Best HR software for startups and SMBs In India

Best HR software for startups and SMBs In India

Describing the life of an HR professional in an expanding startup is both fulfilling and challenging. Typically, when an individual assumes the role of head of department or begins to establish an HR unit, they often have multiple responsibilities to manage. The best part? The appropriate HR software can reduce your manual responsibilities, streamline the processes of dealing with employees, and build a more engaged, high-performing team. The focus of this article is to study the best HR software for startups. These instruments serve to automate current puzzling functions of HR management and assist the business in its growth milestones instead of hindering it.

What is HR software for startups?

Specialized software for Human Resources handles automation for smaller enterprises when it comes to recruitment, payroll, employee engagement, and performance evaluations. Such systems assist with data centralization, task automation, and facilitate HR teams during periods of growth.

Features to look for in startup HR software

The right HR software provides a great liftoff for your startup’s growth. To maximize efficiency and scalability, look for features that can make a difference in day-to-day operations.

1. Time and attendance tracking

The features of attendance management systems automate time capture, approval workflows for paid time off (PTO), and sick leave. More sophisticated systems can self-correct for varying time zones and working hours.

Most systems give you reports with valuable historical data regarding time taken off and current balances in current and previous cycles. This ensures accuracy and fairness regarding time-keeping and reduces administrative work for HR teams.

2. Performance management systems

Performance management functionality enables people and businesses to learn, grow, and develop for the better. Ensure you can set goals, schedule 360 reviews, create personalized development plans, and use custom performance templates for the review exercises.

Use your HR system to enable continuous conversation, rather than performance management being an annual event.

3. Onboarding management system

Onboarding Management System is a digital solution designed to streamline and automate the process of integrating new employees into an organization. From sending welcome emails and collecting documents to assigning training and tracking progress, it helps HR teams provide a consistent, efficient, and engaging onboarding experience.

4. Employee Self-Service portal

Search for a comprehensive self-service portal that aligns with your organization's payroll, benefits, and performance management systems so your employees do not have to visit multiple locations. Through employee self-service, your staff can update personal details, initiate leave requests, and communicate interoffice without needing HR support. Your people can be relied upon and have control over their activities, and your HR professionals can target business transformations in workforce optimization, such as talent management or succession planning.

5. Payroll management

The finest payroll system not only ensures payment accuracy; it also takes care of sophisticated tasks such as handling multi-jurisdictional tax laws, currency payments, and differing compensation payments. Integrating the payroll system into the HR software provides streamlined workflows, reduces the risks of payroll errors, saves time, and ensures compliance guarantees.

Best HR Software For Startups & SMBs In India

In recent years, HR software in India has witnessed a massive surge in adoption as businesses realize the need to automate time-consuming HR tasks and improve overall productivity. What was once limited to basic payroll processing or attendance tracking has now evolved into full-fledged AI-powered HRMS platforms that streamline every aspect of human resource management, from recruitment and onboarding to performance management and employee engagement.

With a growing number of HRMS solutions available in the Indian market, choosing the right one can be overwhelming. To help you make an informed decision, we’ve curated a list of the top 5 HR software For Startups that stand out in terms of features, scalability, user-friendliness, and customer support.

  1. EasyHR

  2. GreytHR

  3. SumHR

  4. ZingHR

  5. Keka

EasyHR

Launched: 2013 Founder: Kanhai Chhugani

A lot of businesses track employee leaves and manage payroll on an Excel spreadsheet, making it unreliable and error-prone, and end up being a clerical job instead of an engaging one. EasyHR helps your Organization's HR team automate the mundane tasks and bring the focus back to your business and your employees. EasyHR offers an end-to-end HR solution to cover every aspect of the HR function.

EasyHR Features:

  • Onboarding and Exit Management

  • Document Generation and Management

  • Tasks and Daily Tasks reporting

  • Payroll Management

  • Attendance Management System

  • Employee self-service portal

  • Web and Mobile Clock-in/Clock-out

  • Helpdesk

  • Payroll Statutory compliance

  • Geo tracking / Geo Fencing / Geolocation

  • Claims / Expense Management

  • Work from Home

  • Performance Management

  • Recruitment

  • Timesheet

  • Rewards & Recognition

  • Training

  • Loans & Advances

  • Survey

  • Travel and Outdoor Management

  • Asset Management

  • Central Employee Directory

  • Biometric Integration

  • Mobile App

Pricing: EasyHR offers multiple plans based on your requirements and module selection. Plans start with INR 2499/month.

