'We call it Vani': Sridhar Vembu launches Zoho’s all-in-one Google Workspace rival

Zoho has unveiled Vani, a bold new challenge to Google Workspace and Miro—promising an all-in-one, AI-powered visual collaboration platform tailor-made for teams and small businesses.

“Vani sparks creativity,” Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu wrote on X as he announced the launch. Years in the making, Vani reimagines digital teamwork with a visual-first design, an infinite canvas, and deep Zoho ecosystem integration.

Designed to replace fragmented tools like whiteboards, spreadsheets, slides, and video apps, Vani introduces a Space and Zone model—allowing teams to brainstorm, plan, and execute in parallel “Zones” while maintaining context in a broader “Space.”

A key differentiator? Its infinite visual canvas, where users can co-create mind maps, flowcharts, diagrams, and strategy boards in real time. Built-in video meetings—including recording—remove the need for third-party conferencing tools, while AI assists with content creation, mind mapping, and smart summarization across Zones.

Early users are already on board, Vembu said, calling it “fresh thinking on team collaboration.”

Vani ships with a wide library of templates for strategy, design, social media, and network planning. It also connects with both Zoho and third-party apps, enabling teams to pull in documents, workflows, and data for true all-in-one collaboration.

Its feature set stacks up aggressively against rivals:

• Infinite Canvas: Yes (unlike Google Workspace)
• Zone-Based Structure: Unique to Vani
• Built-in Native Video: Fully integrated (vs. Google Meet or Miro’s third-party options)
• AI-Powered Summaries & Creation: Streamlines complex discussions
• Affordable SMB Pricing: Aimed at small-to-mid-sized teams with simple onboarding

Currently available for desktop and browser use, Vani’s mobile version is on the roadmap. With tools like Miro, Lucid, and Google Workspace offering overlapping features, Vani differentiates itself with its visual depth, structured collaboration model, and seamless integration with the broader Zoho suite.