportunities, and projects, and lets you turn messages into tasks, appointments, opportunities, or projects in one click
Apple Calendar integration keeps your Daylite appointments and your Mac, iPhone and iPad calendar aligned without manual entry

With Daylite, your pipeline isn't just a list of deals. It's a complete picture of every relationship and every interaction that got you there.

Inherited Project Context vs. Detached Project Management

From won opportunity to delivered project with nothing lost in translation.

Zoho Projects operates separately from Zoho CRM. It offers Gantt charts, phases, and task management, but requires integration setup to transfer opportunity data when deals close. Teams must manually link customer information or configure syncs, which increases complexity and the risk of errors or missing relationship history.

Projects in Daylite inherit everything from the sales process that created them:

One-click conversion from Opportunity to Project brings over all contacts, emails, notes, and estimates, so your delivery team sees exactly what was promised and nothing gets lost in the handoff
Project pipelines define your phases and let you drag projects through pipeline stages like "Kickoff," "In Progress," "Review," and "Complete" to visualize where work stands
Activity Sets generate project tasks automatically by templating the standard steps for each project type with relative due dates and assigned team members
Smart Lists create dynamic views that filter by due date, assignee, project status, or any field combination, updating themselves as data changes
Worklist surfaces urgent items by letting you flag tasks that need immediate attention, regardless of their due date
Complete offline access means you can check project status, add tasks, or review client details from anywhere on any Apple device

No more hunting across apps to find what was promised. Daylite keeps the full sales context attached to every project.

Run your entire business from one platform.

Get started with Daylite in 3 steps!

Start Your Free Trial

Sign up for a 14-day free trial with full access to all features. Pick your plan based on team size: Leap for solo users, Growth for 1 to 20 users, Scale for 1 to 100 users, or Tailored for custom needs. Install the Mac, iPhone, and iPad apps with complete offline access and seamless syncing across devices.
Bring in Your Data

Import your client records from Zoho or other CRMs using supported file formats. Link contacts to companies, opportunities, projects, tasks, and emails. Create your first Opportunity pipeline to track sales through customizable stages, and set up Projects to manage client work from start to finish.
Run Your Business

Turn won Opportunities into Projects and manage every stage of client delivery in one connected system. Track everything as work moves forward, keeping full context without switching tools. Daylite preserves your complete history, enabling smooth delivery and stronger long-term client relationships.

Trusted by the best, across the globe.

Learn how small service businesses use Daylite to manage the full client journey from first contact to finished project.

"My greatest achievement with Daylite is the fact that I can manage over 50 clients with a staff of 7 while my competitors would take 20 senior and junior consultants. This achieved efficiency can only be realized by Daylite sophistication and unleashing the CRM’s capacity for organization. My clients often wonder how we are always on our game, I tell them I wish I was that smart, but in reality, it’s the software that allows me to be one step ahead of them!"

Ron Gersh,
The CCS Group

Amazed Daylite Customer