HRMS Pricing Comparison India 2026: greytHR vs Keka vs Zoho vs Graciax (and 4 more)
Priya Sharma
HR Tech Analyst · 10 May 2026
Why Yet Another Comparison Article
Every HRMS vendor's blog has a "comparison article" that conveniently shows them winning every category. We had a problem with that. So we spent a week pulling current public pricing from seven of India's most-used HRMS platforms, cross-checked against vendor sales reps, and built an apples-to-apples sheet that captures real total cost — not headline rates with the fine print sliced off.
Of course Graciax wins on price; we're an HRMS vendor writing this. But we've tried to be honest about where we win and where we don't — and to call out vendor strengths that are real. If you walk away from this article better informed about your options, even if you pick someone else, we'll have done our job.
The 7 Platforms In This Comparison
We picked these seven because together they capture >80% of Indian SMB+midmarket HRMS market share:
- greytHR — India's longest-running HRMS, dominant in payroll-heavy SMBs
- Keka — product-first newer entrant, strong in mid-market
- Zoho People + Zoho Payroll — Zoho's bundled HR + payroll combination
- sumHR — bootstrapped Indian HRMS, value-focused
- RazorpayX Payroll (formerly Opfin) — payroll-first, popular with funded startups
- Pocket HRMS — competitive Indian alternative, flat-tier model
- Graciax — us, flat-rate Pro at ₹2,999/mo
1. greytHR — The India Veteran
Plans: Starter (free up to 25 emp), Essential (₹45/emp/mo, min ₹2,495), Growth (₹85/emp/mo, min ₹4,495), Premium (custom).
What's in Essential vs Growth: Essential covers basic payroll, leave, attendance, and statutory compliance. Growth adds performance reviews (light), expense, asset management, alumni module. Premium unlocks advanced compliance and group company support.
Add-ons that price separately: Performance Management Suite (₹35-45/user), Recruitment (₹2,500/recruiter/mo), Expense (₹35/user), GPS+Geofence (₹140/user/mo for the Visage add-on), Alumni (₹20/user), API access (extra).
Strengths: Mature Indian compliance, deep payroll, strong customer support, recognised brand.
Watch out for: "Starting at ₹30" marketing rate ignores the base subscription and add-on stack. The final bill for a 100-emp team with performance + geofence is often ₹15,000+/mo.
2. Keka — The Mid-Market Choice
Plans: Foundation (~₹6,999/mo for 100 emp ~₹70 PEPM), Strength (~₹12,999/mo for 100, ~₹130 PEPM), Growth (contact sales).
The 100-employee floor: This is Keka's most-discussed pricing detail. Even if your team is 30 people, you pay the 100-employee tier rate. Below 100 employees, this makes Keka significantly more expensive per-emp than competitors.
What's gated up: Performance/OKR is Strength+. Helpdesk and Workflow Automation are Strength+. API/Webhooks and Multi-entity payroll are Growth-only. Recruitment (Keka Hire) is a separate SKU at additional cost.
Strengths: Best-in-class UX, smooth product, strong analytics dashboards, healthy ecosystem.
Watch out for: Pricing isn't displayed on the website — you'll need to talk to sales. The 100-emp minimum makes it punishing for sub-80-emp teams.
3. Zoho People + Zoho Payroll — Two SKUs, One Need
Zoho People plans: Essential HR (~₹83/user/mo), Professional (~₹165/user/mo), Premium (~₹250/user/mo), Enterprise (custom). Free up to 5.
Zoho Payroll plans (separate billing): Standard (₹1,250/mo for 25 emp + ₹50/extra), Professional (₹3,750/mo for 50 + ₹75/extra), Premium (₹5,000/mo for 50 + ₹100/extra).
Combined cost reality: For a 50-employee company needing HR + Payroll, you pay both subscriptions. Professional HR + Standard Payroll = ~₹8,250 + ₹1,250 + ₹25×50 = ~₹10,750/mo (~₹215/emp). That's why we use a blended ~₹130/emp figure for comparison — closer to mid-tier combinations.
Strengths: Strong if you're already on Zoho (CRM, Books, Mail), Zia AI is mature, well-localised for India.
Watch out for: Multi-entity = separate paid license per legal entity. Face recognition is Professional+ only. Performance is Premium+ only. The all-in cost adds up fast.
4. sumHR — The Value Pick
Plans: Startup (₹49/user/mo annual), Basic (₹69/user/mo), Advanced (₹119/user/mo). Free up to 10 with a ₹2,999/mo minimum floor under 50 emp.
Add-ons: Recruitment (₹999/user/mo add-on), GPS/geofence (₹25/user/mo), biometric integration extra fee. Performance, 360-reviews, helpdesk, asset = Advanced-only.
Strengths: Indian bootstrapped, founder-friendly support, good for sub-50-emp teams on Startup plan.
Watch out for: One-time setup fee scales with headcount. Recruitment at ₹999/user is steep. Headline price is for annual billing — monthly costs more.
5. RazorpayX Payroll — Payroll-Only, Done Well
Plans: Free (limited), Pro (₹100/emp/mo, ~₹29,988/yr starting tier), Enterprise (contact sales).
What's bundled: Full payroll automation, TDS/PF/ESI/PT filings, biometric API, employee self-service, Slack integration.
