If you’re a small business owner or HR manager looking for payroll software in India, you’ve probably come across both Runtime HRMS and Greythr.
Both are Indian platforms. Both handle payroll. Both claim to simplify compliance. But after working with hundreds of small businesses across India, I can tell you — they are not built for the same buyer. And choosing the wrong one will cost you either money, time, or both.
Let me show you exactly why Runtime HRMS is the smarter choice for most Indian small businesses — and where Greythr makes sense.
Runtime HRMS & Payroll Software (Built for Indian Small Businesses That Want Everything)
Runtime HRMS was built with one clear goal — give Indian small and mid-size businesses a complete HR and payroll solution that actually fits their budget and their reality. Not a “starter plan” that forces you to upgrade every time you need something basic. A complete solution — payroll, attendance, compliance, employee self-service, WhatsApp notifications, travel tracking — starting at ₹59 per employee per month.
Here’s what you get from Day 1:
Payroll Management
Runtime HRMS calculates your entire payroll automatically — Basic, HRA, allowances, PF, ESI, TDS, Professional Tax, LWF, gratuity, bonus. Everything. The system stays updated with every regulatory change — Labour Codes 2025, EPF Scheme 2026, Income Tax Act 2025 — so you never have to manually update formulas or worry about getting a compliance notice.
PF ECR file for EPFO upload, ESI challan, TDS workings, Form 130 — all generated in one click after payroll. No manual preparation. No spreadsheet juggling.
Attendance Management
Mobile attendance with geo-tagging and geo-fencing. Biometric integration for office setups. Selfie attendance powered by AWS Rekognition — the same facial recognition technology used by global enterprises.
Field employees? Runtime HRMS includes GPS-based travel tracking — marking visits, tracking routes, managing trip requests. This is a feature that most HRMS platforms at any price point simply don’t have.
WhatsApp Notifications
Payslip ready? WhatsApp notification. Leave approved? WhatsApp. Salary credited? WhatsApp.
This sounds small. It isn’t. In companies where employees don’t open email or log into portals, WhatsApp notifications eliminate the most common HR query — “where is my payslip?” — completely.
Employee Self-Service
The Runtime Workman app lets employees apply for leave, check their leave balance, download payslips, view attendance, and submit tax declarations — from their phone, without calling HR.
For a 1-2 person HR team managing 50+ employees, this is hours back every week.
Support
Live chat Monday to Friday. AI chatbot 24/7. Google Meet support sessions every month. And a free onboarding session after signup so your first payroll runs correctly — not after three weeks of trial and error.
For a 50-person company — ₹2,950/month. That’s less than what most companies spend on office supplies.
And a 7-day free trial with no credit card required — enough time to run a complete payroll cycle and see exactly what you’re getting before spending a rupee.
Greythr
Greythr is one of India’s oldest HR platforms — founded in 1994 by Greytip Software. 30,000+ companies and 3 million+ users. Strong compliance track record. Well-known brand.
Greythr’s pricing structure
The Essential plan starts at ₹3,495/month — but attendance management is not included. For attendance, you need the Growth plan at ₹5,495/month. And that’s before adding performance management, recruitment, or expense modules — each priced separately.
For a 50-person company needing payroll + attendance + basic HR, Greythr Growth plan costs ₹5,495 + ₹35 × 50 = ₹7,245/month.
WhatsApp notifications or travel tracking
These aren’t enterprise features. They’re practical features that Indian SMBs actually use — and Greythr simply doesn’t offer them at any plan level.
Support
Multiple verified reviews on G2 and Capterra flag slow support response times — 48 to 72 hours for ticket resolution on lower plans. Phone support only comes with a Premium upgrade.
Key Features of greytHR
- Payroll automation
- Real-time compliance updates
- Attendance & leave integration
- Document management
- Mobile HR app
Disclaimer: Greythr pricing and feature information is sourced from Greythr’s official website, G2, Capterra, and third-party review platforms as of July 2026. Pricing and features may change. Verify directly with Greythr before purchasing.
7 Points to Keep in Mind Before Choosing Payroll & HRMS Software
Point 1 — Is payroll included or is it an add-on?
Point 2 — Does attendance come in the base plan?
Point 3 — How long is the free trial — and is it actually free?
Point 4 — What happens when you need support during payroll week?
Point 5 — Will it scale without repricing you out?
Point 6 — Does it handle the compliance changes that keep coming?
Point 7 — Will my employees actually use it?
Conclusion
After reading this article, just take a few minutes and ask yourself that what are your organization requirements, which software fulfil them? For your convenience let me share something more important. I have prepared a complete checklist of questions that every business owner OR HR manager should ask themselves before buying any HRMS — not just these two.
Read our complete buyer’s guide → 7 Things to Check Before Buying HRMS Software