For an India-first company choosing payroll and operational HR software, start with greytHR or Keka; for modular HR or an existing Zoho setup, consider Zoho People. They are not direct equivalents: greytHR and Keka are commonly evaluated as India-oriented HRMS and payroll platforms, while Zoho People is primarily an HR platform whose payroll needs may require Zoho Payroll or another product. Compare the exact country edition, plan and workflow—not just the brand names or starting prices.
Quick verdict: which should you shortlist?
| Your priority | Starting point | Why | Check before choosing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian payroll, statutory workflows and day-to-day HR administration | greytHR | Its positioning centers on payroll, compliance, attendance, leave, employee records and HR workflows. | Confirm the quoted modules, state coverage, device support, service scope and fit for your entities and pay groups. greytHR pricing calculator |
| One broader HRMS for payroll, attendance, employee experience and performance | Keka | Its India plans span core HR and payroll, with higher tiers or add-ons for more advanced functions. | Map required features to the plan and include onboarding, add-ons and per-employee charges. Keka pricing |
| Modular HR, a lower-cost US-edition entry point or a wider Zoho setup | Zoho People | Its modular HR plans can suit organizations that need HR capabilities without assuming a full payroll suite. | Verify the country edition and whether payroll requires Zoho Payroll or another product. Zoho People pricing |
| Indian payroll plus HR | Compare greytHR and Keka first | Both are positioned for India-oriented payroll use cases. | Prove the required statutory and attendance workflow in a demo; do not assume every listed feature includes filing or is in every plan. |
| HR records and leave without native payroll | Zoho People | A modular HR platform may be a better fit than buying a broader payroll-oriented package. | Price the full workflow, including any connected payroll and integration subscriptions. |
There is no universal winner. The right choice depends on whether payroll, workforce operations, talent management or ecosystem fit is the constraint that would be costly to get wrong.
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What the three products are—and are not
greytHR: payroll-led operational HR
greytHR presents itself around Indian payroll, statutory workflows, attendance, leave, employee records and configurable HR administration. That makes it a natural first demo when payroll close and operational HR are central. Its comparison with Keka and comparison with Zoho People describe the vendor’s positioning; they are not independent product tests. Confirm whether the edition and quote cover the required performance, hiring, integrations, legal entities and support.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsKeka HRMS: a broader suite with tiered depth
Keka’s India offering combines payroll, core HR, attendance and employee-facing functions, with additional capabilities such as performance, hiring, analytics and project-related tools across its plans or add-ons. Its breadth can help a company consolidate tools, but a longer feature list can also mean more configuration and a larger implementation. The pricing page says a nominal setup fee applies for guided onboarding, payroll configuration, historical salary import and customization.
#1 Best Overall
Zoho People: modular HR in a broader business ecosystem
Zoho People’s plans cover HR capabilities such as employee records, leave, attendance, timesheets, performance and workforce management, with features varying by tier and edition. A strong reason to consider it is the wider Zoho ecosystem. Do not assume that a Zoho People subscription alone provides the Indian payroll workflow you need: establish whether payroll is in the selected bundle, supplied by Zoho Payroll, or handled by another system. Start with the plan comparison and confirm country-specific availability.
Compare the capabilities that change the buying decision
This matrix reflects the published plan signals in the cited vendor pages, not a hands-on test. A listed capability does not by itself establish that it is available in every country, plan or configuration. “Confirm” means the available information does not settle the selected plan’s scope.
