Buyer guide · India · updated 12 Jul 2026

Best HR software in India, compared by a disclosed method

There is no single best HR software in India. The right pick depends on your team size, whether you need statutory payroll in-house, and what you will pay per employee. This guide compares nine established vendors and LekhaHR on five public criteria: India statutory-compliance depth, pricing transparency, a dated entry price, a real third-party user rating, and shipped module scope. Every price and rating carries a source and a capture date. We make LekhaHR, so we ranked it by the same rules as everyone else and did not give ourselves a crown. If greytHR or Zoho People fits you better, this page says so.

Start a 14-day Business trial See LekhaHR pricing

How we ranked

Five public criteria, with the weights shown

A trustworthy buyer guide should show its working. Here are the criteria, the default weight we give each, and exactly how every cell is filled. These weights are our default priority lens for an India buyer; yours may differ, which is why every underlying fact is published so you can re-weight in your own head.

Scroll the table sideways to read the full "how the cell is filled" column.

Criterion	Weight	How the cell is filled (sourced, dated)
India statutory-compliance depth	25%	Documented PF/ESI/PT/TDS capability from each vendor's own product docs, capture-dated.
Pricing transparency	20%	A public rate card counts as yes; quote-only counts as no. Checkable on the vendor's own site.
Entry price (normalized)	20%	The lowest published committed monthly cost, per employee where the model allows, from the vendor pricing page and dated in our evidence log.
Aggregate user rating	15%	One G2 or Capterra score with its review count, source URL and capture date. Never our own opinion, and skipped where a vendor has no listing.
Shipped module breadth	20%	A count of genuinely live core modules, verified against docs. LekhaHR is scored on shipped modules only.

Documented but not scored: target company size, support model, implementation approach, ecosystem lock-in and deskless or shift depth are shown as facts in the fit cards so you can weigh them yourself. We refuse to invent a number for something like "ease of use" beyond the sourced third-party rating.

No overall winner is crowned. The matrix presents dated facts and each vendor's best-fit band, and it declines to reduce ten different companies to a single number.

The comparison

HR software India: the sourced comparison matrix

Ten vendors, six sourced columns. Scroll the grid sideways to read every criterion. Prices and ratings were captured on 12 July 2026 from each vendor's own pricing page or its G2 / Capterra listing.

