Top 10 Payroll Software in India: Features, Pricing & Reviews

What is Payroll?

Payroll is the complete process of compensating employees for their work—right from calculating salaries, bonuses, and deductions to ensuring timely disbursement and statutory compliance. It involves tracking attendance, managing leaves, applying tax rules, and filing government returns like PF, ESI, and TDS. For any business, getting payroll right isn’t just about paying employees, it’s about building long term credibility, avoiding compliance risks, and maintaining operational efficiency. That’s exactly where the top payroll software in India steps in. By automating complex calculations and streamlining approvals, modern payroll solutions like TankhaPay help companies run payroll faster, more accurately, and with complete peace of mind.

Top 10 Payroll Software in India (2025)

Managing employee payroll in India involves more than just paying salaries—it includes complying with various laws like EPF, ESI, Professional Tax, TDS, and labour regulations. Businesses are now increasingly adopting cloud-based payroll software to simplify this process. We highlight the top 10 payroll software in India that offer automation, compliance, and convenience. Whether you’re a startup, SME, or large enterprise, this list includes something for everyone.

1. TankhaPay

TankhaPay is a modern, cloud-based top payroll software in India built specifically for India’s dynamic workforce. It makes salary processing and statutory compliance like PF/ESI extremely simple—even for businesses without dedicated HR teams.

TankhaPay: Empowering Indian businesses with the best payroll software for automated compliance, salary processing, and employee benefits.

Pros

• Automates PF/ESI, PT, and TDS
• Generates payslips, Form 16, and Form 24Q
• Multilingual employee self-service portal
• Helps extend social security benefits
• Built-in contractor and part-time worker management

Suitable For: Startups, MSMEs,Large Enterprises
Unique Edge: The only platform in India that provides a complete HR ecosystem along with the HR Tech platform TankhaPay offers services like Employer of Record (EOR), Apprentice Management under NATS and HR Outsourcing that is also known as Managed Payroll & Compliance Services.

2. GreytHR

One of the top payroll software in India, GreatHR provides full payroll automation along with an employee portal, leave management, and TDS.

Automated payroll dashboard by TankhaPay streamlining salary processing and compliance for Indian businesses.

Pros

• Auto calculations for EPF, ESI, TDS
• Compliance with all Indian labour laws
• Detailed reports and registers

Suitable For: SMEs, IT companies, mid-sized businesses

3. Zoho Payroll

Best for companies already utilizing Zoho applications, Zoho Payroll easily integrates with Zoho Books, CRM, and People to provide a streamlined payroll experience.

Empowering HR teams with secure and scalable payroll software in India.

Pros

• Easy-to-use interface
• End-to-end statutory compliance
• Direct bank integrations

Suitable For: Startups, software teams, online businesses

4. RazorpayX Payroll

This fintech-powered payroll tool automates everything from compliance to salary disbursals and benefits—best suited for startups and lean teams.

Pros

• Fast salary payments
• Auto PF/ESI/Professional Tax
• Contractor payroll

Suitable For: Small startups, app-based companies

5. Keka HR

Keka wraps strong payroll and HR automation into one platform, which makes it perfect for scaling teams who are looking for more than just payroll.

TankhaPay – Payroll software dashboard showing employee salary details and digital payslip interface in India.

Pros

• Performance and attendance tools
• Highly configurable
• Employee self-service

Suitable For: Rapid-growth companies, mid to large-scale businesses

6. Zimyo

A cloud-based HR and payroll solution that’s quick, agile, and mobile-focused. Zimyo is great for companies seeking fast setup and contemporary UX.

TankhaPay simplifies payroll with a powerful cloud-based platform, tailored for Indian businesses to ensure compliance, accuracy, and growth.

Pros

• Compliance auto-filing
• Onboarding software
• Mobile ESS portal

Suitable For: SMBs, remote teams

7. Kredily

Famous for its free payroll level, Kredily is a good place to start for firms just starting out with HR automation.

