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Keka Payroll

by Keka Technologies · Hyderabad, Telangana · Since 2015

Payroll module in Keka.

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Starting price
Price on request
No prices shown on keka.com/pricing (India tab)
Free trial / plan
Free trial
Offered on every HRMS & Payroll plan
Deployment
Cloud
Web
App Advisor rating
4.5
transparency & India fit

What is Keka Payroll?

Keka Payroll is the payroll engine inside Keka's HR platform, built by Keka Technologies for Indian employers first. It is not really a standalone tool: you buy it as part of the HRMS & Payroll bundle, and attendance, leave and salary structures feed each pay run automatically. Keka's payroll page says more than 12,000 companies process payroll on it and that it has been doing so for over ten years. Named customer stories include Taazaa, Noise and Varmora, whose VP says monthly payroll dropped from five to seven days to a few hours.

Statutory work is where it earns its keep. Keka computes PF with ECR-ready output, checks ESI eligibility against wage limits, applies state-wise Professional Tax and Labour Welfare Fund rules, and handles TDS with quarterly reports and the annual tax statement (Form 130, which replaces Form 16). Keka says its rules cover all 28 states and 8 union territories, which matters if you have staff spread across Maharashtra, Karnataka and West Bengal with different PT slabs. Maker-checker approval, role-based access and audit trails help finance teams that need two people to sign off a run.

The weak spot is buying. The India pricing page lists three tiers (Foundation, Strength and Growth) with a free trial on each, but shows no rupee figures, so every buyer has to go through sales. The FAQ also mentions a nominal onboarding setup fee without stating the amount. Several useful items sit higher up or outside the base plan: API access and workflow automation are in Growth, and running multiple legal entities as pay groups is an add-on. A 30-person shop with one entity may find this heavier than it needs.

In practice, Keka Payroll suits Indian companies of roughly 50 to a few thousand employees that want HR, attendance and payroll on one record, and that are happy to negotiate a quote. Ask sales to put the setup fee, the per-employee rate and the pay-group add-on in writing before you sign, and run one parallel payroll against your current process during the trial.

What works well

  • +Generates ECR-ready PF files plus ESI, PT, LWF and TDS reports from each run
  • +State-wise PT and LWF rules, with Keka claiming coverage of 28 states and 8 union territories
  • +Attendance, leave and salary structures flow into payroll without manual import
  • +Maker-checker validation keeps payroll preparation and approval with different people
  • +Corrections, bonuses and missed payouts can be paid without reopening the whole cycle
  • +Keka-built Tally and Zoho Books connectors export payroll entries each pay cycle
  • +AI pre-run check flags wrong hours, missing deductions and salary outliers

What to watch out for

  • −No prices on the India pricing page, so comparison shopping needs a sales call
  • −A setup fee applies to onboarding and its amount is not published
  • −Multiple legal entities (pay groups) are an add-on rather than part of a plan
  • −API access, custom reports and workflow automation are reserved for the Growth tier
  • −Payroll is sold inside the HRMS bundle, which is more than a payroll-only buyer needs

Best suited for: Indian companies with staff in several states who need state-specific PT and LWF handled · Finance teams that want maker-checker approval and audit trails on salary runs · Businesses already using Tally or Zoho Books that want payroll journals exported each cycle · Groups with overseas staff who want local payroll or EOR alongside India payroll

Keka Payroll: quick answers

The questions people most often search for, answered from Keka Payroll's own pages.

