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 six tools, so you can see what each one really costs.
Six tools compared: Offrd, greytHR, Keka, sumHR, RazorpayX Payroll and Pocket HRMS. Updated 24 August 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 and Pocket HRMS, 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 with no monthly minimum. You can pay ₹99 for a single offer letter and nothing else, or ₹50 an active employee a month once you run payroll. A 30 person company pays about ₹1,500 a month. The cheapest rival on this list starts at ₹2,999, and most sit well above it. The trade is scope. Offrd covers documents, payroll, attendance and Form 16, not OKRs or a full recruitment suite.
HR and payroll software pricing compared
Here is the entry price, setup time and setup cost for each tool, as published by the vendors in early 2026. Read the free column closely. Two of these call a short trial a free plan.
| Tool | Entry price | Setup time | Setup cost | Free to start | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offrd | ₹99 a document, or ₹50 an employee a month | Under 2 minutes | None | 50 free credits, no card | Growing companies under 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 | Yes, by headcount | Up to 10 employees | Small teams on a full suite |
| RazorpayX Payroll | ₹2,499 a month (up to 20) | Days | None stated | None, paid only | Automated payroll filing |
| Pocket HRMS | ₹2,995 a month (50 employees minimum) | Weeks | Implementation fee | Demo only | 50 plus, face recognition |
Competitor pricing as published by each vendor in April 2026 and may have changed. Check each vendor's own site for current figures.
The six tools, ranked for the SME buyer
OffrdBest overall for growing companies under 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 and a proper approval trail. 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 scant training. 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. Third party figures for a 25 person team disagree with each other by roughly 40 percent, so ask for a written quote. Most SMEs end up paying for depth they never reach. Keka fits the company that has outgrown workaday 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 floor. It charges a ₹2,999 monthly minimum below 50 employees, plus a one time setup fee, so a ten person team pays for forty it does not have. If you send only a handful of documents a month, Offrd at ₹99 each is far lighter on the ledger.
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, and Prime opens at ₹2,499 a month for up to 20 employees. Many teams pair it with a tool that owns their paperwork.
Pocket HRMSBest for 50 plus with face attendance
Pocket HRMS has been around since 2002, with mature face recognition attendance and Tally and Sage integrations. Its structural quirk matters most for you: it will not sell below 50 employees. The Standard plan is ₹2,995 a month for 50, with an implementation phase 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.