A private team space that costs nothing to start
Zelos runs unlimited members and unlimited coordinators for free, with native apps, push notifications and a chat channel per task.
Volunteer database, vetting, scheduling, and SMS at scale
Fits large events recruiting volunteers you don't yet know.
Open shifts, task dispatch, notice board, and team chat
Fits a standing team you already have.
No credit card · Unlimited members on every plan · Set up in under 5 minutes
How signup works in each app
Jobs and shifts on a landing page
You publish jobs and shifts to a branded landing page or a calendar widget on your own site. Volunteers sign up with no password required.
A private team space with shift signup and chats
Members join your workspace once, then browse and claim what fits their skills and schedule, with a chat channel attached to every task.
What VolunteerLocal is better at
If your workflow depends on the things below, VolunteerLocal is the right pick.
Vetting, waivers and background screens
Applications, applicant vetting, waivers and background screening are built in, so people clear the checks before they're scheduled. Zelos has none of this and doesn't attempt it.
SMS at serious volume
Ten thousand texts a year on the entry plan, rising to a hundred thousand, with smart tags, delivery statistics and automated messages triggered by volunteer actions. Zelos sends push notifications, not bulk SMS campaigns.
Big-event machinery
Group registration, a leader or captain user type, job- and shift-level permissions, credentials and badges: the scaffolding a marathon or a festival needs to run thousands of volunteers across dozens of roles. Zelos is built for smaller, flatter teams.
Recruiting from your own website
Branded landing pages and an embeddable calendar widget put your open shifts on your own site, so volunteers meet your brand rather than a third party's. Zelos has no public-facing signup page and won't bring you people who don't already know you.
If these bullet points are non-negotiable, you're a VolunteerLocal customer.
What Zelos is sharper at
If you're coordinating a standing team rather than a large event, Zelos is a better fit.
Free, permanently
Zelos has a free plan with no member limit, no admin limit and no expiry, so you can run a real team without ever paying. VolunteerLocal has no free tier. The entry Discover plan is $600 a year, or $200 for a single event.
Unlimited coordinators
Every organiser gets admin access in Zelos on any plan, including free. VolunteerLocal includes 2 admin seats on Discover and 10 on Grow, with additional seats purchasable on top.
Hours tracking included, not added on
Zelos logs the start and end of each shift, calculates hours, and reports planned against actual with the difference on every plan. On VolunteerLocal's Discover plan, hours and attendance tracking is a $200 add-on, included as standard only from Grow at $2,400 a year.
Reaches people wherever they are
Zelos push notifications work on any phone in any country, free. VolunteerLocal's SMS allowance covers the US and Canada, which matters if your volunteers aren't in either.
If you're drawn to this kind of simplicity, you should spin up a free project in Zelos right away.
to get started
VolunteerLocal's entry plan is $600 a year. Zelos starts at nothing, with no member limit.
What each one actually gives your team
Both handle unlimited volunteers, so the question is what you pay and what you get.
| What you're checking | Zelos | Zelos Pro | VL Discover* | VL Grow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $99/mo | $600/yr | $2,400/yr |
| Free plan | Yes | - | No | No |
| Admin accounts | Unlimited | Unlimited | 2 seats | 10 seats |
| Hours tracking | Included | Included | $200 add-on | Included |
| Notifications | Push, worldwide | Push, worldwide | SMS, US and Canada | SMS, US and Canada |
| Team chat | Yes | Yes | No | No |
* VolunteerLocal pricing from volunteerlocal.com/pricing, August 2026. Annual program plans are Discover $600, Grow $2,400 and Enterprise on quote; single events are $200, $800 and $3,000. All plans carry unlimited volunteer records and a volunteer mobile app. On Discover, branded design, group registration, applicant vetting and hours tracking are each $200 add-ons, and file library, email attachments, data import and job-level permissions aren't available at all.
If you run a marathon, their machinery earns its price. If you're holding a standing team, that's where the two diverge. Nonprofits and education teams get additional discounts on Zelos Pro and Enterprise.
