Head-to-head · Employee Management Software
Zoho People vs Paylocity
Zoho People leads on 1 check, Paylocity on 0, and 0 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 1 yes/no, price and count check where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreZoho People · 9.2/10
- Free planonly Zoho People
- Free trialonly Zoho People
Zoho People scores higher on our rubric for employee management software: 9.2 against 9.1 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #3.
Zoho People offers free plan; Paylocity doesn't.
Zoho People is the better fit for budget-conscious teams seeking a full-featured HRIS. Paylocity is the better fit for organizations needing broad HCM and integrations.
- Zoho People fits best
Budget-conscious teams seeking a full-featured HRIS
- Paylocity fits best
Organizations needing broad HCM and integrations
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Side by side
| Feature | Zoho People 9.2/10 Visit ↗ | Paylocity 9.1/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 9.2 | 9.1 |
| Ranking | #2 in Employee Management Software | #3 in Employee Management Software |
| Best for | Budget-conscious teams seeking a full-featured HRIS | Organizations needing broad HCM and integrations |
| Pricing model | Free plan + paid | Paid |
| Starting price | — | Pricing on request |
| Free plan | ✓ (best) | — |
| Free trial | 30 days | — |
| Deployment | Cloud, Mobile | Cloud, Mobile |
| Platforms | Web, iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Support | Email, Phone, Live chat, Community, Docs · 24/7 | Phone, Docs |
| Compliance | GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, SSO/SAML, 2FA | SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA |
| Integrations | 20 integrations | 350+ integrations |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Features Zoho People 0/6 · Paylocity 0/6 | ||
| Employee self-service | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Onboarding workflows | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Leave management | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Time and attendance | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Performance reviews | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Payroll integration | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Specs | ||
| Maximum employees | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Our review | ||
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| Our verdict | Zoho People is a cloud-based HR platform for organizations managing employee information and recurring HR processes. Its scope runs from centralized employee records and self-service to onboarding, leave approvals, attendance, timesheets,… Read the review → |
Paylocity brings HR, payroll, workforce management, talent, benefits, and employee engagement tools into a cloud-based HCM platform. Its employee self-service covers pay, benefits, time, learning, and resources, while managers and… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Zoho People — where it wins
- Free tier covers employee records, documents, and Zia AI bot
- Covers onboarding, leave, attendance, time tracking, and performance
- Web, iOS, Android, API, and extensive Zoho and third-party integrations
Where it doesn't
- HR help desk, learning management, and sandbox are limited to Enterprise
- Performance and compensation tools require the Premium tier
- It is proprietary rather than open-source
Paylocity — where it wins
- Centralizes employee records, documents, onboarding, and leave workflows
- Connects time tracking, schedules, geofencing, and time clocks
- Offers marketplace integrations, APIs, and webhooks
Where it doesn't
- Pricing is customized and requires contacting sales
- Its broad HR, finance, and IT capabilities may exceed narrower needs
- No free plan is offered
- Zoho People9.2/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial
A flexible HRIS with a free tier, mobile apps, and progressively deeper HR controls.
Visit Zoho PeopleFull verdict → - Paylocity9.1/10 · Pricing on request
Broad HCM workflows and integrations, with customized pricing that requires a sales conversation.
Visit PaylocityFull verdict →
More comparisons
All employee management software comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update