Softwr

HR · head to head

Kudos vs Zoho People

Kudos logo

Kudos

HR

Employee recognition that drives performance

From
$5/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoho People logo

Zoho People

HR

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: Kudos no pricing published; requires demo request or direct sales contact; Zoho People slow response times and slow loading on the platform affecting user efficiency
  • They diverge on capability: Kudos covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Zoho People covers Employee Database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Kudos and Zoho People differ
AttributeKudosZoho People
Starting price$5/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb
Founded20101996

Identical on both: 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 Kudos

  • Peer-to-peer recognition
  • Manager recognition
  • Social recognition wall
  • Points & rewards
  • Awards & nominations
  • Anniversary celebrations
  • Analytics dashboard
  • Company values alignment

Only in Zoho People

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

Both cover

  • Slack

What people use each for

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

Kudos

  • Employee recognitionnot Zoho People
  • Culture buildingnot Zoho People
  • Employee engagementnot Zoho People
  • Retention improvementnot Zoho People
  • Values reinforcementnot Zoho People

Zoho People

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

Where each one falls short

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

Kudos

  • No pricing published; requires demo request or direct sales contact

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

Kudos

$5/month
  • Plus$5/month
    • Peer recognition
    • Social recognition wall
    • Points system
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Everything in Plus
    • Awards & nominations
    • Advanced analytics

Zoho People

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zoho People review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Kudos if

  • You need peer-to-peer recognition.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want manager recognition.
Kudos 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 Kudos or Zoho People better?
Neither clearly leads. Kudos starts at $5/month and Zoho People at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Kudos or Zoho People?
Zoho People has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $5/month for Kudos and Free for Zoho People.
Does Kudos or Zoho People run on more platforms?
Kudos runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. 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. Kudos starts at $5/month.
What is Kudos best used for?
Kudos is most often used for employee recognition, culture building, employee engagement, retention improvement. Of those, employee recognition and culture building are not what Zoho People is typically brought in for.
What can Kudos do that Zoho People cannot?
Kudos covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Manager recognition, Social recognition wall, Points & rewards. Zoho People covers Employee Database, Time Off, Time Tracking, Attendance. Both handle Slack.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Kudos: How much does Kudos cost?

Kudos does not publish standard pricing on its website. To learn pricing, contact Kudos for a 30-minute demo or reach out directly at +1 (888) 915-8367 or [email protected].

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
Kudos: How can I get Kudos pricing information?

Contact Kudos through their website demo request form or directly at [email protected] to discuss pricing and setup for your organization.

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
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
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