If you are searching for a greytHR alternative, you probably are not unhappy with payroll itself. greytHR has been doing Indian payroll for a long time and it does the core job. Most teams start looking for something else for one of three reasons: the price once they move onto a paid plan, support that is slower than they need, or leave and attendance modules that will not bend to the way their company actually works.
This guide covers seven alternatives, what each one is genuinely good at, and where greytHR still wins. Prices were checked on each vendor’s own pricing page on 26 September 2026. HivePayroll prices exclude 18% GST; for other vendors we say what their page states.
| Software | Published starting price (per month) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| HivePayroll | Free for up to 10 employees; every feature from ₹500 (billed yearly) | Small teams that want free statutory payroll, and teams of 26–100 who want one flat price by team size |
| Zoho Payroll | Free up to 10 employees; Standard ₹1,000 for up to 25 (billed annually) | Companies already using Zoho Books or Zoho One |
| RazorpayX Payroll | ₹3,499 for up to 20 employees | Companies that want payroll run from their RazorpayX business account |
| Keka | Not published | 100–2,000 employees with complex shifts, overtime and arrears |
| Pocket HRMS | ₹2,995 for up to 50 employees (billed annually) | Teams where the mobile app matters most |
| HROne | ₹4,950 for up to 50 users | Mid-market companies wanting broad HR beyond payroll |
| Darwinbox | Quote only | Large enterprises with dedicated HR operations teams |
Any comparison that claims greytHR loses on everything is not worth reading.
Its compliance heritage is deep. greytHR has handled PF, ESI, Professional Tax and TDS across Indian states for many years. That accumulated handling of edge cases is real, and it is why so many Indian SMBs run on it.
It is a large, established vendor. If your procurement process weights company size and years in the market, greytHR scores well against almost everyone on this list.
It may still be free for very small teams. greytHR’s blog describes a free Starter plan for small companies. As of September 2026 its pricing page lists only paid plans and a 7-day free trial, so ask greytHR whether the free plan is open to new sign-ups. If it is, and its limits fit, no paid tool beats free.
This is the most common reason teams start shopping. greytHR’s Essential plan is ₹2,495 per month and includes 50 employees in the base price. If you have 28 employees, you pay for 50. Above 50, each extra employee costs ₹45 a month on Essential and ₹85 on Growth, which is ₹4,495 a month for its first 50. greytHR’s pricing page does not say whether these figures include GST.
Across public reviews on Capterra, Techjockey and Software Advice, reviewers regularly mention slow or inconsistent support on lower tiers. These are user reports, not our claims, but for a payroll problem discovered on the 30th, response time is what matters.
Another theme in those reviews: companies with unusual leave policies, pro-rated accrual for mid-year joiners, or state-specific rules sometimes end up maintaining a parallel spreadsheet. If this is your pain, test your hardest leave rule in any demo, including ours.
Because greytHR’s paid plans start with 50 employees included, every company below 50 pays for seats it does not use. HivePayroll prices by team-size band instead, with every feature in every band.
| Your headcount | greytHR Essential | HivePayroll (billed yearly) | Difference per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 employees | ₹2,495 (50 included) | ₹1,000 | ₹1,495 |
| 30 employees | ₹2,495 (50 included) | ₹1,500 | ₹995 |
| 50 employees | ₹2,495 (50 included) | ₹1,500 | ₹995 |
| 60 employees | ₹2,945 (50 + 10 × ₹45) | ₹2,500 | ₹445 |
| 100 employees | ₹4,745 (50 + 50 × ₹45) | ₹2,500 | ₹2,245 |
| 150 employees | ₹6,995 (50 + 100 × ₹45) | ₹3,750 | ₹3,245 |
HivePayroll figures are for paid plans with every feature and exclude GST. greytHR’s page does not say either way; if its figures turn out to include GST, the gap is about 15% smaller than shown. HivePayroll’s monthly billing costs about 20% more (₹1,800 a month for 26–50 employees), which is still below Essential. For teams of up to 10, HivePayroll’s Free plan costs nothing; greytHR’s Starter plan may too, if it is available to you, so compare what each free plan includes.
Best for: small Indian companies that want free statutory payroll, and companies with 26 to 100 employees that want every feature at a price that only changes with headcount.
Free for up to 10 employees, with no time limit and no credit card: payroll with PF, ESI, PT, LWF and TDS, payslips and Form 16, leave, the employee self-service app, loans, expenses and reimbursements, flexible benefits, letters and statutory reports. On Free you mark attendance yourself or upload it from Excel.
Paid plans add phone check-in with selfie and location, biometric machine integration, shifts and attendance corrections, priced by team size and billed yearly: ₹500 a month for up to 10 employees, ₹1,000 for 11–25, ₹1,500 for 26–50 and ₹2,500 for 51–100. Above 100 it is ₹30,000 a year plus ₹25 per extra employee per month. Monthly billing is available at about 20% more. There are no per-employee charges up to 100 and no setup fee. See the full payroll software price list.
