Introduction: The HR Dilemma – Tech or Service? Why Not Both?
India’s workforce management landscape is changing fast. With hybrid teams, rising compliance requirements, and growing demand for efficiency, businesses—especially startups and MSMEs—are increasingly turning to HR technology to manage their workforce better. But selecting the right solution goes beyond checking feature lists; it’s about finding a tool that scales, supports, and simplifies.
In this HRMS comparison for India, three platforms stand out—Keka, greytHR, and TankhaPay.
While Keka and greytHR are among the top HR software in India for enterprises, startups and MSMEs, known for their intuitive design and strong HR capabilities, TankhaPay brings something extra. It combines all standard HR tech features with add-on services like payroll outsourcing, PF/ESI compliance management, and contractual staffing—making it more than just a software tool.
If you’re evaluating options for the best HR software in India for MSMEs or startups, this guide will help you compare features, flexibility, and value to choose the right HRMS that fits your business goals.
Let’s break down how it stacks up.
Meet the Contenders
If you’re comparing Keka vs greytHR vs TankhaPay, you’re likely exploring which option among the best HR software in India with payroll outsourcing truly fits your business model. Let’s take a closer look.
TankhaPay – Scalable HRMS for Startups and Enterprises in India
TankhaPay = HR Tech + Staffing Services in One Powerful Platform
🔹Core HRMS Capabilities
TankhaPay includes everything you’d expect in a top-tier HRMS for startups in India and more:
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- Payroll & Compliance Automation: Automate payroll, TDS, and payslip generation while complying with PF, ESI, LWF, and PT. It’s ideal for businesses seeking PF and ESI compliance software in India that’s built right into their HR platform.
- Smart Attendance & Leave Management: Mark attendance via face recognition, mobile check-ins with geolocation, and geofencing. Track breaks, overtime, and leave with approval workflows and detailed reporting.
- Shift Scheduling & Time Tracking: Create and assign shifts, manage weekly offs, and easily track working hours—ideal for factories, field teams, and multi-location operations.
- Recruitment, Onboarding & Performance: Use our ATS to post jobs, track applicants, and onboard new hires digitally. Manage appraisals, goals, and skill development with integrated PMS and T&D modules.
- Asset & Workforce Management Tools: Keep your operations running smoothly with smart asset tracking and real-time workforce management. Allocate, monitor, and optimise assets from a central dashboard while effortlessly managing employee records, roles, and documentation.
- Learning & Performance management software: Empower your team’s development through a unified platform for performance reviews, KPI tracking, and competency mapping. Combine this with training modules that support skill development, certifications, feedback, and progress tracking—making continuous improvement a reality.
🔹Add-On Services That Set TankhaPay Apart
While other tools focus only on software, TankhaPay offers integrated HR tech with staffing solutions—making it unique among hr software companies in india.
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- Off-roll Payrolling & Workforce Outsourcing: Outsource gig, temp, or contract staffing with complete payroll, attendance, and compliance support—ideal for seasonal or project-based teams.
- Managed PF & ESI Without Registration: No PF/ESI number? No problem. We take care of social security onboarding. TankhaPay is a rare PF and ESI compliance software in India that handles everything end-to-end—including filings, worker enrollment, and support—without requiring your company to register separately.
- Apprentice Hiring via NAPS & NATS: Hire apprentices under government schemes and let us manage onboarding, stipend disbursal, documentation, and reporting.
- Expert Compliance & Salary Structuring: Our team helps you design cost-effective, compliant salary structures aligned with labour laws and your business model.
- Custom HRMS for MSMEs and Enterprises: Whether you’re a startup or a multi-location enterprise, TankhaPay adapts to your needs—offering the most flexible HRMS with payroll outsourcing in India.
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🔥 In short, You get everything Keka and greytHR offer—and a full-service HR backend.