What is Keka Payroll?
Keka's payroll software for India runs payroll with statutory compliance built in: pre-built PF, ESI, LWF, TDS and other mandatory reports, employee tax declarations with Form 16 and Form 24Q, loans and salary advances, gratuity and expense claims.
What are Keka's key payroll features?
Payroll automation that pulls in expenses, overtime, bonuses and full-and-final settlement; maker-checker approval of payroll runs; role-based access; multi-entity payroll; and salary payout from Keka Wallet (additional charges apply).
How much does Keka payroll cost?
Keka's India HRMS & Payroll plans are Foundation, Strength and Growth, each with a free trial. Its pricing page lists add-on rates of ₹90, ₹120 and ₹150 per additional employee respectively; the base plan price is quoted on the page or by sales.
Does Keka have a mobile app?
Yes. Keka's pricing page lists a mobile app for attendance, finances and approvals as part of employee self-service.

Sources:keka.comkeka.com

Keka Payroll at a glance

Analysing Keka Payroll — pricing, features, reviews and alternatives…

Generated by App Advisor's native engine from this listing's verified data — not a paid placement.

Keka Payroll features

Researched from Keka Payroll's official product pages · updated October 2026.

Statutory compliance

  • PF employer and employee contributions with ECR-ready reports
  • ESI eligibility, wage thresholds and contribution validation
  • State-specific Professional Tax rules and filing reports
  • Labour Welfare Fund calculation by state
  • TDS with quarterly reports and Form 130 (formerly Form 16)

Payroll processing

  • Configurable salary components, allowances, deductions and bonuses
  • Multiple pay cycles
  • Attendance and leave data pulled into each run
  • Off-cycle corrections, bonuses and missed payouts
  • AI anomaly check before payroll runs

Controls and governance

  • Maker-checker validation
  • Approval workflows for salary changes, deductions and payouts
  • Role-based access for viewing, editing, approving and processing
  • Audit trails
  • Centralised oversight across subsidiaries and entities

Expenses and claims

  • Reimbursements through regular or off-cycle payroll
  • Policy-driven expense controls
  • Approval chains by role, department or expense type
  • Travel advances linked to expenses and settled

Global and services

  • Payroll for local overseas subsidiaries
  • Employer of Record for countries without an entity
  • Managed payroll services
  • Payroll cost and payout analytics

AI capabilities

  • Pre-run AI check flags incorrect hours, missing deductions and outliers

Keka Payroll pricing (INR)

Source

Every edition as published by the vendor · free trial: Free trial on each HRMS & Payroll plan. Prices exclude GST unless stated. Full Keka Payroll pricing breakdown

Foundation (HRMS & Payroll)

Not published

  • Payroll automation with PF, ESI, LWF and TDS
  • Loans and salary advances
  • Expense management
  • Employee tax management

Strength (HRMS & Payroll)

Not published

  • Everything in Foundation
  • Advanced onboarding with e-signatures
  • Geo-fenced clock-in
  • Employee surveys

Growth (HRMS & Payroll)

Not published

  • Everything in Strength
  • Workflow automation and custom reports
  • Goals, OKRs and performance reviews
  • API access

Other pricing options & add-ons

  • Multiple legal entities (pay groups)

    Listed as an add-on

    Not published

  • Managed payroll services

    Keka runs day-to-day payroll operations for you

    Not published

  • • Pricing is by quote from Keka sales; the pricing page gives +91 89292 08062 for plan advice.
  • • The pricing FAQ says a nominal setup fee applies for onboarding; no amount is shown.
  • • GST treatment is not stated on the pricing page.
Buying for a team? App Advisor can get you a volume quote and any partner discount available.

Integrations, security & India

Integrations

  • Tally for Payroll (built by Keka)
  • Zoho Books for Payroll (built by Keka)
  • Oracle NetSuite
  • QuickBooks for Invoicing (Keka PSA, not payroll)
  • fi money (Federal Bank salary programme)
  • Jify on-demand salary
  • Zaggle Employee Flexi Benefits
  • Lano
  • Oyster HR
  • Omnipresent

Security & compliance

  • Hosted on Microsoft Azure and AWS in private networks; hosting providers hold SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001
  • TLS encryption in transit with 2,048-bit or stronger keys
  • Web application and network firewalls plus DDoS protection
  • Third-party penetration tests several times a year and recurring vulnerability scans
  • Stated availability above 99.9%; RPO 12 hours, RTO 1 hour 35 minutes, 35-day point-in-time restore

