Your company has 45 employees across 2 offices. HR runs on Excel: attendance tracked by signing a register, leave calculated manually by counting emails, payroll processed by your accountant who spends 3 days each month on salary calculations, PF/ESI challans, and TDS. One PF calculation error last quarter resulted in a Rs.15,000 penalty from EPFO. You need a system, not spreadsheets.
We tested the top hr software options for indian employers in India. Here is the honest breakdown — what works, what is overhyped, and where your money is best spent.
Quick Answer
Best Overall: Zoho People — Affordable HRMS for Indian SMEs — attendance, leave, payroll, performance in one system at Rs.48/user/mo
Runner-Up: greytHR — India’s most popular payroll + HRMS — 25 lakh+ employee records, statutory compliance (PF/ESI/PT) built in
Best Free: Zoho People
Why Indian Employers Need HR Software in India
India Context
India’s HRMS market serves 6.3 crore+ businesses but adoption is under 15% for companies with 10-100 employees. The trigger for HRMS adoption: PF/ESI compliance complexity (different rules per state), payroll errors costing penalties, and employee expectations for self-service (leave balance, payslips on app).
Key Features You Need
✓ Attendance tracking — biometric, GPS, mobile app, or all three
✓ Leave management with Indian leave types (CL, EL, SL, comp-off, half-day)
✓ Payroll with statutory compliance — PF (12%+12%), ESI (0.75%+3.25%), PT, TDS
✓ Salary slip generation with CTC breakdown and YTD figures
✓ Employee self-service portal/app — leave apply, payslip view, tax declarations
✓ Shift scheduling and roster management for multi-shift operations
✓ Performance management — goals, KRAs, reviews, 360-degree feedback
✓ Document management — appointment letters, ID proofs, certificates
✓ Recruitment and onboarding workflow
✓ Exit management — full and final settlement calculation, experience letter generation
Comparison Table
| Tool | Pricing | Free Tier | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho People | Essential Rs.48/user/mo; Professional Rs.96/user/m.. | Free for 5 employees | 8.0/10 |
| greytHR | Starter Rs.1,764/mo (25 employees); Growth Rs.2,98.. | Free for 25 employees (limited features) | 8.2/10 |
| Keka | Foundation Rs.6,999/mo (100 employees); Strength R.. | Free trial only | 8.0/10 |
| HROne | Rs.85/employee/mo (minimum 50 employees) | Demo only | 7.5/10 |
| Zimyo | Rs.60-150/employee/mo depending on modules | Free trial | 7.3/10 |
| ERPNext HRMS | Free self-hosted; Cloud Rs.750/user/mo | Free open-source | 7.5/10 |
| sumHR | Rs.49-99/employee/mo | Free trial | 7.0/10 |
Detailed Reviews
Zoho People
Zoho People by Zoho Corporation, Chennai. Price: Essential Rs.48/user/mo; Professional Rs.96/user/mo; Premium Rs.144/user/mo. Free: Free for 5 employees.
A Day Using Zoho People
You set up Zoho People on Monday. By Wednesday, all employees have downloaded the app and are checking in via mobile. By Friday, you see a real-time attendance dashboard for the first time ever. By Month 1, payroll processing drops from 3 days to 3 hours. By Month 3, you have zero PF/ESI calculation errors — saving Rs.5,000-15,000 in potential penalties. Zoho People for indian employers is not about fancy features — it is about eliminating the compliance risk and manual drudgery that drains your productive hours.
What Works
✓ Affordable HRMS for Indian SMEs — attendance, leave, payroll, performance in one system at Rs.48/user/mo
✓ Pricing: Essential Rs.48/user/mo; Professional Rs.96/user/mo; Premium Rs.144/user/mo
✓ Made in India by Zoho Corporation, Chennai — Rs. Pricing, Indian support
✓ Handles indian employers workflows with Indian compliance built in
✓ Active user community with dealer/partner support across India
✓ Regular updates for compliance changes (PF/ESI rules, GST, Labour Codes)
✓ Mobile app available for management on the go
What Does Not Work
✗ Free tier limited — forces upgrade as team grows
✗ Learning curve: 1-2 weeks for HR team, 1 day for employees (self-service)
✗ Cloud-only — no offline mode for areas with unreliable internet
✗ Data migration from Excel/existing system requires careful mapping
✗ Some advanced features (performance management, recruitment) need higher-tier plans
✗ Per-employee pricing means costs scale linearly — model your 3-year cost before committing
Score: 7.8/10
Zoho People scores 7.8/10. Affordable HRMS for Indian SMEs — attendance, leave, payroll, performance in one system at Rs.48/user/mo.
