Zoho hits 1 million paying customers and 150 million users as it celebrates 30 years

Cloud software company Zoho Corporation is celebrating its 30th anniversary by announcing it now serves 1 million paying organisations and more than 150 million users worldwide. The milestone caps off strong growth in 2025, when the company added 32% more customers year-on-year and grew revenue by 20%.

Zoho’s portfolio includes its core cloud business solutions platform, ManageEngine for IT management, Qntrl for business process automation, and TrainerCentral for e-learning. Recent enterprise customers joining the platform include Mercedes-Benz India, Union Bank of India, Al-Ahli Saudi FC, Flora Food Group in Europe, and Creditas in Brazil.

The company operates differently from most tech giants of its size. Zoho is bootstrapped, meaning it’s never taken venture capital, privately held, and builds all its software in-house rather than acquiring competitors or licensing technology.

That approach has made it an outlier in an industry dominated by VC-backed companies racing to IPO or get acquired.

Why staying independent matters to the company

“Being bootstrapped, private, and built entirely in-house makes Zoho an outlier among competitors,” said Sridhar Vembu, Zoho’s co-founder and chief scientist. “But vendors don’t need our help, businesses do, which is why delivering customer value has, for 30 years, been Zoho Corporation’s North Star,” he added.

That philosophy shows up in pricing. Zoho’s tools typically cost less than similar options from competitors such as Salesforce, Microsoft, and Oracle. This price difference is particularly important for small and medium-sized businesses that have limited budgets for enterprise software.

The platform maintains lower prices because it is not under pressure from investors to quickly increase revenue or to plan for a company sale.

For African businesses in particular, that model makes a difference. Enterprise software from global vendors often comes with pricing designed for Western markets and budgets. The platform’s approach, affordable, scalable, and built for long-term use, fits better with how African companies actually operate.

Read also: Zoho reports 75% growth as Nigerian businesses lead global shift in responsible AI

Growing its African presence

Zoho has been steadily expanding across Africa as digital transformation picks up speed on the continent. Kehinde Ogundare, Zoho’s country head for Nigeria, says the company is seeing growing demand from local businesses looking for technology that scales without breaking budgets.

“We have seen growing demand from African businesses seeking technology that is flexible, affordable, and built for long-term value rather than short-term gain,” Ogundare said

That demand reflects a broader shift in how African companies approach software. Rather than patching together free tools or paying premium prices for enterprise platforms designed elsewhere, businesses want unified systems that work for their specific needs and budgets.

The platform covers customer relationship management, accounting, project management, HR, marketing automation, and dozens of other business functions, all integrated and priced for companies that aren’t sitting on Silicon Valley budgets.

The 30-year milestone puts Zoho in rare company. Most tech startups don’t make it past five years, and even fewer reach scale without selling out or going public. The company did both, and its customer base suggests the approach is working.

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