Budget Picks 2026
Indian startups need a real HRMS for one reason: PF, ESI, TDS, and professional tax compliance. Excel and WhatsApp will work until you hit ~10 employees, then you need a system. The good news: a compliant HRMS in India can cost under ₹100/employee/month for the early stages. We've ranked six of the cheapest HRMS options for startups, focusing on the real total cost — not just sticker price.
Free for up to 25 employees — full compliance
GreytHR's free tier covers payroll, PF, ESI, TDS, attendance, and leave management for up to 25 employees. It's the cheapest credible HRMS for early-stage Indian startups because it's free at the size most startups stay at for the first 1–2 years. As an authorised GreytHR partner, we set it up and you pay nothing for the platform until you cross 25 employees.
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Cons
Best for: Indian startups with <25 employees who need full statutory compliance on day one
₹0 platform fee — pay only ₹100/employee for payroll runs
RazorpayX Payroll has no platform fee — you pay only ₹100/employee/month when you run payroll. For a 10-person startup, that's ₹1,000/month total. Includes PF, ESI, TDS, and statutory filings. Tightly integrated with Razorpay accounts so payouts hit employee accounts the same day.
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Best for: Tech-first Indian startups already using Razorpay for payments
~₹83/employee/month combined
Zoho People (HRMS) at ₹50/employee/month + Zoho Payroll at ₹33/employee/month gives you a complete HRMS for ~₹83/employee. Includes Indian statutory compliance. Best fit if you're already on Zoho One or Zoho CRM — single sign-on and unified data.
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Best for: Startups already on the Zoho ecosystem (CRM, Books, etc.)
₹6,999/month flat for up to 100 employees
Keka's Foundation plan is ₹6,999/month flat for up to 100 employees — that's ₹70/employee at 100 people, dropping to ₹140 at 50 people. Premium UX, strong analytics. More expensive at small scale but cheap once you cross 70+ employees.
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Best for: Startups crossing 50+ employees who want modern UX
₹45/employee/month — value play
Pocket HRMS is one of the cheapest paid HRMS options at ₹45/employee/month for the Basic plan. Includes attendance, leave, payroll, and statutory compliance. UI is functional but not modern. Solid choice for cost-sensitive startups.
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Best for: Startups with 25+ employees on a tight budget who don't need premium UX
Free for under 10 employees, very basic
OkCredit / similar entry-level apps offer basic attendance, advance tracking, and simple payroll for free or under ₹500/month for the whole company. NOT statutorily compliant — no PF/ESI filings — but works for shop-floor / unorganised-sector startups with cash-paid staff.
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Best for: Pre-formalisation Indian startups with cash-paid staff (replace once you cross 10 formal employees)
For startups with under 25 employees, GreytHR Starter is the cheapest — it's free for up to 25 employees and includes full statutory compliance (PF, ESI, TDS, PT). Beyond 25 employees, RazorpayX Payroll at ₹100/employee/month or Zoho People + Payroll at ~₹83/employee/month are the cheapest paid options.
Yes — GreytHR Starter (free up to 25 employees) handles PF, ESI, TDS, and Professional Tax filings. Most other "free" HR apps (OkCredit-style) do NOT handle statutory compliance, so you'll do those filings manually or through your CA, which costs ₹500–₹2,000/month.
For a compliant HRMS at 20 employees, your options are: GreytHR Starter (free), RazorpayX Payroll (₹2,000/month), Zoho People + Payroll (₹1,660/month), or Keka Foundation (₹6,999/month). The free GreytHR plan is the cheapest credible choice at this size.
At small scale (under 25 employees), no — GreytHR is free up to 25 employees, while Zoho People is ₹50/employee/month from day one. Above 25 employees, Zoho People + Payroll combined (~₹83/employee) is cheaper than GreytHR's paid plans (~₹100–₹150/employee).
GreytHR and Zoho People scale cleanly to 1,000+ employees. RazorpayX Payroll is best at small/mid scale (under 200). Keka scales well but gets expensive at large scale. Pocket HRMS scales but the UX feels dated at scale. For most Indian startups, GreytHR is the safest "start free, grow with the platform" choice.
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