OrangeHRM vs Zoho People (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Zoho People: it is first in our ranking of HR software, and it grades higher too, 2.4 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
OrangeHRM grades higher on the free plan. Zoho People grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Zoho People
Low-cost HR records, attendance, shifts and reviews from Zoho
Which one is for you
Pick OrangeHRM if
- Fits if you have someone who can run a server and want free HR software
- Works for small firms that need leave, records and recruiting without a subscription
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you can't host software, as Starter runs on your own server
- Tight if you want support, as Starter has only a user forum
- Tight if you want onboarding, rosters, training or surveys, which are Advanced only
- Watch out: Advanced has no published price, only a quote form
Pick Zoho People if
- Fits if you already use Zoho apps for hiring, expenses or payroll
- Works for staff who clock in at a kiosk or a biometric device
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you need both attendance and reviews, as that means Enterprise at $8 a user
- Skip it if you want payroll in the same app, as Zoho sells it separately
- Not for you if you're more than 3 people and hoping to stay free
- Pricey if you want recruiting and expenses too, as the People Plus bundle is $9 a user a month
- Watch out: Essential HR at $3 leaves out time off, and firms over 500 users must ask for a quote
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAOrangeHRMFair | 2.4GPAZoho PeopleFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CStarter is free but you have to host it on your own server, which makes it a C. Advanced is per employee per month by quote, with no price shown. | CWorkforce is $5 a user a month on yearly billing, the cheapest plan with time off, so a ten-person company pays $50. It adds attendance and timesheets too. That's under this category's middle; Essential HR is $3 but leaves time off out. |
| Free plan and trial | BStarter is free and open source with core HR, leave, performance, recruitment and time tracking, so one person could live on it. Advanced has a 30-day trial. | CFree for up to 3 users, with records, time off and documents. Fine for a look around, but a ten-person team is well past it. There's also a 30-day trial. |
| Features | CRecords, leave and time, performance, recruitment and hosting choice. Onboarding, rosters, training, surveys and the AI assistant are Advanced only. | BRecords, onboarding, documents, an HR help desk, time off, attendance by kiosk or biometric device, shift rosters, timesheets, goals, appraisals and courses. The whole job, though payroll and hiring are separate Zoho apps. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Starter needs a server and your own install; Advanced is hosted but needs setup. | CNo App Store rating on record, and with features split between Workforce and Talent, you'll need to think before you pick a plan. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with no apps or integrations list on record. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, QuickBooks, Slack and Zoho's own apps. No desktop app. |
| Best for | a free HR system you host yourself | small businesses already on other Zoho apps |
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: OrangeHRM and Zoho People. How we grade
Where they differ
- OrangeHRM is open source, according to its own site.
- OrangeHRM also covers time tracking and applicant tracking.
- Zoho People also covers shift scheduling and time clock.
At a glance
| OrangeHRM | Zoho People | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $3 per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | Starter is free and open source: HR administration, employee management, leave, reporting, performance, recruitment and time tracking. | Free for up to 3 users: employee database, time off and vacation planning, and document management. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial of Advanced | 30-day free trial |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | OrangeHRM | Zoho Corporation |
| Price read from | orangehrm.com | zoho.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
OrangeHRM
- Starter has no support from the vendor beyond a user forum, and you host it yourself.
- Advanced prices are not published; a quote is requested through a form.
- Onboarding, roster, training, surveys, request desk and Citra AI are Advanced only.
Zoho People
- The free plan stops at 3 users in the US (5 elsewhere) and covers only records, time off and documents.
- Payroll and recruiting are separate Zoho products; the People Plus bundle with Recruit, Expense, Sign and others is $9 per user a month billed annually.
- Workforce and Talent each cover half the toolset: getting both attendance and performance reviews means Enterprise.
- Companies with more than 500 users are asked to request a quote.
Key features
OrangeHRM
- Employee records
- Both editions hold employee profiles and databases, work schedules, an organization chart, a corporate directory and document templates.
- Leave and time tracking
- Leave management and time tracking are in the free Starter edition, and Advanced adds a roster for scheduling.
- Performance and recruitment
- Starter includes performance management and recruitment; Advanced adds 360-degree reviews and individual development plans.
- Advanced HR modules
- Advanced adds onboarding, a request desk, career development, training, surveys, employee voice, discipline and an AI assistant called Citra AI.
- Hosting choice
- The vendor says Advanced is available as a cloud service or on premises with the same capabilities, and Starter can be hosted as you prefer.
Zoho People
- Employee records and documents
- A central employee database with self-service profiles, multi-entity management, onboarding and offboarding flows, exit interviews and document storage.
- Attendance and time off
- Staff check in on the web, the mobile app, a face-recognition kiosk or a biometric device, with IP and location limits, leave policies and accruals.
- Shift rosters and timesheets
- Create shifts, rotate them automatically, take shift-change requests, and log time against jobs and clients for approval.
- Goals, appraisals and training
- The Talent plan adds OKRs, appraisals with feedback, and a learning management system for courses.
- Zia AI
- Zoho's assistant answers employees' questions, carries out HR tasks and analyzes people data.
- HR help desk and surveys
- Employees raise cases with HR in a help desk, and HR runs eNPS, pulse and engagement surveys.
Plans
OrangeHRM
Starter$0
Open-source edition you host yourself, with core HR, leave, performance, recruitment and time tracking.
AdvancedCustom
Per employee per month, by quote. Pick and mix modules including onboarding, roster, training and surveys.
Zoho People
Free$0
Up to 3 users, with the employee database, time off and documents.
Essential HR$3
per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly)
AI agent, onboarding and offboarding, documents, benefits and compensation planning, engagement surveys, HR help desk and reports.
Workforce$5
per user / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly)
Essential HR plus time off, attendance for full-time staff and timesheets with overtime rules.
Talent$5
per user / month, billed annually ($6 billed monthly)
Essential HR plus OKRs, performance evaluations and a learning management system.
Enterprise$8
per user / month, billed annually ($10 billed monthly)
Essential HR, Workforce and Talent together, plus a sandbox and premium support.
Ways to pay less
OrangeHRM
No public discounts listed.
Zoho People
- Annual discount
Over 20% off with yearly billing
Zoho says yearly billing saves more than 20%: Essential HR is $3 a user a month billed yearly against $4 monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, OrangeHRM or Zoho People?
As of Nov 12, 2026, OrangeHRM publishes no starting price, and Zoho People starts at $3 per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, OrangeHRM or Zoho People?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both OrangeHRM and Zoho People have a free plan.
Which platforms do OrangeHRM and Zoho People run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Zoho People lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.