Compare · UAE small business
Best HRMS for small business in the UAE (2026)
Our pick is Peoplo.ai: AED 300 a month for up to 25 employees, with HR, WPS payroll and AI agents, and you can sign up without a demo. Zoho Payroll is the cheapest for payroll alone, greytHR has a seven-day trial with published prices, and Zimyo lists a free forever plan.
Written by the Peoplo.ai team · Last updated 3 November 2026. Peoplo.ai wrote this page and lists its own product first. Facts about other products come from their public pages, with the date we checked them.
Quick picks
Rules that apply to small companies
- Companies with 20 to 49 staff in 14 named sectors have had to employ at least 2 Emiratis since 2025. Companies with 50 or more staff must grow the Emirati share of skilled jobs by 2% a year. Source
- Under Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026, salaries are due on the first day of the following month and at least 85% of wages must be paid on time. Small companies follow the same rule as large ones. Source
- End-of-service gratuity starts after one year: 21 days' basic salary a year for the first five years and 30 after that, paid within 14 days of the last day. Source
- The working day is 8 hours and the week 48. Overtime is paid at least 25% extra, or 50% between 10 pm and 4 am. Source
- DIFC employers pay DEWS of 5.83% or 8.33% of basic salary instead of gratuity, and UAE nationals pay 11% into the GPSSA pension. Source
At a glance
The fifteen products side by side
| Product | Best for | AI | WPS salary files | Arabic | Free trial | Price for 25 staff | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Peoplo.ai | Small companies that want HR, payroll and AI agents in one product and one plan, without hiring a payroll specialist. | AI agents that prepare the work | Designed to support WPS salary files | Arabic in the app (beta) | Free trial | AED 300 a month for up to 25 employees | 3 November 2026 |
| 2.Zoho People and Zoho Payroll | Very small teams that want the lowest published AED price for payroll, or already use Zoho Books. | Not described on the UAE pages we checked | Auto-generated SIF files | Not described on the pages we checked | 14 days | Payroll about AED 175 a month for 25 employees, billed yearly | 3 November 2026 |
| 3.greytHR | Small teams that want published prices and a seven-day trial with no sales call. | NAVOS, described as an agentic AI assistant | Says it generates WPS SIF files | Not described on the page we checked | 7 days | About AED 294 a month for 25 employees ($80) | 3 November 2026 |
| 4.Zimyo | Small teams that want to start on a free plan, with Arabic and English payslips. | Zim AI agents and an AI assistant | WPS salary files every payroll run | Arabic and English payslips, right to left | Free forever plan | Free forever plan; paid plans quoted in AED | 3 November 2026 |
| 5.Odoo | Small companies that already use, or want, Odoo for invoicing and accounting. | "Agentic AI" listed on its Custom plan | WPS report in .sif format | Not described on the pages we checked | Free trial; one app free | One app free; more apps priced per user on odoo.com | 3 November 2026 |
| 6.NeuralHR | Small teams that also employ people in Saudi Arabia, or want AI co-workers from the start. | Seven named AI co-workers and an AI HR Supervisor | WPS file to MOHRE | Self-service in English and Arabic | Demo | About AED 918 a month for 25 users, or AED 2,111 with AI | 28 October 2026 |
| 7.Bayzat | Small companies that want health insurance for staff from the same provider as HR and payroll. | AI assistant, AI reporting and a Knowledge Hub | SIF files, with real-time MOL number checks | Not described on the pages we checked | Demo | Not published; quoted in a demo | 28 October 2026 |
| 8.ZenHR | Small companies with staff in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere in MENA as well as the UAE. | Five AI skills; says it works with any LLM | Says it generates WPS and bank files | Arabic and English | Demo | Quoted per organisation | 28 October 2026 |
| 9.Elate HRMS | Small UAE companies that want a local vendor with payroll loans and deductions built in. | Not described on the page we checked | WPS-ready payroll and SIF file preparation | Not described on the page we checked | Demo | Not published | 3 November 2026 |
| 10.Menaitech | Small companies that want a fully bilingual Arabic and English product, with a freemium option to start. | Not described on the UAE page we checked | WPS-compliant SIF files for UAE banks | Fully bilingual Arabic and English | Demo; a freemium option is linked | Quoted; a freemium option is linked | 3 November 2026 |
