PayrollHero vs Qandle (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PayrollHero grades higher than Qandle: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
PayrollHero grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
PayrollHero
Time clock, scheduling and HR records, with payroll in two countries
Qandle
HR and payroll suite with per-employee pricing, India-focused
Which one is for you
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
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
| 2.2GPAPayrollHeroFair | 2.0GPAQandleFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | 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 | C30 days free, and the card terms are not stated. No free plan. | CA free trial is offered; the pricing page does not give its length or say whether a card is needed. |
| Features | CSelfie clock-in, scheduling, attendance and an HR directory. Payroll is a paid add-on for two countries only. | 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. You set up worksites, schedules and thresholds, so it is a C. | CNo store rating on record. You set up employees, policies and statutory rules before it runs. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone, Android and a browser extension. No integrations are listed, and the iPhone and iPad apps need a paid account. | CWeb only on the listing, with no desktop app or integrations list. |
| Best for | time clocking, with payroll in two countries | 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: PayrollHero and Qandle. How we grade
Price against what you get
PayrollHero starts at $3.50 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Qandle starts at about $0.83 a month for each person and scores 2.0.
PayrollHero scores higher, and starts $2.67 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other payroll services on the chart, none scores higher than PayrollHero for less, and 2 score higher than Qandle 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.
- Qandle also covers expense tracking and applicant tracking.
At a glance
| PayrollHero | Qandle | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $3.50 per employee / month | ₹79 per employee / month, billed annually (₹99 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30 days free, then month to month, per the pricing page | Free trial offered; its length is not stated on the pricing page |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Red Cape HR Software Corp. | Qandle |
| Price read from | payrollhero.com | qandle.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
PayrollHero
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, PayrollHero or Qandle?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Qandle is cheaper to start with: about $0.83 a month for each person, against $3.50 a month for each person for PayrollHero. PayrollHero starts at $3.50 per employee / month, and Qandle starts at ₹79 per employee / month, billed annually (₹99 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, PayrollHero or Qandle?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither PayrollHero nor Qandle has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do PayrollHero and Qandle run on?
As of Nov 13, 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.