Are you looking for best HRMS Software for your business or a Keka alternative that fits your budget and team size?
Believe me you’re not alone. We know that Keka is a solid HRMS platform — but for many small businesses in India, the pricing and features are like too much and too soon. In this guide, I’ve done an honest, side-by-side comparison of the top Keka alternatives in India for 2026 with covering pricing, features, support, and who each tool is best for.
Why Do Small Businesses Look for Keka Alternatives?
As we know that Keka is one of the most well-known and popular HRMS platform in India, because of its clean UI, good payroll system and strong compliance features. But still small businesses are searching or wants switch Keka alternatives:
- Pricing: Their base plan starts at ₹6,999/month for up to 25 employees. For a 30–50-person team, monthly costs can reach ₹10,000–₹15,000 add-ons excluded.
- Billing: There are features like performance management, recruitment, and advanced analytics are add-ons, not included in the base plan.
- Best for: Actually, Keka is built for scale. For a 20-person startup, many features go unused.
- Support System: Keka customer support is slow and it’s a recurring pain point. There are several user reviews on Capterra and G2 cite
It doesn’t mean that Keka is a bad product, it’s just not the best fit for every business.
Quick Comparison: Keka vs Top Alternatives
| Feature | Keka | Runtime HRMS | Greythr | Zoho People |
| Starting Price | ~₹6,999/mo (25 emp) | ₹59/emp/month | ~₹3,495/mo (25 emp) | ₹60/emp/month |
| Payroll | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (add-on) |
| Attendance & Leave | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Mobile App (ESS) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Performance Management | ✅ Add-on | ✅ Enterprise plan | ✅ Add-on | ✅ Higher plans |
| Biometric Integration | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ❌ Limited |
| India Statutory Compliance | ✅ Strong | ✅ Strong | ✅ Strong | ✅ Moderate |
| Travel Tracking | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Free Trial | ✅ 7 days | ✅ 30 days | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Best For | Mid-size companies | SMBs, startups | Compliance-heavy teams | Zoho ecosystem users |
Please Note: Always verify current pricing directly with vendors before purchasing.
Best HRMS Software for Small Businesses in India (2026)
1. Runtime HRMS
Small businesses (10–500 employees) always looking for a complete HRMS without enterprise pricing and Runtime HRMS is best choice. Runtime HRMS is a Jaipur-based HRMS platform built specifically for Indian SMBs. It covers the full employee lifecycle — from onboarding to exit — and it is the one of the most affordable fully-featured HRMS platforms in India.
Let’s Check Its Pricing:
- Basic: ₹59/employee/month
- Professional: ₹79/employee/month
- Enterprise: ₹99/employee/month
- Startup Plan: ₹7,200/year (up to 40 employees, fixed price for 3 years)
What Its Basic Plan Offer:
- Payroll processing with PF, ESI, TDS, PT compliance
- Attendance & leave management (geo-tagged mobile attendance)
- Employee self-service (web + mobile app)
- HR letter automation
- 50+ MIS reports
- WhatsApp, email & app notifications
Runtime HRMS v/s Keka
- Significantly lower cost — a 50-person team pays ~₹3,950/month vs Keka’s ₹10,000–₹15,000+
- Travel tracking module (field employee GPS) — not available in Keka
- 30-day free trial vs Keka’s 7 days
- Data stored in Indian datacenters (AWS, Google, Azure)
- No mandatory long-term lock-ins
Honest limitations
- Fewer third-party integrations compared to Keka
- Performance management is only available in the Enterprise plan
- Best suited for Indian market, no for global payroll support
👉 Try Runtime HRMS free for 30 days →
2. Greythr
The Greythr is best for companies with complex statutory compliance needs across multiple states. It is one of India’s oldest HRMS platforms with a strong focus on payroll accuracy and statutory compliance. If your organization has a top priority of PF, ESI, and labor law compliance, then it solves these problems.
Pricing: Starts at approximately ₹3,495/month for up to 25 employees.
Pros:
- It has an excellent statutory compliance coverage
- Offers you strong payroll accuracy
- Also have good customer support
Cons:
- It UI feels outdated as compared to newer platforms
- It has limited mobile app features
- If you select Add-ons in basic plan can increase the costs significantly
Best for: It is best for manufacturing, logistics, or traditional industries where statutory compliance is the pain area for HR.
3. Zoho People
Zoho is best for businesses already using Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, or other Zoho apps.
It offesr a modular HR platform that easily integrate with the broader Zoho ecosystem. If your business already runs on Zoho, then this is the best choice.
Pricing: ₹60–₹450/employee/month depending on plan tier. Just keep in mind that Payroll feature is a separate add-on in Zoho People; you need to take Zoho Payroll.