For Indian businesses

  • Produces ECR-ready PF files, ESI, PT, LWF and TDS reports, and Form 130 (formerly Form 16)
  • Keka says its statutory rules cover 28 states and 8 union territories
  • Keka-built connectors export payroll to Tally and Zoho Books each pay cycle
  • Marketplace lists the Fi Salary Program run with Federal Bank and Zaggle flexi benefits
  • Indian sales line for plan advice: +91 89292 08062

Trust, compliance & who uses Keka Payroll

12,000+ companies processing payroll

Customers

Certifications & compliance

  • GDPR — Keka states GDPR compliance Source

Each claim links to the vendor's own published statement. Always confirm current certificate validity directly with the vendor.

Is Keka Payroll the best choice for you?

Best choice if you are…

  • Indian companies with staff in several states who need state-specific PT and LWF handled
  • Finance teams that want maker-checker approval and audit trails on salary runs
  • Businesses already using Tally or Zoho Books that want payroll journals exported each cycle
  • Groups with overseas staff who want local payroll or EOR alongside India payroll

Look elsewhere if you are…

  • Very small firms that want a published monthly price and self-serve signup
  • Buyers who only need a payslip generator and not a full HR system
Still comparing? Get an unbiased shortlist and demos arranged for free.
Sources (4) · updated October 2026

Keka Payroll screenshots

Specifications

Category
HRMS software, Payroll software
Vendor
Keka Technologies
Headquarters
Hyderabad, Telangana
Founded
2015
Pricing model
Subscription
Starting price
₹6,999/mo
Deployment
Cloud
Platforms
Web
Best for
Small business, SMB, Mid-market
Made in India
Yes

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Keka Payroll — frequently asked questions

What is Keka Payroll?+

Keka's payroll software for India runs payroll with statutory compliance built in: pre-built PF, ESI, LWF, TDS and other mandatory reports, employee tax declarations with Form 16 and Form 24Q, loans and salary advances, gratuity and expense claims.

What are Keka's key payroll features?+

Payroll automation that pulls in expenses, overtime, bonuses and full-and-final settlement; maker-checker approval of payroll runs; role-based access; multi-entity payroll; and salary payout from Keka Wallet (additional charges apply).

How much does Keka payroll cost?+

Keka's India HRMS & Payroll plans are Foundation, Strength and Growth, each with a free trial. Its pricing page lists add-on rates of ₹90, ₹120 and ₹150 per additional employee respectively; the base plan price is quoted on the page or by sales.

Does Keka have a mobile app?+

Yes. Keka's pricing page lists a mobile app for attendance, finances and approvals as part of employee self-service.

How much does Keka Payroll cost in INR?+

Keka Payroll has no published rupee price. The India pricing page lists three HRMS & Payroll tiers, Foundation, Strength and Growth, but every quote comes from Keka's sales team, usually based on headcount and modules. Keka also charges a nominal setup fee for onboarding, amount not stated. Ask for the per-employee rate, setup fee and any add-ons in writing before comparing it with greytHR or Zoho Payroll.

Does Keka Payroll have a free plan or free trial?+

Keka Payroll has no free plan. The pricing page does offer a free trial on each of the three HRMS & Payroll tiers. Use the trial to run a parallel payroll for one month with your real salary structures, PF and PT settings, and compare the payslips with your current output before you commit to paying for the product.

Is GST charged on Keka Payroll?+

Keka's pricing page does not say whether quoted prices include GST. As with most Indian B2B software subscriptions, expect GST to be added on the invoice, and confirm with Keka sales whether the quote is inclusive or exclusive. If you are GST registered, ask for the invoice to carry your GSTIN so you can claim input tax credit on the Keka Payroll subscription.