What it's NOT: A full HRMS. RazorpayX is laser-focused on payroll. No ATS, no performance management, no LMS, no helpdesk, no asset tracking, no POSH module. If you need a complete HR platform, you'll need a second tool.
Strengths: Best-in-class payroll UX, Razorpay banking integration (instant salary disbursement), funded-startup darling.
Watch out for: "Payroll-only" is a category, not an HRMS. Compare features carefully before committing.
6. Pocket HRMS — The Flat-Tier Alternative
Plans: Standard (₹2,995/mo flat for 50 emp + ₹60 per extra), Professional (₹4,495/mo for 50 + ₹90 per extra), Premium (100+ custom).
Add-ons sold separately: Expense/Travel, Geo-tracking, Timesheets, Helpdesk, Recruitment/ATS, LMS, WhatsApp automation, Performance (360°), ePOSH module. API/webhooks Premium-only.
Strengths: Flat tier structure (closer to Graciax in philosophy), comprehensive at higher tiers.
Watch out for: 50-employee cap on Standard means you scale tier-up fast. Most useful features are add-ons or higher-tier-only. Annual billing required for headline price.
7. Graciax — The Flat Unlimited Bet
Plans: Free (forever, 10 emp), Pro (₹2,999/mo flat, unlimited emp), Enterprise (custom).
What Pro includes: Everything in Free + payslip generation + full Indian compliance (EPF, ESI, TDS, PT, LWF, Bonus, POSH, Form 16, Form 24Q, F&F + Gratuity) + 14 HR letters + document vault + onboarding/offboarding + geofencing + expense reimbursement + 16+ reports + in-app AI Assistant + employee self-service portal.
Add-ons: Performance & 360° (₹20/user), Recruitment (₹25/user), Biometric Devices (₹15/user), Selfie + Face ID (₹15/user), MCP Integration (₹999/user, premium for AI agents), API + Webhooks (₹999/mo flat).
Strengths: Most predictable bill on this list. MCP integration is unique in the Indian market. Flat pricing means scaling teams don't get punished.
Watch out for: Under 25-30 employees, per-user vendors are slightly cheaper. We're young — the customer base isn't yet as large as greytHR's. If "we've been in market since 2009" matters to your buying committee, ours is a less-mature brand.
Apples-to-Apples: The Side-By-Side Table
Below is the same headcount on each vendor's cheapest full-feature plan, no add-ons:
| Vendor | 25 emp | 50 emp | 100 emp | 250 emp | 500 emp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| greytHR Growth (₹85/emp) | ₹2,495* | ₹4,250 | ₹8,500 | ₹21,250 | ₹42,500 |
| Keka Foundation (~₹70, 100-floor) | ₹7,000 | ₹7,000 | ₹7,000 | ₹17,500 | ₹35,000 |
| Zoho People + Payroll (~₹130) | ₹3,250 | ₹6,500 | ₹13,000 | ₹32,500 | ₹65,000 |
| sumHR Advanced (₹119/emp) | ₹2,999* | ₹5,950 | ₹11,900 | ₹29,750 | ₹59,500 |
| RazorpayX Pro (₹100/emp, payroll-only) | ₹2,500 | ₹5,000 | ₹10,000 | ₹25,000 | ₹50,000 |
| Pocket HRMS Standard (50 cap + ₹60/extra) | ₹2,995 | ₹2,995 | ₹5,995 | ₹14,995 | ₹29,995 |
| Graciax Pro (₹2,999 flat) | ₹2,999 | ₹2,999 | ₹2,999 | ₹2,999 | ₹2,999 |
Which One Should You Pick?
Honest take, based on the math and the strengths above:
- Under 25 employees: Use Graciax Free (10 emp) or sumHR Startup. Don't pay for a "Pro" tier you don't need yet.
- 25-50 employees: Toss-up between Graciax Pro and per-user players. If you value predictability and want to grow into the plan, pick Graciax. If your headcount is very stable, sumHR Startup or Pocket HRMS Standard are competitive.
- 50-250 employees: Graciax Pro is the clear price winner. The next-best feature-equivalent option (Pocket HRMS Standard up to 50 emp, then Professional with overage) still costs significantly more.
- 250-1,000 employees: Graciax Pro saves ₹5-15 lakh per year vs the next-cheapest options. Talk to our sales team about Enterprise tier or stay on Pro with add-ons.
- 1,000+ employees: Move to enterprise conversations with multiple vendors (Graciax Enterprise, Darwinbox, Keka Growth, greytHR Premium). Negotiated pricing varies wildly — get 3 quotes.
Beyond Price: Three Questions That Matter More
Price is necessary but not sufficient. Before signing any HRMS contract in 2026, ask these three questions of every vendor:
- "Show me your MCP/API documentation." If they can't or refuse, you're locked into their UI forever. MCP is the future of HRMS access — you want a vendor that's investing in it.
- "What's a full quote with all the add-ons I'll need for my use case?" Don't accept headline rates. Make them write a detailed quote. The hidden costs are where vendors hide.
- "Can I see a 90-day refund clause?" Good vendors offer it. Vendors that don't are usually trying to lock you in.
The Graciax savings calculator compares your total cost across all 7 vendors at your exact headcount, with whichever add-ons you actually need. The 30-second test that's worth running before any HRMS renewal.
Open the calculator