Nexa People vs Zoho People
These are close matches on core HR, leave, attendance and shifts. The split is in how the pieces fit: Zoho runs hiring in Zoho Recruit and pay in Zoho Payroll, each a separate product, while Nexa People takes a hire from CV to employee to payslip in one product and interviews candidates with AI.
In short
When Nexa People is the better fit
- One product from hire to payslip. A hired candidate becomes an employee and lands in the payroll run without a second app. With Zoho, that path runs through Zoho Recruit, Zoho People and Zoho Payroll.
- AI that interviews. Nexa Recruiter runs first-round interviews by voice or text in the candidate's own language, and every score shows the evidence behind it. Zoho Recruit offers one-way video interviews with AI transcripts, but no AI interviewer.
- Payroll that goes where you go. Pay rules and tax tables are configured to your country, with multi-currency rates. Zoho Payroll is offered in a limited set of countries.
When Zoho People is the better fit
If you want low published prices, a free plan to start on, and a mature standalone applicant tracker inside a large suite of business apps, Zoho is a strong, well-proven choice.
Side by side
Nexa People and Zoho People, feature by feature
Every Zoho People row was read off their own published pages. Where those pages do not say, the row says so rather than guessing.
Recruiting
Applicant tracking
- Nexa People
- Yes
- Zoho People
- Add-onZoho Recruit, a separate product
AI interviews (voice or text)
- Nexa People
- YesAny language, via Nexa Recruiter
- Zoho People
- PartialScreening chatbot and one-way video; no AI interviewer
AI candidate matching against the role
- Nexa People
- YesEvery score shows its reasons
- Zoho People
- Add-onZia Matches, Zoho Recruit Enterprise plan
Hired candidate becomes an employee automatically
- Nexa People
- Yes
- Zoho People
- YesWhen Zoho Recruit is connected
Time and attendance
Attendance and time tracking
- Nexa People
- Yes
- Zoho People
- Add-onNot in the entry plan
Biometric terminals
- Nexa People
- Yes
- Zoho People
- Add-onBiometric integrations, not in the entry plan
Mobile check-in with geo-fence and selfie check
- Nexa People
- Yes
- Zoho People
- Add-onGeo-restrictions and facial recognition, not in the entry plan
Shifts and rosters
- Nexa People
- Yes
- Zoho People
- YesRotation and patterns on higher plans
Leave and time off
- Nexa People
- Yes
- Zoho People
- YesIn every plan, including Free
Payroll
Payroll included with the platform
- Nexa People
- Yes
- Zoho People
- Add-onZoho Payroll, a separate product
Payroll in more than one country
- Nexa People
- YesPay rules and tax tables you configure
- Zoho People
- PartialZoho Payroll covers a limited set of countries
Multi-currency pay rates
- Nexa People
- Yes
- Zoho People
- Not statedNot stated on their payroll pages
Pay calculated from approved attendance and leave
- Nexa People
- Yes
- Zoho People
- YesSynced from Zoho People into Zoho Payroll
Platform
AI assistant over your HR data
- Nexa People
- Yes
- Zoho People
- YesZia, in every plan
AI agent that performs the task, with approval
- Nexa People
- Yes
- Zoho People
- YesZia runs tasks; an approval step is not described
Performance management
- Nexa People
- Yes
- Zoho People
- Add-onHigher plans; includes OKRs and 360 feedback
Free plan
- Nexa People
- No
- Zoho People
- YesCore HR and leave for a few users
Published per-employee pricing
- Nexa People
- NoQuoted per company
- Zoho People
- YesPer user per month; varies by region
Zoho People details last verified on 19 October 2026. Source: Zoho People pricing and plan comparison, Zoho People features, Zia AI in Zoho People, Zoho People ATS and recruitment, Zoho People HR and payroll, Zoho Recruit pricing, Zoho Recruit AI recruitment, Zoho Recruit video interviews, Zoho Payroll editions and pricing, Zoho One pricing.