| 11.Paylite | Growing companies that expect to add GCC countries and want payroll anomaly detection. | AI hiring tools, appraisal insights and payroll anomaly detection | Automated WPS, SIF and EIF files | Not described on the page we checked | Demo | Quoted on request | 3 November 2026 |
| 12.Darwinbox | Fast-growing companies that expect to reach hundreds of employees across the GCC. | Darwinbox Cortex | Native WPS SIF files | Not described on the pages we checked | Demo | Not published | 3 November 2026 |
| 13.Yomly | Companies that already pay staff in several countries; its page talks of 500 to 5,000 employees. | Not described on the page we checked | WPS-compliant SIF files | Arabic and English | Demo | Not published | 3 November 2026 |
| 14.gulfHR | Larger GCC groups; its 30-day pilot is for companies with 500 or more employees. | AI screening in hiring and predictive analytics | Automated WPS files with IBAN checks | Arabic language support | 30-day pilot for 500+ employees | Quoted after a demo | 3 November 2026 |
| 15.Ramco | Large employers; included for completeness, as its UAE page is written for multi-entity groups. | Chia AI assistant and BInGO analytics | WPS-ready salary information files | Not described on the UAE page we checked | Demo | Not published | 3 November 2026 |
From each vendor's own public pages, on the date shown. "Not described" means we did not find it on the pages we checked, not that the product lacks it. Prices are before VAT.
How we chose
Six things that matter to a small UAE company
We took the fifteen products from our UAE HR software ranking and read each one's pricing and product pages again for a company of up to about 50 people. We did not test competitors' software, and we do not take payment for a place on this list.
What 25 people cost
Worked out from each vendor's published prices, before VAT, where there are any.
A quick start
Can you sign up and try it yourself, or does it start with a sales demo?
WPS payroll from month one
A WPS salary file and end-of-service in the same product as HR.
Help for a small team
Does AI do work a small team has no time for, such as checking payroll or reading receipts?
Arabic and English
Can employees use the product in Arabic, right to left?
Room to grow
Does the price jump as you hire, and does it cover the next step, such as a second company?
Peoplo.ai is first because it is our product, and we say so. The others follow in order of fit for a small company, from published prices and free plans to products written for larger groups. The Price column shows what 25 employees cost where it is published.
The list
The fifteen products, one by one
1 · Our pick
Peoplo.ai
An agentic HRMS with one price per employee: Peoplo.ai is AED 300 a month for up to 25 employees, with HR, WPS payroll, hiring, claims and AI agents. Self-serve sign-up, a Go-live hub and a parallel payroll run before you switch.
Best for: Small companies that want HR, payroll and AI agents in one product and one plan, without hiring a payroll specialist.
What stands out
- One price per employee, published in AED: AED 12 per employee a month before VAT, for at least 25 employees, with every agent included.
- AI agents do the work a small team has no time for: the payroll check before every run, onboarding plans, exit settlements with end-of-service, and receipts read into claims.
- Sign up yourself with no demo. Peoplo.ai suggests your industry pack, and the Go-live hub walks you through a parallel payroll run.
Worth checking
- Arabic in the app is in beta.
- Built for SOC 2 and GDPR, with no SOC 2 certificate yet.
- Price for 25 staff
- AED 300 a month for up to 25 employees
- Free trial
- Free trial
- WPS salary files
- Designed to support WPS salary files
- Arabic
- Arabic in the app (beta)
2
Zoho People and Zoho Payroll
A UAE edition of Zoho Payroll, sold per organisation with 5 employees included and a price for each extra employee. Its Standard plan lists WPS, pension and gratuity compliance across the UAE.
Best for: Very small teams that want the lowest published AED price for payroll, or already use Zoho Books.
What stands out
- Published AED prices billed yearly: Standard AED 35, Professional AED 55 and Premium AED 75 a month for 5 employees, plus AED 7, 11 or 15 for each extra employee. Monthly billing is AED 45, 65 or 90.
- Auto-generated SIF files, and gratuity worked out by contract type, separation type and free zone.
- A free employee app for iOS and Android, a 14-day trial with no credit card, and links with Zoho People, Zoho Books and Zoho Expense.
Worth checking
- HR (Zoho People) and payroll are separate products unless you buy the Zoho People Plus bundle.
- Prices are per employee after the first 5, so the cost grows with each hire.