| Capability | greytHR | Keka HRMS | Zoho People |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core employee records | Positioned as a core capability; confirm package. | Foundation and above, per the India pricing page. | Available across current paid plans, per Zoho’s plan pages. |
| Indian payroll | Central product use case; confirm the selected package and statutory scope. | Payroll is positioned as part of the India HRMS; confirm plan and service scope. | Do not assume People alone is equivalent to an India payroll suite; verify country, bundle and Zoho Payroll requirements. |
| Statutory workflows | Confirm state rules, reports, filing assistance and included modules. | Pricing page names PF, ESI, LWF, TDS, Form 16 and Form 24Q; verify plan and whether each task is calculation, reporting or filing. | Do not assume equivalent native Indian payroll coverage from an HR plan. |
| Leave | Core use case; confirm policies and package. | Included in Foundation according to the pricing page. | Included in Essential HR according to the current US plan comparison. |
| Attendance and shifts | Operational strength; confirm devices, shift rules and plan. | Basic attendance is listed in Foundation; advanced shift functionality appears in higher tiers or as an add-on. | Attendance and related workforce features begin at Professional on the current US comparison page. |
| Employee self-service | Core capability; test mobile and web workflows. | Included features include employee access and mobile functions; test the required workflows. | Plan-dependent; test the intended country edition and mobile experience. |
| Performance and talent | Confirm the exact package and depth rather than infer parity from product availability. | Growth lists reviews, calibration, promotions, improvement plans, insights, skills and competencies. | Performance is in Premium and above on the current US page; Talent adds further capabilities such as OKRs, LMS-related functions and engagement tools. |
| Hiring / ATS | Confirm current package. | Available in the broader suite; confirm plan. | Usually a separate Zoho product or integration rather than a direct People-only equivalent. |
| Expenses and loans | Confirm module and package. | Pricing page lists expenses, loans and salary advances; confirm plan. | Confirm edition or any separate Zoho product needed. |
| HR helpdesk and learning | Confirm current edition. | Helpdesk may be tiered or an add-on; Keka Learn is an additional product/module. | HR helpdesk is listed for Enterprise features; Talent includes LMS-related functionality. |
| APIs, integrations and multi-entity | Confirm connectors, limits and charges in the quote. | API, webhooks, SSO and integrations appear in higher tiers or add-ons; multi-entity is listed as an add-on. | Broader Zoho integrations are a strategic advantage; confirm connector, API and multi-entity scope for the edition. |
| Global payroll | Do not infer it from India payroll positioning. | Do not infer it from India payroll positioning. | Verify country-specific payroll products and availability; an international HR app does not establish global payroll coverage. |
Indian payroll: test the whole close, not a feature label
Payroll capability can mean calculations, report generation, filing support or filing itself. Ask vendors to distinguish those services in writing. The Keka pricing page names statutory items including PF, ESI, LWF, TDS, Form 16 and Form 24Q, but the presence of a name on a page does not establish that every filing is automated or included in every plan. greytHR emphasizes Indian payroll and compliance in its product positioning; validate the exact workflows and package. Zoho People should be assessed as part of the proposed People-plus-payroll combination if your requirement is Indian payroll.
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- Set up a sample employee and salary structure, then test a salary revision with arrears.
- Import attendance and leave, correct an attendance error, and verify the effect on unpaid leave and salary calculations.
- Process a loan or advance, reimbursement, bonus and any relevant deduction.
- Preview payslips and statutory reports, and establish which outputs are calculations, reports, filing assistance or completed filings.
- Test full-and-final settlement, audit history for changes and the export of payroll records.
- Ask whether state-specific professional tax, multiple entities, pay groups and your required support window are covered.
For Zoho, add a separate test of how employee, attendance and leave data move between People and the proposed payroll product. Confirm what synchronizes automatically and where reconciliation remains manual. For every vendor, ask who supports payroll close, whether support is included, and what happens when an exception appears near the payroll lock.
Attendance, shifts and field work need a live test
“Attendance management” can mean a basic clock-in and leave record—or a workflow that handles device imports, rotating shifts and payroll rules. A company with a single office has different needs from a factory, field team or employer with multiple locations.
Test these rules using your actual workforce
- Connect the biometric device you already use and establish whether a connector or additional fee is required.
- Test mobile, kiosk, GPS, geofencing or facial-recognition methods only if they are part of your proposed setup; verify availability and plan placement.
- Run night shifts that cross midnight, rotating rosters, overtime and location-specific holidays.