In practice
What those rows mean day to day
One product from CV to payslip
In Nexa People, marking a candidate hired creates the employee record, and that person's attendance and leave feed the next payroll run. Zoho connects the same steps across three products: Zoho Recruit converts the hire, Zoho People holds the employee, and Zoho Payroll pays them. The links are real and well built, but there are three products to buy, set up and keep in step.
First-round interviews run themselves
Nexa Recruiter interviews shortlisted candidates by voice or text, in the language they are comfortable in, at a time that suits them. Zoho Recruit has a screening chatbot, one-way video interviews sold per job opening, and AI transcripts and summaries of recorded interviews. Those help a recruiter review faster; Nexa Recruiter runs the interview itself.
Scores you can check
Nexa Recruiter screens and matches candidates against the role, and every score it gives shows the reasons behind it. Interviews also come with a transcript and a structured summary, so a person can see why and make the call. Zia Matches in Zoho Recruit ranks candidates against a job by skills and experience, on its Enterprise plan.
An agent that asks before it acts
Both products have an AI that can answer questions and carry out tasks: Zia in Zoho People, and Nexa in Nexa People. Nexa approves leave, fixes attendance and prepares payroll using your permissions, waits for your confirmation before anything changes, and keeps a record of every run.
Fair view
Where Zoho People is strong
Low prices and a free plan
Zoho People publishes per-user prices and has a free plan for a small team, and Zoho Recruit has a free plan too. You can start without a sales call and grow into paid plans, which Nexa People does not currently offer.
A mature standalone applicant tracker
Zoho Recruit is a full product in its own right, with job board posting, a branded careers site, sourcing, assessments, automation and AI matching. If hiring volume is your main concern, it is a deep tool.
A large suite around it
Zoho People sits alongside Zoho Expense, Zoho Payroll, Zoho Recruit and many more, and Zoho One bundles more than 50 business apps under one licence. If your company already runs on Zoho, adding HR is a short step.
Moving across
What switching actually involves
- 1
Bring your people across
Employee records, documents and leave balances import from a spreadsheet export, so you do not retype a directory you already have.
- 2
Run one payroll in parallel
Run a cycle in Nexa People alongside your current process and compare the two before anything depends on it. Differences surface while they are still cheap to fix.
- 3
Keep your attendance hardware
Existing biometric terminals connect with a company token rather than being replaced, and mobile check-in covers anyone those terminals do not reach.
Questions
Common questions
- Does Zoho People include recruiting?
- Hiring at Zoho runs in Zoho Recruit, a separate product with its own plans, including a free one. When it is connected, a hired candidate is converted into a Zoho People employee. Nexa People includes requisitions, job posts, screening, interviews and offers in the product, and Nexa Recruiter adds AI screening and interviews.
- Does Zoho People include payroll?
- Not in Zoho People itself. Pay is handled by Zoho Payroll, a separate product offered in a limited set of countries, or by a partner payroll app that Zoho People connects to. Nexa People includes configurable, multi-currency payroll that reads approved attendance and leave directly.
- Can either product interview candidates with AI?
- Nexa Recruiter runs first-round interviews by voice or text in any language and returns a score with the evidence behind it. Zoho Recruit offers one-way and live video interviews, with AI transcripts and summaries of the recordings, and a screening chatbot. Its public pages do not describe an AI that conducts the interview.
- Does Nexa People publish its prices?
- Not yet. Zoho does, and offers free plans, which is a genuine advantage if you want to start small without a conversation. Nexa People is quoted per company, so a short call is needed to get a number.
- Can Nexa People use the biometric devices we already have?
- Yes. Terminals connect with your company token and push punches as they happen, and anyone a terminal does not cover checks in from the mobile app against a geo-fence or registered device.
See it against your own payroll
A short walkthrough with your team size, your shifts and your pay rules, so the comparison stops being a table and starts being your numbers.