After Arattai’s success, Zoho expands workspace with Vani: Key features, how it works and top FAQs

Introduction

Zoho’s recent success with Arattai, its homegrown messaging platform, is now being followed by a bigger push into the enterprise collaboration space. On 1 October 2025, Zoho unveiled Vani, a visual collaboration tool meant to complement — and possibly compete with — other workspace suites. (mint)

Vani isn’t just another whiteboard app. It’s built to let teams visualize, collaborate, and execute in one shared space — bringing together diagrams, mockups, workflows, and real-time interactions. (Zoho)

In this article, we’ll break down:

What Vani is & its key capabilities
How Vani works — architecture, usage model, integrations
Pricing & availability
Top FAQs and things to watch out for

What Is Vani? (High-Level)

Vani is a visual collaboration platform launched as a new sub-brand under Zoho. (Zoho)
The idea: allow hybrid / distributed teams to work together in a shared infinite canvas where visual thinking, brainstorming, diagramming, mockups, flows, etc. can all live in one place. (Zoho)
Zoho positions it as a tool to reduce app switching: instead of bouncing among Zoom, Slack, Miro, Figma, etc., you can “do much of it within Vani.” (Business Wire)
At its core, Zoho says Vani stands on three pillars: visualize, collaborate, execute. (Zoho)
Zoho markets it especially for small and medium businesses (SMBs) but also for cross-functional teams in larger organizations. (CIOL)

Key Features & Capabilities

Here’s a breakdown of the major features and capabilities that Vani brings to the table:

Feature / Capability	What It Offers	Why It Matters / Use Case
Infinite Canvas & Visual Tools	Text, shapes, connectors, sticky notes, frames, images, GIFs, audio, video embedding, etc. (Zoho)	Frees teams from rigid “slides” or linear documents. Good for brainstorming, mind maps, flows, visual storyboarding.
Live Interaction & Collaboration	Live cursors, comments, voice notes, reactions, mentions, pins, emojis, etc. (Vani)	Team members can see what others are doing in real time, reducing friction and aligning context.
Video “Catchups” / Built-in Calls	You can hop into video calls inside the same canvas or space without leaving context. (Google Play)	No need to juggle separate meeting apps for discussion + visual work.
Templates & Kits	Prebuilt templates, “kits” of content blocks for common workflows (roadmaps, flows, mockups, etc.) (Vani)	Speeds up ideation by giving starting structure instead of blank slate.
Integrations & App Embedding	Embed docs, spreadsheets, images, videos, Figma, external resources. Also works with Zoho Flow to build workflows and automation. (Appsource – Business Apps)	Makes Vani a hub that can pull in content from existing tools.
“Spaces” & “Zones” Model	Teams can have multiple “Spaces” (distinct canvases) and “Zones” to structure how teams or projects relate. (Inc42 Media)	Helps manage scale and modular collaboration.
AI / Smart Assist	Zoho mentions generative AI for content creation, summarization, structuring visuals / diagrams. (Inc42 Media)	Helps reduce manual effort (drafting, summarizing) within the workspace.
Workflow Automation (via Zoho Flow)	You can trigger or automate tasks from Vani (e.g., when a space is created, add member, etc.). (Zoho)	Bridges Vani to other apps in Zoho / external tools.
Security / Identity Integration	Vani is supported by Zoho Directory (for SSO, user management) (Zoho)	Good for enterprises needing centralized identity / access control.

How Vani Works (Usage Model & Behind the Scenes)

Here’s a sketch of how Vani is structured and how teams will typically use it:

Architecture & Brand Positioning

Though launched as a sub-brand, Vani is tightly integrated within Zoho’s ecosystem. (Zoho)
Zoho describes it as moving teams “away from static tools” toward “interactive, dynamic, value-driven workspaces.” (Business Wire)
It competes in the same space as Miro, Lucid, FigJam, but with deeper integration into Zoho’s suite. (reworked.co)

Teams, Spaces & Zones

A Space is essentially a collaborative canvas/project area. Teams or subteams can create multiple Spaces for different projects. (Zoho)
Zones are a higher-level grouping (for example, at department or domain level) so that multiple spaces can be organized hierarchically. (Inc42 Media)
Users invite collaborators to particular spaces; roles and permissions will likely manage who can view/edit. (This is implied though not exhaustively detailed in public materials.)

