greytHR vs PayrollHero (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, greytHR and PayrollHero share a 2.2 GPA, neither has a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about features, where greytHR grades higher, or platforms, where PayrollHero does.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
greytHR
HR and payroll software for businesses in India
PayrollHero
Time clock, scheduling and HR records, with payroll in two countries
Which one is for you
Pick greytHR if
- Fits if you run payroll for an Indian company with PF, ESI and tax rules
- Works for firms of 50 employees or fewer on the base plan
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you pay staff outside India, as the vendor describes it as software for Indian businesses
- Watch out: prices are in rupees, and the page does not say if GST is included
- Watch out: attendance and shifts start at Growth, and performance, expense and recruitment tools cost extra on lower plans
- Watch out: annual plans are not refunded if you stop during the term
Pick PayrollHero if
- Fits if you need staff to clock in from a phone and manage shifts
- Works for firms in the Philippines or Singapore that want payroll too
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you need payroll elsewhere: it is offered only in the Philippines and Singapore
- Watch out: the pricing page says month to month, but the FAQ states a one-year contract billed ahead
- Pricey if you add payroll and leave: $3.50 plus $3 plus $2, so $8.50 a person
- Watch out: payment is by PayPal or HSBC Singapore wire, per the FAQ
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAgreytHRFair | 2.2GPAPayrollHeroFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CEssential is INR 2,495 a month including 50 employees, about $29, in the middle of payroll tools. Each extra employee is INR 45. | C$3.50 an employee a month, or $6.50 with payroll, so about $32 a month for five people, between the category's $20 and $49 marks. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 7-day trial with full features and no billing for the first 7 days. There is no free plan. | C30 days free, and the card terms are not stated. No free plan. |
| Features | BIndian statutory payroll, attendance and leave, employee self-service, an AI assistant and add-on modules. | CSelfie clock-in, scheduling, attendance and an HR directory. Payroll is a paid add-on for two countries only. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. Payroll rules, leave policies and employees are set up by you. | CNo store rating on record. You set up worksites, schedules and thresholds, so it is a C. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only on the listing, with no integrations named. | BWeb, iPhone, Android and a browser extension. No integrations are listed, and the iPhone and iPad apps need a paid account. |
| Best for | payroll and HR for Indian businesses | time clocking, with payroll in two countries |
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: greytHR and PayrollHero. How we grade
Price against what you get
greytHR starts at about $26.28 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. PayrollHero starts at $3.50 a month for each person and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and PayrollHero starts $22.78 a month lower. Of the other payroll services on the chart, 3 score higher than greytHR for less, and none scores higher than PayrollHero for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- PayrollHero also covers shift scheduling.
At a glance
| greytHR | PayrollHero | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | ₹2,495 per month, including 50 employees | $3.50 per employee / month |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 7-day free trial with full features, no billing for the first 7 days | 30 days free, then month to month, per the pricing page |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | greytHR | Red Cape HR Software Corp. |
| Price read from | greythr.com | payrollhero.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
greytHR
- Prices are in Indian rupees and the page does not say whether GST is included.
- Attendance and shift management start at the Growth plan; performance management, expense and recruitment tools cost extra on lower plans.
- The vendor describes it as software for Indian businesses.
- Annual subscriptions are offered, but remaining credit is not refunded if you stop during the term.
PayrollHero
- Payroll is offered only in the Philippines and Singapore; elsewhere it is time and attendance only.
- The pricing page says month to month, but the FAQ states a one-year initial contract billed a year ahead.
- Prices are shown in dollars without naming a currency or country; the FAQ takes payment by PayPal or HSBC Singapore wire.
- The home page says the iPhone and iPad apps work only with paid PayrollHero accounts.
Key features
greytHR
- Indian statutory payroll
- Computes PF, ESI, professional tax, LWF and TDS across all 28 states, with direct filing to government portals.
- Attendance and leave
- Punches from biometric devices, GPS, GeoMark+ or Visage face recognition feed one leave and attendance engine and then payroll.
- Employee self-service
- Employees see payslips, leave balances, claims, Form 16 and tax declarations in the greytHR portal and app.
- NAVOS AI assistant
- Typed commands grant leave, pull reports and update records within a user's permissions; included on paid plans.
- Add-on modules
- Performance management, time sheets, expense management, recruitment and GPS tracking are sold as add-ons on lower plans.
PayrollHero
- Selfie clock-in
- Employees clock in and out with a photo, and facial recognition and geolocation are used to confirm the right person is at the right worksite.
- Scheduling and attendance
- Build schedules, set thresholds, resolve attendance exceptions and export attendance data.
- Payroll add-on
- For companies in the Philippines or Singapore, PayrollHero can act as the payroll provider; employees see paystubs on a personal dashboard.
- HR information system
- Employee records, an organizational chart and a place to request and store documents such as contracts and government ID.
- Leave management
- A separate add-on for leave requests and tracking.
- Analytics
- Business intelligence and attendance reports, which companies outside the payroll markets can use with another payroll provider.
Plans
greytHR
Essential₹2,495
per month, plus ₹45 per employee above 50
Payroll, leave management and core HR for up to 50 employees at the base price, with the NAVOS AI assistant.
Growth₹4,495
per month, plus ₹85 per employee above 50
Essential plus attendance, shift management, overtime, geo-fencing and a confirmation workflow.
PremiumCustom
All modules included; the page says it saves about 30% against Growth plus add-ons. Contact sales.
PayrollHero
Full edition$3.50
per employee / month
HRIS, timekeeping, attendance and scheduling. Payroll and Leave Management are priced as add-ons.
Payroll add-on$3.00
per employee / month
Adds payroll to the Full edition; the vendor says it provides payroll in the Philippines and Singapore only.
Leave Management add-on$2.00
per employee / month
Adds leave management to the Full edition.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, greytHR or PayrollHero?
As of Nov 12, 2026, greytHR starts at ₹2,495 per month, including 50 employees, and PayrollHero starts at $3.50 per employee / month. One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, greytHR or PayrollHero?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither greytHR nor PayrollHero has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do greytHR and PayrollHero run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only PayrollHero lists iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.