Good payroll software for India calculates salary from attendance and leave, deducts PF, ESI, professional tax and TDS correctly, produces the PF ECR, ESI and bank transfer files, and lets you review and lock salary before release. Compare tools on those outputs, not on feature counts. FundRaksha HR Pro does all of these at ₹79 per employee per month + GST, with Tally export and a 30-day free trial.
What payroll software must get right
- Paid days. Salary starts with how many days the employee is paid for: present days, paid leave, week-offs and holidays, minus loss of pay. If attendance is in another system, this is where errors creep in.
- Earnings. Basic, HRA and allowances, plus incentives and reimbursements for the month.
- Statutory deductions. PF on PF wages, ESI on gross wages for employees within the ESI limit, professional tax by state, and TDS on projected annual income.
- Other deductions. Salary advances recovered in instalments, and any other agreed recovery.
- Outputs. Payslips, the PF ECR, the ESI contribution file, a bank transfer file, and an accounting entry.
Ask every vendor to show these five steps on your own data during the trial.
Criteria to compare
| Criterion | What good looks like |
|---|---|
| Attendance link | Attendance, late marks, half days and leave flow into paid days without export and import |
| Statutory coverage | PF, ESI, PT and TDS, with the files the portals accept |
| Review before release | A lock step so nobody edits salary after approval |
| Bank and accounts | Bank transfer file and an export your accountant can use, such as Tally |
| Price model | Clear per-employee or per-organisation pricing for your headcount, GST stated |
| Support | Help during the first payroll run, by people who know Indian statutory rules |
Shortlist and who each suits
Prices below are from each company's own pricing page on 21 October 2026. They are not rankings.
- FundRaksha HR (Pro, ₹79 per employee per month + GST). Salary from GPS attendance and leave, PF, ESI, PT, TDS, PF ECR, ESI, PT, TDS, bank and Tally files, advances and reimbursements. Suits SMEs that want attendance and payroll in one system.
- greytHR. Its payroll page lists PF calculations with ECR generation, ESI computations and challans, state PT, LWF, eTDS returns and digitally signed Form 16. Essential plan ₹2,495 a month including 50 employees. Suits firms that want the widest statutory coverage, including Form 16.
- Zoho Payroll. Free for up to 10 employees, with EPF, ESI, state PT and LWF compliance listed even on the free plan. Paid plans are priced per organisation with included employees.
- RazorpayX Payroll. Prime plan ₹3,499 a month for up to 20 employees, plus 18% GST; its pricing page lists time and attendance and "Compliance Calculation, Payments & Filings" in all plans.
- Keka. Its Foundation plan lists payroll automation and pre-built PF, ESI, LWF and TDS reports; prices are not published on its pricing page.
FundRaksha HR's website does not list Form 16 or labour welfare fund. If you need those inside the software, greytHR, Zoho Payroll or Keka list them.
Worked example: one employee's payroll
An office assistant earns ₹18,000 gross (basic ₹9,000, HRA and allowances ₹9,000). In a 30-day month she has 2 days of unpaid leave and takes a ₹3,000 advance repaid in three instalments.
| Item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Paid days | 30 − 2 | 28 |
| Gross earned | ₹18,000 × 28 / 30 | ₹16,800 |
| Basic earned | ₹9,000 × 28 / 30 | ₹8,400 |
| Employee PF | 12% of ₹8,400 | ₹1,008 |
| Employee ESI | 0.75% of ₹16,800 | ₹126 |
| Advance instalment | ₹3,000 / 3 | ₹1,000 |
| Net before PT and TDS | ₹14,666 |
Professional tax then depends on the state. Check each figure with the salary calculator, PF calculator and ESI calculator.
How payroll runs in FundRaksha HR
Attendance, leave, advances, incentives and reimbursements flow into salary automatically. A live salary forecast for the month updates daily, so there are no surprises on the last day. You review, lock and release; employees see payslips showing per-day rate, paid days, LOP, basic, HRA, PF, ESI and professional tax.
| Plan | Price (per employee per month, + GST) | Main additions |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | ₹49 | GPS check-in (one phone per employee), attendance rules, holidays and week-offs, corrections, leave, salary calculation, payslip PDFs, mobile admin app and web console |
| Pro | ₹79 | Everything in Standard, plus PF, ESI, professional tax and TDS; PF ECR, ESI, PT, TDS, bank and Tally files; advances, reimbursements, incentives, shift roster, Excel import, manager approvals |
| Enterprise | ₹99 | Everything in Pro, plus biometric devices (ZKTeco / eSSL), API for other attendance systems, admin roles, priority support and guided onboarding |
Every plan has a 30-day free trial with your real team, and there is no bill for the trial period. After that, you pay only for active employees in the month. See pricing.
Use our salary slip format and full and final settlement format for one-off cases.
Sources
- hr.fundraksha.com (features, checked 21 October 2026)
- hr.fundraksha.com/pricing (plans, trial and billing, checked 21 October 2026)
- www.esic.gov.in/contribution (employee 0.75%, employer 3.25%)
- www.esic.gov.in/coverage (wage limit Rs 21,000 a month; 10 or more persons)
- www.greythr.com/payroll-software/ (checked 21 October 2026)
- www.greythr.com/pricing/ (checked 21 October 2026)
- www.zoho.com/in/payroll/pricing/ (checked 21 October 2026)
- razorpay.com/payroll/pricing/ (checked 21 October 2026)
- www.keka.com/pricing (checked 21 October 2026)
Last reviewed: 2026-10-21. Information for Indian businesses; not legal advice.