- Price for 25 staff
- Payroll about AED 175 a month for 25 employees, billed yearly
- Free trial
- 14 days
- WPS salary files
- Auto-generated SIF files
- Arabic
- Not described on the pages we checked
Zoho Payroll UAE pricingZoho: the UAE edition of Zoho PayrollFrom Zoho People and Zoho Payroll's public pages, checked 3 November 2026.
3
greytHR
A long-running Indian HR and payroll product that now sells in the Middle East, and says it generates WPS SIF files and handles gratuity and GPSSA.
Best for: Small teams that want published prices and a seven-day trial with no sales call.
What stands out
- Gratuity, end-of-service and GPSSA across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait.
- Published prices and a seven-day free trial with a business email, with no sales call.
- Pricing listed in USD, AED, SAR, QAR, OMR, BHD and KWD.
Worth checking
- Prices are in US dollars on the page we checked, with other GCC currencies listed.
- Arabic in the app is not described on the page we checked.
- Price for 25 staff
- About AED 294 a month for 25 employees ($80)
- Free trial
- 7 days
- WPS salary files
- Says it generates WPS SIF files
- Arabic
- Not described on the page we checked
greytHR: best HR software for mid-sized companies in the UAEFrom greytHR's public pages, checked 3 November 2026.
4
Zimyo
An HR and payroll platform with a Middle East site, priced in AED for the UAE, that describes agentic AI agents for HR and payroll.
Best for: Small teams that want to start on a free plan, with Arabic and English payslips.
What stands out
- Generates UAE WPS files and Saudi Mudad salary files every payroll run.
- End-of-service pay under UAE, Saudi and Qatar law, including resignation, termination and tenure tiers.
- Arabic and English payslips and documents side by side, right to left.
Worth checking
- What the free plan includes for UAE payroll is not described on the page we checked.
- UAE prices for paid plans are quoted, not published.
- Price for 25 staff
- Free forever plan; paid plans quoted in AED
- Free trial
- Free forever plan
- WPS salary files
- WPS salary files every payroll run
- Arabic
- Arabic and English payslips, right to left
Zimyo Middle East home pageFrom Zimyo's public pages, checked 3 November 2026.
5
Odoo
A business suite with a payroll app and a UAE payroll setup in its documentation, covering WPS files, end-of-service and DEWS.
Best for: Small companies that already use, or want, Odoo for invoicing and accounting.
What stands out
- UAE payroll documentation covers the WPS .sif report, end-of-service gratuity and DEWS.
- One app is free for unlimited users, and payroll sits inside a full business suite.
- Runs online, on Odoo.sh or on your own servers.
Worth checking
- The free plan covers one app; payroll with HR and accounting needs a paid plan.
- Setting up UAE payroll rules is usually done by you or a partner.
- Price for 25 staff
- One app free; more apps priced per user on odoo.com
- Free trial
- Free trial; one app free
- WPS salary files
- WPS report in .sif format
- Arabic
- Not described on the pages we checked
Odoo documentation: United Arab Emirates payrollOdoo pricingFrom Odoo's public pages, checked 3 November 2026.
6
NeuralHR
An Abu Dhabi-based "AI HR team for growing businesses", focused on the UAE and Saudi Arabia with India second, with seven named AI co-workers.
Best for: Small teams that also employ people in Saudi Arabia, or want AI co-workers from the start.
What stands out
- UAE payroll with WPS, end-of-service, visa expiry tracking and GPSSA.
- Saudi Arabia (Mudad, GOSI, Qiwa, Nitaqat) and India in the same product.
- Mentions human approval on payroll actions.
Worth checking
- Priced per user in US dollars, so the cost grows with each hire; the mobile app is a $10 per user add-on.
- Its trust centre lists SOC 2 as on its roadmap.
- Price for 25 staff
- About AED 918 a month for 25 users, or AED 2,111 with AI
- Free trial
- Demo
- WPS salary files
- WPS file to MOHRE
- Arabic
- Self-service in English and Arabic
NeuralHR vs Peoplo.ai NeuralHR pricingNeuralHR AI co-workerNeuralHR trust centreFrom NeuralHR's public pages, checked 28 October 2026.
7
Bayzat
A UAE HR, payroll, finance and insurance platform that says more than 4,000 companies use it. It calls itself "UAE's first fully automated payroll solution".
