Darwinbox vs Qandle (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Qandle grades higher than Darwinbox: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Darwinbox grades higher on features. Qandle grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Qandle
HR and payroll suite with per-employee pricing, India-focused
Which one is for you
Pick Darwinbox if
- Fits if you run a large company that wants HR and payroll from one vendor
- Works for firms that need payroll across several countries
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you are a small business, as it is aimed at 1,000-plus employees
- Watch out: no prices are published
- Skip it if you want a free plan or a trial, as neither is listed
- Watch out: only the Philippines page was readable, and other country sites may list different modules
Pick Qandle if
- Fits if you are an Indian company that wants per-head pricing
- Works for firms of about 40 or more who clear the minimum
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you have under 30 staff, because the ₹3,000 monthly minimum applies
- Watch out: monthly billing costs ₹99, ₹124 or ₹160 against ₹79, ₹99 and ₹129 yearly
- Watch out: the page shows prices by visitor country, with a separate US set of $5 per employee plus a $38 base
- Not for you if you pay staff outside India, as the compliance is for India
- Too light for over 1,000 staff, where Enterprise is quoted
How we grade them
| 1.8GPADarwinboxWeak | 2.0GPAQandleFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo price is published; buyers request a quote or demo. | C₹79 per employee a month billed annually, but the ₹3,000 monthly minimum means a small firm pays about $35, mid-range for payroll tools. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial are on record for this listing. | CA free trial is offered; the pricing page does not give its length or say whether a card is needed. |
| Features | BCore HR, multi-country payroll, time and leave, talent management, analytics and AI. | CPayroll with PF, ESI and professional tax, attendance, leave, records, recruitment and performance, though which tiers include what is not clear from the listing. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. An enterprise suite is set up with the vendor. | CNo store rating on record. You set up employees, policies and statutory rules before it runs. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only on the listing, with no integrations named. | CWeb only on the listing, with no desktop app or integrations list. |
| Best for | HR and payroll for large enterprises | Indian payroll priced per employee |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Darwinbox and Qandle. How we grade
Where they differ
- Darwinbox also covers reports.
- Qandle also covers expense tracking, time clock and applicant tracking.
At a glance
| Darwinbox | Qandle | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | Not published | ₹79 per employee / month, billed annually (₹99 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial offered; its length is not stated on the pricing page |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Darwinbox Digital Solutions Pvt. Ltd. | Qandle |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | qandle.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Darwinbox
- No prices are published; buyers request a quote or a demo.
- The vendor positions the suite at enterprises, with its analyst citation covering HCM suites for 1,000+ employee companies.
- The Philippines page was the one readable; its country sites (UAE, Malaysia, Singapore and others) may list different modules.
Qandle
- The pricing page shows prices by visitor country; the rupee figures here are its India set, and a US set exists at $5 per employee plus a $38 company base.
- A minimum of ₹3,000 a month applies, per the India price note.
- Which modules each tier includes is shown only in a tick table that did not read as text.
- Payroll compliance described on the site is for India.
Key features
Darwinbox
- Core HR and employee records
- Employee data, org structures and workflows are kept in one place from hire to exit.
- Multi-country payroll
- The site lists end-to-end, compliant payroll, taxes and settlements across multiple countries as one of its core modules.
- Time, leave and shifts
- Tracks time, leave and shifts with policy and compliance controls.
- Talent management
- Goals, performance reviews, development and succession planning sit in the same suite as payroll.
- Analytics and AI
- Prebuilt dashboards and custom HR reports, plus the Cortex AI-native HCM launch, with early access offered.
Qandle
- Payroll and statutory compliance
- Payroll processing with automatic PF, ESI and professional tax calculation under Indian rules, per the payroll page.
- Attendance and leave
- Biometric, GPS and web check-ins, automated shift scheduling and leave management feed the payroll run.
- Employee records
- Centralized employee profiles with document storage and role-based permissions.
- Recruitment and performance
- An applicant tracking module, OKRs and performance management sit in the higher modules on the pricing page.
- Add-on apps
- Shift planning, field-force tracking and timesheets are add-ons priced per employee per month.
Plans
Darwinbox
Pricing could not be confirmed. See darwinbox.com.
Qandle
Regular₹79
per employee / month, billed annually (₹99 billed monthly)
Entry plan; the vendor states a minimum of ₹3,000 a month.
Plus₹99
per employee / month, billed annually (₹124 billed monthly)
Marked Most Popular on the page; same ₹3,000 a month minimum. Module list is on the pricing page.
Premium₹129
per employee / month, billed annually (₹160 billed monthly)
Top published tier; same ₹3,000 a month minimum. An Enterprise tier is quoted for over 1,000 employees.
Ways to pay less
Darwinbox
No public discounts listed.
Qandle
- Annual discount
Annual billing lowers the monthly rate
The pricing page toggles between monthly and yearly billing; for India the yearly rates are ₹79, ₹99 and ₹129 per employee a month against ₹99, ₹124 and ₹160 monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Darwinbox or Qandle?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Darwinbox has no price we could confirm, and Qandle starts at ₹79 per employee / month, billed annually (₹99 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Darwinbox or Qandle?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Darwinbox nor Qandle has a free plan. Qandle has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.