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Recruitment & ATS · head to head

SmartRecruiters vs Zoho People

SmartRecruiters logo

SmartRecruiters

Recruitment & ATS

Talent acquisition suite for hiring success

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: SmartRecruiters no native video interviewing tool; requires third-party solution; Zoho People slow response times and slow loading on the platform affecting user efficiency
  • They diverge on capability: SmartRecruiters covers Applicant Tracking, Zoho People covers Employee Database.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where SmartRecruiters and Zoho People differ
AttributeSmartRecruitersZoho People
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
Free tierNoYes
CategoryRecruitment & ATSHR & Recruiting
Founded20101996

Identical on both: platforms (Web), 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 SmartRecruiters

  • Applicant Tracking
  • CRM
  • Recruiting Marketing
  • AI Matching
  • Analytics
  • Marketplace
  • LinkedIn
  • Indeed

Only in Zoho People

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

Both cover

  • Onboarding
  • Microsoft 365
  • Slack
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

Where each one falls short

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

SmartRecruiters

  • No native video interviewing tool; requires third-party solution
  • Reporting tools lack advanced customization; creating custom reports is difficult
  • Mobile app functionality is limited compared to desktop version
  • Integration with external HR systems can be unreliable with synchronization problems
  • Limited customization options to capture position-specific information
  • Subscription fees locked during contract term even if company headcount decreases

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

SmartRecruiters

On request
  • SmartRecruiters$undefined/month
    • ATS
    • CRM
    • Recruiting Marketing

Zoho People

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zoho People review.

Which should you pick?

Choose SmartRecruiters if

  • You need applicant tracking.
  • You also want crm.
SmartRecruiters 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 SmartRecruiters or Zoho People better?
Neither clearly leads. SmartRecruiters 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, SmartRecruiters or Zoho People?
Zoho People has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for SmartRecruiters and Free for Zoho People.
Does SmartRecruiters 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. SmartRecruiters starts at On request.
What can SmartRecruiters do that Zoho People cannot?
SmartRecruiters covers Applicant Tracking, CRM, Recruiting Marketing, AI Matching. Zoho People covers Employee Database, Time Off, Time Tracking, Attendance. Both handle Onboarding, Microsoft 365, Slack, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SmartRecruiters: Does SmartRecruiters have a free tier?

No. As of 2026, SmartRecruiters discontinued the free SmartStart tier. The platform requires a demo and evaluation call; entry-level Essential tier pricing starts around $15,000 per 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
SmartRecruiters: How does SmartRecruiters billing work?

SmartRecruiters charges by total company headcount, not by recruiter seats. Subscription fees cannot decrease during a contract term even if headcount shrinks mid-contract.

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
SmartRecruiters: What integrations does SmartRecruiters support?

SmartRecruiters integrates with Slack, Microsoft Teams, and offers a Slack marketplace integration for sending interview notifications and scheduling updates directly to channels.

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
SmartRecruiters: What are SmartRecruiters' core features?

SmartRecruiters offers end-to-end recruiting including Winston AI talent matching, job distribution, career site builder, applicant tracking, interview scheduling, analytics, and onboarding tools.

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Related pages

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