Best for: Small companies that want health insurance for staff from the same provider as HR and payroll.
What stands out
- HR and payroll alongside corporate cards, cross-border payments, and health and motor insurance.
- Says it converts payroll tables to SIF files and checks MOL numbers in real time.
- States ISO 27001:2022 and SOC 2 Type 2 certification.
Worth checking
- Prices are not published; they come through a demo.
- Approval of AI actions is not described on the pages we checked.
- Price for 25 staff
- Not published; quoted in a demo
- Free trial
- Demo
- WPS salary files
- SIF files, with real-time MOL number checks
- Arabic
- Not described on the pages we checked
Bayzat vs Peoplo.ai Bayzat payroll processing pageBayzat enterprise pageFrom Bayzat's public pages, checked 28 October 2026.
8
ZenHR
A "localized HR, payroll, and attendance system built for MENA", in Arabic and English, with country pages for Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan and Kuwait.
Best for: Small companies with staff in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere in MENA as well as the UAE.
What stands out
- Mudad, Muqeem and GOSI integration for Saudi Arabia, and pages for six MENA countries.
- Says "Human oversight remains part of every decision" for its AI, and names Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini.
- States SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001.
Worth checking
- Prices are quoted per organisation; AI add-ons are priced separately.
- A free trial is not described on the pages we checked.
- Price for 25 staff
- Quoted per organisation
- Free trial
- Demo
- WPS salary files
- Says it generates WPS and bank files
- Arabic
- Arabic and English
ZenHR vs Peoplo.ai ZenHR home pageZenHR pricing pageFrom ZenHR's public pages, checked 28 October 2026.
9
Elate HRMS
An HR and payroll product from Peniel Technology LLC, designed around UAE workforce and payroll practices for growing, multi-location teams.
Best for: Small UAE companies that want a local vendor with payroll loans and deductions built in.
What stands out
- WPS-ready payroll workflows and SIF file preparation.
- Payslips, deductions, loans and gratuity in payroll.
- Built for multi-location teams in the UAE and the Middle East.
Worth checking
- Prices are not published.
- AI and Arabic are not described on the page we checked.
- Price for 25 staff
- Not published
- Free trial
- Demo
- WPS salary files
- WPS-ready payroll and SIF file preparation
- Arabic
- Not described on the page we checked
Elate HRMS home pageFrom Elate HRMS's public pages, checked 3 November 2026.
10
Menaitech
A regional HR and payroll product with sites for Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Kuwait and Qatar, offered in the cloud or, depending on requirements, on premises.
Best for: Small companies that want a fully bilingual Arabic and English product, with a freemium option to start.
What stands out
- Generates WPS-compliant SIF files that work with UAE banks.
- End-of-service gratuity worked out under UAE labour law.
- Fully bilingual across interfaces and key workflows.
Worth checking
- What the freemium option includes is not described on the UAE page we checked.
- AI is not described on the UAE page we checked.
- Price for 25 staff
- Quoted; a freemium option is linked
- Free trial
- Demo; a freemium option is linked
- WPS salary files
- WPS-compliant SIF files for UAE banks
- Arabic
- Fully bilingual Arabic and English
Menaitech UAE FAQsMenaitech home pageFrom Menaitech's public pages, checked 3 November 2026.
11
Paylite
A cloud HRMS based in Dubai that calls itself the preferred HRMS for the GCC region, with compliance for the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon.
Best for: Growing companies that expect to add GCC countries and want payroll anomaly detection.
What stands out
- Automated WPS, SIF and EIF file generation in a MoHRE compliance engine.
- UAE gratuity, full and final settlement and pension calculations.
- AI for job descriptions, CV screening, appraisal insights and payroll anomaly detection.
Worth checking
- Prices are not published; quotes are on request.
- A free trial is not described on the page we checked.
- Price for 25 staff
- Quoted on request
- Free trial
- Demo
- WPS salary files
- Automated WPS, SIF and EIF files
- Arabic
- Not described on the page we checked
Paylite home pageFrom Paylite's public pages, checked 3 November 2026.
12
Darwinbox
An HR platform that calls its AI "Darwinbox Cortex", "The AI-Native HCM", and says it applies country rules for six GCC countries from one platform.
Best for: Fast-growing companies that expect to reach hundreds of employees across the GCC.
What stands out
- Generates WPS SIF files from data already in the platform, and checks the 85% rule for each employee before the run is finalised.
