Top 10 Best HRMS software in India for SMEs 

Have you ever been in that sticky situation when your leave and attendance need to be tallied, expenses have to be approved and payroll has to be processed in the next 2 days but your HRMS won’t work? It can be due to technical errors, complex processes to achieve simple outcomes and no customer support at the very last minute! Here is where you need to take a STEP in the right direction and look for the best HRMS Software in India.

Whether you’re a start-up in your field or a well-established company with several entities and locations, HR software will always come in handy for automating your daily processes and running the payroll of your organization every month. With so many alternatives in the market nowadays, deciding on the best option for your organization might be quite challenging. Although they might seem to have similar functions, they can differ greatly in terms of features, user interface/experience (UI/UX), accessibility, price, and most importantly, after-sales service.

Let’s have a look at the things to keep in mind before deciding on the best HRMS Software in India ideal for your organization:

Watch out for these specifics before choosing what’s best for you

1. Desktop based vs Cloud-based Software

The majority of the options on the market fit into one of these two groups.

On-premises or Desktop based HRMS Software is a standalone system that is installed on a local server or computer. Although there is an advantage of having all the data saved locally, there is always a possibility of losing your company data due to a system crash or virus malfunction.

Today on-premise software is outdated because of its major shortcomings in scalability, accessibility, and progress in modern technology. This is why most organizations now prefer cloud-based software over other options.

Wed-based or Cloud-based software is becoming increasingly popular in most industry sectors. Users of cloud-based software can access their systems anytime, anywhere.

Your organization can benefit from a cloud-based solution in multiple ways.

1. Rather than paying a large initial lump sum amount as you would for a desktop-based solution, you can pay a monthly subscription fee (similar to Netflix or Spotify) and opt out of the service at any time.
2. Can be accessed from anywhere across the globe
3. Scalable for growing businesses
4. Data is securely stored on the host server and the risk of losing data is minimized

2. What modules/features do they offer?

Each organization has its own set of requirements. Some may only require payroll, while others may require a full-suite solution and payroll outsourcing service as well. Perhaps a mobile application for tracking attendance is essential for you. Many HR vendors in India build custom packages as per your requirements and charge you only for the modules you end up using.

3. What does the implementation process look like?

HRMS software vendors may offer a quick and easy implementation process that would typically take up to a week to complete. On the other hand, some vendors may take up to a month or more to fully complete your data migration process and may charge you extra for it. Decision-makers must understand the implementation process before deciding whether or not to pursue a particular option.

4. What is your budget?

Cloud-based HRMS software in India range in price from Rs 20/- per employee per month to Rs.1000/+ – per employee per month. Your requirements and employee strength will be one of the most important factors in determining the budget for your next HRMS Software. Tuning down your budget can turn out to be costly in the long run.

5. Is customer support reliable?

Just like any other business, after-sales service is an essential component of an HRMS solution in India. You may have the best HRMS Software available in the market in terms of functionality. However, sooner or later you will require assistance from your HRMS vendor for an inquiry or an issue with the software that requires immediate attention. If your HR vendor cannot provide you with an account manager and an ‘on demand’ phone call line to resolve your queries and issues, it is time to start looking for another vendor who is capable of providing this kind of service to you and your team.

6. Can your HRMS software keep up with your business growth and plans?

Whichever HRMS Software you choose from the list given below, make sure that it is future-proof and remains relevant for your expansion plans and ever-growing employee count.

7. Will it provide me with all the relevant reports that I need?

One most important aspects you should focus on in an HRMS Demo is having a checklist for all the reports you will need and the ability to create custom reports.

Now that you know exactly what to look for in HRMS Software. Let’s check the 10 Best HRMS Software Solutions that should be on your HRMS Shopping list.

QuikchexKekaGreytHRDarwinboxKredilyZingSpineRazorpayZohoHROne
Payroll Software
Attendance & Leaves
Expense Management
Performance Management
Timesheets
Flexi benefits
L&D / R&R
ESS Portal / Mobile App
Recruitment & ATS
Payroll Outsourcing services
PF ESCI Labour Compliance filings
Dedicated account manager support
Pricing ₹₹₹ ₹₹ ₹₹ ₹₹₹

Best HRMS software in India

1. QUIKCHEX

Quikchex is an easy-to-use, yet highly configurable and affordable HRMS designed for Indian companies ranging from 20-employee startups to 2000+ employee corporations. What distinguishes them from the majority of the other options on this list is that they provide vertically integrated services such as Payroll Outsourcing and Compliance Management, both of which seamlessly integrate with their HRMS software. They offer a mobile application and on-demand account managers who are available at any time of day to assist you, hence it can be termed as an all-rounder option in the market.