- Check late-in, early-out, half-day and attendance-regularization rules, including who can approve changes.
- Test weak-connectivity conditions for field staff rather than assuming mobile clock-in works offline.
- Trace corrected attendance through leave and payroll, including the point at which payroll locks.
Keka lists basic attendance in Foundation and advanced shift management at higher tiers or as an add-on. Zoho’s current US comparison places attendance and related workforce features above Essential HR. For greytHR, confirm device and shift support for the exact package. None of these signals proves that a particular biometric device, offline mode or policy will work in your environment.
Performance, employee experience and adoption
When performance management is central
Keka is the clearest plan-level signal in this comparison for a buyer who wants performance processes as a core part of the HRMS: its Growth plan lists reviews, calibration, promotions, performance-improvement plans, insights, skills and competencies. Zoho People puts performance management in Premium and above on its current US plan structure, with additional talent functions in Talent. For greytHR, confirm whether reviews, 360-degree feedback, OKRs, calibration and compensation links are available in the package you are considering; do not infer either weakness or parity from its payroll positioning.
The Tool Desk
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Choose adoption fit, not a generic “best UI” claim
- greytHR: A payroll-first workflow may suit HR and payroll administrators who prioritize operational depth. Test policy configuration, attendance setup, mobile self-service and implementation support with your actual rules.
- Keka: A broad suite may reduce the number of separate HR tools, but more modules can add setup and training work. Test the employee and manager journeys for modules you will actually use.
- Zoho People: Modular entry and a familiar Zoho ecosystem may help existing customers. Map the workflow across every Zoho product in the proposed solution and price the full configuration rather than People in isolation.
Pricing: compare like for like, by country and headcount
The published figures below are vendor-page signals, not complete quotes. They differ by geography, billing basis and package, so they should not be ranked as if they covered identical functionality.
Rank #4
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| Product and market | Published price signal | What it does—and does not—tell you |
|---|---|---|
| Keka, India | Foundation ₹9,999/month, Strength ₹12,999/month and Growth ₹15,999/month, each for up to 100 employees; additional employees are listed at ₹90, ₹120 and ₹150 respectively. | Plan prices and additional-user rates differ with feature tier. Confirm tax, setup, add-ons, billing terms and the specific feature configuration. Source |
| Zoho People, US edition | Annual rates listed as US$1.25/user/month for Essential HR, US$2 for Professional, US$3 for Premium, US$4.50 for Enterprise, US$5 for Talent and US$8 for the Full Enterprise package. | These are US-edition annual rates, not Indian pricing. Local taxes are additional; organizations above 500 users are directed to request a quote. Country pages, labels and features can differ. Source |
| greytHR, FY2026 India estimate | Pricing calculator provides estimates based on selected configuration. | There is no single generic price in the cited calculator signal; configure employee count and modules to obtain a comparable estimate. Source |
Keka’s India HRMS page also displays “starting at ₹99 per employee per month”; that headline is not interchangeable with the listed fixed monthly tiers and their included employee counts. Zoho’s free tier and user limits vary by regional page and edition, so check the page for your market rather than carrying over a US or other regional allowance. Keka India HRMS page; Zoho plan comparison.
Build a comparable quote
Ask all vendors to price the same headcounts—25, 50, 100, 250 and 500 employees—and the same operating scope. The available public signals do not establish a verified, like-for-like total at each size, so avoid filling a comparison with guessed totals.
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- Whether inactive, terminated, contractor, intern and administrator accounts are billable.
- Payroll, performance, hiring, helpdesk, advanced attendance, learning and multi-entity costs.
- Setup, migration, payroll configuration, training, support and device-connector charges.
- API limits, integrations, legal entities, pay groups and any premium-support cost.
- Price-change terms, renewal increases, refunds and treatment of seasonal headcount.
Keka’s terms state that pricing depends on region and employee population, fees are non-refundable, and live users can determine monthly service-credit consumption. Ask how that billing model applies to your expected workforce changes. Keka terms of service.
