{"id":2076,"date":"2026-06-14T18:29:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T18:29:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.waggex.com\/blog\/?p=2076"},"modified":"2026-06-18T10:08:38","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T10:08:38","slug":"budget-attendance-apps-for-small-companies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.waggex.com\/blog\/budget-attendance-apps-for-small-companies\/","title":{"rendered":"Budget Attendance Apps for Small Companies in India (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Small businesses in India have one very reasonable frustration with HR software: most of it is priced for companies ten times their size.<\/span><\/p>\n

A flat \u20b96,999\/month is fine when you have 100 employees. When you have 18, that’s \u20b9388 per employee per month for a tool you’re using a fraction of. The software companies justify this with feature depth that a small business doesn’t need yet. You end up paying for an enterprise product while running what is, frankly, a small shop.<\/span><\/p>\n

The good news is the <\/span>Indian HR software market in 2026 <\/b>has genuinely affordable options, some of them free, some under \u20b95\/employee\/month, and a few that offer full payroll and compliance at a price that makes the calculation easy. The challenge is figuring out which “affordable” tool actually covers what you need, and which one is cheap because it cuts corners on the things that matter.<\/span><\/p>\n

This article covers eight attendance apps worth considering for small Indian businesses, with honest notes on what each one includes at its lowest price point and where the gaps are.<\/span><\/p>\n

Before the List: What “Cheap” Can Actually Cost You<\/b><\/h2>\n

The lowest-priced tool isn’t always the cheapest option when you factor in what it doesn’t do.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here’s the calculation most small businesses miss: an attendance app that doesn’t connect to payroll saves you money on software but costs you time, usually 2\u20134 hours of manual data reconciliation before every payroll run. For a 20-person team, that’s a meaningful chunk of someone’s working week, every month, forever.<\/span><\/p>\n

Similarly, a tool that tracks attendance but doesn’t handle PF, ESI, and TDS means you’re still managing compliance manually or paying an accountant to do it. A slightly more expensive tool that automates compliance filings often costs less in total than the cheap tool plus the compliance overhead.<\/span><\/p>\n

The right question isn’t <\/span>“what’s the lowest monthly fee?”<\/span><\/i> it’s <\/span>“what does this tool actually cover, and what am I still doing manually if I choose it?”<\/span><\/i> Keep that in mind as you read through this list.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Waggex \u20b92 Per Employee Per Month, Full HRMS<\/b><\/h2>\n

Starting price: \u00a0 <\/b>\u20b92 per employee \/ month<\/span><\/p>\n

Free plan: \u00a0 <\/b>Free trial no credit card required<\/span><\/p>\n

Payroll: \u00a0 <\/b>Full PF, ESI, TDS, Professional Tax (multi-state)<\/span><\/p>\n

GPS attendance: \u00a0 <\/b>Native server-side validated, mock location blocked<\/span><\/p>\n

Face verification: \u00a0 <\/b>FaceLens real-time face match, no hardware needed<\/span><\/p>\n

Best for: \u00a0 <\/b>Any small Indian business that wants attendance and payroll in one place<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For a 20-person team, <\/span>Waggex<\/span><\/a> costs \u20b940 a month. That’s less than a single tank of petrol. For that, you get GPS attendance with server-side validation, selfie-based face verification via FaceLens, leave management, shift management, payroll with full Indian compliance PF, ESI, TDS, and multi-state Professional Tax employee self-service, task management, and HR reporting. All in one system, all connected.<\/span><\/p>\n

The pricing is per-employee, which means it scales predictably. A 10-person team pays \u20b920\/month. A 30-person team pays \u20b960\/month. There are no flat-fee floors where a small company pays the same as a mid-sized one, no hidden setup costs, no module upsells for basic features.<\/span><\/p>\n

What makes \u20b92\/employee genuinely good value not just cheap:<\/b> most affordable attendance tools are cheap because they don’t include payroll. Waggex includes it. The GPS attendance data flows directly into the payroll calculation no export, no manual entry, no someone-reconciles-this-before-month-end. PF contributions, ESI deductions, TDS, and state-wise Professional Tax all compute automatically. For a small business owner or a part-time HR person managing 15\u201330 employees, removing that monthly reconciliation step is worth more than the \u20b930\u2013\u20b960\/month subscription.<\/span><\/p>\n

