2026 pricing guide
HR and Payroll Software Pricing for Indian SMEs, Compared
HR and payroll software for an Indian SME runs from about ₹50 an employee a month to a few thousand rupees a month, depending on the pricing model and the modules you switch on. This guide sets the entry price, setup time and setup cost side by side for eight HR and payroll management software tools, so you can see what each one really costs.
Eight tools compared: Offrd, greytHR, Keka, sumHR, RazorpayX Payroll, Pocket HRMS, Zoho Payroll and HROne. Updated October 2026.
If you run a 10 person or 250 person company, you know the bind. You carry the same statutory load as a large firm, EPF, ESI, professional tax, gratuity, and you want it handled fast, without a week long rollout. Most HR platforms are built for the buyer above you. They open at a few thousand rupees a month, add a setup fee, then bury the useful parts behind modules you will never switch on. This page compares the tools an Indian SME actually shortlists, Offrd, greytHR, Keka, sumHR, RazorpayX Payroll, Pocket HRMS, Zoho Payroll and HROne, on plain price and on what each one is really for.
Which HR software is cheapest for a small company in India?
Offrd is. It is the only tool here that covers HR documents and payroll with no monthly minimum. You can buy a single credit pack, ₹99 for 10 credits, enough for one offer letter, or pay ₹50 an active employee a month once you run payroll. A 30 person company pays about ₹1,500 a month. Zoho Payroll is free up to 10 employees, but it covers payroll only. Of the rest, sumHR bills ₹49 a user but only annually, greytHR starts at ₹2,495 a month, RazorpayX Payroll at ₹3,499 a month plus GST, Keka quotes on a sales call, and HROne and Pocket HRMS sell to 50 seats or more. The trade is scope. Offrd covers documents, payroll, attendance and Form 16, not OKRs or a full recruitment suite.
HR and payroll management software pricing compared, 2026
Here is the entry price, setup time and setup cost for each tool, as published by the vendors. All eight were checked on each vendor's own pricing page on 12 October 2026. Read the free column closely. Two of these call a short trial a free plan. "Not checked" means the vendor page did not state it and we did not guess.
| Tool | Entry price | Setup time | Setup cost | Free to start | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offrd | Credit packs from ₹99 for 10 credits (an offer letter uses 10), or ₹50 an active employee a month | Under 2 minutes | None | 50 free credits, no card | Growing companies up to 250 |
| greytHR | Rs 2,495 a month (up to 50), then Rs 45 each | Days to weeks | Not listed | 7 day trial only | Deep statutory at scale |
| Keka | Not published, quoted on a sales call | Weeks | Often charged | Trial only | Funded startups, OKRs and ATS |
| sumHR | Rs 49 a user a month, billed annually | Days to weeks | Nominal one time fee, based on headcount | Free plan only with Jupiter Salary Accounts | Small teams on a full suite |
| RazorpayX Payroll | ₹3,499 a month for up to 20 employees, then ₹150 each, plus GST | Days | None stated | None, paid only | Automated payroll filing |
| Pocket HRMS | ₹2,995 a month billed annually for 50 employees, then ₹60 each; 50 employees minimum | Weeks | Implementation fee | Demo only | 50 plus, face recognition |
| Zoho Payroll | Free up to 10 employees, then ₹1,250 a month for 25 | Not checked | Not stated | Free plan up to 10 employees | Payroll only, teams already on Zoho |
| HROne | ₹4,950 a month for each block of 50 users on Basic | Not checked | Not checked | Trial on request | Full HRMS priced in 50 user blocks |
Competitor pricing as published by each vendor and may have changed. Figures are the monthly billed prices read on 12 October 2026, exclusive of GST, except sumHR and Pocket HRMS which publish annual billing rates.
The eight tools, ranked for the SME buyer
OffrdBest overall for growing companies up to 250
Offrd is HR document and operations software. It generates offer letters, payslips, onboarding kits, probation, increment and exit letters, and a full and final settlement with reference numbers. Indian statutory rules sit inside every calculation, EPF at 12 percent, ESI, state professional tax, gratuity from basic. Form 16 Part B generation is built in, and a pre hire screen scores candidates before you make an offer. Attendance comes free through Atndnz, with QR check in, geofencing and biometric sync. Setup runs under two minutes, with no fee and no training call. For a founder or a lone HR manager who wants the paperwork right and out the door, this is the shortest path.
greytHRBest for deep statutory at scale
greytHR is long established in Indian payroll and states 30,000 plus companies on its platform. Its statutory engine is the deepest here, and it handles the odd multi state case gracefully. The catch is the bill. The Essential plan opens at Rs 2,495 a month for up to 50 people, then Rs 45 for each employee above that, and the parts an SME wants, performance, richer attendance, expense, arrive as separate add ons priced per user that stack fast. The free plan is a seven day trial, not a standing tier. It is the right step once you cross a few hundred heads.
KekaBest for funded startups
Keka is polished, with strong OKRs, nine box grids and a built in recruitment suite. If you run quarterly reviews and hire in volume, it earns its keep. For a forty person company it does not. Keka publishes no price and quotes on a sales call, there is a setup fee confirmed on its own pricing FAQ, and the rollout runs into weeks. Ask for a written quote. Most SMEs end up paying for depth they never reach. Keka fits the company that has outgrown basic HR and knows it.
sumHRClosest all in rival
sumHR is the nearest thing here to Offrd in spirit, a tidy full suite for smaller teams. The gap is the billing shape. Its plans run ₹49, ₹69 and ₹119 a user a month, billed annually, so you commit for a year. If you send only a handful of documents a month, Offrd credits are far lighter on the ledger, because you spend them only as you generate letters and payslips.
RazorpayX PayrollBest for automated filing
RazorpayX Payroll is the strongest pure payroll play in this group. It sits on Razorpay's banking rails, so it files PF, ESI, professional tax and TDS directly and disburses salary in the same run. If payroll automation is your whole problem, it is the honest pick. It is thinner on the document side, with a narrower letter engine and no policy builder. The Prime plan is ₹3,499 a month for up to 20 employees, then ₹150 per employee a month, plus 18 percent GST. Many teams pair it with a tool that owns their paperwork.
Pocket HRMSBest for 50 plus with face attendance
Pocket HRMS is long established, with mature face recognition attendance and Tally and Sage integrations. Its structural quirk matters most for you: it will not sell below 50 employees. Standard is ₹2,995 a month billed annually for 50 employees, then ₹60 each, and expect a one time implementation fee on top. Below that headcount it is not an option at all, which clears a good part of the SME field for the tools that will take a five person account.
Zoho PayrollCheapest payroll only tool for very small teams
Zoho Payroll is a separate product from Zoho People, and payroll is not included in any Zoho People plan. On its own it is free for up to 10 employees. The Standard plan is ₹1,250 a month for 25 employees, then ₹50 per extra employee a month. Professional is ₹3,750 a month for 50 employees and Premium ₹5,000, both on monthly billing, with lower rates on annual billing. It generates ready to file statutory reports, it does not file them. If your team is already on Zoho Books and you only need payslips and statutory reports, it is worth a look. It does not produce offer letters, onboarding kits or exit documents, so most companies pair it with something else for the paperwork.
HROneFull HRMS sold in 50 user blocks
HROne is a full HRMS built for Indian companies. It sells in blocks of 50 users, from ₹4,950 a month on Basic. There is no fixed lock in and exit needs two months' notice. A free trial is available on request. The 50 user block is the point to weigh. A 15 person company pays for 50 seats. For a company under 50 that wants documents and payroll done, Offrd at ₹50 an active employee is a fraction of that.