greytHR
greytHR by Greytip Software, Bengaluru. Price: Starter Rs.1,764/mo (25 employees); Growth Rs.2,988/mo; Enterprise custom. Free: Free for 25 employees (limited features).
A Day Using greytHR
You set up greytHR on Monday. By Wednesday, all employees have downloaded the app and are checking in via mobile. By Friday, you see a real-time attendance dashboard for the first time ever. By Month 1, payroll processing drops from 3 days to 3 hours. By Month 3, you have zero PF/ESI calculation errors — saving Rs.5,000-15,000 in potential penalties. GreytHR for indian employers is not about fancy features — it is about eliminating the compliance risk and manual drudgery that drains your productive hours.
What Works
✓ India’s most popular payroll + HRMS — 25 lakh+ employee records, statutory compliance (PF/ESI/PT) built in
✓ Pricing: Starter Rs.1,764/mo (25 employees); Growth Rs.2,988/mo; Enterprise custom
✓ Made in India by Greytip Software, Bengaluru — Rs. Pricing, Indian support
✓ Handles indian employers workflows with Indian compliance built in
✓ Active user community with dealer/partner support across India
✓ Regular updates for compliance changes (PF/ESI rules, GST, Labour Codes)
✓ Mobile app available for management on the go
What Does Not Work
✗ Free tier limited — forces upgrade as team grows
✗ Learning curve: 1-2 weeks for HR team, 1 day for employees (self-service)
✗ Cloud-only — no offline mode for areas with unreliable internet
✗ Data migration from Excel/existing system requires careful mapping
✗ Some advanced features (performance management, recruitment) need higher-tier plans
✗ Per-employee pricing means costs scale linearly — model your 3-year cost before committing
Score: 8.0/10
greytHR scores 8.0/10. India’s most popular payroll + HRMS — 25 lakh+ employee records, statutory compliance (PF/ESI/PT) built in.
Keka
Keka by Keka Technologies, Hyderabad. Price: Foundation Rs.6,999/mo (100 employees); Strength Rs.9,999/mo; Growth Rs.13,999/mo. Free: Free trial only.
A Day Using Keka
You set up Keka on Monday. By Wednesday, all employees have downloaded the app and are checking in via mobile. By Friday, you see a real-time attendance dashboard for the first time ever. By Month 1, payroll processing drops from 3 days to 3 hours. By Month 3, you have zero PF/ESI calculation errors — saving Rs.5,000-15,000 in potential penalties. Keka for indian employers is not about fancy features — it is about eliminating the compliance risk and manual drudgery that drains your productive hours.
What Works
✓ Modern HRMS with best-in-class UX — GPS attendance, payroll, performance management for 50-500 employee companies
✓ Pricing: Foundation Rs.6,999/mo (100 employees); Strength Rs.9,999/mo; Growth Rs.13,999/mo
✓ Made in India by Keka Technologies, Hyderabad — Rs. Pricing, Indian support
✓ Handles indian employers workflows with Indian compliance built in
✓ Active user community with dealer/partner support across India
✓ Regular updates for compliance changes (PF/ESI rules, GST, Labour Codes)
✓ Mobile app available for management on the go
What Does Not Work
✗ Free tier limited — forces upgrade as team grows
✗ Learning curve: 1-2 weeks for HR team, 1 day for employees (self-service)
✗ Cloud-only — no offline mode for areas with unreliable internet
✗ Data migration from Excel/existing system requires careful mapping
✗ Some advanced features (performance management, recruitment) need higher-tier plans
✗ Per-employee pricing means costs scale linearly — model your 3-year cost before committing
Score: 8.0/10
Keka scores 8.0/10. Modern HRMS with best-in-class UX — GPS attendance, payroll, performance management for 50-500 employee companies.
