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HR & Recruiting · head to head

SmartHR vs Zoho People

SmartHR logo

SmartHR

HR & Recruiting

Japanese back-office cloud for labor management, payroll and talent management

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoho People logo

Zoho People

HR & Recruiting

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: SmartHR pricing is not published for any of the three named plans (HR Strategy, HR Essential, Talent Management); the vendor states price varies by company size and requires a quote request form; Zoho People slow response times and slow loading on the platform affecting user efficiency

Where they differ

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

Attributes where SmartHR and Zoho People differ
AttributeSmartHRZoho People
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
Free tierNoYes
FoundedUnknown1996

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (HR & Recruiting).

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 SmartHR

Nothing recorded that Zoho People does not also cover.

Only in Zoho People

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

Where each one falls short

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

SmartHR

  • Pricing is not published for any of the three named plans (HR Strategy, HR Essential, Talent Management); the vendor states price varies by company size and requires a quote request form
  • Many core functions (payroll, attendance tracking, hiring management, surveys) are separate paid add-on modules rather than included in the base plan price

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

SmartHR

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the SmartHR review.

Zoho People

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zoho People review.

Which should you pick?

Choose SmartHR if

Nothing in the data separates SmartHR from Zoho People on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

SmartHR 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 SmartHR or Zoho People better?
Neither clearly leads. SmartHR 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, SmartHR or Zoho People?
Zoho People has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for SmartHR and Free for Zoho People.
Does SmartHR or Zoho People run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Zoho People for free?
Yes. Zoho People has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. SmartHR starts at On request.
What can SmartHR do that Zoho People cannot?
Zoho People covers Employee Database, Time Off, Time Tracking, Attendance.

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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Related pages

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