Best factoHR Alternatives in India (2026): Compared Honestly

factoHR is a well-regarded Indian HRMS with strong attendance, shift management and statutory compliance. It's a common pick for manufacturing, retail and other shift-heavy businesses. So why do companies search for "factoHR alternatives"? Usually because of fit: the price at their headcount, the setup effort, or a specific feature they need that works better elsewhere.

This guide explains what factoHR is good at, the common reasons companies look elsewhere, the main alternatives in India and who each suits, a comparison checklist, and how to switch safely.

Updated 30 September 2026. Vendor features and prices change often — confirm the current details on each vendor's own website before you decide.

The short answer

• factoHR is strong on attendance, shifts and Indian compliance. If you run complex shifts and need PT and state rules calculated, it's hard to beat and worth keeping on the shortlist.
• For deep compliance with a large customer base, compare greytHR.
• For a broad suite with performance and hiring, compare Keka or Zimyo.
• For companies on Zoho, compare Zoho People with Zoho Payroll.
• For simple HR and payroll in one published price — without shift rostering — compare PeopleVio.
• Decide on one real payroll month, run on your own data.

What factoHR does well

• Attendance and shift management — rosters, rotating shifts, night shifts and overtime.
• Indian statutory compliance — PF, ESI, Professional Tax, LWF and related reports.
• Payroll integrated with attendance.
• Mobile access for employees and managers.

If your business runs on shifts and overtime, those strengths matter a lot, and any alternative should be tested hard on them.

Why companies look for a factoHR alternative

1. They don't run shifts

A 30-person office with fixed 9:30–6:30 hours doesn't need rostering. Those features add configuration without adding value.

2. They want simpler setup

Rich attendance and shift configuration takes time. A small company may want to run payroll within days.

3. They want a published price

Some buyers prefer a per-employee price they can see on a website before speaking to sales.

4. They need talent-management features

Companies that start running structured performance reviews or hiring pipelines may want a broader suite.

5. They're in an ecosystem

A company running on Zoho may prefer Zoho's HR and payroll products for the integrations.

The main factoHR alternatives

Alternative	Type	Strengths	Consider if…
greytHR	Compliance-focused HR and payroll	Deep statutory coverage, large customer base	Compliance across states is the priority
Keka	Broad HR suite	Payroll plus performance, OKRs, hiring	You'll use talent-management features
Zimyo	Broad HR platform	HR, payroll, performance, engagement	You want engagement and performance features
Zoho People + Zoho Payroll	Ecosystem	Zoho integrations, customisation	You already run on Zoho
PeopleVio	Simple all-in-one HR + payroll	One per-employee price; payroll from attendance; PF/ESI modules; fast setup	Fixed office hours, 10–500 employees, want it to just work

Comparison checklist

Score each vendor on the same list:

Check	Why it matters
Shift rostering and overtime rules	Essential for factories and 24×7 operations; irrelevant for fixed-hour offices
Biometric integration	Must support your machine brand
Geofenced mobile check-in	For field and site staff
Payroll from attendance	Loss of pay, half days and proration without export
PF and ESI	Wage ceiling by date (₹25,000 from 17 September 2026), ECR and ESIC return files
Professional Tax and LWF	If you're in states that levy them
TDS and Form 16	Regimes, declarations, Form 16
Setup time	Weeks to first payroll
Total price	At your headcount and at 1.5×
Data export	Your way out

The first line decides a lot. If you need shift rostering and overtime rules, keep factoHR (or another shift-strong tool) on your shortlist.

PeopleVio as a factoHR alternative

PeopleVio is designed for companies with fixed office hours or simple attendance rules, who want HR and payroll in one simple system.

What's included:

• Attendance — geofenced GPS check-in, ZKTeco/eSSL biometric machines pushing punches directly, office timings, late grace and late-mark allowance, regularisation and an hours report.
• Payroll with loss of pay, mid-month joining and exit proration, custom earnings and deductions, and PDF payslips emailed to employees.
• PF with the EPFO module — EPF, EPS, EDLI, VPF, ECR and arrear ECR, UAN validation, challans.
• ESI with the ESIC module — contribution periods, the monthly return .xls, challans.
• TDS and Form 16.
• Leave, comp off, expenses, assets and offer letters.

What it doesn't do — important in a factoHR comparison:

• No shift rostering or overtime rules. If you run rotating or night shifts with overtime, factoHR is the better fit.
• No Professional Tax or LWF calculation.
• No performance reviews or recruitment.
• No installable mobile app — it's a responsive web app.

What PeopleVio costs

Active employees	Monthly billing	Yearly billing (per month)
25	₹1,475	₹1,225
50	₹2,450	₹2,050
100	₹4,900	₹4,100
300	₹11,700	₹9,900

Prices exclude GST; every module included. See the pricing page.

Two worked examples

A 120-person garment factory with two shifts, overtime every week, and workers in PF and ESI. → Shift rostering and overtime rules are must-haves. Stay with factoHR or compare it with another shift-strong tool. A simple all-in-one without rostering isn't the right fit.

A 45-person trading company with one office, fixed hours, a biometric machine and five field staff. → No shifts, no overtime rules needed. Compare factoHR with greytHR and an all-in-one like PeopleVio on setup time, price and how well geofencing works for the field staff.

How to switch from factoHR

1. Pick the month — April is cleanest for TDS.
2. Export employees, salary structures, leave balances and year-to-date payroll.
3. Import employees in bulk, then UANs, PF member IDs and ESIC IP numbers.
4. Recreate leave policies, holidays, office timings and late rules.
5. Connect biometric machines or set up office locations for geofencing.
6. Carry forward year-to-date salary and TDS if switching mid-year.
7. Run one month in parallel and compare payslips, the ECR and the ESIC return.
8. Go live, and keep your exports.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best factoHR alternatives? greytHR for compliance depth, Keka or Zimyo for broad HR suites, Zoho People with Zoho Payroll for Zoho users, and PeopleVio for simple HR and payroll at one published price.

Is factoHR good for shift-based companies? Yes — shift and attendance management is one of its strengths. Shift-heavy companies should test any alternative carefully on rostering and overtime.

Does PeopleVio support shifts and overtime? Not yet. PeopleVio has office timings, late rules and an hours report, but no shift rostering or overtime rules. Overtime can be added to payroll as an earning.

Is PeopleVio cheaper than factoHR? PeopleVio publishes one price, from ₹59 per active employee per month (₹49 billed yearly), down to ₹29 (₹25 yearly) at larger headcounts. Ask factoHR for a quote at your headcount and compare the totals.

Can PeopleVio handle PF, ESI and TDS? Yes, through the EPFO and ESIC modules and built-in TDS. Professional Tax isn't calculated.

The bottom line

factoHR is a strong choice for shift-heavy, compliance-heavy businesses. If that's you, keep it on your shortlist. If you have fixed hours and simple attendance, a simpler all-in-one may do the job faster and for less. Decide by running one real payroll month on each.

See PeopleVio's pricing or book a demo.

Related reading: Keka vs factoHR · greytHR vs factoHR · Best greytHR alternatives · Which HRMS software should you demo?