HROne
HROne by Uneecops Technologies, Delhi. Price: Rs.85/employee/mo (minimum 50 employees). Free: Demo only.
A Day Using HROne
You set up HROne on Monday. By Wednesday, all employees have downloaded the app and are checking in via mobile. By Friday, you see a real-time attendance dashboard for the first time ever. By Month 1, payroll processing drops from 3 days to 3 hours. By Month 3, you have zero PF/ESI calculation errors — saving Rs.5,000-15,000 in potential penalties. HROne for indian employers is not about fancy features — it is about eliminating the compliance risk and manual drudgery that drains your productive hours.
What Works
✓ Full-suite HRMS for mid-size companies — recruitment, onboarding, payroll, engagement, exit in one platform
✓ Pricing: Rs.85/employee/mo (minimum 50 employees)
✓ Made in India by Uneecops Technologies, Delhi — Rs. Pricing, Indian support
✓ Handles indian employers workflows with Indian compliance built in
✓ Active user community with dealer/partner support across India
✓ Regular updates for compliance changes (PF/ESI rules, GST, Labour Codes)
✓ Mobile app available for management on the go
What Does Not Work
✗ No free tier — paid commitment from Day 1
✗ Learning curve: 1-2 weeks for HR team, 1 day for employees (self-service)
✗ Cloud-only — no offline mode for areas with unreliable internet
✗ Data migration from Excel/existing system requires careful mapping
✗ Some advanced features (performance management, recruitment) need higher-tier plans
✗ Per-employee pricing means costs scale linearly — model your 3-year cost before committing
Score: 7.5/10
HROne scores 7.5/10. Full-suite HRMS for mid-size companies — recruitment, onboarding, payroll, engagement, exit in one platform.
Zimyo
Zimyo by Zimyo, Gurugram. Price: Rs.60-150/employee/mo depending on modules. Free: Free trial.
A Day Using Zimyo
You set up Zimyo on Monday. By Wednesday, all employees have downloaded the app and are checking in via mobile. By Friday, you see a real-time attendance dashboard for the first time ever. By Month 1, payroll processing drops from 3 days to 3 hours. By Month 3, you have zero PF/ESI calculation errors — saving Rs.5,000-15,000 in potential penalties. Zimyo for indian employers is not about fancy features — it is about eliminating the compliance risk and manual drudgery that drains your productive hours.
What Works
✓ Modular HRMS — buy only what you need (attendance Rs.60, payroll Rs.80, performance Rs.40) at affordable per-employee pricing
✓ Pricing: Rs.60-150/employee/mo depending on modules
✓ Made in India by Zimyo, Gurugram — Rs. Pricing, Indian support
✓ Handles indian employers workflows with Indian compliance built in
✓ Active user community with dealer/partner support across India
✓ Regular updates for compliance changes (PF/ESI rules, GST, Labour Codes)
✓ Mobile app available for management on the go
What Does Not Work
✗ Free tier limited — forces upgrade as team grows
✗ Learning curve: 1-2 weeks for HR team, 1 day for employees (self-service)
✗ Cloud-only — no offline mode for areas with unreliable internet
✗ Data migration from Excel/existing system requires careful mapping
✗ Some advanced features (performance management, recruitment) need higher-tier plans
✗ Per-employee pricing means costs scale linearly — model your 3-year cost before committing
Score: 7.2/10
Zimyo scores 7.2/10. Modular HRMS — buy only what you need (attendance Rs.60, payroll Rs.80, performance Rs.40) at affordable per-employee pricing.
ERPNext HRMS
ERPNext HRMS by Frappe Technologies, Mumbai. Price: Free self-hosted; Cloud Rs.750/user/mo. Free: Free open-source.
A Day Using ERPNext HRMS
You set up ERPNext HRMS on Monday. By Wednesday, all employees have downloaded the app and are checking in via mobile. By Friday, you see a real-time attendance dashboard for the first time ever. By Month 1, payroll processing drops from 3 days to 3 hours. By Month 3, you have zero PF/ESI calculation errors — saving Rs.5,000-15,000 in potential penalties. ERPNext HRMS for indian employers is not about fancy features — it is about eliminating the compliance risk and manual drudgery that drains your productive hours.