GPS Attendance and FaceLens<\/b><\/p>\n

Waggex’s <\/span>Geo-Location Attendance<\/span><\/a> validates every check-in on the server, not just the device. When an employee checks in, the GPS coordinates go to Waggex’s servers running on India’s 4G\/5G network where the location is cross-checked against IP address, network signals, and device integrity. If a fake GPS app is detected, the check-in is blocked. Not flagged blocked.<\/span><\/p>\n

FaceLens the <\/span>selfie attendance feature<\/span><\/a> turns every employee’s front camera into an attendance device. No biometric hardware, no installation. A registered face photo is stored on Waggex’s server. Every check-in requires a selfie that matches that photo in real time. A colleague can’t check in for someone else. The app can’t be tricked with a printed photo. For a small business where buddy punching is a real concern and biometric devices feel like an expensive overhead, FaceLens is the practical solution.<\/span><\/p>\n

What a Small Business Actually Does With Waggex<\/b><\/p>\n

A 22-person catering company in Gurugram: 8 office staff, 14 field workers across event venues. Office staff check in via web. Field workers use GPS check-in from wherever they’re setting up. Attendance syncs to payroll automatically. Monthly payslips go out through the employee app. The owner used to spend 2\u20133 hours reconciling attendance before every payroll run. Now it takes under 30 minutes because the data is already in the system.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Where It’s Lighter<\/b><\/p>\n

Waggex doesn’t have FMCG-specific beat planning or structured outlet visit management. For businesses where field operations involve defined sales routes and distributor-level reporting, a dedicated field force tool handles that better. For everyone else, it covers the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Waggex free trial:<\/b><\/p>\n

Full access no credit card, no limit on features during trial. Most small businesses are set up and running payroll within the same day. <\/span>Start at waggex.com<\/span><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. Kredily Free Forever, With One Catch Worth Knowing<\/b><\/h2>\n

Starting price: \u00a0 <\/b>Free forever (unlimited employees)<\/span><\/p>\n

Paid plans: \u00a0 <\/b>From \u20b9999\/month for 25 employees<\/span><\/p>\n

Payroll: \u00a0 <\/b>Basic on free; TDS and Form 16 on paid tier only<\/span><\/p>\n

GPS attendance: \u00a0 <\/b>Included on free plan<\/span><\/p>\n

Best for: \u00a0 <\/b>Bootstrapped startups with tight budgets and simple payroll<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Kredily<\/span><\/a> offers the most genuinely free plan in this list unlimited employees, no time limit, no credit card required. The free plan covers payroll calculations, PF and ESI contributions, attendance tracking, GPS location, and leave management. For a business that is genuinely budget-constrained and whose payroll is straightforward, this is a real option, not a stripped-down trial.<\/span><\/p>\n

The catch that matters most:<\/b> TDS calculation and Form 16 generation are not included on the free plan. This is a significant limitation any employee earning above the basic income tax exemption threshold has a TDS obligation, and that grows as salaries do. If you have even a few salaried employees above \u20b97 lakh annually (new tax regime), you’re managing TDS manually outside Kredily unless you’re on the paid Payroll OS plan (\u20b9999\/month for 25 employees).<\/span><\/p>\n

User reviews across platforms flag two recurring issues: session management frequent auto log-outs that disrupt the workflow and support response times on the free plan. For a business where payroll runs on the 1st of each month and something goes wrong on the 30th, “community support” isn’t always fast enough. These are manageable if you know about them; frustrating if you discover them on payroll day.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best for: Bootstrapped startups under 20 employees with straightforward payroll and limited TDS obligations. Graduate to the paid plan when TDS becomes relevant.<\/b><\/p>\n

Free: Unlimited employees, forever. Paid from \u20b9999\/month. See kredily.com.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

3. greytHR Starter Best Free Plan for Under-25 Teams<\/b><\/h2>\n

Starting price: \u00a0 <\/b>Free (up to 25 employees)<\/span><\/p>\n

Paid plans: \u00a0 <\/b>From ~\u20b93,495\/month flat significant jump<\/span><\/p>\n

Payroll: \u00a0 <\/b>Full on free; deep Indian compliance<\/span><\/p>\n

GPS attendance: \u00a0 <\/b>Anti-spoof blocking solid<\/span><\/p>\n

Best for: \u00a0 <\/b>Small teams where compliance accuracy matters most<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

greytHR<\/span><\/a>‘s Starter plan is free for up to 25 employees and includes proper payroll PF, ESI, Professional Tax, and basic TDS. The compliance engine is genuinely strong; greytHR has been processing Indian payroll for 30,000+ companies since 2009. For a business under 25 employees that cares deeply about getting statutory compliance right and doesn’t want to pay for it yet, this is the most serious free option available.<\/span><\/p>\n

