Attendance in one sheet, leave in another, payroll in a third and a compliance deadline in your inbox. If that sounds familiar, you are not short on effort. You are short on the right HR software.
This guide compares the 10 best HR software in India for 2026 on what actually matters to Indian HR teams: statutory payroll (PF, ESI, PT, TDS), labour code readiness, mobile attendance, ease of use and price. Each tool gets a “best for”, its starting price and what to check before you sign so you can shortlist in minutes, not weeks.
What is HR software?
HR software (also called an HRMS or HRIS) is a cloud application that automates people processes employee records, attendance, leave, payroll, compliance, performance and onboarding in one system. In India, it also calculates statutory deductions such as PF, ESI, Professional Tax and TDS, and generates filing ready reports.
Key Takeaways
- The top 10 HR software in India in 2026 are HROne, factoHR, Zoho People, Darwinbox, EasyHR, Craze, Kredily, ZingHR, PeopleStrong and Workday. HROne suits growing businesses that want HR and payroll in one easy app; Darwinbox, PeopleStrong and ZingHR suit large enterprises; Kredily and Zoho People have free plans for small teams.
- Best for growing Indian businesses (50+ employees: HROne
- Best for large, multientity enterprises: Darwinbox, PeopleStrong, ZingHR
- Best free option for small teams: Kredily (unlimited employees), Zoho People (up to 5)
- Best if you already use Zoho apps: Zoho People
- Best for global MNCs: Workday
Why Indian businesses need HR software in 2026
- The labour codes are live. India’s four labour codes, which merge 29 central labour laws, took effect on 21 November 2025. The new definition of “wages” requires basic pay to be at least 50% of total pay, which changes PF, gratuity and bonus calculations.
- States still differ. Minimum wages, PT slabs and code rules vary by state hard to track on spreadsheets for multilocation teams.
- Employees expect mobile self-service. Payslips, leave and attendance on the phone are now table stakes, not perks.
- HR time is expensive. Every hour spent reconciling attendance with payroll is an hour not spent on hiring, culture or retention.
How we evaluated these HR software
We shortlisted tools that Indian HR teams actively evaluate and scored them on six criteria:
- India statutory compliance: PF, ESI, PT, LWF, TDS, Form 16 and labour code wage rules.
- Core coverage: Core HR, attendance, leave, payroll, performance and expenses.
- Ease of use: Can HR and employees use it without training?
- Mobile experience: Geo/selfie attendance, payslips and approvals on the phone.
- Pricing transparency: Public pricing, free plans or trials.
- Fit by company size: Who the tool is actually built for.

Disclosure: HROne publishes this guide and is listed first. Competitor details are taken from each vendor’s public website as of October 2026; please verify pricing with vendors before buying.
Top 10 HR Software in India (2026): Best for, Pricing & Comparison
| Software | Best for | Starting price* | Free plan / trial |
| HROne | Growing businesses wanting simple, allinone HR + payroll | ₹4,950/month for 50 users | Free trial |
| factoHR | Payrollheavy SMEs and midsize firms | ₹4,999/month for 50 employees | Free up to 20 employees |
| Zoho People | Teams already on Zoho apps | ₹48/employee/month (annual); payroll extra | Free up to 5 employees |
| Darwinbox | Large, multientity enterprises | Quotebased | Demo |
| EasyHR | SMEs | Quotebased | Demo |
| Craze | Startups wanting HR, payroll + IT assets | Quotebased | Demo |
| Kredily | Small businesses on a tight budget | Free; paid from ₹1,249/month (25 employees) | Free forever plan |
| ZingHR | Multilocation enterprises | Quotebased | Demo |
| PeopleStrong | Enterprises needing full HCM + talent | Quotebased | Demo |
| Workday | Global MNCs with India teams | Quotebased | Demo |
*Prices from vendor websites, October 2026, excluding GST. Final pricing depends on headcount and modules.
1. HROne: Best for growing businesses that want HR to feel simple
HROne is a cloud HR and payroll software for Indian businesses that want attendance, leave, payroll, performance, expenses and helpdesk in one place without a training manual.
HROne is the easiest-to-use HRMS suite that automates the most complex operations and empowers HRs to achieve more by freeing their time and mind space to build their workplace their way.
2500+ businesses, including top category leaders like Pathkind, Magicpin, Haier and Timex, trust HROne to achieve freedom from manual HR tasks. It is rated 4.8/5 on G2 (2,100+ reviews) and was named a Gartner Peer Insights Customers’ Choice in 2025.

HROne Key Features
| Key Features | Reason To Believe |
| Cloud & Mobile Ready | Award-winning mobile app used by 5 lakh+ users in India |
| Secure & Reliable | Powered by Microsoft Azure; GDPR and ISO 27001 compliant |
| Simple & Intuitive | Powered by Inbox for HR™, a simple interface you don’t need a trainer for |
| India-ready compliance | PF, ESI, PT, LWF and TDS calculated automatically, with labour-code wage structures |
| Comprehensive & Configurable | The complete hire-to-retire suite for your people function |
| Easy To Integrate | Connect with any software using open APIs |
| Value For Money | Priced competitively with no hidden feature costs |
10 Modules. One Platform. 127+ Automated HR Processes. What you hate. Handled.
Best for: Indian businesses who want HR and payroll in one app employees actually use.