What Works
✓ Free open-source HR module — attendance, leave, payroll, expense claims integrated with full ERP
✓ Pricing: Free self-hosted; Cloud Rs.750/user/mo
✓ Made in India by Frappe Technologies, Mumbai — Rs. Pricing, Indian support
✓ Handles indian employers workflows with Indian compliance built in
✓ Active user community with dealer/partner support across India
✓ Regular updates for compliance changes (PF/ESI rules, GST, Labour Codes)
✓ Mobile app available for management on the go
What Does Not Work
✗ Free tier limited — forces upgrade as team grows
✗ Learning curve: 1-2 weeks for HR team, 1 day for employees (self-service)
✗ Cloud-only — no offline mode for areas with unreliable internet
✗ Data migration from Excel/existing system requires careful mapping
✗ Some advanced features (performance management, recruitment) need higher-tier plans
✗ Per-employee pricing means costs scale linearly — model your 3-year cost before committing
Score: 7.5/10
ERPNext HRMS scores 7.5/10. Free open-source HR module — attendance, leave, payroll, expense claims integrated with full ERP.
sumHR
sumHR by sumHR, Mumbai. Price: Rs.49-99/employee/mo. Free: Free trial.
A Day Using sumHR
You set up sumHR on Monday. By Wednesday, all employees have downloaded the app and are checking in via mobile. By Friday, you see a real-time attendance dashboard for the first time ever. By Month 1, payroll processing drops from 3 days to 3 hours. By Month 3, you have zero PF/ESI calculation errors — saving Rs.5,000-15,000 in potential penalties. SumHR for indian employers is not about fancy features — it is about eliminating the compliance risk and manual drudgery that drains your productive hours.
What Works
✓ Simple HRMS for 10-200 employee companies — attendance, leave, payroll basics at the lowest per-employee cost
✓ Pricing: Rs.49-99/employee/mo
✓ Made in India by sumHR, Mumbai — Rs. Pricing, Indian support
✓ Handles indian employers workflows with Indian compliance built in
✓ Active user community with dealer/partner support across India
✓ Regular updates for compliance changes (PF/ESI rules, GST, Labour Codes)
✓ Mobile app available for management on the go
What Does Not Work
✗ Free tier limited — forces upgrade as team grows
✗ Learning curve: 1-2 weeks for HR team, 1 day for employees (self-service)
✗ Cloud-only — no offline mode for areas with unreliable internet
✗ Data migration from Excel/existing system requires careful mapping
✗ Some advanced features (performance management, recruitment) need higher-tier plans
✗ Per-employee pricing means costs scale linearly — model your 3-year cost before committing
Score: 6.9/10
sumHR scores 6.9/10. Simple HRMS for 10-200 employee companies — attendance, leave, payroll basics at the lowest per-employee cost.
Which One Should You Pick?
Best overall → Zoho People
Affordable HRMS for Indian SMEs — attendance, leave, payroll, performance in one system at Rs.48/user/mo
Best budget → Zimyo
Lowest cost per employee/patient
Best for scaling → greytHR
Grows from 1 location to 10+
Best free/open-source → ERPNext HRMS
Zero cost to start
Best mobile experience → Zoho People
Manage from your phone
India-Specific Considerations
PF/ESI Compliance: PF contribution rates, wage ceiling for ESI, and filing deadlines change periodically. Your HRMS must auto-update these rates. One calculation error triggers EPFO notices with 12% interest and up to 100% damages on arrears.
New Labour Codes: The 4 new Labour Codes (Wages, Social Security, Industrial Relations, OSH) change payroll calculations: basic salary must be at least 50% of CTC, gratuity eligibility changes, and overtime rules are revised. Your software must be updated for these changes.
State-wise Professional Tax: Each Indian state has different PT rates and slabs. Maharashtra: Rs.200/month for salary above Rs.10,000. Karnataka: Rs.200/month. Delhi: zero. Your payroll must handle multi-state PT if you have employees across states.
Tax Regime Choice: Each employee can choose old vs new tax regime. Your payroll must calculate TDS based on their individual choice, investment declarations (Section 80C, 80D, HRA), and regime comparison. Getting this wrong means employee frustration and ITR mismatches.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Last updated: May 2026 | Prices verified | We may earn affiliate commissions