Day-to-Day Use

Create a Space for a project or brainstorming theme.
Use templates or start from scratch on the infinite canvas (text, flows, diagrams).
Collaborate in real time — team members enter, see live cursors, leave comments, voice notes, reactions.
If needed, start a video catchup right inside the canvas so discussion and work happen in sync.
Embed files or link content from external tools (spreadsheets, Figma, docs, videos).
Automations can be set (via Zoho Flow) to integrate with downstream systems or trigger tasks.
Use AI features (e.g. summarization, auto layout) to speed up content generation or structuring.
Use Zones to switch context across projects or organizational workstreams.

Because everything is designed to remain in one shared canvas + conversations built around that, teams should spend less time context-switching and more time executing.

Pricing & Availability

Vani is free to try. There is a Free plan with basic features. (Vani)
Paid plans begin at US $4 per user per month (annual plan) or equivalent in local currency. (Vani)
In India, Zoho has priced it around ₹240 per user per month (or equivalent) for paid tiers. (Inc42 Media)
The free version allows unlimited shared Spaces (though with limitations on who you can share with) and basic tools. (Vani)
Vani is already listed in Microsoft AppSource, meaning organizations using Microsoft tools can plug it in. (Appsource – Business Apps)
It supports integration via Zoho Flow (so Vani can connect to 1000+ apps) for automation and extension. (Zoho)

Top FAQs & Clarifications

Here are some frequently asked questions (or likely ones) and their answers:

FAQ	Answer / Insight
Is Vani just another whiteboard app?	Not exactly. While it has whiteboarding features, Vani aims to unify whiteboarding, video calls, diagramming, embedding external content, and workflow in one integrated space. (Zoho)
How does Vani compare to Miro, Lucid, etc.?	Those are direct competitors in visual collaboration. Vani’s differentiator is deeper integration into Zoho’s ecosystem (e.g. CRM, docs, workflows) and being built for teams that want fewer tools to juggle. (reworked.co)
Does it support real-time video + editing together?	Yes — you can start a “Catchup” inside a space, so participants can see/operate within the same canvas. (Google Play)
Are there AI features in Vani?	Yes — Zoho has announced generative AI for content generation, structured visuals, summarization. (Inc42 Media)
How secure is it / what about identity?	Vani is supported by Zoho Directory for identity and SSO / user management. (Zoho)
Can I embed existing files (docs, spreadsheets, slides)?	Yes — you can embed external content (docs, spreadsheets, images, videos, etc.). (Appsource – Business Apps)
Is it available globally?	Yes, Zoho launched Vani globally, not just in India. (Inc42 Media)
What are the limitations on the free plan?	In free mode, spaces can only be shared with the whole team (not specific individuals) and media/file uploads are limited (25 MB). (Vani)
How does Zoho support scaling / large organizations?	Through Zones, Spaces, identity management via Zoho Directory, and automations. But for really large organizations, adoption, performance, and governance will be touchpoints to watch.
Will existing Zoho users get Vani integrated / discounted?	Zoho has not publicly disclosed specific bundling or discounts yet. It’s expected that tight integration with other Zoho products will be a selling point.

Things to Watch / Challenges & Considerations

Performance & latency: As canvas size and embedded content grow, performance could suffer, especially for remote/cross-region teams.
Onboarding & learning curve: Even though the canvas is intuitive, getting teams to shift from traditional tools might take time.
Interoperability & migration: How easily can existing boards or content from Miro, Lucid, etc. be imported?
Access & permissions: With many collaborators, granular access control will matter (who can edit, view, comment).
AI accuracy & user trust: If AI summarization or auto-layout makes mistakes, users may distrust those features.
Vendor lock-in: As more content lives inside Vani, moving out might be difficult.
Security / compliance: Enterprises will ask about encryption, compliance standards (e.g. GDPR, data residency).
Competition: The visual collaboration space is crowded. Vani must differentiate not just by features but by integration, UX, cost.

Conclusion

With Vani, Zoho is making a bold move from messaging and office tools to the frontier of visual collaboration. It combines many features teams already use (whiteboarding, meetings, embedded content, workflows) into a single workspace. If executed well, it could very well reduce tool fatigue and improve alignment.

However, whether Vani becomes a mainstream choice will depend on performance, adoption, ecosystem integration, and how well Zoho can convince teams to shift from incumbents like Miro or Lucid.

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