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Payroll · head to head

Paylocity vs Zoho People

Paylocity logo

Paylocity

Payroll

HR and payroll solutions to drive employee engagement

From
On request
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: Paylocity the Internet Archive's capture of Paylocity's homepage on 3 January 2021 named a wide suite of modules, including Payroll, On Demand Payment, HR Edge, Recruiting, Performance Management, Compensation Management and a Learning Management System, all sold via 'Request a Demo' with no price figures published.; Zoho People slow response times and slow loading on the platform affecting user efficiency
  • They diverge on capability: Paylocity covers Payroll, Zoho People covers Employee Database.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Paylocity and Zoho People differ
AttributePaylocityZoho People
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb
CategoryPayrollHR
Founded19971996

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Paylocity

  • Payroll
  • HR Management
  • Benefits Administration
  • Time and Labor
  • Talent Management
  • Employee Engagement
  • Microsoft Teams
  • QuickBooks

Only in Zoho People

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

Both cover

  • Slack
  • Google Workspace
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Paylocity

No use cases recorded yet. See the Paylocity review.

Zoho People

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

Where each one falls short

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

Paylocity

  • The Internet Archive's capture of Paylocity's homepage on 3 January 2021 named a wide suite of modules, including Payroll, On Demand Payment, HR Edge, Recruiting, Performance Management, Compensation Management and a Learning Management System, all sold via 'Request a Demo' with no price figures published.

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

Paylocity

On request
  • Core Payroll$undefined/month
    • Payroll Processing
    • Tax Services
    • Direct Deposit
  • Complete HCM$undefined/month
    • All Core features
    • HR
    • Benefits

Zoho People

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zoho People review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Paylocity if

  • You need payroll.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want hr management.
Paylocity 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 Paylocity or Zoho People better?
Neither clearly leads. Paylocity starts at On request and Zoho People at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Paylocity or Zoho People?
Zoho People has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Paylocity and Free for Zoho People.
Does Paylocity or Zoho People run on more platforms?
Paylocity runs on Web, Ios, Android. 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. Paylocity starts at On request.
What can Paylocity do that Zoho People cannot?
Paylocity covers Payroll, HR Management, Benefits Administration, Time and Labor. Zoho People covers Employee Database, Time Off, Time Tracking, Attendance. Both handle Slack, Google Workspace, Web support, Ios support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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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