A ZenHR alternative in Bahrain: how AhlanHamad compares
If your company in Bahrain runs HR on ZenHR and is weighing a move, this page sets the two side by side on the six points that decide a payroll there. Every ZenHR fact is taken from ZenHR's own website on 15 October 2026 and links to its page; where its site does not say, we write "Not stated publicly". Then it shows how a move works.
AhlanHamad and ZenHR, side by side
Last updated:
| Software | LMRA WPS file | SIO calculation | Arabic interface | Public pricing | Free trial | Hosting region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AhlanHamad | Yes — builds the LMRA salary spreadsheet from each approved payroll run [1] | Yes — SIO employee and employer shares, with the contributory-wage ceiling [2] | Yes — the full product and site in Arabic and English [3] | Yes — prices published per employee [4] | Yes — 30 days, no card required [5] | A Convex cloud region on AWS, outside the GCC; in-country hosting available by contract [6] |
| ZenHR | Its blog lists a Bahrain LMRA file among the files it generates [7] | Not stated publicly [8] | Yes — Arabic and English interface [9] | Quote-based; its FAQ says prices start at US$8 per user per month, billed annually [10] | Not stated publicly [11] | Not stated publicly — says "regional data centers" without naming a country [9] |
Methodology: every fact about another product comes from that vendor's own public website on 15 October 2026, and links to the page it was read from. Where a vendor's site does not say, the cell reads "Not stated publicly" — we do not infer. No ratings or reviews are included. Details change; confirm with each vendor before deciding, and tell us if anything here is out of date so we can correct it.
Sources
- AhlanHamad: https://ahlanhamad.com/bh/en/wps/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- AhlanHamad: https://ahlanhamad.com/bh/en/social-insurance/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- AhlanHamad: https://ahlanhamad.com/bh/ar/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- AhlanHamad: https://ahlanhamad.com/bh/en/pricing/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- AhlanHamad: https://ahlanhamad.com/bh/en/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- AhlanHamad: https://ahlanhamad.com/legal/subprocessors/ — accessed 15 October 2026
- ZenHR: https://blog.zenhr.com/en/wps-salary-transfers-in-the-gcc-ksa-uae-bahrain-qatar — accessed 15 October 2026
- ZenHR: https://blog.zenhr.com/en/best-hr-software-for-gcc-compliance-saudi-arabia-uae-qatar-bahrain-2026-guide — accessed 15 October 2026
- ZenHR: https://www.zenhr.com/en/hr-software-kuwait — accessed 15 October 2026
- ZenHR: https://www.zenhr.com/en/faqs — accessed 15 October 2026
- ZenHR: https://www.zenhr.com/en/zenhr-pricing — accessed 15 October 2026
What ZenHR's own site says about Bahrain
Its blog says it supports compliance in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain. Source
Questions to put to both vendors
- Show me the LMRA WPS file for my bank, produced from an approved payroll run.
- How are SIO contributions calculated for a national employee on a high salary, and where is the ceiling applied?
- Show me an employee's end-of-service accrual on the statutory wage basis, before they leave.
- In which country is our data stored, and who are the sub-processors?
- What is the total monthly price for our headcount, and what does it include?
Moving from ZenHR to AhlanHamad
- Export. Export your employee list from your current system as Excel or CSV — employee number, names in English and Arabic, ID number, nationality, job title, department, hire date, basic salary and allowances, IBAN, phone and email.
- Upload. Upload the file to the AhlanHamad importer — Excel (.xlsx, .xls), CSV, Numbers or ODS, up to 50 MB.
- Match fields. The importer suggests a matching field for each of your columns; you can change any match before anything is saved.
- Review. Every row is checked before it is imported. Anything skipped — a duplicate, a row that failed a check — is listed with the reason, so nothing goes missing silently.
- Run one payroll in parallel. Keep your current system running for one pay cycle and compare the results; any difference shows up before you switch it off. A free 30-minute setup session is included, with support in Arabic and English.
The import is free on all plans. It is a file import: AhlanHamad does not connect to your current vendor's system, so field coverage depends on what your export contains — the review step shows exactly what came across before anything is saved.
Details of other products are taken from each vendor's public website on 15 October 2026 and may have changed since. Product names are trademarks of their owners and are used only to identify them. General information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Can I import my employees from ZenHR?
Yes, as a file import. Export your employee list from ZenHR as Excel or CSV and upload it to AhlanHamad; the importer suggests a field for each column, checks every row and lists anything it skips with the reason. AhlanHamad does not connect to ZenHR's system directly.
Should I run both systems in parallel?
Yes — keep ZenHR running for one pay cycle and compare the results. Any difference shows up before you switch it off.
Where do the ZenHR facts on this page come from?
From ZenHR's own public website on 15 October 2026. Each cell links to the page it was read from. Details may have changed since; check with ZenHR directly, and tell us if anything here is out of date.
Can I try AhlanHamad first?
Yes — a 30-day free trial with no card required, and the import is free on all plans.