Pricing: Basic from ₹4,950/month for 50 users (₹99 per extra user); Professional from ₹6,500/month; Enterprise on quote.
From 20 Employees to 2,000+ — HROne Scales With You
2. factoHR: Best for payroll heavy SMEs and midsize firms
factoHR is a cloud based HRMS that automates core HR operations from recruitment through retirements HR teams can focus on strategy, not spreadsheets. It delivers dynamic payroll, attendance, leave, and performance management in one unified suite.
4,000+ businesses and 2.7 million employees trust factoHR to streamline HR processes and stay on top of statutory compliance.
Key Features
| Key Features | Reason to Believe |
| Cloud & Mobile Ready | Award-winning mobile app with 24/7 access for 2.7M+ users |
| Secure & Compliant | Automated PF, ESIC, Professional Tax & TDS calculations with ready-to-file reports |
| Simple & Intuitive | Clean interface that requires minimal training and boosts HR productivity |
| Comprehensive & Configurable | End-to-end suite with multi-level performance reviews and retirement benefit modules |
| Integrations | Open APIs plus SAP partnership for unified data flow across systems |
| Cost-Effective | Transparent, budget-friendly pricing with no hidden fees |
Best for: Indian companies with employees that need strong payroll and compliance.
Pricing: Free plan for up to 20 employees; Premium from ₹4,999/month for up to 50 employees.
3. Zoho People: Best for teams already using Zoho apps
Zoho People is a cloud based HR software crafted to nurture employees, quickly adapt to changes, and make HR management agile and effective.
They simplify your HR operations, retain talent, and build a highperforming workforce while putting employee experience first.
Key Features
| Key Features | Reason to Believe |
| Trust & Security | Deploys industry-leading safety measures to keep data safe and protected 24/7 |
| Agile HRMS | Adapts to change, with consistent, accurate and real-time visibility of a global workforce |
| Mobile App | User-friendly mobile app for everyone in the organisation |
Best for: Businesses already on Zoho One, Zoho Books or Zoho CRM that want HR in the same ecosystem.
Pricing: Free for up to 5 employees; paid plans from ₹48 to ₹192 per employee/month (billed annually).
Worth checking: Payroll is licensed separately through Zoho Payroll, so budget for both.
4. Darwinbox: Best for large, multi entity enterprises
A Hyderabad founded, enterprise ready HCM platform that enables enterprises to automate day-to-day HR processes, simplifies human interactions, and delivers actionable insights to build better workplaces.
Key Features
| Key Features | Reasons to Believe |
| Mobile App | Intuitive mobile app known for high adoption rates |
| Adaptable Capabilities | Helps you easily adapt to the changing needs of a growing business |
| Security | World-class security with best-in-class encryption, compliant with international standards |
Best for: Large enterprises with multiple entities, geographies and complex approval chains.
Pricing: Quote based, depending on modules and number of entities.
Worth checking: Enterprise scope rollouts take longer to implement; smaller teams may pay for more than they need.
5. EasyHR: Best for SMEs with 202,000 employees
EasyHR is a cloud based HRMS software for SMEs with 20 to 2,000 employees. From attendance and payroll to performance reviews and compliance, EasyHR covers the core in one simple program.
Trusted by high growth businesses in every industry, EasyHR makes employee experience smoother while bringing HR leaders significant time and cost savings.
Key Features
| Key Features | Reasons to Believe |
| Mobile-First & Employee-Friendly | Check in, apply for leave, access payslips and more from the native mobile app |
| Smart Automation | Automates payroll, compliance, approvals and reminders, saving HR teams hours every week |
| Comprehensive & Configurable | Custom workflows, multi-level approvals and a flexible architecture whenever you need it |
| Effortless Integrations | Integrates with the tools you already use for smooth data flow and easy onboarding |
Best for: SMEs that want core HR and payroll without enterprise complexity.
Pricing: Quote based.
6. Craze: Best for startups that want HR, payroll and IT in one place
Craze is an HRMS designed for small and midsized fastgrowing Indian companies with 50500 employees that want to unify HR, payroll, attendance, and IT management in a single platform.
The platform brings together core employee lifecycle processes to reduce dependency on manual workflows across HR, finance, and IT teams.
Key Features
| Key Features | Reasons to Believe |
| Unified HR, Payroll & IT Management | Centralised handling of employee records, attendance, payroll, assets and system access in one platform |
| Payroll with Real-Time Data Sync | Attendance, leave and payroll data update together, reducing reconciliation gaps |
| User-Friendly Interface | Designed for HR and operations teams without extensive setup or training |
| Configurable Policies | Custom attendance rules, shifts, overtime, leave structures and approval workflows |
| Customer Support Access | In-app and support-based assistance for issue resolution |
| Flexible Commercial Model | No long-term lock-in, with feature access available from the start |
Best for: Startups and midsize companies that also manage laptops, assets and app access.
Pricing: Quote based.
