Zoho People Review 2026 - Features, Pricing & Deals

Zoho People is a comprehensive HR management system that helps companies handle their workforce data and processes from a central platform. It serves businesses of all sizes, from small teams to large enterprises, by providing tools for essential HR tasks like employee data management, attendance tracking, and performance reviews.

At its core, the platform streamlines day-to-day HR operations through automation and self-service features. Employees can manage their own profiles, submit time-off requests, and track their work hours. The system includes Zia, an AI assistant that handles routine tasks through a conversational interface, letting employees apply for leave, check pending tasks, and get answers to HR questions without navigating through menus.

The software integrates with other Zoho applications and third-party tools, making it particularly useful for organizations already using Zoho's business solutions. It comes with native mobile apps for iOS and Android that let users handle HR tasks on the go, while role-based permissions and customizable access controls keep sensitive employee data protected.

Available with a free plan and 30-day trial for paid tiers, Zoho People's pricing ranges from $1.50 to $5 per employee per month for standard plans, with People Plus bundles at $4.50 to $10 per employee per month that include additional Zoho tools like Recruit, Payroll, and Expense. Annual billing saves more than 20% compared to monthly payments.

• Zia AI Assistant: Chatbot that handles leave applications, attendance queries, pending task lists, and HR inquiries through conversational commands, automating routine employee interactions.
• Employee Self-Service Portal: Personal profile where staff can manage their details, request time off, and access company policies directly.
• Advanced Leave Management: Enables custom leave policy creation, quick leave submissions, and provides managers with a consolidated view of employee leave balances and holiday schedules.
• Intelligent Timesheet Tracking: Allows precise project time tracking, job allocation, and workload monitoring to help teams optimize productivity and billing accuracy.
• Flexible Attendance Management:Supports IP-based tracking, biometric integrations, and shift management with real-time attendance capture capabilities, including automated check-in/out workflows.
• Performance and Compensation Management: Streamlines performance review processes with automatic reminders, notifications, and structured evaluation framework, plus tools for managing employee compensation.
• HR Process Automation: Automates routine tasks like birthday wishes, work anniversary emails, workflow approvals, and case management to reduce administrative burden.
• Comprehensive HR Analytics: Provides detailed insights into employee performance, attendance trends, and demographic data to support strategic decision-making.
• Dedicated HR Help Desk: Includes built-in service level agreements and a knowledge base to resolve employee queries efficiently.
• Centralized Document Repository: Provides secure storage, electronic document generation with templates, e-signatures, and easy sharing of critical organizational files.
• Software Integration: Connects easily with other Zoho applications and third-party tools to create a connected business management system.
• Mobile HR Management: Delivers native iOS and Android apps for on-the-go access to HR services, enabling employees and managers to handle tasks from anywhere.
• User Access Control: Offers role-based permissions, IP restrictions, and customizable access controls to enhance organizational security.

• Free plan available with core HR features including basic employee database and time-off management.
• 30-day free trial for all paid plans with no credit card required.
• Essential HR Plan costs $1.50 per employee per month, offering onboarding, employee database management, time-off management, basic shift management, and document management.
• Professional Plan priced at $2.50 per employee per month, providing advanced HR features beyond the Essential tier.
• Premium Plan at $3.50 per employee per month, including enhanced capabilities with advanced analytics and workflows.
• Enterprise Plan costs $5 per employee per month, delivering full-featured enterprise HR solution with advanced customization.
• People Plus Premium at $4.50 per employee per month, bundling Zoho Recruit, Payroll, Expense, Connect, Cliq, and Vault integrations.
• People Plus Enterprise at $10 per employee per month, offering the full People Plus bundle with enterprise-level features.
• Annual billing provides savings of more than 20% compared to monthly billing across all plans.

Zoho People connects with other Zoho apps like Zoho CRM, Zoho Mail, and Zoho Projects. You can also link it with third-party tools for accounting and project management. One notable integration is with Xoxoday, which lets you reward employees with over 10 million gift options including vouchers and experiences. These connections create a system where HR tasks flow into your other business operations. Integration with non-Zoho tools is sometimes problematic.

Zoho People takes security seriously with several layers of protection. You can set up role-based permissions so employees only see what they need to. The system lets you restrict access based on IP addresses to prevent unauthorized logins. Managers can customize who sees what information, and you can control document access and sharing. If security is a top concern for your company's HR data, these features keep sensitive employee information safe while still making it available to the right people.

Yes. Zoho People has native mobile apps for both iPhones and Android devices. Employees can check their leave balances, request time off, and submit their timesheets right from their phones. Managers can approve requests and check team attendance while on the go. The app is handy for workers who aren't at a desk all day or who need to handle HR tasks while traveling. It has most of the key features from the desktop version in a phone-friendly format. Some users report bugs in the mobile app.

You can create custom leave policies based on your company rules. Employees request time off through the system, and managers get notifications to approve or deny these requests. For attendance, you have options like IP-based check-ins, biometric system connections, or automated check-in/out workflows. The system also helps with shift management if your company runs different work schedules. All this information feeds into reports so you can spot patterns like which departments take the most sick days.

Zia is Zoho People's AI assistant that handles routine HR tasks through conversation. Instead of clicking through menus, employees can chat with Zia to apply for leave, check their pending tasks, ask HR questions, and get reports. It automates workflows like attendance tracking, case management, and routine inquiries. This saves time for both employees and HR staff by making common tasks faster. You just type or speak your request, and Zia takes care of it.