Rows are grouped by team-size fit, smallest team first. This is deliberately not a quality ranking, and no vendor is crowned best. Read each cell as a dated fact and weigh it by your own priority. Prices and ratings carry a source and a capture date of 2026-07-12; re-verify against the linked source before you sign.
Vendor & best-fit	India statutory compliance	Pricing model	Entry price (dated)	User rating	Shipped module scope
KredilyMicro teams · free-tier & budget	The Free Forever plan already includes PF/ESI/PT/TDS statutory calculation and basic payroll; the paid Payroll OS plan adds salary disbursement (NEFT), PF/ESI challan generation and tax forms (Form 16, 12BB).	Free tier + public rate card	Free Forever ₹0/mo; Payroll OS ₹1,249/mo up to 25 (+₹50/addl)	Capterra 3.8/5 (12)	Core HR, attendance, leave and basic payroll (with PF/ESI/PT/TDS statutory calculation) on the free tier; challans, NEFT payouts and tax forms are paid.
Pocket HRMSPrice-conscious SMB payroll	Payroll with PF, ESI, PT and TDS handling is core to the product.	Public rate card (billed annually)	Standard ₹2,995/mo up to 50 (+₹60/addl)	G2 4.5/5 (29)	Core HR, attendance, payroll, self-service and a mobile app.
LekhaHRthis is usSmall Indian teams · transparent price	Does not run statutory payroll yet (payroll is unreleased). Attendance and leave keep reviewed inputs clean for your payroll run or CA.	Public rate card, no base fee (see pricing)	₹99/₹149 per active employee	Not yet rated	Core HR, attendance and leave, shipped today. Payroll, onboarding, expenses and performance are not yet released, so they are left out, not greyed.
Zoho PeopleSMB / tech-savvy · ecosystem	Leave, attendance and workflows sit in People; PF/ESI/PT/TDS payroll runs in Zoho Payroll, a separately-priced product.	Public rate card (People); Payroll separate	From ₹48/employee/mo (People tier)	G2 4.4/5 (419)	Core HR, attendance, leave, performance and workflows; payroll via the separate Zoho Payroll product.
ZimyoSMB all-rounder	Payroll with statutory compliance is included from the Basic tier upward.	Public rate card (per user, minimum billing)	Basic ₹80/user/mo (min ₹4,000)	Capterra 4.4/5 (33)	Core HR, attendance, leave, payroll, engagement and performance across tiers.
QandleSMB / mid-market · modular	Payroll and compliance are offered as configurable modules and advisory add-ons.	Public tiered rate card; list figures load dynamically	Tiered per-employee (50-user min); INR figures not statically shown	Capterra 4.4/5 (≈27)	Core HR, attendance, leave, payroll and performance as pick-and-choose modules.
greytHRSMB payroll & compliance authority	Statutory payroll compliance (PF, ESI, PT, TDS, challans and returns) is its long-standing core strength.	Public rate card + paid add-ons	Essential ₹2,495/mo; Growth ₹4,495/mo (base up to 50)	G2 4.4/5 (≈1,260)	Core HR, attendance, leave and payroll; performance, expense and GPS are priced as add-ons.
HROneMid-market · hire-to-retire	Full India payroll compliance (PF, ESI, PT, TDS) inside a hire-to-retire suite.	Public rate card (per user)	Basic ₹4,950/mo up to 50 (+₹99/addl)	Capterra 4.3/5 (25)	Core HR, attendance, leave, payroll, recruitment and a wide module set.
KekaMid-market · modern UX	Payroll with PF, ESI, PT and TDS is part of the platform.	Public rate card; 25-employee minimum	Foundation ₹9,999/mo up to 100; 25-employee minimum	G2 4.5/5 (≈1,460)	Core HR, attendance, leave, payroll, performance and hiring in one suite.
DarwinboxEnterprise (1,000+ employees)	Enterprise payroll and compliance across multiple countries, including India statutory.	Quote-only (no public rate card)	Quote-only; enterprise per-employee, custom contract	Capterra 4.3/5 (43)	Full enterprise HCM: core HR, payroll, performance, recruitment and engagement.

Rows are grouped by team-size fit, smallest team first. This is deliberately not a quality ranking, and no vendor is crowned best. Read each cell as a dated fact and weigh it by your own priority. Prices and ratings carry a source and a capture date of 2026-07-12; re-verify against the linked source before you sign.

Sources — each price and rating cell, with its link and capture date

Every sourced cell above resolves to a first-party page here. External links open in a new tab; re-check them against the vendor's own page before you sign.

KredilyPrice: https://kredily.com/pricing/ (captured 2026-07-12)Rating: https://www.capterra.in/reviews/186516/kredily (captured 2026-07-12)
Pocket HRMSPrice: https://www.pockethrms.com/pricing/ (captured 2026-07-12)Rating: https://www.g2.com/products/pocket-hrms/reviews (captured 2026-07-12)
LekhaHRPrice: docs/marketing/strategy/pricing-strategy.md (mirrored in src/data/pricing.ts) (captured 2026-07-12)Rating: src/data/product-readiness.ts (no third-party listing exists yet) (captured 2026-07-12)
Zoho PeoplePrice: https://www.zoho.com/people/pricing.html (captured 2026-07-12)Rating: https://www.g2.com/products/zoho-people/reviews (captured 2026-07-12)
ZimyoPrice: https://www.zimyo.com/pricing/ (captured 2026-07-12)Rating: https://www.capterra.com/p/275269/Zimyo-HRMS/reviews/ (captured 2026-07-12)
QandlePrice: https://www.qandle.com/pricing.html (captured 2026-07-12)Rating: https://www.capterra.com/p/173077/Qandle/reviews/ (captured 2026-07-12)
greytHRPrice: https://www.greythr.com/pricing/ (captured 2026-07-12)Rating: https://www.g2.com/products/greythr/reviews (captured 2026-07-12)
HROnePrice: https://hrone.cloud/pricing/ (captured 2026-07-12)Rating: https://www.capterra.com/p/222335/HROne/reviews/ (captured 2026-07-12)
KekaPrice: https://www.keka.com/pricing (captured 2026-07-12)Rating: https://www.g2.com/products/keka/reviews (captured 2026-07-12)
DarwinboxPrice: https://darwinbox.com/pricing (captured 2026-07-12)Rating: https://www.capterra.com/p/150606/Darwinbox-HR/reviews/ (captured 2026-07-12)