Which Indian statutory compliances does Keka Payroll handle?+

Keka Payroll calculates PF contributions and produces ECR-ready reports, checks ESI eligibility against wage thresholds, applies state-wise Professional Tax and Labour Welfare Fund rules, and handles TDS with quarterly reports and Form 130, which replaces Form 16. Keka says its rules cover all 28 states and 8 union territories, so multi-state employers get the right PT slabs automatically.

Keka Payroll vs greytHR: which is better?+

Both Keka Payroll and greytHR cover Indian PF, ESI, PT and TDS well. Keka is stronger if you want payroll inside a broader HR suite with performance reviews, hiring and project timesheets, plus maker-checker controls. greytHR is often easier for small firms that want simpler, more visible pricing. Shortlist on price quotes and on how each handles your specific salary structure during a trial.

Can Keka Payroll connect to Tally or Zoho Books?+

Yes. Keka's marketplace lists Tally for Payroll and Zohobooks for Payroll, both built by Keka, which export payroll data for each pay cycle into your books. The marketplace also lists Oracle NetSuite, while its QuickBooks app syncs PSA invoices rather than payroll. The Tally and Zoho connectors saves your accountant from typing salary journals by hand, though you should map ledgers carefully during setup so cost centres land correctly.

Does Keka Payroll have a mobile app?+

Yes. Keka's payroll page links to Keka apps on Google Play and the Apple App Store, and the pricing page includes the mobile app on every HRMS & Payroll plan. Employees typically use it for payslips, attendance, leave and approvals, while payroll processing itself is done by HR or finance on the web version of Keka.

Is salary data safe in Keka Payroll?+

Keka Payroll runs on Microsoft Azure and AWS, whose hosting has SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certification. Keka encrypts data in transit with TLS, uses web application firewalls and DDoS protection, commissions third-party penetration tests several times a year, and states GDPR compliance. It quotes a 12-hour recovery point, a 1 hour 35 minute recovery time, and 35-day point-in-time restore.

How long does it take to set up Keka Payroll?+

Keka does not publish a fixed timeline. Onboarding is guided by Keka for a nominal setup fee and includes payroll configuration, importing employee data and validating past salary records. A single-entity company with clean data can often go live within a payroll cycle or two, but plan at least one parallel run before switching off your old payroll tool or spreadsheet.

Can Keka Payroll handle multiple companies or overseas staff?+

Keka Payroll can structure payroll across subsidiaries and entities with central oversight, though multiple legal entities as pay groups is sold as an add-on. For staff abroad, Keka offers payroll for local subsidiaries and an Employer of Record service where you have no entity. Managed payroll services are also available if you want Keka to run the cycle for you.

What is Keka Payroll?+

Keka Payroll is hrms software by Keka Technologies, an Indian company from Hyderabad. Payroll module in Keka.

How much does Keka Payroll cost?+

Keka Payroll's published pricing starts at ₹6,999/mo. Plans and taxes vary, so confirm on the official site.

Does Keka Payroll offer a free trial or free plan?+

App Advisor's listing records a free trial for Keka Payroll. Confirm the current trial terms on Keka Technologies's official site.

Is Keka Payroll made in India?+

Yes. Keka Payroll is built by Keka Technologies, headquartered in Hyderabad, Telangana.

Who is Keka Payroll best suited for?+

Keka Payroll suits small business, smb, mid-market buyers looking for hrms software with payroll software.

What are the best alternatives to Keka Payroll?+

Popular alternatives in hrms software include greytHR, Zoho People, Kredily. Use App Advisor's compare tool to see them side by side.

How is Keka Payroll deployed?+

Keka Payroll is available as a cloud (SaaS) product, with web access.

Guides that mention Keka Payroll

About Keka Technologies

Keka Technologies logo

Keka Technologies · Hyderabad, Telangana · Founded 2015 · 8 products in our catalogue · Indian company

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