TL;DR, greytHR for Indian companies
India's most-trusted HRMS for statutory payroll compliance. 20,000+ companies, 30 years of compliance history. Free for under 25 employees. Strong PF, ESI, PT, TDS, gratuity, Form 16 handling. AI chatbot and anomaly flagging added in recent years. Pick over Keka if compliance trust beats modern UX in your context.
Try greytHR (free)For any Indian company doing payroll for more than ten employees, compliance accuracy matters more than UI delight. greytHR has been India's quiet standard for this since long before "HR tech" was a category. The newer AI additions modernise the experience without disturbing the audit-tested core.
What greytHR costs Indian users
| Plan | Approx INR/mo | Employees | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | Free | Up to 25 | Core HR + payroll |
| Essential | ~₹3,495 | Up to 50 | + leave, attendance |
| Growth | ~₹6,495 | Up to 100 | + performance, surveys |
| Enterprise | Quote | 200+ | Custom, SSO, dedicated support |
Approximate INR; tiers depend on employee count and add-ons. UPI accepted, GST invoice with input credit standard.
What makes greytHR the compliance pick
- PF and ESI, Auto-calculation, ECR generation, monthly compliance, year-end reconciliation. The edge cases (LOP, joiner-exiter mid-month, transfer cases) are handled correctly.
- Professional Tax by state, India has 19 different PT slabs across states. greytHR maintains them all.
- TDS and Form 16, Section 192 TDS, Form 16 generation, IT proof submission workflow, advance tax estimation.
- Statutory bonus and gratuity, Calculation under Payment of Bonus Act and Payment of Gratuity Act.
- LWF, IT proofs, attendance-linked deductions, The Indian payroll edge cases that catch younger HRMS products.
Where the AI helps
HR chatbot
Routine employee questions (leave balance, payslip query, policy clarification) handled without HR intervention.
Anomaly flagging
Payroll run flags unusual amounts (mid-month resignations, missing attendance, sudden salary jumps) for review before disbursement.
Compliance assistant
"What is the latest PF wage ceiling?" "When is the next quarterly TDS return due?" Surfaces current Indian compliance requirements.
Best Indian use cases
Indian SMEs (25-200 employees)
The sweet spot. Payroll done right, statutory compliance handled, leave and attendance covered. Modern enough; trustworthy enough.
Mid-market Indian companies (200-2,000 employees)
Growth or Enterprise tier with custom workflows and SSO. Strong choice for compliance-conservative companies (manufacturing, traditional services).
Companies with auditor-driven preferences
If your auditor or CFO has used greytHR for past clients, the data structure and report formats are exactly what they expect.
Where greytHR is not the right tool
- Modern OKR-driven startups, Keka's performance management is deeper.
- Sub-25 employees, RazorpayX Payroll is simpler and free at that scale.
- Heavy global hiring, Global HRMS tools (Rippling, Deel) handle multi-country payroll better.
Indian alternatives
- Keka, Modern UX, stronger OKR. Read review
- Zoho People + Payroll, Cheapest, part of Zoho ecosystem.
- RazorpayX Payroll, Banking-integrated, one-click. Read review
- HROne, Noida-built, similar feature set.
Indian-specific FAQs
Is greytHR free for small Indian companies?
Yes, the Starter plan is free for businesses with up to 25 employees. Sufficient for early-stage Indian startups before they need OKR or advanced engagement features. Paid tiers begin once you cross 25 employees or need add-ons.
Why pick greytHR over Keka or Zoho People?
Compliance pedigree. greytHR has been doing Indian statutory payroll since 1994 (the company), with deep handling of PF, ESI, PT by state, LWF, IT proofs, Form 16, gratuity, bonus, and edge cases. For audit-heavy compliance, this matters.
Does greytHR include AI?
Yes, the newer AI features include an HR chatbot for routine queries, anomaly flagging in payroll, and policy guidance. The core platform is rule-based payroll-and-leave software with AI layered on top.
Will greytHR work for a 500+ employee Indian company?
Yes, mid-market and enterprise tiers handle this range with SSO, custom workflows, advanced analytics, and dedicated account management. 20,000+ Indian companies trust greytHR at various sizes.
Does greytHR integrate with Tally or Zoho Books?
Yes, payroll output exports to most major Indian accounting systems including Tally, Zoho Books, and QuickBooks. Salary disbursement integration with major Indian banks.
Final verdict
For Indian SMEs and mid-market companies that prioritise compliance and accuracy over UI modernity, greytHR is the safer pick than newer HRMS products. The compliance pedigree alone earns trust your CFO and CA will already recognise.
Try greytHR (free)Related guides
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up via our link, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend tools we'd actually use ourselves, every recommendation here is based on independent testing.