Vendor fit

Who each vendor is actually for

A fit profile, not a feature dump: the honest size band, the module scope, the pricing model with a dated source, and a plain best-for and look-elsewhere for each. Pick the two or three that match your scenario and take them into a demo.

Kredily

Micro / free-tier

Best for: A very small or cost-first team that wants core HR, attendance, leave and basic payroll with PF/ESI/PT/TDS statutory calculation at no cost, and can pay later to disburse salary and file.
Look elsewhere if: You want deep configurability or a large third-party review base to lean on.
Module scope: Core HR, attendance, leave, basic payroll; free Forever tier.
Pricing model: Free Forever tier, then Payroll OS ₹1,249/mo up to 25 (+₹50 per added employee) for NEFT payouts, challans and tax forms.
User rating: Capterra 3.8/5 (12 reviews)

Pocket HRMS

Budget SMB payroll

Best for: A price-conscious SMB that wants payroll with statutory handling and a working mobile app.
Look elsewhere if: You need enterprise-grade configurability or global payroll.
Module scope: Core HR, attendance, payroll, self-service.
Pricing model: Standard ₹2,995/mo up to 50 employees (+₹60 each beyond), billed annually, plus a one-time setup fee.
User rating: G2 4.5/5 (29 reviews)

LekhaHR

Transparent-price SMB

Best for: A growing Indian team that wants no base fee, per-active-employee billing, and attendance and leave that explain the policy behind each result.
Look elsewhere if: You need statutory payroll, onboarding, expenses or performance in-house today. Those are unreleased, so pick a vendor that ships them now.
Module scope: Core HR, attendance and leave, shipped. Payroll and the rest are not yet released.
Pricing model: Public rate card, no base fee: ₹99/₹149 per active employee. See the full rate card on pricing.
User rating: Not yet rated (no third-party listing yet)

See LekhaHR pricing →

Zoho People

SMB / ecosystem

Best for: A team already inside the Zoho ecosystem that wants the cheapest per-employee entry and is fine running payroll as a separate product.
Look elsewhere if: You want one bill for HR and payroll, or you are not a Zoho shop.
Module scope: Core HR, attendance, leave, performance; payroll separate.
Pricing model: From ₹48/employee/month on the lowest People tier; Zoho Payroll is billed and scoped separately.
User rating: G2 4.4/5 (419 reviews)

Zimyo

SMB all-rounder

Best for: An SMB that wants HR, payroll and engagement in one per-user subscription with a low headline rate.
Look elsewhere if: Your team is below the minimum-billing floor, where the effective per-seat cost climbs.
Module scope: Core HR, attendance, leave, payroll, engagement, performance.
Pricing model: Basic ₹80/user/month with a ₹4,000 minimum; Standard and Enterprise tiers add modules at higher per-user rates.
User rating: Capterra 4.4/5 (33 reviews)