Best Value
Which platform fits different company types?
- Startup under 50 employees: If you need only employee records and leave, compare Zoho People’s local-edition cost with a configured greytHR estimate; do not pay for payroll or talent functions you will not use. If Indian payroll is essential, compare greytHR and Keka on the actual close workflow, not a headline per-user price.
- 50–100 employee SMB: Keka’s published India tiers have a stated base population of up to 100, but the right tier depends on whether you need advanced performance, shifts or integrations. Compare it with a greytHR configuration built around your payroll and attendance needs.
- 100–500 employee growth company: Put Keka’s higher-tier automation and performance against Zoho’s modular ecosystem if you already use Zoho. For greytHR, confirm multi-entity, pay-group, reporting and support fit before selecting on payroll positioning alone.
- Factory, field or distributed workforce: Do not choose from feature pages alone. Run device, shift, overtime, connectivity and payroll-sync tests with your real locations and staff policies.
- Performance-led organization: Shortlist Keka Growth and the relevant Zoho Premium or Talent edition, then test review design, calibration, manager usability and compensation flow. Verify greytHR’s exact package if it remains in consideration.
- Existing Zoho customer or HR-only buyer: Zoho People may reduce ecosystem friction or provide a modular HR start, but price and test connected payroll separately where required.
- Multiple legal entities: Ask for entity-specific permissions, pay groups, reports, consolidated visibility and pricing. Keka lists multi-entity as an add-on; confirm exact scope with each vendor.
Implementation, data and contract risks to resolve
Reduce payroll go-live risk
- Clean the source data: Reconcile employee records, salary structures, statutory identifiers, leave balances and historical payroll before import.
- Configure policies deliberately: Document state rules, pay groups, attendance exceptions, shifts, approvals, benefits and deduction logic; assign an owner to each rule.
- Test devices and integrations: Connect the actual biometric or attendance equipment and validate exports, accounting feeds and any People-to-payroll synchronization.
- Run parallel payroll: Compare a complete live-period calculation with the current process, including arrears, unpaid leave, loans, reimbursements and full-and-final cases.
- Train managers and employees: Rehearse approvals, corrections, payslip access and mobile self-service before launch.
- Agree a rollback path: Decide who can pause the first live run, how corrections are recorded and how the prior payroll process can be restored.
Protect data portability and continuity
Before signing, get written answers on whether all employee, payroll, attendance, leave and document data can be exported; in which formats; whether audit logs are exportable; how long historical records remain accessible after cancellation; and when deleted data is removed. Ask about API access for migration and contract terms for regional repricing or future price changes. These are diligence questions, not capabilities established by the public pricing pages.
Use the same demo script for all three
- Add a new employee and configure salary components.
- Import attendance, apply leave and correct an attendance error.
- Run a payroll preview, process an arrear and generate a payslip.
- Submit a reimbursement and, where relevant, a loan or advance.
- Complete a performance review with a manager account.
- Export a compliance report and inspect the audit trail.
- Offboard the employee, then test what data can be exported and by whom.
Score each step against the same script. Record whether it is included, a paid add-on or unavailable in the quoted country and plan; whether implementation is needed; and whether the workflow works on web, mobile or through an integration.
Alternatives when the shortlist does not fit
- Zoho Payroll is worth evaluating when the goal is a Zoho-centered Indian payroll workflow alongside Zoho People.
- RazorpayX Payroll may suit startups already using Razorpay financial and payout products; verify current India payroll coverage for your needs.
- Pocket HRMS is another option to investigate for mobile, geo-tagging and broader workforce administration.
- SumHR may be relevant for simpler SMB HR and payroll needs.
- Darwinbox and PeopleStrong are more appropriate to assess for larger, process-heavy organizations.
- OrangeHRM and Frappe HR may interest organizations prioritizing self-hosting, infrastructure control or customization, with added implementation and operational responsibility.
These alternatives address different needs; their inclusion does not establish equivalent Indian statutory payroll coverage.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