Pros

• Cost-effective
• Fundamental compliance features
• Free for small businesses

Suitable For: Early-stage startups, NGOs

8. Saral PayPack

Saral PayPack is a mature desktop-based solution popular among consultants, accounting firms, and payroll processors.

Pros

• Deep compliance tools
• Government-ready forms
• Location-specific salary structures

Suitable For: CAs, payroll bureaus, large contractors

9. HROne

Enterprise-ready solution that combines HR, payroll, and analytics in one intelligent platform. Ideal for large teams with complex needs.

A user-friendly payroll interface designed for accurate salary processing and effortless HR compliance.

Pros

• AI dashboards
• Multi-location & multi-entity support
• Custom reports

Suitable For: Enterprises, conglomerates

10. Pocket HRMS

Combines payroll automation with AI-powered chatbot tools and engagement features.

Real-time payroll dashboard with automated salary processing and tax compliance for Indian enterprises.

Pros

• One-click tax and leave management
• Interactive employee portal
• Compliance-ready reporting

Suitable For: SMEs, HR outsourcing firms

What is Payroll Processing

Payroll processing is the step-by-step workflow through which employee salaries are calculated, verified, disbursed, and recorded. It ensures that every payout is accurate, timely, and fully compliant with applicable labour and tax regulations.

It doesn’t matter if you’re handling payroll in-house or using an external service—what matters is getting it right. When the process runs smoothly, it keeps errors (and headaches) at bay and shows your team they can count on you.

Let’s walk through what goes into processing payroll step by step.

7 Key Steps of Payroll Processing – TankhaPay

Step 1-Collect Employee Data

Gather necessary inputs like attendance, shift details, overtime hours, leave balances, tax declarations, and timesheet records (for project-based or field staff).

Step 2-Validate Records

Make sure all the employee’s data is accurate and comprehensive. This entails confirming bank account information, PAN/Aadhaar, UAN and KYC details.

Step 3-Calculate Gross and Net Salary

Based on the employee’s CTC and inputs, calculate:
a. Gross salary (basic, HRA, allowances, bonuses)

b. Statutory deductions (PF, ESI, TDS, LWF, PT)

c. Net payable salary

Step 4-Generate Payslips

Businesses have to file returns for things like EPF, ESIC and TDS every month or every few months, depending on what rules apply to them. It’s not just about ticking boxes; these filings keep you compliant with the law. Missing deadlines can cause fines or other trouble, so staying on top is essential.

Step 5-Transfer Salaries

After all the numbers are in place, the next thing is to actually pay everyone. Most businesses just transfer the salaries straight to employees’ bank accounts—usually in one go through bulk payments. It’s simple and makes sure people get paid without any unnecessary hold-ups.

Step 6-File Statutory Returns

Every month or quarter, you’ll need to file returns for things like EPF, ESIC, and TDS—depending on what applies to your business. Staying on top of these keeps you compliant and helps you steer clear of avoidable fines.

Step 7-Generate Reports & Audit Logs

Payroll systems can quickly create detailed reports—like salary registers, compliance filings, and audit logs—ready whenever needed. These aren’t just paperwork for compliance; they give you valuable insights for financial planning, budgeting, and keeping management in the loop. Having all this info handy makes decisions easier and audits less stressful.

What Is Payroll Software?

Explore how payroll software transforms traditional salary management into a seamless digital experience.

Payroll software is a digital tool that takes the stress out of managing employee salaries. It handles the heavy lifting—calculating salaries, applying taxes, generating payslips, and transferring salaries straight to bank accounts.

Why Do Businesses Use Payroll Software?

Running payroll manually can be time-consuming and risky. One small error in tax deduction or a delayed payment can lead to unhappy employees—and worse, penalties from the government. Top Payroll software in India reduces these risks by automating the entire process.

