Keka alternatives

Teams leaving Keka usually compare greytHR (Essential ₹2,495 a month for 50 employees), HROne (Basic ₹4,950 for 50), Zoho People and PeopleMuster, which keeps HR and project work together for $3 per person a month with every module. Keka sells HR, payroll and project timesheets as one product, priced by region with a minimum headcount.

Why people leave

A minimum headcount is the usual trigger. Small firms are priced as though larger.
Regional tabs come second. A figure pulled from one region's tab does not survive the next renewal conversation.
Some leave because they want a published number they can put in a budget line without a call.
Few leave over features. Keka's coverage is broad, which is why the price question decides it.

The real options

Seven products, Keka included, were compared in September 2026 on one question: how much of HR and client project time each covers under one login. Evaluated from each vendor's own documentation and pricing, with every figure re-read on 24 September 2026 in its published currency. Keka's INR strings are per-additional-employee rates, so no Keka figure is quoted.

PeopleMuster

$3 per person a month from the first person, in USD. Every module included, no seat minimum. 14 days free, no card.

Who it suits: Service companies that want attendance, leave, timesheets and capacity in one database.
Where it wins: The HR and delivery halves share one person record, and the price is on the page with no headcount floor to meet.

greytHR

India: Essential ₹2,495 a month including 50 employees, then ₹45 each; Growth ₹4,495, then ₹85 each; Premium custom. Middle East: Essential $50 a month including 10, then $2 each. 7-day trial, no lock-in. Verified 24 September 2026.

Who it suits: Firms in India or the Gulf that want published regional price bands.
Where it wins: Published bands per region, a 7-day trial and no lock-in.
Where it falls short: Prices are set per region, and every employee past the included count adds to the base.

HROne

Basic ₹4,950 a month for 50 users plus ₹99 per extra user; Professional ₹6,500 for 50 plus ₹130; Enterprise custom. Verified 24 September 2026.

Who it suits: Indian firms that want a published price for their first 50 users.
Where it wins: A published band that includes the first 50 users.
Where it falls short: Each user past 50 adds ₹99 on Basic and ₹130 on Professional.

Zoho People

In USD: Essential HR $1.50 to People Plus $10 per user a month billed monthly ($1.25 to $9 annual). Paid plans need 5 users; prices vary by region. Verified 24 September 2026.

Who it suits: Cost-driven small firms already inside the Zoho suite.
Where it wins: Five paid plans and sibling apps that cover billing.
Where it falls short: Several apps do what Keka does in one, and prices vary by region like Keka's.

Darwinbox

Quote-gated. A module picker leads to a quote request. Checked September 2026.

Who it suits: Large mid-market and enterprise teams in Asia.
Where it wins: Enterprise depth and a modular purchase.
Where it falls short: No client project delivery, and no published price.

Productive.io

Essential $10 per user a month billed yearly, $12 monthly; Professional $25 yearly, $29 monthly; 3-seat minimum. Verified 24 September 2026.

Who it suits: Agencies whose central question is whether a project made money.
Where it wins: Budgets, profitability and a financial view of each project.
Where it falls short: Not an HR system, and says so. It integrates out to BambooHR, Personio and Rippling for the employee record.

BambooHR

Core $10, Pro $17, Elite $25 per employee a month; flat from $250 at 25 or fewer. Verified September 2026.

Who it suits: Firms that will split the problem and buy a dedicated HR record.
Where it wins: A mature HR record, with published tiers.
Where it falls short: No client project delivery, so project time needs a second product.

Questions people ask

How much does Keka cost for 50 employees?

Keka does not publish a clean per-seat price. Plans are Foundation, Strength and Growth, the page prices by region, and the INR figures in its source are per-additional-employee rates. For 50 people, PeopleMuster costs a hundred and fifty dollars a month at $3 each, with every module included.

What are the best Keka alternatives?

For a service firm, PeopleMuster keeps HR and project work on one record at $3 per person. greytHR and HROne publish INR bands that include the first 50 employees, and Zoho People publishes USD plans from $1.50 per user, all verified 24 September 2026.

Does anything else combine HR with client project delivery?

Yes. Keka sells that combination, Zoho People covers it across sibling apps, and PeopleMuster puts the HR and delivery halves on one record. Be wary of any vendor that says the two are never combined.

How do I move from Keka to PeopleMuster?

We load your people, leave types and projects with you during setup, and there's no setup fee. A CSV importer takes people, leave balances and projects if you'd rather do it yourself, and the first 14 days are free.