Top 10 Best Attendance Management Software in India

The traditional way of marking attendance in companies back in the day was a simple punch-in and punch-out register with payroll being tallied according to those entries. But complexities in attendance policies, large employee strength, and mis-punch by employees made it very difficult to track attendance and leaves with manual processes. The post-covid era has bought a revolution in the HR industry with most processes being automated by HRMS and attendance management software. Companies all over the world are now switching to modern tech-driven alternatives and trying to adopt the best attendance management software to automate their processes.

One of the biggest problems many Indian startups and enterprises face is managing their attendance efficiently without any errors. Startups initially opt to process attendance manually on excel or google sheets but this can turn out to be a very time-consuming process and susceptible to human errors as well. Running payroll becomes difficult when attendance and leaves are not tracked correctly, ultimately leading to inaccurate salaries being dispersed to your employees, resulting in employee dissatisfaction.

A cloud-based attendance tracking system helps in eliminating all these problems and cuts down tedious hours that an HR otherwise would spend tallying various entries. These hours can be devoted to the more important tasks and other areas of your business. Chances of your attendance being tracked with errors also become zero. But with so many options in the market, which is the best attendance management software for you? Let’s first examine the various methods, you can capture attendance before we discuss the best attendance management software applications.

Methods in which you can implement an attendance system

1. Web portal check-in and check-out

This method is the digital equivalent of a traditional attendance register. The employee marks his attendance after login into his employee portal. Clicking the check-in button tracks the time and the check-out button records the out punch. Most attendance software will provide you with this functionality but it is very basic in terms of the authenticity of the data. Employees can fool this system by marking from a location other than the office and even proxy marking. However, it is a very simple process and may be suitable for companies just looking for a basic attendance system in place.

2. Biometric attendance

Biometric attendance system syncs with a biometric machine (like a fingerprint or face scanner) to track the clock-in and clock-out time of employees. Employees cannot trick or bypass this system easily hence, it is proven to be a more reliable source of tracking attendance. The only downside to this system is that It cannot be used to mark the attendance of on-field employees. The next method solves this problem.

3. Mobile attendance (Geo-fencing/Geo tagging/Seflie)

Mobile attendance uses your mobile phone’s GPS to track your location every time you clock in and out of the system. Proxy marking is also not possible as every user can access their portal only on their device due to unique device ID restrictions. Geo-fencing can be used to fence a particular geographic location within which an employee can mark his location.

4. Register upload

This is a hybrid approach where attendance is calculated on excel with many attendance software applications providing a pre-template worksheet (with fields and columns of in-time, out-time, and overtime) for inputs and the software automatically processes payroll as per the imported excel sheet. Most attendance software applications will give you this option but it isn’t recommended to run payroll with this method as it involves a lot of manual work and defeats the purpose of opting for attendance software in the first place.

Things to watch out for before choosing the right attendance software

1. Desktop-based vs Cloud-based

You will predominantly find one of these two options while searching for attendance software in the market. On-premises or Desktop based Attendance Software is a local system installed on a computer or local server. All data generated by desktop-based attendance software will be stored in-house or on local servers. Desktop-based systems have been outdated as there is always a risk of losing sensitive data due to a system malfunction or a virus.

Wed-based or Cloud-based software is becoming increasingly popular in most industry sectors. All data generated is stored in encrypted cloud storage which can sync attendance data of multiple locations in real-time. Cloud-based software can be accessed anytime, anywhere.

2. Ability to mark attendance in multiple ways

It is essential to check whether your attendance management system can mark attendance in all methods mentioned in the section above as it makes it more flexible to adapt to your organization’s changing policies and make the system future-proof. Some attendance software provides premium features like Geo fencing at an extra cost above the standard price. You must discuss these hidden costs with your attendance software vendor before implementing them in your organization.

3. What does the implementation process looks like?

The implementation process of any attendance management system typically takes around 3 to 4 days but certain vendors may also take up to 2 weeks to complete this process. Make sure you talk it out with your attendance management provider about how long the implementation process will take and whether biometric machines will be implemented with the software if required.

4. Does it suit your budget?

Most cloud-based attendance management software will range in price from Rs20 per employee pm to Rs500 per employee pm. Your budget will completely depend upon your requirements and employee strength.

