greytHR and Zoho People get compared by companies choosing between a payroll-first HRMS built specifically for Indian compliance and a broader HR platform that is part of a much larger software ecosystem. Greytip Software, the company behind greytHR, was founded in Bengaluru in 1994 and launched the cloud-based greytHR product in 2011. Zoho Corporation was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Chennai, one of India’s largest software companies with dozens of connected products.
The two platforms are not really built around the same priorities, so this comparison focuses on where that actually shows up in practice: statutory compliance depth, pricing structure, and how each fits into the rest of your software stack. Both fall under the broader HR software category, and if you want the fuller breakdown before comparing specific products, our what is HRMS guide is a good starting point.
greytHR vs Zoho People at a Glance
| Factor | greytHR | Zoho People |
|---|---|---|
| What you’re buying | HR and payroll in one product, including PF/ESI/TDS/PT compliance | HR platform only. Payroll and statutory compliance require the separate Zoho Payroll product |
| Starting price | ₹2,495/month for up to 50 employees (Essential plan), plus ₹45/employee beyond that | ₹50/employee/month (Essential plan), 5-user minimum, plus GST |
| Payroll compliance cost | Included | Zoho Payroll: free up to 10 employees, then ₹1,000/month for 25 employees plus ₹40/employee beyond (annual billing) |
| Free trial | 7-day full-access trial, no credit card required | Free plan for up to 5 employees |
| Best suited for | Companies that want deep, dedicated statutory compliance (multi-state labour reports, Factories Act, Shops and Establishments Act) as a core product, not an add-on | Teams already using other Zoho apps (CRM, Books, Desk) that want HR data connected to that ecosystem |
Payroll and Compliance: The Real Differentiator
This is where the two platforms diverge most. greytHR was built around Indian payroll compliance from the start and covers PF, ESI, professional tax, TDS, LWF, and gratuity natively, with 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.
Zoho People does not run statutory payroll on its own. You need Zoho Payroll as a separate product, which covers the core central statutory acts (PF, ESI, TDS, professional tax) but is a genuinely different product with its own subscription, dashboard, and setup, not a bundled module. If multi-state labour law reporting (Factories Act, Shops and Establishments Act specifics) matters to you, verify Zoho Payroll’s current state-level coverage directly, since this is an area where dedicated India-payroll-first platforms like greytHR have historically had an edge.
What Real Reviewers Say
Ratings for both cluster in a similar range across platforms (roughly 4.3 to 4.6 out of 5, depending on the source), close enough that neither has a clear ratings advantage. The more useful signal is in specific reviewer complaints. On greytHR, a recurring theme is limited customization: one reviewer put it directly, saying they “cannot properly implement our company policies due to the limitations of greytHR.” On Zoho People, a recurring complaint is pricing clarity during the buying process itself, one reviewer noted “when we were ready to purchase, we found the pricing confusing and struggled to find the right fit for our business size,” worth keeping in mind if you go down the Zoho path, since it echoes the two-product pricing complexity discussed above.
greytHR: Strengths and Considerations
Strengths:
- Payroll and statutory compliance built in from day one, not bolted on
- Deep multi-state labour law reporting (Shops and Establishments Act, Factories Act, CLRA)
- Transparent, published pricing with monthly billing and no annual lock-in required
- 27,000+ customers, one of the longest track records in Indian HR software
Considerations:
- Fewer native third-party integrations outside its own module ecosystem compared to Zoho
- Interface is functional but rated by some users as less modern than newer platforms
- Performance management is a separate paid add-on, not included in core plans
- Some reviewers report difficulty customizing the platform to match unusual company policies
If you want to see greytHR compared against a similarly unified alternative instead of a two-product ecosystem player, our Keka vs greytHR comparison covers that pairing.
Zoho People: Strengths and Considerations
Strengths:
- Native integration with the wider Zoho ecosystem (CRM, Desk, Recruit, Analytics, Books) plus third-party tools like Microsoft Teams
- Built on the Zoho Creator platform, giving genuine customization depth for unusual workflows
- Free plan available for teams up to 5 employees
- GPS-based mobile check-in suited to remote and field teams
Our Zoho People vs Keka comparison covers Zoho People against a unified single-product alternative, useful context if the two-product structure discussed above is a dealbreaker for you.
Considerations:
- Payroll and compliance are a separate product and cost, not included in the base HR platform
- Mobile app is described in reviews as more limited, with several advanced features web-only
- Combined People plus Payroll depth is generally seen as narrower than a native payroll-first platform for complex multi-state compliance
Which One Should You Choose?
Choose greytHR if statutory compliance depth is your top priority, especially if you operate in multiple states with different Shops and Establishments Act registrations, or if you want one vendor handling HR and payroll together with predictable published pricing.
Choose Zoho People if you are already invested in the Zoho ecosystem and want your HR data connected to your CRM, accounting, and support tools, and you are comfortable running payroll through a separate Zoho Payroll subscription.
Both are legitimate choices depending on what you are optimizing for. Before you sign with anyone, our HRMS vendor evaluation checklist covers the questions worth asking during the sales process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Zoho People include payroll?
No. Zoho People covers core HR functions; PF, ESI, TDS, and professional tax compliance require the separate Zoho Payroll product with its own pricing.
Is greytHR or Zoho People cheaper?
greytHR’s published Essential plan is ₹2,495/month for up to 50 employees, including payroll. Zoho People starts lower per employee, but once you add Zoho Payroll for compliance, the effective combined cost narrows the gap, get quotes for both priced with compliance included before comparing. Our guide to budgeting for HRMS costs covers other hidden costs worth asking about.
Which one has deeper statutory compliance coverage?
greytHR, built specifically around Indian payroll compliance from the start, generally has the edge on multi-state labour law reporting like the Shops and Establishments Act and Factories Act.
Can Zoho People integrate with other business tools?
Yes, this is one of its clearest strengths if you already use Zoho CRM, Desk, Recruit, Analytics, or Books, since Zoho People connects to them natively.
Which is better for a company with employees across multiple states?
greytHR’s dedicated statutory labour reports for state-specific establishment registrations are a genuine advantage here, worth confirming directly against Zoho Payroll’s current coverage if this applies to you.
Does greytHR offer a free trial?
Yes, a 7-day full-access trial with no credit card required. Zoho People offers a genuine free plan for up to 5 employees instead of a time-limited trial.
Which has a better mobile app?
greytHR’s mobile app is generally rated higher in reviews for full employee self-service. Zoho People’s app covers core functions but several advanced features are reported as web-only.
Is performance management included in either platform?
Zoho People includes performance management with goal tracking as part of its plans. greytHR sells Performance Management as a separate add-on, priced at ₹35 to ₹45 per employee per month. If you want to compare either against more options, browse the full payroll software category and vendor directory on hrsoftware.in.