How Kredily Helps Indian Companies Grow (2026)

Quick answer: Kredily is a payroll-led HRMS for Indian small businesses, and its website lists a permanent free plan with no employee cap (per its pricing, checked October 2026). Paid plans start at ₹1,249 per month for up to 25 employees. It suits teams of 10 to 100. If you prefer a bigger suite, look at Zoho People; for outsourced compliance, see TankhaPay.

Why payroll-first is a growth strategy

For a business with 15 to 80 employees, the most expensive HR mistake is rarely a missed appraisal. It is a wrong PF deposit, a missed ESI return or a salary that has to be reversed. Kredily is built around that problem. Its website lists PF, ESI, professional tax and TDS calculation, plus a Compliance Center for multi-state returns and challans.

Kredily states that more than 25,000 companies use it, that it has managed more than 10,00,000 employees, and that it has processed over ₹1,000 crore in payroll. It adds that it has saved 30,00,000+ hours of HR work, and rates itself at 4.2 out of 5 on G2 and 4.4 on Google. These are Kredily's own claims and the hours-saved figure in particular has no method behind it on the page. Use them as context, not proof.

The plans

Kredily says no credit card is needed and that the free plan never expires, subject to an "active usage" policy. Read that policy carefully, because it is the catch with any free tier.

Worked example from those numbers: a 40-person company on Professional would pay ₹1,749 plus 15 extra employees at ₹70, which is ₹1,050, so ₹2,799 per month. That is our arithmetic.

What changes in the first three months

Attendance in whichever way your staff actually work. Kredily lists seven capture modes, including KredEYE face recognition, and 50+ policy controls for leave. A retailer can use face punch at the store, and a field sales team can use GPS and selfie in the Professional plan. A separate listing, Kredily Attendance, covers that side.

Payroll that ends with money moving. Kredily lists payout and bank integration with ICICI. Salary calculation, payslips and the bank transfer file become one sequence, instead of three tools.

Statutory filings. Challans, Form 16 and multi-state returns move from "ask the CA" to a report you can download. Your CA still needs to review it, and you should still check each state's rules yourself.

Full and final settlement. E-exit and full and final settlement are listed, though the plan table says FnF management is in Enterprise. Check which exit features your plan includes.

Recruitment and performance. Kredily lists ATS with AI shortlists, performance management, learning, recognition and background verification. These are available as part of the platform; confirm plan inclusion for each.

AI co-pilot. The site describes Kai, with "110+ skills", and mentions an MCP connector. Test it on tasks you actually do, such as pulling attrition numbers.

Who Kredily is for, and who it is not

It suits:

• Owner-managed firms of 10 to 100 where the owner or an accountant runs payroll.
• Teams moving from a payroll-only tool who now want attendance and leave connected.
• Businesses with employees in more than one state, given the multi-state compliance listing.

It is not ideal for:

• Companies needing deep org-chart and talent workflows. Zoho People or an enterprise suite is broader.
• Firms that want to outsource compliance entirely. TankhaPay lists payroll and compliance services, including PF, ESI, professional tax and TDS, plus an employer-of-record option, and says over 1,000 businesses use it. Its plans are quoted, not published.
• Teams that need to see a long list of enterprise references. Kredily's strength is small-business fit.
• Anyone who hates reading usage policies. A free plan with an active-usage condition needs a careful read.

For wider context, see top payroll software in India and Kredily Payroll on App Advisor.

Kredily, Zoho People and TankhaPay compared

All counts are vendor claims, checked October 2026. For more on cost across tools, read factoHR, Pocket HRMS and Kredily compared.

A 30-day setup for a 30-person company

1. Day 1. Sign up on the free plan. No card is needed.
2. Days 2 to 5. Add employees through the upload tool (Kredily lists a Magic Upload auto-mapping feature) and check each record.
3. Days 6 to 15. Turn on attendance. Pick one capture mode and make everyone use it for ten days.
4. Days 16 to 25. Configure salary components and run last month's payroll in the system without paying from it.
5. Days 26 to 30. Compare totals. If you want payouts and challans, upgrade to Payroll OS and run the real thing.

What to confirm before upgrading

• The exact "active usage" policy for the free plan.
• Which statutory returns are produced for your states.
• Bank payout charges, if any, beyond the plan fee.
• Whether the ₹50 or ₹70 per extra employee is monthly.

A payroll calendar for a small business

Kredily's value is easiest to see on the monthly calendar. A simple rhythm looks like this.

• Days 1 to 20. Employees mark attendance and apply for leave. Managers approve as they go, not at the end.
• Around day 22. HR reviews missing punches and pending approvals and nudges managers.
• Around day 25. Attendance is locked. New joiners and exits are confirmed.
• Days 26 to 28. Payroll is processed in draft, reviewed against last month, then approved.
• Last working day. Salaries are paid. Payslips go out.
• Following month, by the statutory due dates. PF, ESI, professional tax and TDS payments and returns are made. Check the current due dates with your accountant or the official portals rather than relying on memory.

The earlier in the month exceptions are caught, the calmer the end of it. A tool that surfaces them daily beats one that surfaces them on the 27th.

Reading a free plan's risks

A free plan is attractive, but it deserves the same diligence as a paid one.

1. Usage conditions. Kredily mentions an active usage policy. Read it, and ask what counts as inactive.
2. Feature boundaries. Payouts, challans and Form 16 are in the paid plans. If you depend on them, plan on paying.
3. Data portability. Export your data once during the trial to prove you can.
4. Dependence. If payroll for your whole company runs on a free plan, ask what happens if terms change. Keep a monthly backup of payslips and statutory reports.

None of this is a reason to avoid the free plan. It is a reason to use it with open eyes.

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