Keka vs greytHR: Which HRMS Is Better for Indian Teams?

Keka and greytHR are two of the most shortlisted HR and payroll platforms among Indian companies, and they get compared constantly because they solve the same core problem in different ways. Greytip Software, the company behind greytHR, was founded in Bengaluru in 1994 and launched the cloud-based greytHR product in 2011, built on a long track record in statutory compliance. Keka is newer, founded in Hyderabad in 2014, built with a strong focus on employee experience and a more modern interface, and has grown fast in mid-market IT and services companies.

Both fall under what is broadly called an HRMS, and if you want the fuller category breakdown before comparing specific products, our what is HRMS guide is a good starting point. This comparison assumes you already know you want one of these two and just need the details, so here is how they actually compare on pricing, compliance, and day-to-day usability, instead of relying on either vendor’s own marketing.

If neither turns out to be the right fit, hrsoftware.in’s broader HR software coverage and vendor directory cover dozens of other options worth shortlisting.

Keka vs greytHR at a Glance

Pricing figures for Keka vary meaningfully across third-party sources at the time of writing; treat the range above as directional and confirm current numbers with Keka before budgeting. greytHR’s pricing is taken directly from its own published pricing page.

What Real Users Say

Exact review scores vary by platform, and neither vendor publishes a single authoritative number, but the pattern is consistent across independent review sites: Keka carries noticeably more reviews than greytHR (roughly 70-80% more on both SoftwareSuggest and Techjockey), and its average rating comes out marginally higher on every platform checked, typically by a few tenths of a point on a 5-point scale. greytHR still rates solidly in the high 4s on most platforms; it is not a weak product by comparison, it simply has a smaller, less vocal review base relative to its 30,000+ customer count. Treat any single “X.X out of 5” figure you see quoted elsewhere as a snapshot rather than gospel, since it shifts as new reviews come in.

Pricing: What You Actually Pay

greytHR publishes its pricing openly. The Essential plan is ₹2,495/month covering up to 50 employees, with additional employees billed at ₹45 each. The Growth plan is ₹4,495/month for up to 50 employees plus ₹85 per additional employee, and adds shift management, overtime tracking, and confirmation workflows, the kind of depth you would otherwise need a dedicated time and attendance system for. A custom-priced Premium tier bundles every module at roughly 30% savings over Growth. Billing is monthly, and there is no long-term lock-in required to get started.

Keka uses flat-fee tiers instead of a strict per-employee model up to 100 employees, commonly cited as Foundation, Strength, and Growth tiers. The exact numbers differ across review sites (roughly ₹7,000 to ₹10,000/month for the entry tier, scaling to the mid-teens of thousands for the top tier), which is common when a vendor negotiates pricing per deal rather than publishing a fixed rate card. Most sources also note Keka charges separately for onboarding and data migration (commonly ₹25,000 to ₹75,000 one-time), something worth asking about upfront since it will not show up in the monthly subscription quote.

If your headcount is under 50 and predictable, greytHR’s published per-employee model is easier to budget against. If you are closer to 100 employees and want one flat number rather than a per-head calculation, Keka’s tier structure can work out simpler, but get a written quote before assuming which is cheaper for your specific headcount.

Payroll and Statutory Compliance

Both platforms genuinely handle Indian statutory compliance well; this is not a case of one vendor having it and the other not. The difference is in what each has chosen to build deeper.

greytHR’s compliance strength shows up in document handling: digital signing of Form 16 and Form 24Q, Aadhaar e-KYC during onboarding, and dedicated statutory labour reports for the Shops and Establishments Act, Factories Act, and CLRA, useful if you operate across multiple states with different establishment registrations.

Keka’s compliance strength shows up in tax-regime flexibility and form automation: employees can switch between the old and new income tax regimes with a real-time preview of the impact on their take-home pay, and the platform auto-generates a wider set of filing-ready forms (ECR, Form 24Q/26Q, Form 12BA, Form 12BB) the moment payroll closes.

Neither platform requires you to compromise on PF, ESI, TDS, or professional tax accuracy. Pick based on which specific workflow (document signing and multi-state labour reporting vs. tax-regime UX and broader auto-filing) matters more for how your payroll team actually works.

Performance Management: Bundled or Paid Add-On?

