Keka HR vs ZenHR (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Keka HR grades higher than ZenHR: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Keka HR grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Keka HR
HR, payroll and talent software for growing companies
Free trial · from $9/mo
Which one is for you
Pick Keka HR if
- Fits if you want attendance, leave and reviews in one HR system
- Works for firms that want one monthly price per employee on the US page
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you want reviews and feedback, which sit on the $22 Growth plan
- Watch out: the trial length isn't stated and the billing basis isn't either
- Watch out: the default pricing page shows rupees, and the dollar prices are on the US page
- Pricey if you add hiring or project tools, which are priced on separate tabs
Pick ZenHR if
- Fits if you run payroll in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt or Jordan
- Works for firms that need attendance clock links
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a price on the page, since both bundles are quote-only
- Not for you if you run payroll outside the 11 MENA countries
- Tight if you need SSO, salary scales or open APIs, which are Advanced only
- Watch out: the Value bundle keeps only 6 months of activity logs
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAKeka HRFair | 2.0GPAZenHRFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$9, $16 or $22 per employee a month on the US page, against a category middle of about $7. The page does not say if it is billed monthly or annually. | CNo price published: both bundles are Contact Sales, quoted by headcount, countries and bundle. |
| Free plan and trial | DA free trial is offered on every plan, but the pricing page gives no length. | FNo free plan or trial; the call to action is a demo or quote. |
| Features | BCore HR, time and attendance, employee experience, performance and a mobile app. The listing names no gap in the core HR work. | BLocalized payroll, attendance with geolocation, self-service, hiring, evaluation and links to government portals, covering the job for the region. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Leave, attendance and payroll rules need setting up first. | CNo store rating on record. A quote and rollout come before use. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb plus iOS and Android apps. No integrations list on record, and no desktop app. | BWeb plus iPhone and Android, with Slack, NetSuite, SAP, QuickBooks, Xero and ZKTeco. No desktop app. |
| Best for | HR, attendance and reviews for mid-sized firms | HR and payroll across MENA countries |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Keka HR and ZenHR. How we grade
Where they differ
- Keka HR also covers surveys and time clock.
- ZenHR also covers reports.
In commonWebiOSAndroidAI featuresPayrollApplicant trackingEmployee recordsTime off
At a glance
| Keka HR | ZenHR | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | $9 per employee / month; billing basis not stated | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free trial offered on every plan; length not stated | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Keka | ZenHR |
| Price read from | keka.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Keka HR
- The US page does not say whether the per-employee price is billed monthly or annually; its FAQ says annual contracts and larger headcounts usually lower the rate.
- The default pricing page showed rupee prices; the dollar tiers above are from the United States page.
- Hiring and project services are priced on separate tabs, and their prices were not recorded here.
- The trial length is not stated on the pricing page.
ZenHR
- No prices are published: both bundles are Contact Sales, with quotes based on headcount, countries and bundle.
- The Value bundle keeps 6 months of user activity logs; single sign-on, salary scales, cost centers, company expenses and open APIs are only in the Advanced bundle.
- Built for 11 MENA countries; the vendor's pages do not describe use for payroll elsewhere.
- No free plan or trial is listed on the pricing page; the call to action is a demo or price quote request.
Key features
Keka HR
- Core HR
- Employee profiles, org structure, document storage and letter generation, onboarding and exit workflows, and access roles.
- Time and attendance
- Leave management, attendance tracking, overtime automation and shift management, with leave data linked to payroll.
- Employee experience
- Pulse surveys, longer surveys, public praise and an employee expression wall on the higher tiers.
- Performance reviews
- Cyclic performance reviews, 1-on-1 meeting records and continuous feedback on the Growth tier.
- Hiring and project services
- Separate pricing tabs cover a hiring suite and a project services suite with timesheets and billing.
- Mobile app
- A mobile app for employees, linked from the pricing page to the Play Store and App Store.
ZenHR
- Localized payroll
- Multi-payroll and multi-branch runs with local rules, WPS and bank salary files, end-of-service calculations and loans linked to payroll.
- Time and attendance
- Geolocation check-ins from the mobile app, fingerprint and face devices such as ZKTeco, shift planning and rule-based disciplinary suggestions.
- Employee self-service
- A mobile app for leave, payslips, attendance, approvals, HR letters, air ticket and business trip requests.
- Employee management
- Directory, org structure, onboarding and offboarding, asset tracking, task management and approval cycles.
- Government portal links
- The site names native integrations with Mudad, Muqeem, WPS and GOSI for Saudi Arabia, and MOHRE and WPS reporting for the UAE.
- AI connection
- Connects HR data to an outside AI model so questions about workforce, leave and compliance can be asked in plain language.
Plans
Keka HR
Foundation$9
per employee / month, billing basis not stated
Employee profiles, documents and letters, basic onboarding and exit, leave management, attendance, overtime and a mobile app.
Strength$16
per employee / month, billing basis not stated
Foundation plus advanced onboarding, exit surveys, employee pulse surveys, surveys and extra login options.
Growth$22
per employee / month, billing basis not stated
Strength plus 1-on-1 meetings, continuous feedback, public praise, cyclic performance reviews and selfie or GPS attendance.
ZenHR
Pricing could not be confirmed. See zenhr.com.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Keka HR or ZenHR?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Keka HR starts at $9 per employee / month; billing basis not stated, and ZenHR has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Keka HR or ZenHR?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Keka HR nor ZenHR has a free plan. Keka HR has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.