Compliance Made Simple

Labour laws change constantly, and manually tracking updates can be exhausting. Payroll and compliance software takes that pressure off by staying current with all changes—so you stay compliant without the stress or risk of expensive mistakes.

Accuracy Builds Trust

When employees are paid correctly and on time, trust is built. On the flip side, even a minor mistake in salary or tax can affect morale. That’s why increasingly more organisations are choosing payroll software—to ensure nothing slips through the cracks.

The Cost of Getting It Wrong

As Paul McNulty once said, “If you think compliance is expensive, try non-compliance.”
This holds for payroll. Missing a tax deadline, misreporting a deduction, or skipping a benefit can result in more than just fines—damaging your brand and employee relationships.

What is Payroll in HR?

In HR, payroll refers to the complete process of managing employee salaries, wages, bonuses, deductions, and statutory compliance. It goes beyond just releasing salaries, it ensures employees are paid accurately, on time, and in line with legal requirements. Payroll in HR plays a key role in employee satisfaction and organizational compliance.

Some key elements of payroll in HR include

• Salary calculation based on gross pay, allowances, overtime, and deductions.
• Compliance management with PF, ESI, TDS, and other statutory laws.
• Employee record-keeping for tax, audits, and reporting.
• Automation & accuracy through payroll software to reduce errors and save time.

What is Payroll Accounting?

Payroll accounting is basically about keeping track of everything a business pays its employees and the related deductions or contributions. It’s not just about recording salaries, but also making sure that taxes, PF, ESI, and other statutory payments are properly noted in the company’s accounts. Done right, payroll accounting helps a business

• Keep its salary and compliance records clean and transparent.
• Avoid errors in tax payments or filings.
• Show a clear picture of employee costs in financial reports.
• Stay ready for audits without last-minute stress.

In short, payroll accounting connects HR functions with finance, ensuring employees are compensated correctly while keeping the company legally compliant and financially organized.

What are Payroll Services?

Payroll services refer to the outsourced management of all payroll-related functions—from salary calculation and disbursal to tax deductions and government compliance. Instead of handling everything manually or using just software, businesses partner with a payroll service provider who takes care of the entire process end-to-end.

These services benefit MSMEs, growing startups, or large enterprises with off-roll, gig, or contractual staff. They ensure accurate, timely salary payouts while removing the headache of legal filings, PF/ESI compliance, and payroll-related queries.

Key functions covered under Payroll Services

• Employee salaries based on attendance, leave days, and company policies.
• Payslip generation and salary disbursement
• PF, ESI, TDS, PT deductions and filings
• Handling bonuses, overtime, reimbursements
• Managing compliance with Indian labour laws
• Reporting, audit logs, and data backups
• Employee helpline for salary/tax-related queries

Payroll Software vs Payroll Services

What are Timesheets and Why They Matter in Payroll?

Timesheets are digital or manual records that track the hours an employee works. They capture check-in/check-out times, total hours spent on tasks or projects, overtime, and even breaks. In modern businesses—especially those with shift workers, field teams, or freelancers—timesheets are critical to accurate payroll processing.

Timesheets not only record time, but also directly impact the calculation of wages, overtime, and deductions. When integrated with payroll software, timesheet data helps to smoothly automate payroll calculations, This ensures that employees are paid a fair wage according to the hours they work.

Why Timesheets Are Important for Payroll

• • Accurate Salary Calculations: It is crucial and essential to see to it that workers are compensated from actual data and not their predictions.
  • Overtime and Break Management: Helps track extra hours and ensures legal compliance.
  • Project Costing: Timesheets show how much time is spent on specific tasks or departments, helping businesses control costs.
  • Remote/Field Team Tracking: Perfect for distributed or mobile teams where biometric systems may not work.
  • Audit and Compliance: Keeps transparent records that can support audits, labour law compliance, and employee disputes.

“Think of timesheets as the backbone of payroll accuracy—especially for businesses that don’t work on fixed 9-to-5 hours.”