This is a real, concrete difference worth flagging before you compare monthly totals. Keka includes performance management (goal setting, review cycles, feedback) as part of its core plans. greytHR sells Performance Management as a separate add-on module, priced at ₹35 to ₹45 per employee per month on top of whichever base plan you choose, according to greytHR’s own published pricing. If you actually need performance reviews and goal tracking as part of your HRMS rather than a separate tool, factor that add-on cost into the greytHR total before comparing it to Keka’s flat pricing.

greytHR: Strengths and Considerations

Strengths:

• Published, predictable per-employee pricing with monthly billing and no annual lock-in required
• Broadest company-size coverage: used by startups through large enterprises, 27,000+ customers
• Deep statutory document handling (digital Form 16/24Q signing, multi-state labour reports)
• 7-day free trial with full access before you commit

Considerations:

• User reviews commonly mention a more dated interface and a steeper admin-side configuration process than newer platforms
• Native hiring and applicant tracking features are lighter than dedicated recruitment tools
• Mobile app functionality is rated adequate rather than a standout

Keka: Strengths and Considerations

Strengths:

• Modern, polished interface that consistently drives higher day-to-day employee adoption in reviews
• Unified platform covering HR, payroll, performance management, and project/resource tracking (PSA) in one product
• Old vs. new tax regime switching with a real-time take-home preview for employees
• Broader automatic statutory form generation out of the box

Considerations:

• Pricing is quote-based rather than a fixed public rate card, and figures vary across sources, so get a written quote for your exact headcount
• Onboarding and data migration are commonly billed as a separate one-time cost
• Some reviews note a longer initial setup process and occasional biometric device sync issues

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose greytHR if you want transparent, publicly listed pricing you can budget against without a sales call, monthly billing flexibility, or if your company has multi-state establishments that benefit from its statutory document and labour-report depth.

Choose Keka if employee-facing experience is a priority for you (self-service, performance reviews, a modern interface your team will actually enjoy using), if you want HR, payroll, and project tracking in a single product, or if your team values the more flexible tax-regime switching workflow at payroll time.

Both are legitimate choices for Indian companies in the 50 to a few hundred employee range; the right one comes down to whether you weight predictable published pricing and compliance-document depth more heavily, or unified product experience and interface quality. If your team is under 50 people and budget is the main constraint, our guide to HR software for small businesses in India covers a few cheaper options worth a look before you commit to either. And if you eventually outgrow whichever one you pick, our guide on when to change your HRMS vendor walks through how to do that without disrupting payroll.

For a wider look at how to evaluate any HRMS vendor before signing, see our HRMS vendor evaluation checklist and guide to budgeting for HRMS costs. You can also browse the full payroll software category on hrsoftware.in for more options.

If neither Keka nor greytHR feels like the right fit, worthwhile alternatives to shortlist depending on your priorities include Zoho People (broader HR suite, payroll sold as a separate add-on), Zimyo (budget-friendly, similar feature depth to Keka at a lower price point), and Darwinbox for larger enterprises that have outgrown mid-market tools entirely. Our vendor directory covers the full list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Keka or greytHR better for a small business under 50 employees?
greytHR’s Essential plan is built for exactly this range with published per-employee pricing, making it easier to budget against without a sales negotiation.

Which one is cheaper?
greytHR publishes its pricing directly, starting at ₹2,495/month for up to 50 employees. Keka’s pricing is quote-based and varies by source, so the honest answer is you need a written quote from Keka for your headcount before comparing directly.

Do both handle PF, ESI, and TDS compliance?
Yes. Both platforms fully automate PF, ESI, TDS, and professional tax calculations and keep them updated against current government rules. Neither is a compromise on core statutory compliance.

Which has a better mobile app?
User reviews are mixed on both. Keka’s overall interface is more consistently rated as modern, but some reviews note mobile-specific limitations, and greytHR’s mobile app is functional but rated as more basic.

Can I switch between the old and new income tax regime easily on either platform?
Keka is specifically noted for a clean, real-time old-vs-new regime switching experience with an impact preview for employees. greytHR supports both regimes but this workflow is less highlighted as a differentiator.

Does either platform charge extra for onboarding?
Keka commonly has a separate one-time onboarding/data-migration fee, reported in the ₹25,000 to ₹75,000 range depending on complexity. greytHR includes onboarding support as part of its plans, with dedicated account management during setup.

Is there a free trial for either?
greytHR offers a 7-day full-access free trial. Keka also offers a trial, though it is more commonly tied to an annual plan commitment, so confirm the terms before signing up.

Which one is easier to switch to from a different HRMS?
Both vendors provide dedicated onboarding support for data migration. greytHR advertises migrating over 1,000 employee records without data loss as a standard part of its process; Keka’s migration is typically bundled into its separate onboarding fee.

Does performance management come included, or is it extra?
Keka includes performance management (goals, review cycles, feedback) in its core plans. greytHR sells it as a separate add-on at ₹35 to ₹45 per employee per month, so factor that in if performance reviews are a must-have, not a nice-to-have.