A plan price, not a per-user meter
IntelloHRM publishes ₹199/month for up to 30 employees. Zoho People charges per user. A 20-person company should compare a Zoho quote for that headcount with one IntelloHRM plan.
● Comparison Guide · October 2026
IntelloHRM vs Zoho People: Which HRMS Is Right for You?
A clear, verified side-by-side of pricing, modules, and fit — based on public product information only. We never invent features or prices.
14-day free trial · ₹0 today · Cancel anytime
IntelloHRM vs Zoho People
HR software in the Zoho suite, priced per user by edition. Public info as of October 2026 — confirm live on each vendor’s site.
| Features | IH IntelloHRM | Zo Zoho People |
|---|---|---|
| Core platform | ||
| Core HR / employee database | ✓ | ✓ Employee database, including the free edition |
| Payroll & payslips | ✓ Salary runs, history, payslips | Zoho Payroll is a separate product |
| Attendance | ✓ | Professional edition, not Essential HR |
| Geo / location-aware attendance | ✓ Location-aware mobile flows | Not in the edition summary — confirm |
| Face recognition | ✕ Not publicly listed | ✕ Not listed on the pricing editions |
| Leave management | ✓ | ✓ Time-off, including the free edition |
| People ops | ||
| Recruitment / job portal | ✓ Job portal | Zoho Recruit; included in People Plus |
| Performance | ✓ | Premium edition |
| Learning / training | Training & development (homepage) | LMS on Enterprise / Talent |
| Employee self-service | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mobile app | ✓ Android & iOS | Zoho markets mobile apps — confirm edition |
| Expense claims | ✓ | Zoho Expense; included in People Plus |
| Document management | ✓ Document templates | ✓ Document management, including the free edition |
| Timesheets | ✕ Not publicly listed | Professional / Workforce edition |
| Project management | ✕ Not publicly listed | ✕ Not an HRMS module |
| Asset management | ✕ Not publicly listed | ✕ Not listed |
| Platform | ||
| Reports | ✓ | ✓ HR reports from Essential HR |
| Analytics | ✓ | Advanced analytics on Premium |
| Workflows & approvals | ✓ Approvals | Confirm approval depth by edition |
| AI assistant | ✕ No NAVOS-style agent on pricing cards | ✓ Zia listed on Essential HR |
| API / integrations | Confirm in demo | Zoho APIs — confirm edition |
| Cloud deployment | ✓ | ✓ |
| Commercials | ||
| Free trial | ✓ 14 days, ₹0 today | 30-day trial on the Zoho People pricing page |
| Entry paid plan (public) | ₹199/mo excl. GST · up to 30 employees on monthly Starter (lifetime Starter is 15) | Per user Free edition up to 5 users. Paid edition prices load on Zoho’s pricing page. |
✓ Publicly available ✕ Not publicly listed Grey text = plan / add-on nuance
Key Differentiators
Price shape, evaluation friction, and whether modules ship included or as add-ons.
Payroll is in the HRMS here
IntelloHRM runs salary cycles and payslips in the same product as attendance and leave. Zoho lists payroll as Zoho Payroll, separate from Zoho People editions.
Attendance is not the cheapest Zoho edition
Zoho’s Essential HR summary lists database, leave, documents, onboarding, and Zia. Attendance, timesheets, and roster are on Professional. IntelloHRM includes attendance on every plan.
Trials differ
Zoho People offers a 30-day trial. IntelloHRM offers 14 days with ₹0 due today, and the price after the trial is on the pricing page before you start.
When Zoho People still wins
Stay with Zoho People if the company already lives in Zoho and HR must share that login, CRM, and finance stack. IntelloHRM does not replace Zoho Books or Zoho CRM.
Better Value for Your Investment
Zoho People publishes editions (Essential HR, Professional, Premium, Enterprise) and a free edition for up to 5 users. Rupee amounts are filled in by the pricing page after it loads, so this comparison does not copy a number that is not in the page HTML. Payroll is a separate product, Zoho Payroll. Checked October 2026.
