Keka vs Zoho People vs greytHR vs TeamEzz HRMS: HRMS Compared
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This guide compares Keka, Zoho People, greytHR and TeamEzz HRMS on what a small Indian business actually decides on: modules, payroll compliance, pricing model and fit by team size.
Quick verdict
No single tool wins for every small business, because they charge differently and cover different ground. Find your situation below, then read the details.
Your situation | Best fit | Why |
Up to 10 people, payroll only | Zoho Payroll | Free forever for up to 10 employees, with PF, ESI, professional tax, LWF and TDS support |
Up to 25 people who want attendance, leave and payroll at one low price | TeamEzz HRMS HR Starter | ₹1,499 a month for up to 25 employees; greytHR is the closest alternative, from ₹2,495 a month, with attendance in its Growth plan |
A team that wants published pricing and month-to-month billing | greytHR | Public plan prices, no lock-in on monthly plans, and 33,000+ customers by its own count |
A company that will need performance reviews, OKRs and hiring as it grows | Keka | Its Growth plan adds performance management, OKRs and workflow automation on top of HR and payroll |
A company already using Zoho Books, CRM or Expense | Zoho People with Zoho Payroll | Zoho Payroll integrates with Zoho Books, Zoho People and Zoho Expense |
A services business that also needs CRM and GST invoicing in one subscription | TeamEzz HRMS Business | ₹5,999 a month for up to 50 employees, with HR, sales (CRM and GST invoicing) and basic accounting |
Plans and prices come from each vendor's own pricing page on 21 October 2026. Confirm them before you buy.
The four tools at a glance
The biggest difference is how each vendor packages and charges: Keka by plan, Zoho by user and by payroll organisation, greytHR by base price plus employees, and TeamEzz HRMS by flat headcount band.
Keka | Zoho People | greytHR | TeamEzz HRMS | |
Plans | Foundation, Strength, Growth | Essential HR, Professional, Premium, Enterprise | Essential, Growth, Premium | HR Starter, Business, Enterprise |
What the plans cover | Core HR, leave, attendance, payroll, expenses and self-service in all three; performance and OKRs in Growth | Employee records and time off first; attendance, timesheets, performance and learning in higher plans | Payroll, leave and self-service in every plan; attendance from Growth | Attendance, leave and payroll in HR Starter; CRM, GST invoicing and accounting from Business |
India payroll | PF, ESI, LWF and TDS reports; Form 16 and 24Q | Separate product, Zoho Payroll (EPF, ESI, state-wise PT, LWF, TDS) | Payroll processing in every plan | PF, ESI, professional tax and TDS; PF ECR and ESI exports; Form 16 |
How it charges | Prices not shown on its pricing page; a setup fee applies | Per user, minimum 5 users; Zoho Payroll per organisation with an included employee band | Base price includes 50 employees, then a per-employee fee; add-ons extra | Flat monthly price per headcount band |
Published price | On request | See Zoho's page | ₹2,495 (Essential) and ₹4,495 (Growth) a month, plus ₹45 and ₹85 per employee above 50 | ₹1,499 (up to 25), ₹5,999 (up to 50), ₹11,999 (up to 500) a month |
Free option | Free trial (length not stated) | Free plan for 5 users; 30-day trial | 7-day trial | 60-day trial, no credit card |
Zoho Payroll's own plans are priced per organisation: Standard ₹1,250 a month (monthly billing) for 25 employees, Professional ₹3,750 for 50 and Premium ₹5,000 for 50, all excluding GST, with a free plan for up to 10 employees and a 14-day trial.
Keka
Keka covers the most ground of the four: HR, payroll, hiring, performance and project services under one brand, and it says more than 12,500 companies use it.
Strengths
- Every HR plan includes payroll with PF, ESI, LWF and TDS reports, plus expenses, gratuity and Form 16.
- Higher plans add selfie clock-in, geo-fencing, e-signatures and asset tracking (Strength), then OKRs, 360 reviews and workflow automation (Growth).
- Add-ons cover multiple legal entities, advanced shifts, API access and a helpdesk.
Limits to check
- Its pricing page lists plans and features but no prices, so you need a quote or a trial to cost it.
- A setup fee applies, which Keka describes as nominal.
- Much of the depth, such as performance management, sits in the top plan and may be more than a 15 person team needs.
Best for: companies that expect to grow into performance management, OKRs and hiring, and are happy to get a quote first.
Zoho People
Zoho People handles the HR side and works best when the rest of your business already runs on Zoho; payroll for India is a separate product, Zoho Payroll.
Strengths
- A free plan covers employee records and time off for up to 5 users, and the paid plans have a 30-day free trial with no credit card.
- Plans add attendance with biometric and facial recognition, shifts, timesheets, performance appraisals and learning as you move up.
