Softwr

Software · head to head

Empuls vs Zoho People

Empuls logo

Empuls

Software

Employee engagement platform for connection and recognition

From
$1/month per employee
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoho People logo

Zoho People

Software

Cloud HR software for growing businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zoho People has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Empuls limited customization options for organizations with unique workflows; Zoho People slow response times and slow loading on the platform affecting user efficiency
  • They diverge on capability: Empuls covers Social intranet, Zoho People covers Employee Database.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Empuls and Zoho People differ
AttributeEmpulsZoho People
Starting price$1/month per employeeFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, SlackWeb
Founded20181996

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Empuls

  • Social intranet
  • Peer recognition
  • Rewards marketplace
  • Surveys
  • Celebrations
  • Analytics
  • Mobile app
  • Gamification

Only in Zoho People

  • Employee Database
  • Time Off
  • Time Tracking
  • Attendance
  • Performance
  • Onboarding
  • Self-Service
  • Zoho CRM

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Google Workspace

What people use each for

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

Empuls

  • Employee recognitionnot Zoho People
  • Team engagementnot Zoho People
  • Pulse surveysnot Zoho People
  • Rewards programsnot Zoho People

Zoho People

No use cases recorded yet. See the Zoho People review.

Where each one falls short

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

Empuls

  • Limited customization options for organizations with unique workflows
  • Integration with third-party HR and payroll systems is restricted, often requiring manual workarounds
  • Mobile app is less stable and slower than desktop version with reported bugs
  • Limited options to customize user interface for brand alignment
  • Platform can feel overwhelming due to large number of features

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

Empuls

$1/month per employee
  • Reward & Recognize$3/month per employee
    • Recognition badges
    • Reward catalog
    • Points management
  • Surveys & Feedback$3/month per employee
    • Engagement surveys
    • Pulse surveys
    • Analytics
  • Perks & Benefits$2/month per employee
    • Perks catalog
    • Benefits management
  • Social Intranet$1/month per employee
    • Internal communications
    • Announcements
    • Employee directory

Zoho People

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zoho People review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Empuls if

  • You need social intranet.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Slack.
  • You also want peer recognition.
Empuls review

Choose Zoho People if

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

Questions people ask

Is Empuls or Zoho People better?
Neither clearly leads. Empuls starts at $1/month per employee and Zoho People at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Empuls or Zoho People?
Zoho People has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1/month per employee for Empuls and Free for Zoho People.
Does Empuls or Zoho People run on more platforms?
Empuls runs on Web, Mobile, Slack. Zoho People runs on Web.
Can I use Zoho People for free?
Yes. Zoho People has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Empuls starts at $1/month per employee.
What is Empuls best used for?
Empuls is most often used for employee recognition, team engagement, pulse surveys, rewards programs. Of those, employee recognition and team engagement are not what Zoho People is typically brought in for.
What can Empuls do that Zoho People cannot?
Empuls covers Social intranet, Peer recognition, Rewards marketplace, Surveys. Zoho People covers Employee Database, Time Off, Time Tracking, Attendance. Both handle Slack, Google Workspace.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Empuls: What are the main features of Empuls?

Empuls is an AI-led employee engagement platform combining social intranet, recognition and rewards, surveys and feedback, employee gifting, and perks and benefits—all in one platform built on four pillars: communication, alignment, empowerment, and motivation.

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
Empuls: How much does Empuls cost?

Empuls pricing is module-based: Reward & Recognize at $3 per employee/month, Surveys at $3 per employee/month, Perks & Benefits at $2 per employee/month, Social Intranet & Employee Communication at $1 per employee/month, plus Employee Gifting & Service Rewards with no platform fees.

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
Empuls: Does Empuls integrate with Slack?

Yes, Empuls integrates with Slack to enable peer recognition, badge sending, polls, surveys, and achievement celebrations directly within Slack without app switching, with automatic social notifications to the channel.

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
Empuls: Can I use Empuls APIs to customize integrations?

Yes, Empuls provides APIs for sending appreciations and gifts, redeeming reward points, accessing reports (awards and core values), and embedding employee engagement features into other work tools via API and SDK.

Source
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Empuls

More on Zoho People

Keep looking

Other head to heads