Why Payroll Software Matters

Payroll software helps businesses follow tax laws and government rules. These laws often change, making manual updates difficult. Manual payroll comes with a higher risk of errors. Mistakes in tax calculations or deductions can frustrate employees and invite penalties. Even small errors—like late payments or wrong deductions—can break employee trust. They can also lead to legal issues or fines.

Payroll isn’t just about cutting paychecks—it’s tied closely to laws, taxes, and compliance that keep changing all the time. A reliable payroll system takes care of these updates in the background so HR teams don’t end up firefighting last-minute issues. In fact, many of the top payroll tools in India are built to reduce compliance risks, avoid penalties, and give employees peace of mind by ensuring their salaries are accurate and on time. For companies, that means fewer worries, better accuracy, and a stronger reputation.

In the next section, we’ll explore how payroll software evolved, its key features, and how to choose the right one.

Key Features of Top Payroll Software in India

Key features of TankhaPay payroll software that simplify salary processing, ensure compliance, and enhance HR efficiency for Indian businesses.

Handling salaries can take time and become stressful as a business expands. That’s where modern HR Software India helps—it makes the process easier, faster, and less prone to mistakes.
Let’s explore top features that are revolutioning the businesses.

Automated Salary Processing

Payroll software determines salaries by looking at attendance, leaves, overtime, and deductions such as TDS, EPF, and ESI. This helps reduce mistakes you might get with manual calculations, ensuring employees get paid correctly and on time.

Statutory Compliance

Keeps your payroll aligned with Indian labour laws, including PF, ESI, Professional Tax, and Labour Welfare Fund. The software automatically updates regulatory changes to help you stay compliant without manual monitoring.

Payslip and Report Generation

Employees get easy access to their digital payslips whenever they want, while HR can pull detailed reports for audits, reviews, or just to keep things organised. This kind of transparency helps everyone stay on the same page and makes planning smoother.

Leave and Attendance Integration

The software connects with attendance machines or workforce management tools to pull accurate data. This means payroll is based on actual work hours and approved leaves, not guesswork—leading to fair and precise salary processing.

Employee Self-Service Portal

With an ESS portal, employees can view their payslips, submit reimbursement claims, and update tax declarations without constant HR support. This empowers staff and gives HR more time to focus on strategic tasks.

Direct Bank Transfers

After salaries are approved, the system can send payments to employees’ bank accounts. It also records all transactions, making audits easier and helping avoid payment delays or problems.

Top Benefits of HR Payroll Software

Running a payroll can be surprisingly time-consuming—especially when trying to stay on top of salary calculations, tax deductions, and shifting compliance rules. It is very difficult to manage and mistakes can be costly.

Many businesses are turning to a better payroll software to simplify the process. Digitizing repetitive tasks saves time and reduces the chance of mistakes. Employees benefit too – they get paid on time, have fewer hassles and can easily access their payslips whenever they need them. It’s a simple change that leads to smoother operations and happier teams.

Time Efficiency

Payrolling software handles routine tasks like calculations and salary processing. This helps HR teams save valuable time each month, which they can use to focus on things that matter more—like building employee engagement and helping people grow within the company.

Accuracy

As mentioned, one of the most significant benefits of using payroll software is its accuracy. It helps avoid mistakes in salary, tax, and compliance calculations. When payroll is accurate, employees feel more confident and trust the process—plus, it helps prevent misunderstandings or disputes.

Statutory Adherence

This helps your organization comply with Indian laws and avoid fines. Regular updates ensure that the software complies with changing regulations.

Enhanced Data Security

Cloud-based systems lower the possibility of errors like data breaches or leaks by encrypting and controlling access to critical data.

Employee Empowerment

Employees can access their documents form any place and at any time through a self-service portal, which reduces HR workload and improves satisfaction.

Scalable for Growth

The best thing about payroll software is that it makes running your business easy and practical. Whether you need to pay a team of 10 people or handle a workforce of 10,000 people, it helps you manage everything smoothly and efficiently.

