1. sumHR
sumHR · Mumbai · HRMS software · 4.7/5
HRMS with attendance, payroll and performance for SMEs.
₹49/mo
Free trial
Compared with Zoho People
- No free plan, unlike Zoho People
- Starts ₹1/mo higher (₹49/mo vs ₹48/mo)
HRMS software · Alternatives
Best Zoho People alternatives in India (2026)
Zoho People is a hrms software product from Zoho Corporation, Chennai, priced at ₹48/mo with a free plan. We compared 20 alternatives on published price, free plan, platforms and made-in-India support: 6 have a free plan, 20 are built in India, and 10 start cheaper or free.
Quick answer
The closest alternatives to Zoho People are sumHR (₹49/mo), Kredily (Free plan), Timelabs (₹40/mo), Zimyo (₹60/mo) and greytHR (Free plan). Kredily is the top-ranked option with a free plan. Published prices in this list start at ₹40/month.
Why businesses look for a Zoho People alternative
Cost
Zoho People starts at ₹48/mo. 10 alternatives start lower or have a free plan.
Reported limitation
Attendance, timesheets and roster management need Professional or above; performance and compensation need Premium
Reported limitation
HR help desk, the learning management system and Sandbox are Enterprise-only
Reported limitation
Paid plans bill a minimum of 5 users even for smaller teams
Zoho People alternatives compared
Ranked by how closely each product matches Zoho People's category, pricing model, platforms and business size, then by rating. Prices exclude GST.
| # | Software | Starting price | Free plan | Platforms | Made in India | Rating | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Zoho People (current) | ₹48/mo | Yes | Web | Yes | 4.8/5 | — |
| 1 | sumHR | ₹49/mo | No | Web | Yes | 4.7/5 | vs Zoho People |
| 2 |  Kredily | Free plan | Yes | Web | Yes | 4.7/5 | vs Zoho People |
| 3 |  Timelabs | ₹40/mo | No | Web | Yes | 4.7/5 | vs Zoho People |
| 4 |  Zimyo | ₹60/mo | No | Web | Yes | 4.6/5 | |
| 5 |  greytHR | Free plan | Yes | Web | Yes | 4.9/5 | vs Zoho People |
| 6 |  HRStop | ₹60/mo | No | Web | Yes | 4.5/5 | |
| 7 |  Keka HR | ₹6,999/mo | No | Web | Yes | 4.7/5 | vs Zoho People |
| 8 |  Qandle | ₹2,450/mo | No | Web | Yes | 4.6/5 | vs Zoho People |
| 9 |  sumHR Payroll | ₹49/mo | No | Web | Yes | 4.5/5 | |
| 10 |  Zimyo Payroll | ₹60/mo | No | Web | Yes | 4.5/5 | |
| 11 |  uKnowva HRMS | ₹100/mo | No | Web | Yes | 4.6/5 | |
| 12 |  HRAPP | ₹50/mo | No | Web | Yes | 4.4/5 | |
| 13 |  Nitso HRMS | ₹40/mo | No | Web | Yes | 4.5/5 | |
| 14 |  Ubihrm | ₹40/mo | No | Web | Yes | 4.4/5 | |
| 15 |  Superworks | ₹40/mo | No | Web | Yes | 4.4/5 | |
| 16 |  GreytHR Payroll | Free plan | Yes | Web | Yes | 4.7/5 | vs Zoho People |
| 17 |  Empxtrack | Free plan | Yes | Web | Yes | 4.6/5 | |
| 18 |  Kredily Payroll | Free plan | Yes | Web | Yes | 4.6/5 | |
| 19 |  RazorpayX Payroll | Free plan | Yes | Web | Yes | 4.7/5 | |
| 20 |  HRMantra | On request | No | Web | Yes | 4.5/5 |
Top 10 Zoho People alternatives in detail
2. Kredily
Kredily · Bengaluru · HRMS software · 4.7/5
Free HR and payroll software for small businesses.
Free plan
Free plan available
Key features
- Employee database and KYC
- Employee self-onboarding
- Employee self-service portal
- Announcements and reminders
- Document storage (250 MB on Free and Payroll OS, unlimited above)
₹40/mo
Free trial
Compared with Zoho People
- No free plan, unlike Zoho People
- Starts ₹8/mo cheaper (₹40/mo vs ₹48/mo)
Key features
- Biometric and FaceKiosk integration
- Mobile attendance with geo-fencing, selfie and face recognition
- Shift rosters and overtime
- Statutory payroll compliance
- Employee self service
₹60/mo
Free trial
Compared with Zoho People
- No free plan, unlike Zoho People
- Starts ₹12/mo higher (₹60/mo vs ₹48/mo)
Key features
- Employee database and document management
- Policy library and configurable workflows
- Roles and permissions
- Transfer and probation tracking
- Employee self-service with mobile apps
5. greytHR
Greytip Software · Bengaluru · HRMS software · 4.9/5
HR and payroll platform with a free tier for small teams and statutory compliance built in.
