Softwr

HR · head to head

CharlieHR vs Zoho People

CharlieHR logo

CharlieHR

HR

HR software built for small businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoho People logo

Zoho People

HR

Cloud HR software for growing businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: CharlieHR starter plan price increases to £20/month after 6-month promotional period; Zoho People slow response times and slow loading on the platform affecting user efficiency
  • They diverge on capability: CharlieHR covers Time Off Management, Zoho People covers Time Off.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CharlieHR and Zoho People actually diverge.

Attributes where CharlieHR and Zoho People differ
AttributeCharlieHRZoho People
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (iOS/Android)Web
Founded20151996

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (HR).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in CharlieHR

  • Time Off Management
  • Performance Reviews
  • Team Engagement
  • Company Directory
  • Zapier

Only in Zoho People

  • Time Off
  • Time Tracking
  • Attendance
  • Performance
  • Self-Service
  • Zoho CRM
  • Zoho Books

Both cover

  • Employee Database
  • Onboarding
  • Slack
  • Google Workspace
  • Microsoft 365
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

CharlieHR

  • HR management for small to large teamsnot Zoho People
  • Employee onboarding and time off managementnot Zoho People
  • Performance reviews and employee engagementnot Zoho People

Zoho People

  • Automating recruitment workflows from application through onboardingnot CharlieHR
  • Managing performance evaluations and compensation decisions centrallynot CharlieHR
  • Tracking employee time, attendance, and leave in real-timenot CharlieHR
  • Generating HR analytics to measure employee satisfaction and retentionnot CharlieHR

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

CharlieHR

  • Starter plan price increases to £20/month after 6-month promotional period
  • Pricing based on team headcount brackets, not per-user
  • Add-ons (Charlie Recruit, Charlie Advice) cannot be purchased standalone
  • Charlie Advice and Recruit require base Charlie subscription
  • Prices shown exclude 20% UK VAT

Zoho People

  • Slow response times and slow loading on the platform affecting user efficiency
  • Limited customization options for leave and performance management workflows
  • Mobile app is missing key features available in desktop version, like timesheets and reporting
  • Customer support is ticket-based only with no live chat unless on premium plan

Pricing, plan by plan

CharlieHR

Free
  • Starter (1-4 team members)$5/month
    • Introductory rate for first 6 months
    • Then £20/month
  • Small (5-14 team members)$45/month
    • Covers 5-14 employees
  • Medium (15-29 team members)$105/month
    • Covers 15-29 employees
  • Large (30-99 team members)$180/month
    • Covers 30-99 employees

Zoho People

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zoho People review.

Which should you pick?

Choose CharlieHR if

  • You need time off management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile (iOS/Android).
  • You also want performance reviews.
CharlieHR review

Choose Zoho People if

  • You need time off.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want time tracking.
Zoho People review

Questions people ask

Is CharlieHR or Zoho People better?
Neither clearly leads. CharlieHR starts at Free and Zoho People at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CharlieHR or Zoho People?
CharlieHR starts at Free and Zoho People at Free.
Does CharlieHR or Zoho People run on more platforms?
CharlieHR runs on Web, Mobile (iOS/Android). Zoho People runs on Web.
Can I use CharlieHR for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is CharlieHR best used for?
CharlieHR is most often used for hr management for small to large teams, employee onboarding and time off management, performance reviews and employee engagement. Of those, hr management for small to large teams and employee onboarding and time off management are not what Zoho People is typically brought in for.
What can CharlieHR do that Zoho People cannot?
CharlieHR covers Time Off Management, Performance Reviews, Team Engagement, Company Directory. Zoho People covers Time Off, Time Tracking, Attendance, Performance. Both handle Employee Database, Onboarding, Slack, Google Workspace.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CharlieHR: Does CharlieHR offer a free plan?

CharlieHR does not have a free plan, but offers a 7-day free trial without requiring a credit card. Pricing starts at £5/month for teams of 1-4 employees.

Source
Zoho People: Does Zoho People have a free tier?

Yes, the Free plan supports up to 5-10 users with essential HR tools, email support, and 30-day free trial available on all paid plans with no credit card required.

Source
CharlieHR: What are CharlieHR's core features?

Core features include employee onboarding, time off tracking, performance reviews, document storage, employee engagement tools, and benefits management with access to 30,000+ discounts.

Source
Zoho People: What is the pricing for Zoho People?

Pricing starts at $1.25 per user per month when billed annually. The Essential HR plan costs $1.50 monthly per user, dropping to $1.25 annually with five tiers available: Free, Essential HR, Professional, Premium, and Enterprise.

Source
CharlieHR: Does CharlieHR integrate with payroll systems?

CharlieHR integrates with major HR tech stacks and offers add-on services like Charlie Recruit for hiring automation. Payroll integration capabilities depend on the specific payroll provider you use.

Source
Zoho People: Does Zoho People work with other Zoho applications?

Yes, Zoho People integrates with the Zoho ecosystem including Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, and other Zoho applications for unified business management.

Source
CharlieHR: Is CharlieHR GDPR compliant?

Yes. CharlieHR is GDPR-compliant and ISO 27001-certified, providing strong data security and privacy compliance for European businesses.

Source
CharlieHR: Does CharlieHR support multi-currency?

CharlieHR's pricing is primarily in GBP (British Pounds). International users can access the platform but currency and localization options may be limited.

Source
Share

Related pages

More on CharlieHR

More on Zoho People

Keep looking

Other head to heads