- Onboarding passes new-hire data into payroll in the same platform, with no export step.
- Country rules for six GCC countries from one platform.
Worth checking
- Prices are not published, and its pages are written for larger organisations.
- Gratuity, DIFC and ADGM are not described on the payroll page we checked.
- Price for 25 staff
- Not published
- Free trial
- Demo
- WPS salary files
- Native WPS SIF files
- Arabic
- Not described on the pages we checked
Darwinbox: UAE payroll and Resolution 340 (2 July 2026)Darwinbox home pageFrom Darwinbox's public pages, checked 3 November 2026.
13
Yomly
A Dubai-based HR and payroll product that says it handles multi-country, multi-currency salaries and has more than 250 clients.
Best for: Companies that already pay staff in several countries; its page talks of 500 to 5,000 employees.
What stands out
- Gratuity and end-of-service under UAE labour law.
- Multi-country, multi-currency salaries; says it covers more than 50 countries.
- Arabic and English interfaces.
Worth checking
- Prices are not published, and its payroll page is written for larger companies.
- AI is not described on the payroll page we checked.
- Price for 25 staff
- Not published
- Free trial
- Demo
- WPS salary files
- WPS-compliant SIF files
- Arabic
- Arabic and English
Yomly payroll software pageFrom Yomly's public pages, checked 3 November 2026.
14
gulfHR
A regional HRMS for Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Oman, Jordan and Egypt, in business since 2003 by its own account.
Best for: Larger GCC groups; its 30-day pilot is for companies with 500 or more employees.
What stands out
- WPS file generation with IBAN validation and bank integration.
- Covers eight Middle East countries, including Saudi GOSI and Egypt tax.
- Lists free setup, migration and staff training.
Worth checking
- Prices are not published, and the pilot is for 500+ employees.
- Its AI is described for hiring and analytics, not for payroll.
- Price for 25 staff
- Quoted after a demo
- Free trial
- 30-day pilot for 500+ employees
- WPS salary files
- Automated WPS files with IBAN checks
- Arabic
- Arabic language support
gulfHR home pageFrom gulfHR's public pages, checked 3 November 2026.
15
Ramco
An enterprise payroll and HR product that says it covers 150+ countries and 500+ enterprise customers, with a UAE payroll page for Dubai.
Best for: Large employers; included for completeness, as its UAE page is written for multi-entity groups.
What stands out
- Gratuity worked out from basic salary, service and UAE end-of-service rules, and GPSSA contributions for UAE nationals.
- Chia answers payslip, WPS, GPSSA and leave questions, and BInGO builds real-time reports.
- Global payroll across 150+ countries, by its own account.
Worth checking
- Prices are not published.
- Its UAE page is written for large, multi-entity employers.
- Price for 25 staff
- Not published
- Free trial
- Demo
- WPS salary files
- WPS-ready salary information files
- Arabic
- Not described on the UAE page we checked
Ramco: payroll software in the UAE and DubaiFrom Ramco's public pages, checked 3 November 2026.
Buyer's guide
What to look for at your size
1 to 10 employees
You may only need payslips and a WPS file. A low-cost payroll product or a free plan can be enough, as long as end-of-service is worked out correctly.
Shortlist
- Zoho Payroll
- Zimyo
- greytHR
- Peoplo.ai
10 to 25 employees
Leave, documents, visas and joiners start to take time. One product for HR and payroll saves keeping two in step. Peoplo.ai covers up to 25 for AED 300 a month.
Shortlist
- Peoplo.ai
- Zoho Payroll
- greytHR
- Odoo
20 to 49 employees
If you are in one of the 14 named sectors, you need at least 2 Emiratis on staff. Check the product shows your Emirati headcount, and plan for approvals and overtime.
Shortlist
- Peoplo.ai
- Bayzat
- NeuralHR
- ZenHR
- Menaitech
50 employees and up
Emiratisation targets apply every six months, and you will want approval chains and reports. Check what your price becomes at 100.
Shortlist
- Peoplo.ai
- Bayzat
- Paylite
- Darwinbox
Small-business checklist
UAE rules that apply at any size
Eight things a small UAE company should check before it signs. Each one follows a UAE rule, with the official source below.
- 1
WPS file
Does it produce the SIF file every month from the first run, for your bank or exchange house?