5. Does it provide a full-suite HRMS with payroll integration?

Payroll, attendance, and leave go hand-in-hand with each other. Without accurate attendance and leave calculations, It is impossible to run payroll seamlessly. No matter what attendance software you choose, make sure that it has all basic HRMS features in place with inputs that sync with your payroll processes. You can eliminate most manual processes if you keep this point on your checklist.

6. Is customer support reliable?

After-sales is a crucial element of any attendance software solution, be it setting up various organization policies or any other assistance that you might need while operating the tool. Having an account manager who can solve your queries in real-time is always recommended.

7. Will I get all the relevant reports that I need?

Certain attendance management systems cannot generate custom reports and run attendance audits. These reports can prove to be very handy for keeping records and making necessary changes in your organization’s policies. You must make sure that your attendance software provides you with the ability to generate all sorts of reports that you may need in the future.

Attendance Management Software in India

1. Quikchex

Quikchex is a one-stop HRMS specifically designed for Indian businesses. It is simple enough to use for a 20+ employee startup, yet configurable enough for 2000+ employee enterprises. With a market standing of over 40 years in the HR industry through its group companies, Quikchex has become a reliable HRMS tool for hundreds of companies in India. One of the biggest highlights of Quikchex is its attendance and leave software that seamlessly integrates with its payroll and HRMS platform.

Quikchex supports multiple methods of marking attendance like Web portal punch-in, Biometric integration, and Mobile attendance including Geo-fencing, Geo-tagging, and Selfie attendance and register uploads.

The system also allows you to set custom attendance and leave policies unique to your organization like shift management, half-day calculations, and regularization workflows.

Pros:

1. Easy to use UI, yet configurable enough for large enterprises
2. Supports Geo-fencing, selfie mobile attendance, biometric integration, and many other modes of attendance tracking
3. Dedicated account managers for 24/7 support.
4. Integration with the full-suite Quikchex HRMS and Payroll Software solutions
5. Vertically Integrated Last mile Payroll Outsourcing and Compliance services

Cons:

1. Not suitable for 10,000+ employee enterprises looking for a custom-made solution

Suitable for:

Small startups to large enterprises.

2. PocketHRMS

PocketHRMS is another ‘employee-centric’ HR Solution designed to automate daily tasks and processes while being user-friendly. Similarly, they provide a one-stop HRMS solution with features like AI-enabled HR Chatbot ‘smHRty’ & a global search ‘smHRt searcHR’ aiding ease of use for its users. In addition, they do not provide attendance software in their standard plan but can be a good option for companies exploring their professional plans which include facial recognition, geo-tagging, and much more. But it may not be suitable for companies looking for a basic attendance portal on a budget.

Pros:

1. Good options for companies looking for a one-stop solution that is scalable
2. Unique features like ‘AI-enabled Chatbot’ to assist employees

Cons:

1. Attendance management is not available in their standard plans
2. Not suitable for startups looking for a budget-friendly solution.

Suitable for:

Midsize companies

3. Spine HR

Spine has been a reliable system for companies looking for on-premise or desktop-based payroll and attendance management software. However, Spine is new to the cloud-based environment and their system can be complex for modern businesses looking for a simple solution without the steep learning curve.

Pros:

1. One of the few options in the market for companies looking for a reliable on-premise or desktop-based attendance solution.

Cons:

1. Not scalable for companies with multiple locations
2. Complex user interfaces with a steep learning curve for newer HRMS users

Suitable for:

Mid to large-size companies

4. Keka

Formed in 2013, kaka has quickly gained traction for being an employee-centric HRMS platforms with strong UI experience in the industry. They also provide attendance management software that seamlessly integrates with payroll with an employee-friendly mobile app on which users can mark their attendance with ease. Keka does not provide any backend payroll outsourcing or compliance services and may not be suitable for companies looking for an end-to-end HRMS platform with such backend services.

Pros:

1. Employee-centric strong UI experience
2. Integration with third-party solutions

Cons:

1. No backend payroll and compliance services
2. Expensive compared to other similar options on the list

Suitable for:

Small to mid-size companies

5. DarwinBox

Darwin Box is an end-to-end HRMS platform catering to the complex requirements of larger enterprises. Darwin box provides comprehensive attendance software and a complete package to its users including niche modules like L&D and R&R. Hence, it can prove to be a great alternative for other popular enterprise-level HCM tools like SAP and Workday. However, it may not be suitable for smaller startups and mid-sized organizations as DarwinBox is expensive and complex to use compared to other systems on this list.