- Zoho Payroll has a free plan for up to 10 employees and supports EPF, ESI, state-wise professional tax, LWF and TDS.
Limits to check
- You buy HR and payroll as two products. Each paid plan of People needs at least 5 users, and Zoho Payroll is priced per organisation with an included employee band.
- Zoho Payroll needs a separate licence for each legal entity.
- In Zoho Payroll, leave and attendance management appears only in the top Premium plan.
Best for: teams already using Zoho Books, CRM or Expense, and very small teams that can run on the free plans.
greytHR
greytHR publishes its plans, per-employee rates and add-on prices on one page, and says more than 33,000 companies use it.
Strengths
- Every plan includes payroll, leave management and employee self-service.
- Billing is month to month with no lock-in or cancellation fee on monthly plans, and an annual plan is optional.
- It states ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type 2 certification.
Limits to check
- Attendance management starts in the Growth plan (₹4,495 a month for 50 employees), not in Essential.
- Several modules are paid add-ons, for example expense management at ₹35 per user per month, time sheets at ₹35 and GPS live tracking at ₹140.
- The free trial is 7 days, which is short for a full payroll cycle.
Best for: teams that want public pricing, flexible billing and a payroll and leave focus, and are fine adding modules one by one.
TeamEzz HRMS
TeamEzz HRMS puts HR, payroll, CRM and GST invoicing in one flat-priced subscription, built for Indian SMEs and service companies.
Strengths
- Plans are flat monthly prices by headcount: ₹1,499 for up to 25 employees, ₹5,999 for up to 50 and ₹11,999 for up to 500, with quarterly and yearly discounts.
- Payroll works out PF, ESI, professional tax and TDS, exports the PF ECR and ESI files, and downloads Form 16.
- Leave runs nightly accruals with carry-forward, comp-off, encashment and loss-of-pay deduction in payroll.
- Business and Enterprise add CRM and GST invoicing in the same account, so a services company does not need a separate billing tool.
- The free trial is 60 days with no credit card, long enough for two payroll cycles.
Limits to check
- TeamEzz HRMS is a newer and smaller vendor than the other three, so ask for customer references.
- Run the trial on your own data, including one full payroll month, before you commit.
- Confirm that the plan covers your state's professional tax slab; TeamEzz HRMS's payroll page says state rates differ and to ask if you need a different one.
Best for: small teams that want attendance, leave and payroll at a low flat price, and services businesses that also need CRM and GST invoicing in the same system.
How to choose
Pick the tool by your headcount and by the modules you will use in the next year, not by the longest feature list.
- Write down the modules you need. Payroll only, payroll with attendance and leave, or HR plus CRM and invoicing lead to different answers above.
- Work out the all-in monthly cost for your headcount. Include add-ons, GST and any setup fee; the HRMS cost guide shows how.
- Check payroll for your states. Confirm professional tax and labour welfare fund rules before you commit.
- Match the trial to a payroll cycle. TeamEzz HRMS gives 60 days, Zoho People 30, Zoho Payroll 14 and greytHR 7, so only TeamEzz HRMS's trial reliably covers two month-ends.
- Test with real data. Import your employees and run one month of attendance, leave and payroll.
To see TeamEzz HRMS's own feature comparison, visit the comparison page.
Keka vs Zoho People vs greytHR vs TeamEzz HRMS: FAQs
Which is the cheapest HRMS for a small business in India?
It depends on headcount and modules. Zoho Payroll is free for up to 10 employees, TeamEzz HRMS's HR Starter plan is ₹1,499 a month for up to 25, and greytHR's Essential plan is ₹2,495 a month for up to 50 employees. Keka does not show prices on its pricing page.
Does Zoho People include payroll for India?
No. Payroll for India is a separate product, Zoho Payroll, which has its own plans and a free plan for up to 10 employees. Zoho People covers the HR side.
Does greytHR include attendance in its cheapest plan?
No. Per greytHR's pricing page, Essential covers payroll, leave and core HR, and attendance management starts in the Growth plan.
Does Keka charge a setup fee?
Yes. Keka's pricing page says a nominal setup fee applies to cover onboarding, including payroll configuration and data import. Confirm the amount with Keka.
Which tool has the longest free trial?
TeamEzz HRMS offers 60 days with no credit card, Zoho People 30 days, Zoho Payroll 14 days and greytHR 7 days. Keka offers a free trial but does not state its length on the pricing page.
Which tool suits a 20 person services company?
For HR and payroll only, compare TeamEzz HRMS HR Starter, greytHR and Zoho Payroll with Zoho People. If you also need CRM and GST invoicing in the same system, TeamEzz HRMS's Business plan includes them for up to 50 employees.