HR and Payroll Pricing in India Compared (2026)

HR and payroll software in India starts as low as Rs.59 per employee a month and runs to a few thousand rupees for a flat plan. But the sticker price is misleading. Most HR tools charge per employee, so the monthly bill grows with your team. A flat-rate tool that looks expensive at 5 staff can be the cheapest option at 50. The cheapest tool for you depends entirely on your headcount.

This guide uses real 2026 entry prices in rupees for a registered business, with any forex markup applied. GST adds 18% if you cannot reclaim it, but most of these tools are INR-priced. Most of these tools are priced in INR, so what you see is close to what you pay. For the wider picture see our guide to HR and payroll software in India.

HR and payroll pricing in India at a glance

Cheapest first. Per-employee and flat plans do not compare directly, read the note.

Want to sort and filter every plan yourself? Use our live HR and payroll pricing page.

Already pay for one of these? Run our software savings audit to add every tool you use and see your whole stack's real India cost, plus where you could switch and save.

Why payroll compliance is the real reason to buy

Price is not the point. Running payroll by hand in India means calculating Provident Fund, Employee State Insurance and TDS every month, generating payslips, and filing on time. Get it wrong and you face penalties.

Every tool above handles PF, ESI and TDS deductions, produces compliant payslips, and helps with filings. That is the work you are actually paying to remove. A free spreadsheet costs nothing until a missed ESI filing costs you a penalty. If compliance is new to you, read our payroll compliance guide before you shortlist anything.

How per-employee pricing scales

This is where buyers get surprised. A Rs.59 per-employee tool sounds almost free. Do the math at your real size.

• 10 staff at Rs.59 is about Rs.590 a month.
• 50 staff at Rs.59 is about Rs.2,950 a month.
• 100 staff at Rs.59 is about Rs.5,900 a month.

Now compare that to a flat tool like greytHR at Rs.2,944 a month. At 10 people the per-employee tool wins easily. At 50 people they are neck and neck. Past that, the flat tool can pull ahead, though most flat plans cap the number of employees and charge more above the cap. Always price at your actual headcount, not the starting rate. For how we build these numbers, see our India software pricing method.

The free options

Three tools here have genuine free plans. Zoho People offers a free tier for very small teams and is a strong start if you already use Zoho. Kredily has a free plan and is built for Indian payroll and compliance. factoHR also offers a free plan at the entry level.

Free plans usually limit employee count, feature depth, or support. They are ideal for a founder running payroll for a handful of people who wants compliance handled without a monthly bill. Outgrow the limits and you move to a paid tier, so treat free as a starting point, not a permanent home.

Which fits your budget

Under 15 staff and watching every rupee, start with a free plan from Zoho People, Kredily or factoHR. A small growing team that wants room to scale should look at Zimyo or Zoho People on a per-employee plan, or Keka if you want a more complete mid-market suite. If you have 40 or more staff and want predictable billing, a flat plan like greytHR or RazorpayX Payroll can work out cheaper and simpler than paying per head.

The honest answer is that no single tool is cheapest for everyone. Price all your real candidates at your current headcount, add the one or two hires you expect this year, and compare the true monthly bill.

The bottom line

HR and payroll software in India is affordable at every size, from free plans to a few thousand rupees a month. The trap is comparing starting prices instead of real bills. Work out your headcount, decide whether per-employee or flat pricing suits you, and confirm the tool handles PF, ESI and TDS for your state. Browse the full HR category to compare options side by side.