Post it. Chat about it. Log the hours. Free.
Zelos includes shift signup, a chat channel on every task, hour tracking and unlimited admin accounts on the free plan, for unlimited members.
Recruitment, opportunity brokerage, DBS checks, and social value reporting
Fits volunteer centres brokering opportunities.
Open shifts, task dispatch, notice board, and team chat
Fits teams coordinating their own crew.
No credit card · Unlimited members on every plan · Set up in under 5 minutes
How signup works in each app
Opportunities volunteers find and join
You publish opportunities that volunteers discover and register for, with eligibility restrictions by role, age, group or DBS status on the top tier. Volunteer centres can broker opportunities on behalf of other organisations through provider accounts.
A private team space with shift signup and chats
Members join your workspace once, fill in their own profile, then browse and claim what fits their skills and schedule, with a chat channel attached to every task.
What TeamKinetic is better at
If your workflow depends on the things below, TeamKinetic is the right pick.
Brokering opportunities for other organisations
Provider accounts, multi-organisation and branch structures, LinkWide, and connectors to GOVO and Volunteer Scotland, plus a dedicated edition for volunteer centres. If you're a CVS, a council or a brokerage matching volunteers to opportunities across many organisations, that's the model they're built for and Zelos has nothing like it.
DBS checks built in
Criminal record checks run inside the platform, and their top tier restricts opportunities by DBS status alongside role, age and group. Zelos has no screening at all and assumes people arrive cleared.
Recognition that travels
Tempo Time Credits and OpenBadge awards alongside progress milestones. Recognition that means something outside your own system, which matters in the UK volunteering ecosystem. Zelos points and badges live inside your workspace.
Social value reporting
Real-time data and custom reports built around demonstrating volunteering's social value, which is what councils and funders ask for. Zelos reports hours and task completion and exports CSV.
If these bullet points are non-negotiable, you're a TeamKinetic customer.
What Zelos is sharper at
If you want the free plan to run your actual programme, Zelos is a better fit.
Chat and hour tracking, free
Zelos includes a chat channel on every task, group chats, direct messages and hour tracking on the free plan. On TeamKinetic, instant chat and logging volunteer hours both start on Essentials at £29 a month.
Every coordinator an admin, free
Zelos gives you unlimited admin accounts on every plan. TeamKinetic's free Community edition allows one administrator; extra admin accounts come with Essentials, and multiple admin levels with Growth at £79 a month.
Twenty-five live tasks, not three
The Zelos free plan runs 25 concurrent active tasks with a 100-task archive behind them. TeamKinetic's Community edition allows three live opportunities, which they describe as intentionally simple and best suited to straightforward needs.
Any team, not just charities and councils
Zelos doesn't ask what kind of organisation you are, and is used by events agencies, contractor pools and unincorporated groups alongside charities. TeamKinetic's signup asks you to pick from charity, council, sporting body, volunteer centre, third sector or corporate.
If you're drawn to this kind of simplicity, you should spin up a free project in Zelos right away.
live tasks on the free plan
TeamKinetic's Community edition allows three live opportunities and one admin. Zelos's free plan allows 25 active tasks and unlimited admins.
What the free plans actually cover
Both companies refuse to charge by volunteer count, so this comes down to what you get before paying.
| Zelos free | TeamKinetic Community* | |
|---|---|---|
| Volunteers | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Admin accounts | Unlimited | 1 |
| Live tasks | 25 concurrent | 3 |
| Team chat | Included | Essentials, £29/mo |
| Hour logging | Included | Essentials, £29/mo |
| Getting started | Sign up online | Apply, or book a demo |
* TeamKinetic pricing from teamkinetic.co.uk/plans, August 2026.
Nonprofits and education teams get additional discounts on Zelos Pro and Enterprise.
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Teams that pick Zelos over TeamKinetic
Small charities that need chat from day one
If your coordination happens in conversation, a free plan without messaging isn't a free plan you can use. Zelos includes a chat channel on every task, group chats and direct messages at no cost.
Learn more →Grassroots and mutual aid groups
Organising shared between whoever is available that week doesn't survive a single admin account. Zelos gives every organiser their own, free, however many there are.
Learn more →Churches running weekly rotas
Sunday service, coffee, kids' ministry and the food bank each need their own lead posting their own shifts, and three live opportunities won't cover a single month.
Learn more →Event staffing and festival crews
Event crews mix volunteers with paid staff and contractors and need dispatch and a chat channel per shift. Zelos treats everyone as a member who claims work, paid or not.
Learn more →Contractor pools and gig dispatch
Contractors are paid for the work and aren't volunteers at all. Post the job, let the right people claim it, coordinate in the task chat.
Learn more →Brand ambassadors and street teams
Ambassador programmes are marketing rather than charitable work, and don't fit an organisation-type dropdown built around charities, councils and volunteer centres.
Learn more →From teams who picked Zelos
What teams who picked Zelos say
"It helped us a lot reducing the planning overhead. It is way more motivating for staff to pick their task than just getting assigned!"
Manuel W.
Coordinator, Events Services
Full review → "We were looking for a system to handle our concert staff. Zelos is really easy to access both for the administrator and the users!"
Niels Peter H.
Board member, Music
Full review → "The overall experience has been great, the customer service is amazing and I can't wait for all the new changes coming up in the app!"
Celia D.
Coordinator, Motion Pictures and Film
Full review →Free for teams of any size
No credit card, no trial expiration.
Pro starts at $99/month, never per person.
Nonprofit and education discounts on Pro and Enterprise.
Frequently asked questions
How much does TeamKinetic cost?
What does TeamKinetic's free plan include?
Which free plan is bigger?
Is TeamKinetic cheaper than Zelos?
Can my volunteers chat in Zelos?
Does Zelos do DBS checks?
Can Zelos work as a volunteer centre or brokerage?
Do both have mobile apps?
Do I have to be a charity?
What's the catch with the Zelos free plan?
Can I use both?
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