A Keka alternative for small startups

If you are a small startup looking for a Keka alternative, ASHR.work is an India-first HRMS with published prices: Starter is ₹49 per employee a month ex-GST and already includes payroll with PF, ESI, PT and TDS, leave and attendance. Keka's pricing page lists no per-employee prices (checked 9 October 2026), so compare against the quote Keka gives you.

How the two compare for a small team

Both are built in India for Indian statutory payroll. Keka is a well-known platform used by SMB and mid-market teams. The differences that matter most to a small startup:

Pricing: ASHR.work publishes every price, from ₹49 per employee; Keka's pricing page lists no prices.
Entry plan: ASHR.work Starter includes payroll, leave, attendance, onboarding and a helpdesk.
Slack: ASHR.work has its own Slack app for leave, approvals and weekly check-ins (Growth plan).
Contractors: ASHR.work runs contractor payouts with 194J/194C TDS on a ledger separate from salaried payroll (Growth plan).

Moving over

Export employees, leave balances and salary structures from your current system as CSV and import them yourself from Admin > Import data, with a preview before anything is written.

Frequently asked questions

Everything you need to decide if ASHR.work is the right HR platform for your team.

Is ASHR.work cheaper than Keka?

ASHR.work Starter is ₹49 per employee per month ex-GST. Keka's pricing page lists no per-employee prices (checked 9 October 2026), so compare against the quote Keka gives you.

Does ASHR.work do Indian statutory payroll like Keka?

Yes. ASHR.work payroll covers PF, ESI, professional tax and TDS, and produces the export files you file. See the side-by-side comparison for each capability with sources.

How long does switching take?

Most of the setup is a CSV import of employees, leave balances and salary structures, which you can do yourself with a dry run first. Guided migration is available for payroll history.