Free plan
Free plan available
Key features
- Automatic PF, ESI, PT, LWF and TDS
- Multi-state statutory compliance
- Government portal filing
- Leave management
- Biometric, GPS and GeoMark+ attendance
Compared with Zoho People
- No free plan, unlike Zoho People
- Starts ₹12/mo higher (₹60/mo vs ₹48/mo)
7. Keka HR
Keka Technologies · Hyderabad · HRMS software · 4.7/5
Modern HRMS with payroll, attendance and performance for growing Indian companies.
₹6,999/mo
Free trial
Compared with Zoho People
- No free plan, unlike Zoho People
- Starts ₹6,951/mo higher (₹6,999/mo vs ₹48/mo)
Key features
- Org structure and dynamic employee profiles
- Documents, letters and e-signature (Keka Sign)
- Onboarding, pre-boarding and exit with exit surveys
- Asset tracking and travel desk
- Custom roles, workflow automation, custom reports
8. Qandle
Qandle · Gurugram · HRMS software · 4.6/5
HR platform with payroll, expense and performance.
₹2,450/mo
Free trial
Compared with Zoho People
- No free plan, unlike Zoho People
- Starts ₹2,402/mo higher (₹2,450/mo vs ₹48/mo)
Key features
- Salary calculation and processing with unlimited salary components
- One-click payslip generation
- Full and final settlement
- Direct bank transfers
- Batch-wise and bank-wise payment processing
₹49/mo
Free trial
Compared with Zoho People
- No free plan, unlike Zoho People
- Starts ₹1/mo higher (₹49/mo vs ₹48/mo)
10. Zimyo Payroll
Zimyo · Gurugram · HRMS software · 4.5/5
Payroll processing with compliance in Zimyo.
₹60/mo
Free trial
Compared with Zoho People
- No free plan, unlike Zoho People
- Starts ₹12/mo higher (₹60/mo vs ₹48/mo)
Zoho People alternatives by what you need
Cheaper than Zoho People
Free Zoho People alternatives
Indian alternatives to Zoho People
How to choose a Zoho People alternative
- Start with payroll. If the statutory side is wrong, nothing else matters — ask the vendor to run a live payroll for a sample employee in your state and show you the PF, ESI and PT calculations.
- Next, check how attendance actually reaches the system. Biometric device integration, geo-tagged mobile check-in and shift rostering are three very different problems, and most vendors are strong at one and weak at the others.
- Finally, look at what happens at scale. Many Indian HRMS products are priced per employee per month with a floor of fifty or a hundred employees, which makes them expensive for a twenty-person team and cheap for a five-hundred-person one.
Zoho People alternatives — FAQs
What is the best alternative to Zoho People in 2026?+
The closest matches to Zoho People on App Advisor are sumHR (₹49/mo), Kredily (Free plan), Timelabs (₹40/mo). They are ranked by how closely their category, pricing model, platforms and target business size match Zoho People, then by rating. The best choice depends on your team size and budget.
Is there a free alternative to Zoho People?+
Yes. 6 of the 20 alternatives listed have a free plan or are free: Kredily (Free plan), greytHR (Free plan), GreytHR Payroll (Free plan). Free plans usually cap users, records or transactions, so check the limits against your monthly volume.
What is the cheapest alternative to Zoho People?+
Among alternatives that publish a price, Timelabs starts lowest at ₹40/mo, compared with ₹48/mo for Zoho People. Kredily also has a free plan. Prices are read from each vendor's website and exclude GST.
Is there an Indian alternative to Zoho People?+
Yes. 20 alternatives are built in India, including sumHR (₹49/mo), Kredily (Free plan), Timelabs (₹40/mo). Indian products usually handle GST, TDS and UPI natively and bill in rupees.
Zoho People vs sumHR: which is better?+
sumHR is the closest match to Zoho People in our catalogue. Key differences: No free plan, unlike Zoho People; Starts ₹1/mo higher (₹49/mo vs ₹48/mo). Compare them side by side before you book a demo.
How were these Zoho People alternatives chosen?+
Every product listed sits in hrms software or a category Zoho People also covers, and Zoho Corporation's own products are excluded. Prices, free plans and platforms come from each vendor's official website. App Advisor does not sell any of this software.
Free shortlist
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