- 2
Due date
Does it remind you before the first day of the following month, when salaries fall due?
- 3
Gratuity
Does it work out end-of-service on basic salary, at 21 and 30 days a year, from one year's service?
- 4
Overtime
Does it pay overtime at 25% extra, and 50% at night, from timesheets?
- 5
Emiratisation
If you have 20 to 49 staff in a named sector, does it show that you employ at least 2 Emiratis?
- 6
Free zone
Does it cover your zone: mainland, a free zone such as DMCC, the DIFC with DEWS, or ADGM?
- 7
UAE nationals
Does it deduct GPSSA, or the Abu Dhabi Pension Fund in Abu Dhabi, for Emirati staff?
- 8
Personal data
Where is employee data stored, and how does the vendor meet Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021? Peoplo.ai runs in one Microsoft Azure region, East US.
Sources · checked 31 October 2026
- UAE Government: payment of wages and the WPS, Ministerial Resolution No. 340 of 2026
- UAE Government: end of service benefits in the private sector
- UAE Government: working hours and overtime in the private sector
- UAE Government: employing Emiratis in the private sector
- DIFC: Employment Law, DIFC Law No. 2 of 2019, Article 66 (DEWS contributions)
- GPSSA: main features of Federal Law No. 57 of 2023
- UAE Government: data protection laws
What it costs
Published prices for 10 and 25 employees
A month, before VAT, from each vendor's own pricing page. US dollar prices at AED 3.6725 to the dollar. What each price includes differs a lot.
Peoplo.ai
AED 300 a month for up to 25 employees, so the same for 10 or 25. HR, WPS payroll, hiring, claims and AI agents.
Zoho Payroll Standard
AED 70 for 10 and AED 175 for 25, billed yearly. Payroll only; HR is Zoho People.
greytHR
About AED 184 for 10 ($50) and AED 294 for 25 ($80).
NeuralHR
About AED 918 for 25 users on the web HRMS ($10 each), or AED 2,111 with AI ($22.99 each).
Free to start
Zimyo lists a free forever plan, Odoo one app free and Menaitech a freemium option. Check what each includes for UAE payroll.
Quoted by sales
Bayzat, ZenHR, Elate HRMS, Paylite, Darwinbox, Yomly, gulfHR and Ramco.
Getting started
Your first month on new HR software
A small company can be live within a month. These are the steps, whichever product you pick.
Week 1: set up
Your company, its zone (mainland, free zone, DIFC or ADGM), departments, leave policy and working week.
Week 1: people
Import employees with basic salary, allowances, joining date, IBAN, labour card and visa details.
Week 2: payroll
Pay components, overtime rules and your WPS agent or bank, then a test SIF file.
Week 3: parallel run
Run the month alongside your old spreadsheet or payroll, and compare every payslip.
Week 4: go live
Lock the first run, send the WPS file, and invite employees to self-service for leave and payslips.
With Peoplo.ai
Self-serve sign-up, an industry pack suggested for you, and a Go-live hub with Kili, a checklist and a parallel payroll run.
Spreadsheets or software?
When a small company outgrows spreadsheets
More than 10 people
Leave balances, visa expiry dates and overtime become hard to track by hand.
Your first leaver
End-of-service on basic salary only, with unused leave, is easy to get wrong.
A late salary
Enforcement starts 2 days after the due date, so a missed WPS file costs more than software.
Your 20th hire
In the 14 named sectors, the Emiratisation rule for 20 to 49 staff applies.
Do small UAE companies need an HRMS?
If you pay even one employee through WPS, you need a SIF file every month and end-of-service when someone leaves. Payroll-only software covers that. An HRMS adds leave, documents, visas and joiners in the same place, which is where small teams lose time.
For a small company the price structure matters as much as the price. A per-employee price grows with every hire, and a minimum sets what you pay until you reach it.
More for small UAE companies
Start with Peoplo.ai in an afternoon
Sign up yourself, add your company and people, and run a parallel payroll before you switch. Peoplo.ai is AED 300 a month for up to 25 employees.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers for small UAE companies choosing HR software.
What is the best HRMS for a small business in the UAE?
Our pick is Peoplo.ai: AED 300 a month for up to 25 employees, with HR, payroll designed to support WPS files and end-of-service, and AI agents, and you can sign up without a demo. Zoho Payroll is the cheapest for payroll alone, greytHR has published prices and a seven-day trial, and Zimyo lists a free plan. Peoplo.ai wrote this answer.
