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Software · head to head

Zoho People vs CharlieHR

Zoho People logo

Zoho People

Software

Cloud HR software for growing businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
CharlieHR logo

CharlieHR

Software

HR software built for small businesses

From
£5/month
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: Zoho People slow response times and slow loading on the platform affecting user efficiency; CharlieHR limited payroll integration capabilities compared to dedicated payroll platforms
  • They diverge on capability: Zoho People covers Time Off, CharlieHR covers Time Off Management.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Zoho People and CharlieHR differ
AttributeZoho PeopleCharlieHR
Starting priceFree£5/month
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWeb, Mobile (iOS/Android)
Founded19962015

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Zoho People

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

Only in CharlieHR

  • Time Off Management
  • Performance Reviews
  • Team Engagement
  • Company Directory
  • Zapier

Both cover

  • Employee Database
  • Onboarding
  • Slack
  • Microsoft 365
  • Google Workspace
  • 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.

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

CharlieHR

  • Limited payroll integration capabilities compared to dedicated payroll platforms
  • Pricing structure geared toward UK and Europe, with limited localization for other regions
  • Add-on services like Charlie Recruit and Charlie Advice incur additional costs
  • Smaller employee base (approximately 30 people) compared to enterprise HR competitors

Pricing, plan by plan

Zoho People

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Zoho People review.

CharlieHR

£5/month
  • Core HR (Teams 1-4)$5/month
    • Employee onboarding
    • Time off management
    • Document storage

Which should you pick?

Choose Zoho People if

  • You need time off.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want time tracking.
Zoho People review

Choose CharlieHR if

  • You need time off management.
  • You work on Web, Mobile (iOS/Android).
  • You also want performance reviews.
CharlieHR review

Questions people ask

Is Zoho People or CharlieHR better?
Neither clearly leads. Zoho People starts at Free and CharlieHR at £5/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Zoho People or CharlieHR?
Zoho People has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Zoho People and £5/month for CharlieHR.
Does Zoho People or CharlieHR run on more platforms?
Zoho People runs on Web. CharlieHR runs on Web, Mobile (iOS/Android).
Can I use Zoho People for free?
Yes. Zoho People has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CharlieHR starts at £5/month.
What can Zoho People do that CharlieHR cannot?
Zoho People covers Time Off, Time Tracking, Attendance, Performance. CharlieHR covers Time Off Management, Performance Reviews, Team Engagement, Company Directory. Both handle Employee Database, Onboarding, Slack, Microsoft 365.

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
CharlieHR: Does CharlieHR offer a free plan?

CharlieHR does not have a free plan, but offers a 7-day free trial without requiring a credit card. Pricing starts at £5/month for teams of 1-4 employees.

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
CharlieHR: What are CharlieHR's core features?

Core features include employee onboarding, time off tracking, performance reviews, document storage, employee engagement tools, and benefits management with access to 30,000+ discounts.

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
CharlieHR: Does CharlieHR integrate with payroll systems?

CharlieHR integrates with major HR tech stacks and offers add-on services like Charlie Recruit for hiring automation. Payroll integration capabilities depend on the specific payroll provider you use.

Source
CharlieHR: Is CharlieHR GDPR compliant?

Yes. CharlieHR is GDPR-compliant and ISO 27001-certified, providing strong data security and privacy compliance for European businesses.

Source
CharlieHR: Does CharlieHR support multi-currency?

CharlieHR's pricing is primarily in GBP (British Pounds). International users can access the platform but currency and localization options may be limited.

Source
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Related pages

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