Two things to know before you rely on it: First, <\/span>attendance management isn’t included in the Essential paid plan<\/b> the first tier after the free plan. If you outgrow 25 employees and need attendance + payroll together, you’ll need the Growth tier, which costs more than many businesses expect. Second, the GPS attendance feature (which blocks spoofed check-ins entirely) is available, but field workforce tools are not as developed as Waggex or SalaryBox for businesses where field teams are a significant portion of the workforce.<\/span><\/p>\n

For a small team under 25 that’s primarily office-based and wants reliable payroll compliance without paying anything greytHR Starter is the best choice in this list. The <\/span>compliance track record<\/span><\/a> is real, and having a trusted platform handle PF, ESI, and Professional Tax correctly from the start avoids expensive corrections later.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best for: Sub-25 teams where Indian statutory compliance accuracy is the top concern. Use the free plan until you exceed the limit, then evaluate paid options at that point.<\/b><\/p>\n

Free: Up to 25 employees. Paid from ~\u20b93,495\/month flat. See greythr.com.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

4. PagarBook Simple, Affordable, Built for Small Indian Businesses<\/b><\/h2>\n

Starting price: \u00a0 <\/b>From \u20b9499\/year (basic) very low entry cost<\/span><\/p>\n

Free plan: \u00a0 <\/b>Basic free version available<\/span><\/p>\n

Payroll: \u00a0 <\/b>Salary calculation + payslips; limited statutory compliance<\/span><\/p>\n

GPS attendance: \u00a0 <\/b>GPS + selfie check-in<\/span><\/p>\n

Best for: \u00a0 <\/b>Small shops, blue-collar teams, businesses wanting the simplest possible tool<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

PagarBook<\/span><\/a> has 8 million+ registered businesses across 650+ districts in India. That number tells you something about who uses it not large enterprises, but the small retailer with 6 staff, the construction contractor managing 12 laborers, the restaurant owner who needs to track shifts and pay salaries without a dedicated HR person.<\/span><\/p>\n

The app does what small businesses actually need: mark attendance in one tap, calculate salary automatically based on attendance (including overtime, late fines, and half days), generate payslips, and send payment via UPI. Attendance can be marked manually, via selfie, or by GPS location. Payslips go directly to employees on WhatsApp. The interface is straightforward enough that a business owner with no HR background can use it without training.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where to be clear-eyed:<\/b> PagarBook is a payroll and attendance tool, not a compliance platform. PF, ESI, and TDS calculations are basic. One reviewer specifically noted it “doesn’t comply to industrial guidelines and labour act” for certain features. For a small business below the PF registration threshold (under 20 employees in most cases) with simple salary structures, this limitation may not matter yet. Once you have compliance obligations mandatory PF registration, ESI coverage you’ll need either the compliance features that PagarBook doesn’t provide or a separate compliance tool alongside it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best for: Very small businesses (under 15 employees), blue-collar teams, shops, contractors where simplicity and low cost are the main requirements and statutory compliance is still basic.<\/b><\/p>\n

Pricing: From \u20b9499\/year. See pagarbook.com for current plans.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

5. Jibble Best Free-Forever Option for Pure Attendance Tracking<\/b><\/h2>\n

Starting price: \u00a0 <\/b>Free forever unlimited employees<\/span><\/p>\n

Paid plans: \u00a0 <\/b>From $4.49\/user\/month (major price increase in 2026)<\/span><\/p>\n

Payroll: \u00a0 <\/b>No attendance tracking only<\/span><\/p>\n

GPS attendance: \u00a0 <\/b>Geofencing + face recognition<\/span><\/p>\n

Best for: \u00a0 <\/b>Teams that only need attendance tracking and handle payroll elsewhere<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Jibble<\/span><\/a>‘s free plan gives you unlimited employees, GPS geofencing, AI face recognition, and a clean mobile app all at \u20b90. For a small business that genuinely only needs to know who’s present and when, with payroll and compliance handled by an accountant or a separate tool, Jibble is the most capable free attendance option available.<\/span><\/p>\n