Keka – A Modern, Employee-Centric HRMS
Keka is widely recognised for its sleek user interface and employee-first approach, making it a popular choice among modern HR teams. It offers a strong suite of features designed to streamline day-to-day HR operations, including:
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- Hiring and Onboarding: Keka provides structured workflows for managing the entire recruitment cycle—from posting job openings to onboarding new hires. It helps companies automate documentation and improve candidate experience.
- Payroll and Compliance: It supports end-to-end payroll management, including P5F, ESI, and TDS statutory compliance. The platform offers customisable salary structures and automated payslip generation, reducing manual errors.
- Learning Management and Performance Tracking: With its built-in LMS and performance modules, Keka allows organisations to manage employee growth through training programs, goal setting, and performance reviews—all within the same platform.
- Timesheets and Project Tracking: Ideal for services and IT firms, Keka enables time tracking for specific projects and tasks. Timesheets can be linked to payroll, helping align productivity with compensation.
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While Keka performs exceptionally well in structured HR environments, it operates as a pure software solution. It doesn’t offer operational service support like payroll outsourcing, staffing assistance, or managed compliance. This leaves businesses—especially MSMEs and fast-scaling enterprises—to independently handle critical backend processes such as PF/ESI registration, third-party workforce management, and regulatory complexities.
GreytHR – Reliable HRMS for Core HR Functions
GreytHR has been a reliable choice for Indian businesses for years and is known for its focus on compliance and operational stability. Thousands of companies trust it for essential HR and payroll functions—especially those looking for a straightforward, dependable solution without too much complexity.
- HR Software: GreytHR simplifies everyday HR operations with centralised employee data, built-in document storage, customisable HR letters, and a searchable employee directory. It helps HR teams stay on top of admin work and ready for audits.
- Payroll Software: The platform’s payroll module is built to handle Indian compliance with ease. It automates the entire payroll cycle while ensuring accuracy, from processing salaries and calculating taxes to managing reimbursements and issuing payslips.
- Manage leave and attendance: The software allows for comprehensive tracking of leave policies, accruals, approvals, and holiday calendars. It also supports attendance tracking through integrations with biometric devices.
- Performance Management: GreytHR gives managers a straightforward way to set goals and follow up on how employees are doing. It covers the basics—like tracking performance and managing reviews—which can be helpful for teams that need a simple, no-fuss approach to appraisals. While it’s not overly advanced, it does the job for companies looking to stay organised and ensure everyone stays on track.
- Employee Self-Service & Engagement: With GreytHR’s employee portal and mobile app, team members can easily access their payslips, apply for leaves, update personal information, and download HR documents—making day-to-day processes smoother and more transparent.
⚠️ But It Stops at Software
One of greytHR’s limitations is that it focuses solely on software. It doesn’t offer extended services like staffing, payroll outsourcing, PF/ESI compliance support, or workforce management. Businesses using greytHR often need to bring in external consultants or build internal teams to handle labour laws, social security, and off-roll worker management, adding to cost and operational overhead.
Feature Showdown – Who Does What?
While Keka and greytHR focus solely on core HR automation, TankhaPay goes further by offering HR tech with staffing solutions—removing the need to juggle multiple vendors or consultants.
Who Should Choose What?
✅ Choose TankhaPay If You Want:
- A complete HRMS + service ecosystem
- One-stop solution for payroll, compliance, hiring, and benefits
- To outsource HR complexities and focus on business growth
- To onboard tech, gig, full-time, part-time, and apprentice workers seamlessly
- Tech-driven efficiency plus hands-on operational support
⚪ Choose Keka If You Want:
- A beautifully designed HR tool for in-house HR teams
- Great learning, recruitment, and career progression tools
- A structured environment for performance tracking
⚪ Choose greytHR If You Want:
- A dependable, compliance-oriented HRMS for basic automation
- Affordable payroll and leave solutions for small HR teams
- Simpler deployment with strong documentation
💬 What People Prefer: Live Poll Results
We asked real users to vote for their preferred HRMS—and here’s what they said 👇
(Based on a LinkedIn poll conducted by us)
🟩 TankhaPay – 64%
🟨 Keka – 21%
🟥 greytHR – 15%
Final Verdict: TankhaPay is the Only True HRMS + Service Solution
While Keka and greytHR offer strong HR software platforms, they’re limited to product-based automation. For businesses that need more than software—like staffing help, compliance guidance, social security provisioning, or NAPS/NATS program execution—TankhaPay is the clear winner.