Where we are honestly weaker: on Free, attendance is marked by you rather than captured by phone or biometric check-in. Live GPS tracking is a paid add-on. We are a smaller company than greytHR or Keka, which matters if procurement requires a large vendor. And we do not offer the recruitment and performance modules of a full HRMS like Darwinbox — we are payroll-first by design.
Best for: Companies already using Zoho Books, Zoho One or Zoho People.
Free for up to 10 employees. The Standard plan is ₹1,000 a month billed annually for up to 25 employees, then ₹40 per extra employee (₹1,250 and ₹50 on monthly billing). Professional and Premium cost more and include 50 employees. Prices exclude GST, and each legal entity needs its own licence. The integration with Zoho Books is the real draw.
Watch out: Zoho People on its own does not run payroll. If you are evaluating Zoho as a greytHR replacement, you need Zoho Payroll as well, or the Zoho People Plus bundle, which changes the price comparison.
Best for: Companies that already bank with RazorpayX and want salary payouts and compliance payments in the same place.
Prime is ₹3,499 a month for up to 20 employees. Elite is ₹6,499 a month for 50 employees and supports up to 100. Extra employees are ₹150 each per month, and 18% GST is added. Plans cover payroll calculation, payslips, direct salary payment and compliance calculation, payments and filings.
Watch out: some modules, such as expense management, are limited on these plans. Check the plan table against what you need.
Best for: IT services and product companies between 100 and 2,000 employees.
Keka does not publish prices; its Foundation, Strength and Growth plans are quoted on request. It is widely used for complex payroll — unpaid leave, overtime, shift differentials and arrears — and has a modern interface and mobile app.
Watch out: companies usually move to Keka for capability, not to save money. Get a quote at your headcount before assuming either way.
Best for: Distributed teams where employees live in the mobile app.
Standard is ₹2,995 a month billed annually for up to 50 employees, then ₹60 per extra employee. Professional is ₹4,495 for 50, then ₹90 each. Premium is quote-based for 100+ employees, and there is a one-time implementation fee.
Best for: Mid-market companies wanting HR breadth beyond payroll.
Basic starts at ₹4,950 a month for 50 users and Professional at ₹6,500. Covers payroll with PF, ESI, TDS and Professional Tax alongside wider HR workflows. A reasonable step if you are outgrowing greytHR on process, not price.
Best for: Large enterprises with a dedicated HR operations function.
Quote only. Deep functionality across the entire employee lifecycle. Genuine overkill for an SMB, and the implementation effort reflects that.
Four questions settle most of these decisions.
How many employees do you have, and how many will you have in a year? Under 10, a free plan is hard to beat. From about 20 up, compare greytHR’s 50-employee bundle against band pricing at your year-end headcount. Above 100 with complex shift patterns, get a Keka quote.
What actually broke? If payroll calculations are fine and support response is the problem, you need a vendor with responsive support, not more features. If leave accrual is the problem, ask every vendor to configure your exact policy during the demo, not after you sign.
When do you want to switch? The clean cut-over is the start of a financial year in April, or at minimum the start of a quarter. Mid-year migration means running two systems through one Form 24Q cycle.
What do you need to carry across? Employee master data, salary structures, year-to-date earnings and deductions, investment declarations and leave balances. Ask directly whether migration is supported and who does the work. HivePayroll does not charge for it; a vendor that hands you a spreadsheet template and wishes you luck is telling you something.
greytHR’s blog describes a free Starter plan for small companies. As of September 2026 its pricing page lists paid plans and a 7-day free trial, so confirm with greytHR whether the free plan is open to new sign-ups.
Essential is ₹2,495 a month and Growth ₹4,495, each including 50 employees. Extra employees cost ₹45 a month on Essential and ₹85 on Growth. Premium is custom-priced. The pricing page does not say whether GST is included.
You can, but you will carry year-to-date figures across so Form 16 and Form 24Q reconcile. April is cleaner. If you must move mid-year, do it at a quarter boundary and keep the old system readable until you have filed.
For an Indian SMB doing statutory payroll, HivePayroll and Zoho Payroll are the nearest in scope and price. Keka and Darwinbox are larger systems aimed at bigger companies.
If you have up to 10 employees, you do not need to pay anyone: start on HivePayroll’s Free plan, or stay on greytHR’s free plan if it is available to you and fits.
If you are past 20 employees and paying for a 50-employee bundle you do not fill, run your own numbers against the table above. See HivePayroll pricing or book a free demo and bring your actual leave policy to the call — the fastest way to test any payroll vendor is to make them configure your hardest rule before you sign anything.
Prices were checked on each vendor’s own pricing page on 26 September 2026. Vendors change pricing often; confirm current figures directly before deciding.
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