Rise People 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 1.6.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Zoho People grades higher on the free plan, 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.
Rise People
Canadian HR, payroll, time tracking and benefits in one system
Zoho People
Low-cost HR records, attendance, shifts and reviews from Zoho
Which one is for you
Pick Rise People if
- Fits if you run a Canadian business and want HR and payroll in one system
- Works for a team that needs T4s and CRA remittances handled inside the product
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you pay staff outside Canada, because payroll is Canadian
- Watch out: every tier carries a base fee the page does not state
- Pricey if you want more than Start, as Grow and Optimize have no published price
- Watch out: time tracking, scheduling, managed payroll and benefits are add-ons
- Skip it if you want to try first, since no free plan or trial is listed
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
| 1.6GPARise PeopleWeak | 2.4GPAZoho PeopleFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CC$8 per employee a month for Start plus a base fee that the page does not state. Grow and Optimize are quoted, so the real cost is unknown. | 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 | FNo free plan and no trial on record in the listing, and a money-back guarantee would not count as one. | 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 | CPeople management, Canadian payroll, onboarding, time off and a mobile app. Time tracking, scheduling, managed payroll and benefits are add-ons, so the whole job is not in one price. | 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. Payroll with CRA remittances and T4s has setup work before the first pay run. | 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 | CThe listing records web only, and no integrations are named. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, QuickBooks, Slack and Zoho's own apps. No desktop app. |
| Best for | Canadian HR and payroll with a base fee | 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: Rise People and Zoho People. How we grade
Where they differ
- Rise People also covers payroll and applicant tracking.
- Zoho People also covers reports.
At a glance
| Rise People | Zoho People | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free plan |
| Starts at | C$8 per employee / month, plus a base fee | $3 per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | Free for up to 3 users: employee database, time off and vacation planning, and document management. |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day free trial |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Rise People, Inc. | Zoho Corporation |
| Price read from | risepeople.com | zoho.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Rise People
- Pricing is in Canadian dollars and every tier carries a base fee that the page does not state.
- Only the Start tier has a published price; Grow and Optimize are quoted on request.
- The page covers Canadian payroll (CRA remittances, T4s), so it is not a fit for payroll outside Canada.
- Time tracking, scheduling, managed payroll and benefits are add-ons; benefits give 30% off Rise platform fees.
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
Rise People
- People management
- A people directory with HR documents, custom roles and permissions, on-demand pay stubs and people reports.
- Canadian payroll
- Automated payroll with direct deposit, automatic tax remittance and automatic T4 generation.
- Onboarding and time off
- Self-onboarding, offer letters and task lists, and custom time off policies with multi-step approvals.
- Recruiting and performance
- An applicant tracking system with a careers page, plus performance reviews, 360-degree feedback and templates.
- Time tracking and scheduling
- Add-ons for timesheets, geofenced mobile punches, shift scheduling and one-click syncing to payroll.
- Benefits and managed payroll
- Digital health benefits enrollment and a managed payroll service, both sold as add-ons.
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
Rise People
StartC$8
per month, plus a base fee, per employee
People management, payroll, onboarding, time off and the mobile app. All tiers are subject to a base fee.
GrowCustom
Described as solutions that work together. Quoted on request; no price is published.
OptimizeCustom
Marked most popular and described as a full employee experience. Quoted on request; no price shown.
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
Rise People
- Other savings
30% off platform fees with benefits
The pricing page says adding Rise employee benefits takes 30% off the Rise platform fees.
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, Rise People or Zoho People?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Rise People starts at C$8 per employee / month, plus a base fee, and Zoho People starts at $3 per user / month, billed annually ($4 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Rise People or Zoho People?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Zoho People has a free plan. Rise People does not.
Which platforms do Rise People 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.