GreytHR

Launched: 1994

Founder(s): Girish Rowjee and Sayeed Anjum

About: An oldie on our list of best HR software – GreytHR. Greytip provides complete lifecycle management of an employee including management of his or her information, leave, attendance, headcount analysis, and payroll processing, as a solution on its platform. Focusing on small and medium enterprises, the company states to be helping only the technology side of the business, through its product GreytHR.

GreytHR has served over 3000 customers spread across 60+ cities and is used by 8 lac employees.

GreytHR Features:

  • Core HR Management

  • Payroll Management

  • Leave Management

  • Tasks and checklists

  • PayNow

  • Employee Self-Service Portal

  • Employee Self-onboarding

  • Attendance Management

  • Expense Claims Management

  • Multi-company Support

  • Geo Mark+

Pricing: GreytHR offers four pricing plans for you to choose from, starting at INR 995/month + INR 15/month per employee.

SumHR

Launched: 2013

Founder(s): Jay Thaker and Waqar Azmi

About: SumHR is another HRMS provider that aims to help startups and SMEs streamline HR & Payroll processes. It aims to challenge the perception of human resource management by making the lives of HR professionals easier by automating mundane tasks.

SumHR provides a modern cloud-based HR software that reduces paperwork, increases employee productivity and allows your HR team to help your organization reach its goals.

SumHR Features:

  • Attendance Monitoring

  • Leaves Tracking

  • Biometrics Integrations

  • Payroll Automation

  • Project Timesheets

  • Enterprise Social Network

  • Onboarding/Exit Checklists

  • HR Helpdesk

  • Performance Management

  • Document Management

  • Recruitment Management

Pricing: Minimum subscription of INR 2999 + INR 49 per employee per product.

ZingHR

Launched: 1999

Founder(s): Prasad Rajappan

About: One of the oldest HRM providers, ZingHR has constantly updated its technological prowess to deliver a modern and complete HR solution that is used by over 5 lac employees in over 500 companies.

ZingHR adopts an employee-centric, mobile-first approach covering the entire spectrum from employee recruitment to employee exit. From startups to medium-sized businesses to Fortune 500 enterprises, a cross-section of industries chooses ZingHR to deliver business strategy alignment, team execution, and maximum people performance.

ZingHR Features:

  • Employee Self Service Portal

  • Employee Data Management

  • Leave Management Platform

  • Claims Management

  • Salary Structure Configuration

  • Investment Declaration Workflow

  • Payroll Processing

  • Full & Final Settlement Engine

  • Statutory Compliance Engine

  • Reports Engine

  • JV Outputs for Finance

  • Onboarding & Appointment Letters

  • Time, Attendance & Leave Management System

  • Attendance Reports & Dashboards

  • Recruitment Process with Standard Workflows

  • e-Separation with Standard Workflows

  • Lifecycle Changes with Standard Workflows

  • Performance Management & Appraisal

Pricing: ZingHR offers four pricing plans starting at INR 7250 for up to 50 employees.

Keka

Launched: 2016

Founder(s): Vijay Yalamanchili and Sashi Pagadala

About: Keka is on a mission to improve the employee experience for employers across India. Frustrated with age-old, clunky and boring interfaces of HR software, the founders set out to create a modern HRMS that delivers a better experience.

Within the year of its launch in 2016, Keka had over 400 customers across India using their product to streamline HR & Payroll workflows.

Keka Features:

  • Payroll Management

  • HRMS

  • Employee Portal (Self Service)

  • Leave Management

  • Employee Onboarding & Exit

  • ToDo – Task Management

  • Polls & Announcements

  • Attendance Tracking

  • Attendance Rules

  • GPS Attendance Tracking

  • Expense Claims

  • Asset Management

  • API Access (Beta)

Pricing: Keka offers 3 pricing plans starting at INR 4999/month up to 100 employees + INR 30 per additional employee.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the best HR software for startups depends on your organization’s size, budget, and unique HR needs. Whether you're a startup or a large enterprise, automating HR operations using a reliable HRMS platform can save time, reduce errors, and improve employee satisfaction.

📢 Ready to streamline your HR operations? 👉 Explore EasyHR – Book a Free Demo today at www.easyhrworld.com

Check out the list for the Top 5 Best HR Software in 2024

Check out the list for the Top 5 Best HR Software in 2025

Get Started !

Schedule a demo with EasyHR to experience ease of use and how an enterprise payroll software could be simplified.