How much does it really cost to use Zoho?
Zoho is a cloud-based software company that provides a suite of applications to help businesses manage their operations more efficiently. The company was founded in 1996 in India, and today it has grown to become a global leader in business software, serving millions of customers in over 180 countries.
Zoho’s suite of applications includes tools for time-tracking, customer relationship management (CRM), human resources (HR) management and more. The software is clearly feature-rich and some functionalities truly stand out. These applications are user-friendly and accessible, with 24/7 customer support and integrations to help businesses.
But while this giant of a software offers some great features, I think it’s necessary to take a deeper look into the software’s pricing. In this article, I highlight five key elements that businesses should consider before opting for Zoho.
Pricing models
Zoho People offers a range of pricing plans:
Essential HR: At a fee of US$1.25/user/month (billed annually), this plan includes employee onboarding, HR files management, time off management, and multi-level approvals, among other features.
Professional: At US$2/user/month (billed annually), this plan includes all the features of the Essential HR plan as well as attendance marking, shift scheduling, and billing and invoicing integration.
Premium: At US$3/user/month (billed annually), the Premium plan includes all the features of the Professional plan as well as performance appraisals, 360-degree feedback, and advanced HR analytics.
Enterprise: At US$4.50/user/month (billed annually), Enterprise includes all the features of the Premium plan as well as case management, self and blended learning, and assessments.
People Plus: This plan is priced at US$9/user/month (billed annually) and includes all the features of the Enterprise plan as well as additional software such as Zoho Recruit for talent acquisition, Zoho Payroll for payroll management, and Zoho Expense for expense management, among others.
What are the 5 things you’ve gotta watch out for with Zoho’s paid plans?
1. Hidden fees
Well, Zoho does not have hidden fees. It’s important to note that some of its applications may have additional costs for add-ons or integrations with other software, which is quite normal.
2. Limited features on lower pricing tiers
Zoho offers a range of pricing tiers to suit businesses of different sizes and requirements. However, it does not offer a free plan, which is kind of a bummer.
However Zoho’s most basic plan, Essential HR, is priced at US$1.25/user/month, which is pretty cheap as is. And the software’s fourth highest pricing plan is only US$4.50, which is dirt cheap given the features that are offered:
- employee onboarding
- time-tracking
- time off management
- multi-level approvals
- shift scheduling
While Zoho’s lower pricing tiers are solid enough for small businesses with limited HR management needs, its higher pricing tiers are also extremely affordable for larger organizations or those with more complex requirements.
Also, Zoho HR offers a 30-day free trial with no credit card required.
3. Contracts and commitments
There are no long-term contracts or commitments. Zoho provides businesses with the freedom to upgrade or downgrade their plan as needed. Customers can choose to pay monthly or annually, with discounts available for annual billing.
4. Inflexibility in pricing
I gotta say that Zoho has flexible pricing options that are designed to meet the needs and budget of businesses of all sizes. Zoho offers a range of pricing plans for its HR software, with different levels of functionality and features at different price points.
5. Difficulty in canceling or changing plans
Regrettably, there are some difficulties in canceling or changing plans with the company. In some cases, the software still charges businesses for services they no longer use. And even after following instructions provided by Zoho’s support team, businesses struggle to cancel their subscriptions.
Part of the difficulty, I feel, arises from the fact that Zoho offers a range of different software solutions, each with their own pricing plans and subscription options. This can make it difficult for customers to navigate the various pricing structures and terms of service, particularly if they are not familiar with Zoho’s software.
To avoid these issues, I’d suggest you carefully review Zoho’s pricing and subscription terms before signing up for any of their services.
And also, keep track of your billing and payment history with Zoho, just so you can quickly identify any errors or discrepancies and take action to address them incase of any issue.
Is Zoho worth it?
In conclusion, Zoho provides various pricing plans that cater to diverse business requirements and budgets, and its pricing is adaptable, ensuring customers can receive a greater number of features at an affordable rate.
And when it comes to affordability, I’m struck by how accessible the software is. It’s highest tiered plan is only US$9/user/month – some software start from that price!
However, there are issues when it comes to cancelling subscriptions and choosing the right plan from the myriad of options that Zoho provides, so I’d suggest businesses to do their due diligence before signing up for anything and keeping receipts and logs close by. I’d also watch out for some downsides of the software before making a final decision.
Fairly simple – just sign up for the free trial period and get an idea of what the software offers, and then upgrade as necessary. And if you’re still unsure if Zoho is the right option for your business or not, take a look at my Honest Review: Zoho where I give my final verdict on the software!