Pros:

1. Vertical integration of Last Mile Payroll and Compliance Management Services
2. Easy to use yet highly configurable
3. Dedicated account managers for round-the-clock support
4. Budget-friendly solution

Cons:

1. Learning & Development and Rewards & Recognition Modules while in the pipeline, are yet to be launched
2. Not suitable for 10,000+ employee enterprises that need a customized solution

2. KEKA

Keka is known for its employee usability and strong UI experience. It provides a fully integrated and unified workflow that allows for a trouble-free payroll processing experience. They do not offer any backend services like payroll outsourcing and compliance management services and may not be suitable for companies looking for these services as a package with an HRMS

Pros:

1. Strong UI experience
2. Integration options with certain third-party tools

Cons:

1. No backend payroll and compliance management services are offered
2. High price compared to other market equivalents

3. GREYTHR

GreytHR is one of the oldest HR software solutions in India for small to mid-size firms. They enable their users to manage and quickly access employee data and reports. It may not be suitable as you scale further as they do not provide niche HRMS modules like PMS and Recruitment, which most growing companies have as a requirement as they scale.

Pros:

1. Suitable for smaller companies
2. Long standing in the industry

Cons:

1. Not suitable for growing companies due to limited modules
2. No backend payroll and compliance management services are offered

4. DARWINBOX

Darwin Box is an industry-leading end-to-end HRMS platform in India for the complex business requirements of large enterprises. It offers a comprehensive HR solution to its users, including tools such as ATS (Applicant tracking system) and R&R (Rewards and Recognition) and it can prove to be a great alternative for SAP or Workday which are some other enterprise-level HCM tools. Darwin box also comes with a high cost which may go out of budget for most startups or other mid-sized companies

Pros:

1. Complete HCM platform for complex business requirements
2. High level of scalability for large enterprise companies

Cons:

1. Too complicated and non-user-friendly for small and mid-size firms
2. Expensive for SME budgets
3. No backend payroll and compliance management services offered

5. KREDILY

Kredily is an HR Digital Workplace for small to medium-sized businesses in India. With features such as kredily’s ‘greet’ and ’reach’, many applications such as teams, and other communication tools can be easily replaced by this HR Software. They also provide a payout gateway solution known as ‘KREDPAY’ which is integrated into their HRMS. However, many modules like PMS, Timesheets and some other basic features are not available in this tool.

Pros:

1. Dedicated features like ‘Kredpay’ and ‘Greet’ are available
2. Affordable pricing

Cons:

1. Modules like PMS, Timesheets and Flexi benefits are not available
2. Not scalable for growing companies

6. ZING HR

Zing HR is a complete HRMS solution, targeted for larger enterprise clients, due to a wide range of modules and a high degree of configurability.

Pros:

1. A comprehensive solution suited for mid to large-size enterprises
2. Provides customizations based on client verticals to a certain extent

Cons:

1. Could be complex to use for small and mid-size firms
2. Expensive for SME budgets

7. SPINE HR

Spine is one of the older players in the HR tech space in India. They have predominantly been a desktop-based solution and have proven to be a reliable tool for running payroll. However, in a cloud-based environment, Spine can be a very complex tool with a user experience that many modern businesses would have a hard time adjusting to.

Pros:

1. Ideal for organizations that need a desktop-based solution
2. Scalable for large-size businesses
3. Asset Management System available

Cons:

1. Not recommended for organizations looking for a cloud-based solution
2. Complex UI which requires a steep learning curve for new users

8. RAYZORPAYX Payroll (previously Opfin)

As a payroll gateway provider for many years, Razorpay entered the payroll market in India through its acquisition of Opfin.

Being from the Razorpay family, users can benefit from their complete payroll automation solution but they do not provide a full-fledged HRMS with modules like attendance tracking, PMS, and some other functions due to it being still in its early stages of development.

Pros:

1. Simple UI, which is easy to use for under 20 employee companies
2. Auto disbursement of payroll and compliance payments

Cons:

1. Not ideal for 20+ employee companies due to limited configurability
2. Limited to payroll-related modules

9. ZOHO

Zoho people is a tool used by companies around the world. It offers easy data migration and provides various integrations and customization options as well. However, given its global target market, it may not have some functions tailored toward Indian companies

Pros:

1. Integration with the full suite of products available from the Zoho family like Zoho Books etc.
2. The credibility of the Zoho brand

Cons:

1. It is a global solution and may not meet certain Indian-specific requirements
2. They provide different tools for different purposes and may not be suitable for companies looking for a complete HR Solution under one umbrella. For example, Payroll is built under a separate solution.

10. HR ONE

HR One, like all other software applications on this list, covers all of the fundamental modules such as payroll, leave tracking, reports, and so on. They provide a user-friendly mobile application for its users with the ability to configure more than 50 tasks on the go. However, it is designed for large enterprises with many functionalities that small to mid-sized companies may find complex to use.

Pros:

1. A comprehensive tool built for enterprise businesses
2. User-friendly mobile application

Cons:

1. Complex for small to mid-sized companies
2. They do not provide backend services of payroll outsourcing and compliance

Now that you are aware of the top HR software in India, you can choose the right option that suits your business requirements and compare all the market offerings before taking the final call.

Companies have seen a mass transformation in the digital space post covid and HRMS certainly has helped these companies to take that leap in the right direction. 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.

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