Abstract In this report, we have compared the structural, morphological, magnetic and hyperfine properties of ZnFe2O4 solid (ZFMS) and hollow (ZFMH) microspheres synthesized by simple solvothermal technique. ZFMS, having diameter ~314 nm and formed by self-assembly of nanoparticles, displays superparamagnetic character predominantly along with collective magnetic excitations at room temperature. ZFMH of diameter ~375 nm exhibits single crystal like dotted selected area electron diffraction pattern and is magnetically well-ordered at room temperature. The values of saturation magnetization of ZFMS and ZFMH at 300, 100 and 10 K are 41.5, 64, 85.7 and 77, 84.5, 90.75 emu/g, respectively. According to x-ray photoelectron and Mossbauer spectroscopic studies the cation distribution of the ZFMS and ZFMH are (Zn0.44Fe0.56)[Zn0.56Fe1.44]O4 and (Fe3+0.925Zn2+0.075)[Fe2+0.31Fe3+1.46Φ0.23]O4, respectively, where Φ corresponds to vacancy. ZFMH displays Verway transition due to the presence Fe2+ ions caused by cation vacancy in ZFMH while ZFMS does not.