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HR · head to head

Motivosity vs Zoho People

Motivosity logo

Motivosity

HR

Recognition that actually matters

From
$3000/year
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: Motivosity no published per-seat pricing; only broad ranges provided by company size; Zoho People slow response times and slow loading on the platform affecting user efficiency
  • They diverge on capability: Motivosity 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 Motivosity and Zoho People actually diverge.

Attributes where Motivosity and Zoho People differ
AttributeMotivosityZoho People
Starting price$3000/yearFree
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApiWeb
Founded20131996

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 Motivosity

  • Peer-to-peer recognition
  • Spot bonuses
  • Social recognition feed
  • Manager insights
  • 1-on-1 meetings
  • Pulse surveys
  • Rewards marketplace
  • 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.

Motivosity

  • Peer-to-peer recognition and spot bonusesnot Zoho People
  • Service milestones and work anniversariesnot Zoho People
  • Pulse surveys on employee sentimentnot Zoho People
  • Rewards and lifestyle spending accountsnot Zoho People
  • Nominations and awards programmesnot Zoho People

Zoho People

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

Where each one falls short

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

Motivosity

  • No published per-seat pricing; only broad ranges provided by company size
  • Minimum annual spend of 3,000 USD for small business plans; no monthly options available
  • Custom module pricing starts around 1 USD PEPM with no published rate cards

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

Motivosity

$3000/year
  • Small Business$3000/year
    • 20-250 employees
    • Annual investment range 3,000-10,000 USD
    • Platform fee approximately 0-2 USD PEPM
  • Mid-Market$7500/year
    • 250-5,000 employees
    • Annual investment range 7,500-75,000 USD
  • Enterprise$40000/year
    • 5,000+ employees
    • Annual investment range 40,000-300,000+ USD

Zoho People

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zoho People review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Motivosity if

  • You need peer-to-peer recognition.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want spot bonuses.
Motivosity 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 Motivosity or Zoho People better?
Neither clearly leads. Motivosity starts at $3000/year and Zoho People at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Motivosity or Zoho People?
Zoho People has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $3000/year for Motivosity and Free for Zoho People.
Does Motivosity or Zoho People run on more platforms?
Motivosity 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. Motivosity starts at $3000/year.
What is Motivosity best used for?
Motivosity is most often used for peer-to-peer recognition and spot bonuses, service milestones and work anniversaries, pulse surveys on employee sentiment, rewards and lifestyle spending accounts. Of those, peer-to-peer recognition and spot bonuses and service milestones and work anniversaries are not what Zoho People is typically brought in for.
What can Motivosity do that Zoho People cannot?
Motivosity covers Peer-to-peer recognition, Spot bonuses, Social recognition feed, Manager insights. Zoho People covers Employee Database, Time Off, Time Tracking, Attendance. Both handle Slack.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Motivosity: How much does Motivosity cost?

Motivosity uses custom per-employee pricing (PEPM) model. Small businesses (20-250 employees) invest 3,000-10,000 USD/year; mid-market (250-5,000) invests 7,500-75,000 USD/year; enterprise (5,000+) invests 40,000-300,000+ USD/year.

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
Motivosity: What is the platform fee per employee?

Motivosity charges approximately 0-2 USD per employee per month (PEPM) as a platform fee, with additional module costs starting around 1 USD PEPM.

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
Motivosity: Is there a minimum contract?

Yes, Motivosity requires a minimum annual investment of 3,000 USD for small business plans with annual contract terms.

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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