Zoho People
Cloud HR software from Zoho for employee records, time off, attendance and performance, with a free plan for up to 3 US users.
Our take: Zoho People gives small companies a full HR record, leave, attendance and performance setup for a few dollars a head.
Zoho People is cloud HR software from Zoho for employee records, time off, attendance, shifts and performance reviews at small and mid-sized companies. It is free for up to 3 users in the US, and paid US plans cost $3 to $8 per user per month on yearly billing, with a 5-user minimum.
A strong value pick for core HR if you can live inside Zoho's ecosystem.
Our score
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Community ratings
Shown for context only. Our score is independent.
Capterra4.4 / 5 aggregate · across 1 source
Third-party ratings shown verbatim; aggregate weighted by review volume.
What it is, and why we rate it
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Our takeZoho People gives small companies a full HR record, leave, attendance and performance setup for a few dollars a head.
Best / not good for
- Small and mid-sized companies on a tight HR budget
- Teams already using Zoho apps
- Companies that need leave and attendance tracking with mobile clock-in
- Teams that want payroll built into the same product
- Companies that want a PEO to handle compliance for them
Friction report
Trade-offs to know before signing up.
- Time to valueModerate: setting up leave policies, shifts and approval flows takes some admin time; Zoho sells paid Jumpstart setup help.
- Scale breakpointOver 500 users needs a sales quote.
- Walled gardenWorks best with other Zoho apps; payroll and expenses push you toward Zoho Payroll and Zoho Expense.
Zoho People pricing (US)
| Plan | Yearly billing | Monthly billing | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | Up to 3 users; employee database, time off, documents |
| Essential HR | $3/user/mo | $4/user/mo | Onboarding, documents, engagement surveys, HR helpdesk, reports |
| Workforce | $5/user/mo | $6/user/mo | Adds time off, timesheets with overtime rules, attendance |
| Talent | $5/user/mo | $6/user/mo | Adds OKRs, performance reviews, LMS |
| Enterprise | $8/user/mo | $10/user/mo | Essential HR + Workforce + Talent, sandbox, premium support |
From Zoho People's pricing page, checked 4 October 2026. US prices; paid plans need at least 5 users, over 500 users is quote-based, and prices outside the US differ.
Which Zoho People plan fits
| If you mainly need | Pick |
|---|---|
| Employee records for 3 people or fewer | Free |
| Records, onboarding and an HR helpdesk | Essential HR |
| Leave, attendance and timesheets | Workforce |
| Performance reviews and training | Talent |
| Everything plus a sandbox | Enterprise |
Based on the plan feature lists on Zoho People's pricing page, checked 4 October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Zoho People alternatives
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