IH IntelloHRM Starter
From public pricing · monthly
₹199 /month
excl. GST · up to 30 employees · about ₹7 per employee
- Employee management, attendance, leave, payroll & payslips
- Expense claims + employee mobile app
- 14-day free trial · ₹0 today
- Professional ₹599 · Enterprise ₹1,999 · annual & lifetime options
Zo Zoho People
From public / verified sources
Per user
Confirm the live edition price for India
- Free edition: employee database, leave, and documents, up to 5 users
- Essential HR adds onboarding, HR reports, and Zia. Attendance is not in that edition summary
- Professional adds attendance, timesheets, and roster
- Payroll is Zoho Payroll, a separate product, not an edition of Zoho People
Sources: zoho.com/people/zohopeople-pricing.html · intellohrm.com/pricing · October 2026
Find the Right Fit for Your Team
No universal winner — match year-one jobs and cost math.
IntelloHRM is best for…
- ✓Startups & SMEs wanting clear employee-cap plans without a long add-on maze
- ✓Teams that need a 14-day runway to test leave, attendance, and payslips
- ✓Field / hybrid crews using location-aware mobile attendance
- ✓Buyers who want lifetime or annual options published upfront
- ✓Startups & growing SMEs wanting transparent plan caps and mobile field attendance
Zoho People is best for…
- ✓Companies that already run Zoho Books, CRM, or Payroll and want HR in the same suite
- ✓Teams that want a free edition for a handful of users
- ✓Buyers who need performance, LMS, or a help desk and will pay for a higher edition
- ✓Organisations comfortable with per-user pricing that changes by edition
Detailed Comparison
How to decide without buying on slogans.
Start with jobs-to-be-done
Write the five weekly jobs you cannot miss: close attendance for payroll, approve leave, issue payslips, clear reimbursements, and onboard the next hire. IntelloHRM’s public modules map tightly to those jobs for growing companies. Zoho People maps best when hr software in the zoho suite, priced per user by edition is truly your category.
Do not treat the free edition as a full HRMS
Zoho’s free edition covers a database, leave, and documents for up to 5 users. Attendance is on a higher edition. Payroll is another subscription. A company that needs attendance, leave, and payslips together should price those Zoho products as a set, then compare with one IntelloHRM plan.
Who should stay on Zoho
If HR, accounting, and CRM already share Zoho, the integration is the reason to stay. IntelloHRM is the alternative when the company wants one India-priced HRMS and does not need the rest of the Zoho suite.
Pros & cons snapshot — Zoho People
Strengths: Fits companies already on Zoho; Free edition for up to 5 users; Higher editions add performance and LMS.
Diligence items: Per-user pricing, amounts not in the page HTML; Attendance starts above Essential HR; Payroll is a separate Zoho product.
IntelloHRM diligence items
Validate statutory payroll filing depth for your entities; face recognition, dedicated timesheets, project management, and asset management are not publicly listed; confirm APIs/connectors in discovery.
IntelloHRM vs Zoho People FAQ
Is IntelloHRM a realistic alternative to Zoho People?
Yes for many startups and SMEs that want employee management, attendance, leave, payroll payslips, expenses, and a mobile app with published plans from ₹199/month and a 14-day trial. If you specifically need Zoho People’s enterprise depth, add-on ecosystem, or unique modules, evaluate that in a live demo.
How do public prices compare?
IntelloHRM plans start at ₹199/month (excl. GST) for Starter (up to 30 employees), Professional is ₹599/month (up to 100), and Enterprise is ₹1,999/month (up to 300) — with annual plans from ₹2,200/year and one-time lifetime licences from ₹29,999. Zoho People: Per user — Free edition up to 5 users. Paid edition prices load on Zoho’s pricing page.. Always re-check live pages and quotes.
Which evaluation path is faster?
IntelloHRM markets a 14-day free trial with ₹0 due today. Zoho People evaluation: 30-day trial on the Zoho People pricing page.
Does IntelloHRM have a mobile app?
Yes — Android and iOS for attendance, leave, payslips, and expense claims, including location-aware flows for field teams.
Who should choose Zoho People?
Companies that already run Zoho Books, CRM, or Payroll and want HR in the same suite Teams that want a free edition for a handful of users Buyers who need performance, LMS, or a help desk and will pay for a higher edition Organisations comfortable with per-user pricing that changes by edition
Ready to make the switch?
Give IntelloHRM fourteen days with real employees, real leave rules, and one payroll dry run — then decide against Zoho People with evidence, not slogans.