7. Kredily: Best free HR and payroll software for small businesses
Kredily is a free forever HR and payroll platform for Indian small businesses. Its free plan covers payroll, attendance, leave and PF/ESI/PT/TDS calculations for unlimited employees, while paid plans add salary payouts, challans and Form 16.
Kredily ensures accurate payroll processing, reducing errors and saving time. It also assists in compliance with tax regulations and labour laws.
Key Features
| Key Features | Reasons to Believe |
| Quick Response | Prompt support and assistance from a dedicated team |
| Ease of Use | Easy-to-use features that simplify HR management and improve efficiency |
| Swift Deployment | Quick setup for a prompt start |
| Free Mobile App | Employee self-service and web clock-in at no cost |
Best for: Small businesses and early stage startups that need payroll basics at zero cost.
Pricing: Free Forever plan; Payroll OS from ₹1,249/month for up to 25 employees (₹50 per extra employee); Professional from ₹1,749/month.
Worth checking: The free plan allows one salary structure, one leave/attendance rule and 250 MB storage, and excludes salary payouts and Form 16.
8. ZingHR: Best for multilocation enterprises
ZingHR is a people enabler. From automation of people processes to creating an engaged and driven culture, ZingHR helps in building a good to great company, helping teams adapt, evolve, and grow by working more effectively.
Key Features
| Key Features | Reasons to Believe |
| Payroll & Expenses | Redefines payroll to save time for everyone |
| Modern HR | All your people information in one place for a connected digital workplace |
| Performance & Culture | Engaging contextual feedback and organisation-aligned goals |
Best for: Large enterprises with distributed, multilocation or frontline workforces.
Pricing: Quote based, depending on modules and deployment scope.
9. PeopleStrong: Best for enterprises needing full HCM and talent management
A SaaS platform that brings experience, insights, and people strategy together on one comprehensive HCM suite. It helps your HR team simplify work life and create a futureready workforce.
Key Features
| Key Features | Reasons to Believe |
| Architecture | Flexible, agile architecture that grows with your organisation |
| Security | Enterprise-grade security |
| Employee Experience | Mobile-first employee experience |
| Implementation | Proven implementation methodology |
Best for: Large organisations that need recruitment, learning and talent management alongside core HR.
Pricing: Quote based.
10. Workday: Best for global MNCs with teams in India
Workday is a global HR and finance platform with embedded AI. It helps organisations map workforce skills and train employees for the jobs of tomorrow.
Key Features
| Key Features | Reasons to Believe |
| Unified Applications | Best-in-class applications for finance, HR and more |
| Planning | Move faster with collaborative and continuous planning |
| Embedded AI | AI built into the platform for maximum performance |
Best for: Multinationals that already run Workday globally and want India on the same system.
Pricing: Quote based, typically on multiyear enterprise contracts.
Worth checking: Confirm how India statutory payroll (PF, ESI, PT, TDS, labour code wage rules) is handled natively or via a local partner.
Other HR software worth considering
SumHR: All your HR needs, in one HR software
Employee profiles, company directory, org chart and more! SumHR makes it easy to manage HR data with self service options on web or mobile which ensure it’s always up to date.
- No bulky spreadsheets, no complex formulas
- Simple to understand, easy to use
- Pay as you go, use as you need
- Payroll is simple, easy and enjoyable
- Send fewer emails, get more productivity
- Not just support, you get friends with expertise
- Safety of your data, and utmost privacy
Pocket HRMS: Empowering Businesses with HRMS
Pocket HRMS is a modern Human Resource Management Software bringing in the efficiency of the Cloud and much needed Mobility. It is end-to-end HR software with ease of access. The well-designed features empower you by simplifying the daily activities and keeping the fun of HR alive.
- 24/7 Microsoft Azure based operations witheasy-to-usee portals for HR and employees
- Integration with WhatsApp, Google Meet, Zoom, and more, for streamlined simplicity
- Highly flexible quick implementation architecture for maximum ROI for SMEs & Startups
How to choose the right HR software in India
Use this 7-step checklist before you book demos:
- List your must-haves: payroll, attendance, leave, performance, expenses rank them.
- Check India compliance: PF, ESI, PT, LWF, TDS, Form 16 and the labour code 50% wage rule.
- Test the mobile app: ask 3 employees to mark attendance and download a payslip during the trial.
- Match the tool to your size: enterprise suites can slow down a 100-person team; free tools can stall at 500.
- Ask for the full price: peruser cost, addon modules, implementation fees and GST.
- Check integrations: accounting/ERP (Tally, SAP, Zoho Books), biometric devices, Slack/Teams, WhatsApp.
- Talk to a customer like you: same industry, same headcount, same number of states.
Final word: pick the tool your HR team will actually enjoy using
The best HR software in India is the one that fits your size, handles your state’s compliance without drama, and that employees open without being reminded. Shortlist two or three tools from the table above, run a real payroll cycle in the trial, and let your team vote.
If you want HR and payroll in one place with labour code ready payroll and an app your employees will actually use HROne is built for exactly that. Payroll laws change. Your headaches don’t have to.
Done Evaluating? 2500+ Companies Already Chose HROne.