Pros:

1. Highly scalable for larger enterprises with complex requirements
2. They provide niche modules like L&D and R&R which most enterprise companies would prefer.

Cons:

1. Complicated for smaller organizations
2. May prove to be more expensive for most SME Budgets

Suitable for:

Large sized enterprises.

6. Kredily

Kredily is a tool built for small to mid-sized organizations looking for a tool to automate their payroll and attendance processes without any complexities. They also offer a range of features including ‘greet’ and ‘reach’ that replaces the need for other communication tools such as Teams. In addition, their HRMS also includes a payout gateway solution called ‘KREDPAY’ that is seamlessly integrated into the system. However, Kredily is only limited to payroll, attendance, leaves, and other basic features. Hence, it may not be ideal for companies looking for a full-suite HRMS Solution.

Pros:

1. Easy to use and highly adaptive for small organizations
2. Provides features like ‘KREDPAY’ and ‘GREET’ which are unique for kredily users

Cons:

1. Limited modules of payroll, attendance, and leaves. PMS and timesheets are not available
2. Not scalable for growing businesses

Suitable for:

Small to midsize businesses

7. Zoho People

Zoho people is a cloud HRMS used by companies around the world. It offers comprehensive attendance software with features that most large enterprises would look for. They also provide easy data migration and integration options with third-party tools like Quickbooks etc. The target market of Zoho people is global, hence it may lack certain features specifically designed for Indian businesses.

Pros:

1. Integration with other products from the Zoho family
2. The credibility of the Zoho brand

Cons:

1. Zoho caters to the global market. Hence, may not meet certain Indian-specific requirements
2. They provide different tools for various purposes

Suitable for:

Small and Mid-Sized companies

8. GreytHR

GreytHR is another HR and Payroll solution which has been in the industry for a number of years. Furthermore, It is suitable for organizations looking for a basic system for marking attendance and tracking leaves but may not be a one-stop HR solution as they do not provide modules like PMS and Recruitment which many growing companies require as they scale.

Pros:

1. Suitable for smaller companies looking for a basic attendance management system.
2. Long standing in the industry

Cons:

1. Not scalable due to limited modules
2. They do not offer backend Payroll outsourcing and compliance services

Suitable for:

Small to mid-size companies

9. FactoHR

Facto HR is a cloud-based hire-to-retire global HCM platform build for mid to large enterprises keeping a balance between high-performance workflow and a good employee experience. They also provide solutions that cater to specific industries. Even the basic plan of facto HR called ‘Essential Plan” includes attendance and leave tracks in it along with advanced features like Geo-tagging and Geo-Fencing. Certain basic modules like expense management are missing from their basic plan. Hence, it may not be suitable for companies looking for attendance payroll and expenses on a budget.

Pros:

1. Industry-specific solutions offered for the different needs of each industry.
2. Advanced attendance features like geo-fencing and geo-tagging are available in the basic plans.

Cons:

1. No backend payroll outsourcing and compliance management services
2. Not suitable for companies looking for payroll, attendance, and expense management software on a tight budget.

Suitable for:

Mid-sized enterprises

10. Timecheck

Timecheck is a cloud-based time and attendance management system which is designed for companies that need a dedicated tool to automate their attendance process. Timecheck also provides the flexibility to set custom policies and complex shift rules and integrates with your payroll. However, it is worth noting that Timecheck is an attendance software and may not be suitable for companies looking for a one-stop HRMS solution.

Pros:

1. Suitable for companies looking for a basic tool for tracking attendance and leaves on a budget.
2. Integrates with existing HRMS or Payroll Solution.

Cons:

1. Many users may not find the UI to be user-friendly.
2. It is an attendance and leave tracking software and cannot act as a substitute for a full-fledged HRMS.

Suitable for:

Small to midsize businesses.

In conclusion, there are quite a few good attendance management software options in the Indian market today. However, it is worth noting that the majority of these options are HRMS solutions too. Today, most HRMS software have attendance and leave tracking included in their overall package. A dedicated attendance management system is limited to automating attendance and leave tracking and does not offer full-fledged HRMS functions making it a hard recommendation for organizations looking to streamline their end-to-end HR Processes in one tool.

We would also recommend you check out our articles on the best payroll software in India and the Best HRMS software in India before taking your final call. If you haven’t made up your mind yet you can contact our experts at 0221248830 and have a detailed discussion on what’s best for you.