What is the cheapest HR software for a small business in the UAE?
From published prices for 25 employees, a month before VAT: Zoho Payroll about AED 175 billed yearly (payroll only), Peoplo.ai AED 300 (HR, payroll and AI agents), greytHR about AED 294, and NeuralHR about AED 918. Zimyo lists a free forever plan. Checked 3 November 2026.
What does HR software cost for 10 employees in the UAE?
Zoho Payroll is AED 70 a month billed yearly, greytHR about AED 184 ($50), and Peoplo.ai AED 300, which covers up to 25. Before VAT, from each vendor's pricing page.
Is there free HR software in the UAE?
Zimyo lists a free forever plan, Odoo lets you use one app free for unlimited users, and Menaitech links to a freemium option. Check what each includes for WPS payroll. Zoho Payroll has a 14-day trial, greytHR seven days and Peoplo.ai a free trial.
Do small businesses in the UAE need WPS payroll software?
Mainland and most free-zone employers pay salaries through WPS, whatever their size, with salaries due on the first day of the following month. You need a SIF file every month. Spreadsheets can produce one, but software checks it and works out end-of-service too.
Do small companies have to meet Emiratisation targets?
Companies with 20 to 49 staff in 14 named sectors have had to employ at least 2 Emiratis since 2025. Targets of 2% a year apply from 50 staff. DIFC and ADGM companies are outside these rules.
How quickly can a small company go live on HR software?
Within a month for most small companies: a week to set up and import people, a week for payroll, a parallel run and then go live. Peoplo.ai has self-serve sign-up and a Go-live hub with a parallel payroll run.
Should a small business buy payroll software or a full HRMS?
Payroll on its own is cheapest, such as Zoho Payroll at about AED 175 for 25 people. A full HRMS adds leave, documents, visas, joiners and exits, which is where small teams lose time. Peoplo.ai includes both for AED 300.
What should I check in per-employee pricing?
Per-employee prices, such as Peoplo.ai, Zoho Payroll, greytHR and NeuralHR, grow with each hire. Check the minimum: Peoplo.ai charges for at least 25 employees, so the price is the same for any number up to 25.
Which HR software suits a free-zone startup?
Most free zones, such as DMCC, follow the federal labour law and use WPS. DIFC companies pay DEWS instead of gratuity, and ADGM has its own rules. Peoplo.ai is designed to support mainland, DIFC and ADGM, and Zoho Payroll works out gratuity by free zone.
Can I run HR on my phone?
Zoho Payroll has a free employee app for iOS and Android, and NeuralHR sells a mobile app as a $10 per user add-on. Peoplo.ai works in the browser and installs as an app from it; there is no app-store app.
Does small-business HR software include AI?
Peoplo.ai includes AI agents in its one plan. NeuralHR prices AI at $22.99 per user. Zimyo describes Zim AI agents, greytHR an assistant called NAVOS, and Bayzat an AI assistant. Check what the AI actually does and who approves it.
Does HR software work in Arabic for small teams?
Zimyo gives Arabic and English payslips side by side, Menaitech describes itself as fully bilingual, and ZenHR describes Arabic and English. Peoplo.ai has Arabic in the app in beta.
What HR records must a small UAE company keep?
At least employment contracts, salaries and WPS payments, leave, working hours and overtime, and what each leaver was paid at the end. HR software keeps these on each employee's record.
How is end-of-service worked out for a small company?
The same as for any mainland company: 21 days' basic salary a year for the first five years and 30 after that, from one year's service, paid within 14 days. Our free UAE gratuity calculator shows the working.
Can a small company with staff in the UAE and India use one system?
Yes. Peoplo.ai runs UAE and Indian companies in one account, each with its own payroll under its own rules, on the same per-employee plan.
What should a small business ask in an HR software demo?
Ask for a WPS file and an end-of-service settlement from your own data, the price at your size today and at double your size, and who approves pay changes. If there is AI, ask what it does and what it never does.
How did you choose these products?
We used the fifteen products from our UAE HR software ranking and read their pricing and product pages for a company of up to about 50 people: cost for 25, a quick start, WPS payroll, AI, Arabic and room to grow. Peoplo.ai is first because it is our product; the others follow by fit for a small company.