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Teams that pick Zelos over VolunteerLocal
Small nonprofits without a software budget
$600 a year before you've posted a shift is a real decision for a small organisation, and hours tracking costs another $200 on that tier. Zelos covers unlimited volunteers, unlimited coordinators and hours reporting on the free plan.
Grassroots and mutual aid groups
No budget line, no procurement, and often no legal entity. Zelos is free, published, and live the same afternoon, with every organiser holding admin access.
Teams outside the US and Canada
VolunteerLocal's SMS allowance covers the US and Canada. Zelos push notifications reach any phone in any country at no cost, and Zelos is built in Estonia under GDPR.
Churches running weekly rotas
Sunday service, coffee, kids' ministry, and the food bank all repeat. A coordinator posts the week's slots once and the congregation claims what suits them, with every ministry lead an admin at no extra cost.
Contractor pools and gig dispatch
Contractors set their own availability and aren't volunteers at all. Post the job, let the right people claim it, and coordinate in the task chat rather than by SMS blast.
Brand ambassadors and street teams
Ambassador programmes need lightweight self-signup, targeting and chat, not applicant vetting and background screens. Zelos includes only what they'll actually use.
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
"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
"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
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
Does VolunteerLocal have a free plan?
No. Their plans start at $600 a year for ongoing programs, or $200 for a single event, and they don't ask for a card until you upgrade from a trial. Zelos has a free plan that never expires, with unlimited members, unlimited admins, self-signup, chat, push notifications and CSV export.
How much does VolunteerLocal cost?
For ongoing programs, Discover is $600/year, Grow is $2,400/year and Enterprise is quoted. For a single event, the same tiers are $200, $800 and $3,000. On Discover, several features are $200 add-ons each, including hours and attendance tracking. Zelos Pro is $99/month flat with nothing sold on top.
How many people can manage signups?
Unlimited admins on every Zelos plan, including free. VolunteerLocal includes 2 admin seats on Discover, 10 on Grow and 50 on Enterprise, with additional seats available to purchase.
Is there a limit on volunteers?
Neither imposes one. VolunteerLocal includes unlimited volunteer records on all plans, and Zelos has no member limit on any plan. The difference is what you pay to get there.
Does Zelos track volunteer hours?
Yes, on every plan including free. Zelos logs the start and end of each task or shift, calculates the hours, and reports planned hours against actual with the difference. On VolunteerLocal, hours and attendance tracking is included from the Grow plan and costs $200 as an add-on if you're on Discover.
Can my volunteers chat in Zelos?
Yes. Built-in two-way messaging is on every plan including free: task channels, group chats, direct messages, and push notifications, all with admin oversight by design. VolunteerLocal communicates outward by email, SMS, automated messages and reminders, and has no team chat.
Will my volunteers get text messages?
In Zelos they get push notifications, free and worldwide, on native iOS and Android apps. VolunteerLocal includes an SMS allowance from 10,000 to 100,000 messages a year depending on plan, covering the US and Canada.
Does Zelos handle applications, waivers or background checks?
No. VolunteerLocal has applicant vetting, waivers and background screening built in, and that's a genuine reason to choose it. Zelos assumes the people in your workspace have already been accepted.
Can Zelos recruit new volunteers from our website?
No. VolunteerLocal has branded landing pages and an embeddable calendar widget that show your open shifts on your own site. Zelos workspaces are invite-only, so it coordinates the team you already have.
Is VolunteerLocal better than Zelos?
For a large event, often yes. Marathons and festivals running thousands of volunteers across dozens of roles need vetting, group registration, captain permissions and bulk SMS, and VolunteerLocal is built for exactly that. Zelos is the better fit for a standing team that meets every week, especially one without a software budget.
Can I use both Zelos and VolunteerLocal?
Yes. An organisation might run its annual event registration and screening through VolunteerLocal, and its year-round volunteer coordination and chat in Zelos. The two overlap less than they first appear.
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