The limitation is clear and important: <\/span>Jibble doesn’t do payroll.<\/b> No PF, no ESI, no TDS, no salary processing. It’s a time and attendance tracker, and it’s excellent at that specific job. But for Indian businesses where attendance and payroll need to work together which is most of them Jibble means maintaining a second system for payroll, plus a monthly step where someone moves attendance data from Jibble into the payroll system. That step costs time and introduces errors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Worth knowing: <\/span>independent reviews in 2026<\/span><\/a> flagged a significant paid-plan price increase Premium went from $2.49 to $4.49\/user\/month, Ultimate from $4.99 to $7.99. If you ever need to move beyond the free plan, the jump in cost is now considerably steeper than it used to be. The free plan, however, remains strong and hasn’t changed.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best for: Small teams where attendance is the only requirement and payroll is handled separately. Best zero-cost option in this list for pure attendance tracking.<\/b><\/p>\n

Free: Unlimited employees, forever. Paid from $4.49\/user\/month. See jibble.io.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

6. SumHR Simple and Fast to Set Up<\/b><\/h2>\n

Starting price: \u00a0 <\/b>\u20b949 per employee \/ month (billed annually)<\/span><\/p>\n

Free plan: \u00a0 <\/b>Basic free plan available<\/span><\/p>\n

Payroll: \u00a0 <\/b>Partial Indian compliance covered in paid plans<\/span><\/p>\n

GPS attendance: \u00a0 <\/b>GPS + geo-fencing<\/span><\/p>\n

Best for: \u00a0 <\/b>Small offices wanting a simple, clean HRMS without complexity<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

SumHR<\/span><\/a> is a lightweight HR software that gets attendance, leave, and basic payroll up and running quickly. At \u20b949\/employee\/month billed annually, it’s one of the lowest per-employee paid prices in the market for a tool that covers HR basics. The interface is clean not overloaded with features that a 15-person team will never use and setup is fast, typically under a day.<\/span><\/p>\n

Where it’s limited: for businesses with field teams or complex compliance requirements, SumHR’s feature depth is lighter than Waggex, greytHR, or SalaryBox. It’s well-suited for a small office team where the attendance problem is relatively simple people come in, mark attendance, take leave, get paid. When things get more complex multi-state operations, field employees, rotating shifts you’ll hit its ceiling.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best for: Small office-based teams wanting a clean, simple attendance and basic HR tool at affordable per-employee pricing.<\/b><\/p>\n

Pricing: Free basic plan. Paid from \u20b949\/employee\/month (annual billing). See sumhr.com.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

7. Zoho People Good Value If You’re Already Using Zoho<\/b><\/h2>\n

Starting price: \u00a0 <\/b>\u20b948 per employee \/ month<\/span><\/p>\n

Free plan: \u00a0 <\/b>Free for up to 5 users<\/span><\/p>\n

Payroll: \u00a0 <\/b>Not built in requires Zoho Payroll separately<\/span><\/p>\n

GPS attendance: \u00a0 <\/b>Geofencing + facial recognition via kiosk or app<\/span><\/p>\n

Best for: \u00a0 <\/b>Small businesses already using Zoho CRM or Zoho Books<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Zoho People<\/span><\/a> makes most sense when you’re already paying for part of the Zoho ecosystem. If your sales team uses Zoho CRM and your accountant uses Zoho Books, adding Zoho People at \u20b948\/employee\/month creates a connected stack where HR data talks to your other business tools without custom integrations. That integration value is real.<\/span><\/p>\n

If you’re not already on Zoho, the case is thinner. The important thing to know upfront: <\/span>payroll is not part of Zoho People.<\/b> Indian payroll is handled through <\/span>Zoho Payroll<\/span><\/a> a separate product with separate pricing (from approximately \u20b950\/employee\/month). To get attendance + payroll in one Zoho setup, you’re configuring and paying for two products. The total comes closer to \u20b9100\/employee\/month, which changes the “affordable” calculation significantly.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best for: Businesses already using Zoho CRM, Zoho Books, or other Zoho products where integration value justifies the two-product setup for HR + payroll.<\/b><\/p>\n

Pricing: Free for 5 users. Paid from \u20b948\/employee\/month. Zoho Payroll is separate. See zoho.com\/people.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