You don’t just get HR tech with TankhaPay.
You get a human-led, tech-enabled HR ecosystem.
Learn how HR Audits can help your organization stay legally compliant and performance-driven.
Ready to Simplify Your HR Operations?
Whether you’re an Enterprise, startup, or MSME, TankhaPay is the only HRMS that scales to meet your needs and supports your workforce with real services, not just software.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How does TankhaPay compare with Keka and Greythr?
When comparing Keka vs Greythr vs TankhaPay, all three offer strong core HRMS features. However, TankhaPay stands out by combining HR automation with payroll outsourcing, staffing support, and compliance services like ESI, PF, and labour law. It's designed for HR operations and total workforce management—ideal for companies that want an end-to-end HR ecosystem.
Which HRMS offers payroll outsourcing services in India?
While most HRMS platforms automate payroll internally, only a few, like TankhaPay, provide complete payroll outsourcing services in India. Businesses don't just get a tool—they get a dedicated partner handling pay processing, statutory deductions (PF/ESI), compliance filing, and employee salary disbursals without internal workload.
What is the top HRMS for startups in India?
Startups need speed, flexibility, and cost-effective tools. TankhaPay is an excellent fit as it offers scalable HRMS features like onboarding, performance tracking, attendance management, outsourced payroll, and compliance, helping startups stay lean while remaining compliant and efficient from day one.
Which HR software supports PF and ESI compliance in India?
TankhaPay is designed to handle PF and ESI compliance seamlessly. Unlike most HRMS tools that stop at payroll calculation, TankhaPay goes further, managing monthly filings, challan generation, employee eligibility, and even supporting government inspections. It helps businesses stay fully compliant without needing separate consultants or manual processes.
What makes TankhaPay different from Keka and Greythr?
While Keka and Greythr offer solid HRMS functionality, TankhaPay combines tech with services more holistically. It covers HR modules like onboarding, PMS, ATS, and ESS, including payroll outsourcing, staffing, and social security benefit management. This integrated model makes it a better fit for businesses that want to reduce vendor dependency and scale faster.
Which HRMS is best for companies with on- and off-roll employees?
TankhaPay is explicitly built to manage both on-roll and off-roll workforce—something that many HR platforms miss. Whether you're working full-time as a staff member, temp worker, or contractor, TankhaPay offers unified dashboards, attendance, and payroll management with full compliance support. It helps enterprises gain control over their entire workforce from one platform.
Which HRMS offers multilingual Employee Self Service (ESS) features in India?
With TankhaPay, employees can access the ESS portal in the language they know best—whether it’s for checking payslips, applying for leave, or updating personal info. This makes daily HR tasks much smoother for companies with teams spread across cities and regions, especially in industries like logistics or manufacturing.
Is there an HR software that combines core HRMS features with real staffing support?
TankhaPay is the only HRMS among the three (Keka, Greythr, TankhaPay) that integrates core HR tools (like Employee Onboarding, ATS, PMS, Training, etc.) with real staffing services. You don't just manage people—you can also hire and deploy them via TankhaPay's trusted talent network.
Which HR platform is ideal for compliance-heavy industries?
If you're in manufacturing, logistics, construction, or any industry that frequently checks compliance, TankhaPay is the more intelligent choice. Its built-in labour compliance, PF/ESI handling, and statutory reporting features help you stay audit-ready without relying on external consultants or facing last-minute surprises.