Payroll software also plays a vital role in building trust and keeping employees happy. It ensures salaries are paid on time, payslips are accurate, and all payroll information is easy to access. When employees see that their pay is managed correctly every month, it builds confidence in the system. This trust helps create a healthier work environment, strengthens the bond between employers and their teams, and leads to better morale, stronger loyalty, and a more motivated workforce.

6 Key Factors to Look for in Payroll Software

Choosing the right payroll software matters for every business, whether a small startup or a growing company. A good tool can save time, reduce errors, and make work easier for your HR team and employees. Looking beyond just the basic features is essential to get real value. Consider what your business needs now—and how those needs could change as you grow.

Top 6 Features That Make Payroll Software Efficient and Reliable.

Local Compliance:

Make sure the software provides support for EPF, ESI, PT, LWF and state-specific laws. The software should be updated regularly so that it can incorporate regulatory changes automatically.

Effortless Integration

Look for software that works with your attendance, HRMS, and accounting tools to ensure seamless data flow and avoid duplication.

Ease of Use

A clean, user-friendly interface increases efficiency and adoption across teams, especially in organisations with limited technical expertise.

Support and Training

Good customer support and proper training make it easier to get started and solve any issues that come up along the way.

Data Security

Choose systems with encryption, frequent backups, and multi-level user access to protect employee data.

Custom Reporting

Detailed and customisable reports help with internal tracking, statutory audits, and strategic planning.

Payroll success tip: “Choose software that fits your people—not the other way around.”

The Shift Towards Smarter Payroll Management in India

As businesses grow and workforce structures evolve, so do the complexities of payroll management. From salary calculations and statutory deductions to error-free disbursals and compliance with Indian labour laws—every step of payroll processing demands accuracy and efficiency.
That’s why many businesses today are actively exploring reliable HR Tech software and professional payroll outsourcing in India to streamline operations, stay compliant, and reduce manual workload. If you’re looking for an end-to-end solution that can do both, TankhaPay offers the best of both worlds.

TankhaPay: One-Stop Payroll Solution for Modern Businesses

Whether you are a startup looking for payroll software or an enterprise that needs full-service payroll outsourcing, TankhaPay is built to meet your needs. It combines powerful HR tech with managed services—making payroll easy, compliant, and scalable for every kind of business.

TankhaPay is a powerful payroll dashboard showcasing automation, compliance, and user-friendly interface.

From handling on-roll and off-roll staff to managing gig or field teams, TankhaPay’s system adapts to your workforce structure—while ensuring 100% compliance with Indian labour laws.

Here’s what you can expect with TankhaPay:

Automated Payroll Software

Calculate salaries, handle deductions (EPF, ESI, PT, LWF), generate payslips, and make direct bank transfers—accurately and on time.

Payroll Services & Compliance Support

Don’t want to manage payroll in-house? Outsource it. We process salaries, maintain compliance, and even manage payroll for off-roll or contractual workers.

Attendance & Timesheet Integration

Sync biometric devices or GPS systems for precise work-hour tracking—great for remote, in-office, or mobile teams.

Employee Self-Service Portal

Let employees access payslips, update KYC, and track attendance—anytime, anywhere, in their language.

Secure & Transparent Platform

With enterprise-grade encryption, real-time dashboards, and audit-ready records, your data stays safe and accessible.
Whether you’re managing 10 employees or 10,000, TankhaPay simplifies the complexity of payroll and compliance—without the overhead.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, payroll is not only about processing salaries—building trust, staying compliant, and making life easier for employers and employees. As regulations evolve and teams become more diverse, handling payroll manually can make work slow and difficult and increase the risk of errors. That’s why many growing businesses are turning to tools like TankhaPay. It makes payroll practical and simple, ensures compliance, and gives HR teams and employees the clarity they need. By cutting down on manual work, you get more time to focus on your people and business.

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