Pros:
- Deep integration with Zoho suite (CRM, Books, Recruit)
- It has highly customizable workflows
- Competitive pricing for lower tiers
Cons:
- Payroll is a separate product in Zoho
- Not ideal if you’re not already in the Zoho ecosystem
- Their customer support can vary across plan tiers
Best for: It is best for the businesses who already using Zoho products and want a connected with HR + CRM workflow.
4. Darwinbox
Drawinbox is best forcompanies with 200+ employees and need enterprise-level HRMS with advanced talent management software.
It is a premium HRMS platform for mid-to-large enterprises. It is feature-rich, modern, and well-regarded for its talent management capabilities.
Pricing: They offer custom pricing for companies with 200+ employees. Not ideal for small businesses due to cost.
Pros:
- It has modern UI, strong employee experience focus
- It has advanced talent and performance management feature
- It is good for multi-location and multi-state operations
Cons:
- Pricing is too high for small businesses
- The implementation requires a lot of time and effort
- It’s a overbudget software for teams under 100 employees
Best for: It is good for growing companies and planning to scale over (200+ employees).and planning to scale over (200+ employees).
How to Choose the Right HRMS Software?
Before purchasing any HRMS software, ask yourself these questions:
How many employees do you have now, and how much will add in next 12 months?
Because per-employee pricing models can change your budget as you grow.
Is statutory compliance your number 1 priority?
If yes, then Greythr or Runtime HRMS are the strongest options.
Do you have field employees?
If yes, then Only Runtime HRMS includes travel tracking and GPS-based visit management in its plans.
How long is the free trial?
Runtime HRMS offers 30 days, it is longer than most competitors, which gives you enough time to test it properly.
Runtime HRMS vs Keka: A Direct Comparison
| Features | Keka | Runtime HRMS |
| Price (50 employees) | ₹10,000–₹15,000/month | ~₹3,950/month (Basic) |
| Free Trial | 7 days | 30 days |
| Payroll | ✅ Included | ✅ Included |
| PF/ESI/TDS Filing | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Mobile Attendance | ✅ Geo-tagged | ✅ Geo-tagged + Geo-fenced |
| Travel/GPS Tracking | ❌ Not available | ✅ Available |
| Performance Management | ✅ Add-on | ✅ Enterprise plan |
| WhatsApp Notifications | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Data in India | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (AWS/Google/Azure) |
| Support | Email, chat (mixed reviews) | Live chat, email, sessions (Mon–Fri) |
| Lock-in | Annual commitment | Monthly/Quarterly/Annual |
| Best For | Mid-size companies (100–500 emp) | Small businesses (10–200 emp) |
Final Verdict
Friends, Keka is a genuinely good product, no doubt in that but particularly for companies with 200+ employees who want strong UI and are willing to pay for it.
But for small businesses with 10–200 employees, Runtime HRMS is best choice, because it gives you more value per rupee plus full payroll compliance, mobile attendance, WhatsApp notifications, travel tracking, and a 30-day free trial at ₹59/employee/month.
So, if you’re searching or evaluating Keka alternatives, my honest recommendation is to start with a free trial of Runtime HRMS. The 30-day trial gives you enough time to run actual payroll, test attendance workflows, and in that way you can check that it fits your organization or not.
👉 Start your free 30-day Runtime HRMS trial →
Please Note: Always verify current pricing directly with vendors before purchasing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Keka good for small businesses in India?
Keka is a good payroll software but its best fits for large businesses or enterprises, but if you have under 100 employees and want strong HR + payroll without the enterprise pricing. Then go for SMB-focused platform like Runtime HRMS.
Cheapest HRMS with payroll India?
This is very common and mostly searched question from small business owners, and the answer depends on what you mean the word “Cheapest”. The lowest per-employee cost, lowest total monthly bill, or best value for money. If your primary need is payroll + compliance at the lowest cost, then Runtime HRMS Basic plan at ₹59/employee/month is the cheapest and most affordable software.
How to switch from Keka to another HRMS software without losing data?
Yes, you can switch to another HRMS software easily without losing data. Runtime HRMS provides a free onboarding session after signup to help in easy migration.
Which HRMS is best for a 20–50 employee company in India?
If you have a team size 20–50 employees, you don’t need an enterprise HRMS. What you need is something that handles payroll, compliance, attendance, and basic HR workflows, without costing you 10k per month. And Runtime HRMS covers everything a 20–50-person team needs at ₹59–₹79/employee/month, that means (₹7,200/year for up to 40 employees).
Does Runtime HRMS handle PF, ESI, and TDS compliance?
Yes, it can handle in every plan, not as a paid add-on.
Is there an HRMS with a free trial?
Yes, there are many payroll software offers free trials. Here are:
- Runtime HRMS: They offers 30-days free trail, no credit card required.
- Keka: They offer 7-days free trial.
- Greythr: They offer free trails, but duration may vary.
- Zoho People: They offer 15-days free trial.