Qandle

SMB / mid modular

Best for: A team that wants to pick and choose modules rather than buy a fixed bundle.
Look elsewhere if: You need the price on the table before a sales conversation, since the list figures are not statically published.
Module scope: Core HR, attendance, leave, payroll, performance (modular).
Pricing model: Public tiered plans with a 50-user minimum, but the INR figures render dynamically and were not visible at capture; confirm on a quote.
User rating: Capterra 4.4/5 (≈27 reviews)

greytHR

Payroll & compliance authority

Best for: An Indian SMB whose first requirement is rock-solid statutory payroll, challans and returns from a long-established vendor.
Look elsewhere if: You want performance, expense or GPS in the base price rather than as paid add-ons.
Module scope: Core HR, attendance, leave, payroll; add-ons priced separately.
Pricing model: Essential ₹2,495/month and Growth ₹4,495/month (base up to 50), with PMS, timesheet, expense and GPS sold as add-ons.
User rating: G2 4.4/5 (≈1,260 reviews)

HROne

Mid-market hire-to-retire

Best for: A mid-market company that wants a broad hire-to-retire suite with per-user billing and no lock-in.
Look elsewhere if: You are a very small team, where the ₹4,950 base for 50 users spreads thinly.
Module scope: Core HR, attendance, leave, payroll, recruitment and more.
Pricing model: Basic ₹4,950/month for up to 50 users (+₹99 each beyond); Professional and Enterprise tiers add depth.
User rating: Capterra 4.3/5 (25 reviews)

Keka

Mid-market, modern UX

Best for: A mid-market team that values a polished experience and one suite spanning HR, payroll, performance and hiring.
Look elsewhere if: You are under about 25 people, where the ₹9,999 base and 25-employee minimum push up your per-seat cost.
Module scope: Core HR, attendance, leave, payroll, performance, hiring.
Pricing model: Foundation ₹9,999/month for up to 100 employees, a 25-employee minimum, and a one-time setup fee.
User rating: G2 4.5/5 (≈1,460 reviews)

LekhaHR vs Keka →

Darwinbox

Enterprise (1,000+)

Best for: A large enterprise (roughly 1,000 employees and up) that needs multi-country payroll and heavy configurability, and can run a formal procurement.
Look elsewhere if: You are a 30-person team. Darwinbox is built for scale you do not have yet, and pricing is quote-only.
Module scope: Full enterprise HCM across HR, payroll, performance, hiring.
Pricing model: Quote-only. No public rate card; pricing is set per employee by headcount tier and modules on a multi-year contract.
User rating: Capterra 4.3/5 (43 reviews)

Pick your shortlist

Start from your scenario, not a leaderboard

Choose the row that sounds like you, then shortlist the two vendors next to it and verify their dated figures.

Under 25 people, budget-first

Kredily or Pocket HRMS

Start on a free or low-base plan and pay for salary disbursement, challans and filing once you need them. LekhaHR fits here too if you want no base fee and explainable attendance and leave. See the small-business cost math.

Growing SMB, payroll now

greytHR or Zimyo

Statutory payroll from day one, with greytHR the long-established compliance authority and Zimyo the lower-headline per-user all-rounder. Confirm add-on and minimum-billing costs on your quote.

Mid-market, one modern suite

Keka or HROne

A polished all-in-one experience across HR, payroll and performance. Weigh Keka's 25-employee minimum against HROne's per-user model. If you are weighing off Keka specifically, read the Keka comparison.

Enterprise, 1,000+ and multi-country

Darwinbox (or PeopleStrong)

Built for scale and multi-country payroll, sold on a custom quote. Run a formal procurement and expect an implementation project rather than a self-serve signup.

Also considered

Vendors we left off, and why

Honest exclusions belong in a buyer guide. These three are real options that did not earn a full row, with the reason on the record.

factoHR. A strong fit for manufacturing, shift-heavy and deskless workforces. It is left as a pointer rather than a full row because this guide compares general SMB-to-mid HR suites, and a plant-HR specialist deserves a like-for-like shortlist against other deskless tools.
PeopleStrong. A large-enterprise platform that overlaps Darwinbox's band. One enterprise anchor keeps the matrix legible; adding a second would pad the list without changing the buyer's decision at the sizes most readers here are at.
SalaryBox. An attendance-led micro tool that overlaps Kredily and Pocket HRMS at the budget end. It is noted here so the exclusion is on the record, not hidden.

