Zoho People Review — Simple, Affordable HR for Small Businesses

 Zoho People helps small businesses manage attendance, leave, time tracking, and employee records — without the enterprise price tag.

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What is Zoho People?

Zoho People is a cloud-based HR tool designed for small and mid-sized businesses that need HR basics without the heavy cost.

Think of it as HR software stripped down to essentials: attendance, time-off, employee records, and performance reviews. No fluff, no enterprise pricing.

It also fits neatly into the larger Zoho ecosystem (Zoho Books, Zoho CRM, Zoho Projects, etc.) so you can run more of your business under one system.

Key Features

Employee Records

Store all staff info in one secure place — no more digging through filing cabinets or spreadsheets.

Attendance & Time Tracking

Employees can clock in/out via web or mobile. Great for retail, field teams, or remote workers.

Leave & PTO Management

Staff can request vacation or sick leave in the app, managers approve in one click.

Performance Reviews

Simple tools for setting goals and tracking employee performance.

Workflow Automation

Automate repetitive HR tasks like approval requests, reminders, or onboarding steps.

Integrations

Works with Zoho’s other apps (CRM, Books, Projects) and connects to third-party tools.

Mobile App

Manage HR tasks on the go — great for business owners not tied to a desk.

Pricing & What It Costs

Zoho People is one of the most affordable HR tools out there.

  • Essential HR: ~$1.25/user/month → Core HR, leave, time off, and document storage.

  • Professional: ~$2/user/month → Adds performance management and advanced workflows.

  • Premium: ~$3/user/month → Attendance tracking, shift scheduling, advanced automation.

  • Enterprise: ~$4.50/user/month → Full suite, advanced customizations, analytics.

💡 For a 10-person business, you could pay as little as $12.50/month.

✅ Pros ⚠️ Cons

Pros

✔️ Super affordable — one of the cheapest HR tools available.
✔️ Easy to set up and use.
✔️ Scales with other Zoho apps (CRM, Books, Projects).
✔️ Great for attendance & leave management.

Cons

⚠️ Lacks advanced features compared to Gusto or Rippling.
⚠️ Payroll is not included (you’ll need Zoho Payroll separately).
⚠️ Some users find the interface less polished than competitors.
⚠️ Customer support isn’t always fast.

Compliance & Penalties Avoided

While Zoho People doesn’t handle payroll tax compliance like Gusto, it helps you stay compliant with labor laws by:

  • Keeping accurate records of attendance and leave.

  • Storing employee documents securely.

  • Automating approvals to avoid disputes.

For U.S. businesses, you may still need Zoho Payroll or another payroll tool for tax compliance.

Employee Experience

Employees don’t need to chase you down for HR info. With Zoho People, they can:

  • Request leave directly in the app.

  • Clock in/out from their phone.

  • Access their records without bothering HR/admins.

  • See performance goals and progress clearly.

This builds transparency and trust between staff and owners.

Integration Angle

One of Zoho People’s biggest advantages is its place in the Zoho One ecosystem:

  • Combine with Zoho Books → HR + accounting in one place.

  • Pair with Zoho CRM → Manage sales team performance and payroll together.

  • Use with Zoho Projects → Track time spent on client projects and feed into payroll.

👉 If you already use Zoho apps, Zoho People fits in seamlessly.

Trust & Social Proof

Platform Rating What People Say
Capterra ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ (4.4/5) Great value, covers essentials, UI could improve.
G2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.2/5) Affordable, good for SMBs, some features limited.
Trustpilot ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.0/5) Solid for HR basics, but not advanced HR/Payroll.

Real Customer Reviews on Zoho People

“
As a retail shop owner, I love how staff can clock in from their phones. It’s affordable, and I don’t worry about lost paper timesheets.

Jessica L. – Austin, TX
“
We’re already using Zoho CRM, so Zoho People was a no-brainer. Everything talks to each other. Could use a better design, but it gets the job done

Mark D. – Chicago, IL
“
Vacation requests used to be a nightmare. Now, employees request through the app, I approve with one click. Huge time-saver.

Sophia R. – Miami, FL
“
It’s cheap and works, but not a full HR suite like BambooHR. No payroll inside the app, so we had to add Zoho Payroll separately.

Aaron T. – Denver, CO
“
For the price, Zoho People is unbeatable. It’s perfect for tracking time off and keeping employee files organized..

Natalie H. – Los Angeles, CA
“
As a growing startup, Zoho People gave us structure without spending thousands. Employees love the mobile app. Wish customer support was faster.”

Jamal P. – New York, NY

Who Zoho People Is NOT For

❌ Not for solopreneurs with no employees → Use Wave or FreshBooks instead.
 ❌ Not for businesses needing payroll compliance → You’ll need Zoho Payroll or another tool.
 ❌ Not for enterprises with 500+ staff → It’s not built for massive org charts.

✅ Best Fit: Budget-conscious small businesses (5–200 employees) that need simple HR, attendance, and leave management.

 If you already use Zoho apps (CRM, Books, Projects), Zoho People is a no-brainer. Even on its own, it’s a strong entry-level HR tool.

Try Zoho People Free