Best Keka alternatives for Indian businesses
Keka is a strong HR platform, but it is not the right fit for every team. Its prices are not published, a setup fee applies, and its deeper modules such as performance and hiring may be more than a small company needs.
Here are five genuine alternatives, TeamEzz among them, with the prices each vendor publishes and the limits of what we could verify. TeamEzz publishes this page, so we list the others on their own merits.
Last reviewed 1 November 2026. Published by TeamEzz, one of the products compared. Prices exclude GST unless a vendor says otherwise.
Why teams look beyond Keka
- Budgeting without a sales call: Keka's pricing page does not list prices, and its FAQ says a nominal setup fee applies.
- A smaller feature need: Keka's higher tiers add OKRs, workflow automation and a separate hiring product. A 20-person company may only need attendance, leave and payroll.
- Billing and CRM: Keka's invoicing and CRM live in a separate project-services suite, so a business that wants them next to HR may look elsewhere.
- A free tier to start: some alternatives publish free plans, which Keka does not list.
- If none of these apply, Keka may still be your best option. See the TeamEzz vs Keka comparison for details.
The products
greytHR
greytHR is an Indian HR and payroll product sold in Essential, Growth and Premium plans with a fixed monthly base that includes 50 employees. Several modules, including expenses and performance, are paid add-ons.
Best for: Teams that want payroll and leave at a low fixed monthly base with 50 employees included.
Check: Attendance and geo-fencing start at the Growth plan; expenses, performance and recruitment are add-ons.
Price: Essential: ₹2,495 per month, includes 50 employees, then ₹45 per extra employee.
Zoho People
Zoho People is the HR product in the Zoho suite. In India, payroll, expenses, invoicing and CRM are generally separate Zoho products that connect to it, which suits teams already on Zoho.
Best for: Companies already using Zoho CRM, Books or other Zoho apps.
Check: Official India pricing could not be verified, and India payroll is reported to be a separate product.
Price: Zoho's official India price page could not be opened in our review, so we show no price as fact. (unverified)
factoHR
factoHR is an Indian HRMS with a free plan for up to 20 employees and paid Core, Premium and Ultimate plans that each include 50 employees, with per-employee pricing above that.
Best for: Small teams that want a free plan to start and clear paid tiers later.
Check: Free plan covers 20 employees; paid plans are priced for 50 included employees.
Price: Free: ₹0, up to 20 employees (employee data, letters, payslips).
sumHR
sumHR is an Indian HRMS priced per employee per year, covering HR records, payroll, attendance, leave and performance tools.
Best for: Companies that prefer simple per-employee yearly pricing.
Check: Minimums and trial terms are not stated; the page offers demo bookings.
Price: Stated on the pricing page: ₹1,428 per year per employee.
Kredily
Kredily is an Indian HR and payroll product with a Free Forever plan for small teams and paid plans that add salary payouts, statutory challans and richer attendance rules.
Best for: Very small teams that want a Free Forever plan and low entry paid plans.
Check: Free plan has storage, rule and salary-structure limits; richer attendance starts on Professional.
Price: Free Forever: ₹0, with limits (250 MB storage, one leave and attendance rule, one salary structure).
TeamEzz
TeamEzz is an HRMS and business operations platform for Indian startups and SMEs. HR records, attendance, leave, PF/ESI/TDS payroll, expenses, GST invoicing and a sales CRM run in one account and one subscription.
Best for: Indian SMEs that want HR, payroll, expenses, GST invoicing and CRM in one account.
Check: Performance and recruitment are not described on public pages; ask in a demo.
Price: live plans on the pricing page.
Feature comparison
| Capability | Keka | greytHR | Zoho People | factoHR | sumHR | Kredily | TeamEzz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core HR (records, onboarding) | Yes Core HR in Foundation | Yes CoreHR Basic from Essential | Yes(reported) Core HR is Zoho People's main focus | Yes Onboarding and core HR in Core | Yes Employee profiles, directory, org chart, onboarding and exit checklists | Yes HR and employee self-service on every plan | Yes Employee records, onboarding, assets and exits with full and final settlement |
| Attendance with GPS / geofence | Yes Time and attendance in Foundation; selfie clock-in and geo-fencing are listed from Strength | Partly Attendance and geo-fencing are listed from the Growth plan, not Essential | Yes(reported) Attendance and leave tracking are part of the product | Yes Attendance, leave and face-recognition attendance in Core; geo-fencing from Premium | Yes Clock-in methods and shift planning | Yes Web clock-in on Free; selfie and GPS attendance from Professional | Yes Clock in/out with location, breaks, shifts, rosters, branch geofence and work-from-home approval |
| Leave management | Not verified Not itemised on the pricing page | Yes Leave management in Essential | Yes(reported) Leave tracking is part of the product | Yes Attendance and leave in Core | Yes Leave policies | Yes On every plan, with one rule on Free | Yes Custom leave types, accruals, carry-forward, comp-off and two-level approvals |
| Payroll for PF, ESI, TDS, PT | Yes Payroll in Foundation. Indian statutory detail is not on the pricing page, so confirm PF/ESI/PT/TDS coverage | Yes Payroll in Essential. Statutory detail is not on the pricing page, so confirm | Partly(reported) India payroll is a separate product (Zoho Payroll) | Yes Payroll in Core (INR section of the page) | Yes Payroll processing; Indian statutory detail not on the page | Yes PF, ESI, PT and TDS calculation on Free; salary payouts, challans and Form 16 on paid plans | Yes PF, ESI, professional tax and TDS, payslips, PF ECR, ESI and bank transfer files. Professional tax uses a built-in slab, so check your state's rate |