Buyer FAQ

The questions buyers actually ask

Answers route to the matrix or a sibling page rather than repeating a rate. See LekhaHR pricing for our own numbers.

Which HR software is best overall in India?

There is no single best. The honest answer depends on your team size, whether you need statutory payroll in-house, and your per-employee budget. Use the comparison matrix above: it groups vendors by fit and shows dated facts rather than crowning a winner. A 15-person team and a 2,000-person enterprise will rightly land on different vendors.

What is the best HR software for a small business in India?

For a small Indian business, the shortlist usually comes down to entry price and whether you need payroll now. Zoho People has the cheapest per-employee entry, greytHR and Pocket HRMS lead on statutory payroll, and LekhaHR fits teams that want no base fee and explainable attendance and leave. Our small-business guide walks the 10-to-50 cost math in detail.

What are the top 5 HRMS systems in India?

Any top-5 depends on the weights you apply. If you weight India statutory-compliance highest, greytHR, HROne, Keka, Zimyo and Pocket HRMS all rank well. If you weight transparent low entry price, Zoho People, Kredily and LekhaHR move up. The matrix publishes the five criteria so you can re-rank by what matters to you.

How much does HR software cost in India?

Entry prices captured on 2026-07-12 range widely: Zoho People from ₹48 per employee/month, Zimyo from ₹80/user, greytHR from ₹2,495/month, HROne from ₹4,950/month for 50 users, Keka from ₹9,999/month with a 25-employee minimum, and Darwinbox quote-only. There is no universal figure. Each vendor's model and dated source is in the matrix and fit cards.

Is there free HR software in India?

Kredily runs a genuinely free Forever plan that covers core HR, attendance, leave and basic payroll with PF/ESI/PT/TDS statutory calculation. Its paid Payroll OS plan is where disbursement and filing begin: bank salary payouts (NEFT), PF/ESI challan generation and tax forms like Form 16. Zoho People has a low paid entry rather than a permanent free plan for teams of size. Read the free-tier limits carefully before committing, since salary disbursement and statutory filing are usually where the paid line starts.

How did you rank these, and aren't you biased?

We make LekhaHR, which is a real conflict of interest. So we ranked it by the same five public criteria as every other vendor, listed only the modules we have actually shipped, and did not hand ourselves an overall crown. LekhaHR sits mid-list among small-team options, not at number one. Every competitor price and rating carries a source URL and a capture date you can check.

What should I look for in HR software (what makes it good)?

Use the five criteria in the methodology panel as a buyer checklist: India statutory-compliance depth, pricing transparency, a dated entry price you can actually verify, a real third-party user rating, and the count of modules that are genuinely live rather than promised. A vendor that hides its pricing or its ranking method should raise a flag.

Does LekhaHR do everything these other vendors do?

No, and this guide says so plainly. LekhaHR ships core HR, attendance and leave today. Payroll, onboarding, expenses and performance are not yet released, so they are excluded from its row rather than dressed up as coming-soon. If in-house payroll is a must-have now, greytHR, Keka or HROne is the better fit.

Sources & update history

Every figure is dated, and changes are logged

Competitor prices and user ratings were captured on 12 July 2026 from each vendor's own pricing page or its G2 / Capterra listing, and are recorded in our evidence log with a review-due date of 10 September 2026. LekhaHR's own rate resolves to our pricing page. Vendor prices and review scores move, so re-verify against the linked source before you commit.

2026-07-12v1 published. Ten vendors compared on five disclosed criteria; all competitor pricing and ratings captured and sourced; no overall winner crowned.

Disclosure: we build LekhaHR, so we have a commercial interest in you choosing it. To keep this guide honest, LekhaHR is scored on the same five public criteria as every other vendor, its row lists only shipped modules, and it is not crowned the winner — it sits mid-list among the small-team options.