8. SalaryBox Strong Field Features, Higher Per-Employee Cost<\/b><\/h2>\n

Starting price: \u00a0 <\/b>\u20b935 per employee \/ month<\/span><\/p>\n

Free plan: \u00a0 <\/b>Free trial<\/span><\/p>\n

Payroll: \u00a0 <\/b>Full PF, ESI, TDS, Indian compliance<\/span><\/p>\n

GPS attendance: \u00a0 <\/b>Anti-spoof geofencing + AI face recognition<\/span><\/p>\n

Best for: \u00a0 <\/b>Field-heavy SMEs manufacturing, logistics, delivery<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

SalaryBox<\/span><\/a> is at #8 on a budget list not because it’s a weak product it’s a strong one but because at \u20b935\/employee\/month it’s 17x more expensive than Waggex for an equivalent feature set. A 20-person team pays \u20b9700\/month. A 50-person team pays \u20b91,750\/month. Over a year, that gap is meaningful for a genuinely small business watching every rupee.<\/span><\/p>\n

That said, SalaryBox earns its place here because it’s still significantly cheaper than Keka (\u20b96,999\/month flat) and provides a genuinely strong field workforce feature set AI face recognition, GPS anti-spoof, live location tracking, and direct payroll integration that’s specifically built for delivery teams, factory workers, and field operations. If field attendance is your primary problem and you have some budget to spend on solving it properly, SalaryBox is a credible choice.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best for: Small-to-mid businesses with primarily field-based workforces where the stronger field features justify the higher per-employee cost versus Waggex.<\/b><\/p>\n

Pricing: \u20b935\/employee\/month. Free trial at salarybox.in.<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

All Eight at a Glance<\/b><\/h2>\n

Here’s the pricing and key features in one place.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
App<\/b><\/th>\nFree Plan?<\/b><\/th>\nStarting Price<\/b><\/th>\nPayroll?<\/b><\/th>\nGPS Attendance?<\/b><\/th>\nWho It’s Actually For<\/b><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Waggex<\/b><\/td>\nFree trial<\/span><\/td>\n\u20b92\/emp\/mo<\/span><\/td>\n\u2713 Full<\/span><\/td>\n\u2713 Server-validated<\/span><\/td>\nSMEs wanting full HRMS at the lowest per-employee cost<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kredily<\/b><\/td>\n\u2713 Forever<\/span><\/td>\n\u20b9999\/mo (25 emp)<\/span><\/td>\nBasic<\/span><\/td>\n\u2713<\/span><\/td>\nBootstrapped startups TDS is paid tier only<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
greytHR<\/b><\/td>\n\u2713 (25 emp)<\/span><\/td>\n\u20b93,495\/mo flat<\/span><\/td>\n\u2713 Deep<\/span><\/td>\n\u2713<\/span><\/td>\nSub-25 teams on free; note: attend. needs Growth plan<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PagarBook<\/b><\/td>\n\u2713 Basic<\/span><\/td>\n\u20b9499+\/yr<\/span><\/td>\nBasic<\/span><\/td>\nGPS + selfie<\/span><\/td>\nVery small businesses, blue-collar, Hindi-friendly<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jibble<\/b><\/td>\n\u2713 Unlimited<\/span><\/td>\n$4.49\/user\/mo paid<\/span><\/td>\n\u2717 No<\/span><\/td>\n\u2713 Geofence<\/span><\/td>\nTeams needing attendance-only at zero cost<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SumHR<\/b><\/td>\nFree basic<\/span><\/td>\n\u20b949\/emp\/mo<\/span><\/td>\nPartial<\/span><\/td>\n\u2713<\/span><\/td>\nSimple, fast-setup for small offices<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Zoho People<\/b><\/td>\n\u2713 (5 users)<\/span><\/td>\n\u20b948\/emp\/mo<\/span><\/td>\nVia Zoho Payroll<\/span><\/td>\n\u2713<\/span><\/td>\nTeams already using Zoho ecosystem<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SalaryBox<\/b><\/td>\nFree trial<\/span><\/td>\n\u20b935\/emp\/mo<\/span><\/td>\n\u2713 Full<\/span><\/td>\n\u2713 Anti-spoof<\/span><\/td>\nField-heavy SMEs; strong ops features at moderate cost<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pricing from official sources and third-party reviewers as of 2026. Verify with vendors before purchase plans change. \u2717 means not natively available.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The Real Monthly Cost for a 20-Person Team<\/b><\/h2>\n

Let’s do the actual maths because “affordable” means different things at different team sizes.<\/span><\/p>\n