| Expense claims | Yes Expense listed in Foundation | Partly Paid add-on (₹35 per user per month listed) | Partly(reported) A separate Zoho product | Yes Travel, expense and reimbursement from Premium | Yes Expense claims | Partly Expense workflows from Professional | Yes Expense claims and approvals |
| GST invoicing | Partly Billing and invoicing appear only in the separate Project Services Suite (Pro and above). GST invoicing is not stated | Not verified Not listed on the pricing page | Partly(reported) A separate Zoho product | Not verified Not listed on the pricing page | Not verified Not listed on the pricing page | Not verified Not listed on the pricing page | Yes GST invoices and quotations |
| Sales CRM (leads, clients) | Partly A lightweight CRM is listed in the separate Project Services Suite (Pro) | Not verified Not listed on the pricing page | Partly(reported) A separate Zoho product (Zoho CRM) | Not verified Not listed on the pricing page | Not verified Not listed on the pricing page | Not verified Not listed on the pricing page | Yes Leads and client records |
| Performance reviews / OKRs | Yes Performance reviews and OKRs listed in Growth | Partly Performance Management System is an add-on | Yes(reported) Performance management is part of the product | Yes Performance and surveys in Ultimate | Yes OKRs, 360° reviews, KRAs/KPIs | Not verified Not listed on the pricing page | Ask in demo Not described on TeamEzz's public product pages. Ask in a demo |
| Recruitment / ATS | Yes Separate Hiring product (Pro, Advanced) | Partly greytHR Recruit is an add-on (₹2,500 per recruiter per month listed) | Partly(reported) Recruitment is a separate Zoho product | Partly Recruitment is an add-on, priced only in USD on the page | Partly Recruit is listed as coming soon | Not verified Not listed on the pricing page | Ask in demo Not described on TeamEzz's public product pages. Ask in a demo |
| Free trial | Yes Free trial offered; length not stated on the pricing page | Yes 7-day free trial listed | Not verified A third-party listing mentions a 30-day trial; confirm with Zoho | Partly Free plan up to 20 employees; paid-plan trial length not stated | Not verified Not stated; the page offers demo bookings | Partly Free Forever plan instead of a time-limited trial | Yes 60 days, no credit card |
"Not verified" means we could not confirm the item on the vendor's own page. It does not mean the product lacks it. "Reported" means it comes from a third-party listing. Reviewed 1 November 2026; vendors change plans often, so confirm before buying.
What a 50-person team might pay
| Entry plan | Per month | How it is worked out |
|---|---|---|
| greytHR Essential | ₹2,495 | ₹2,495 base, 50 employees included |
| Kredily Payroll OS | ₹2,499 | ₹1,249 for 25 employees + 25 × ₹50 (our calculation) |
| greytHR Growth | ₹4,495 | ₹4,495 base, 50 employees included; attendance starts here |
| factoHR Core | ₹4,999 | ₹4,999 base, up to 50 employees, billed yearly |
| sumHR | ₹5,950 | ₹1,428 per employee per year × 50 ÷ 12 (our calculation) |
| TeamEzz Business | ₹5,999 | Live plan price, up to 50 employees |
Not like-for-like. Entry plans include different modules (for example attendance is not in greytHR Essential, and TeamEzz's plan also covers sales and basic accounting modules), and some vendors add costs for add-ons or setup. Keka and Zoho People are left out because we could not verify a price. Excludes GST. Checked 1 November 2026.
How to pick
- Write down the modules you must have in month one, and those you only might want later.
- Price that list on two or three vendors for your real headcount, including add-ons, setup fees and GST.
- Check that payroll covers your PF, ESI, professional tax and TDS needs for the states you operate in.
- Run one full payroll month on a trial before you commit.
Head-to-head pages
Best Keka alternatives for Indian businesses: frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Keka?
It depends on what you are leaving Keka for. For a low fixed price on payroll and leave, look at greytHR or Kredily. For a free tier, look at Kredily or factoHR. For a team already on Zoho apps, Zoho People. For HR plus invoicing and CRM in one account, TeamEzz.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Keka?
Keka does not publish prices, so we cannot say. Several alternatives do publish them, such as greytHR from ₹2,495 per month for 50 employees and Kredily from ₹1,249 per month for 25. Get a Keka quote for your headcount and compare it with the figures in this page.
Are there free Keka alternatives?
Kredily lists a Free Forever plan with limits, and factoHR lists a free plan for up to 20 employees. Free plans cap employees, storage or rules, so check the limits against your needs.
Which Keka alternative includes invoicing and CRM?
Of the products here, only TeamEzz lists GST invoicing and a sales CRM inside the same subscription as HR and payroll. Zoho offers them as separate Zoho products. We did not find them on the other vendors' pricing pages.
How we compared
We read each vendor's own pricing or product page on 1 November 2026and recorded only what it states. Where a page did not mention a feature, we wrote "Not verified" rather than "No". Anything taken from a third-party listing is labelled "reported". Advantages and limitations are our own editorial view, and TeamEzz is a party to this comparison.
Found something out of date? Tell us and we will re-check it.
See whether TeamEzz fits your team
Tell us what you use today and what is missing. We will show how TeamEzz handles it, and say so if another tool fits better.
Related comparisons
- TeamEzz vs Keka
- TeamEzz vs greytHR
- TeamEzz vs Zoho People
- Best HRMS software in India for MSMEs
- TeamEzz vs Keka, greytHR and Zoho People at a glance
Product pages: HRMS software, online payroll, attendance management, pricing. Reading about the buying process? See the HRMS buying checklist.