Leading Keka HR Competitors for Indian Organizations
Choosing between Offrd and Keka HR software is a critical decision for Indian startups and MSMEs. Both are cloud-based HRMS platforms designed for Indian businesses, but they serve different market segments with distinct pricing models and feature sets.
Quick Comparison Overview
Here's a snapshot of how Offrd and Keka compare:
Offrd is best for startups with 5-200 employees, uses a pay-per-use pricing model, takes 2 minutes to set up, charges ₹50 per active employee per month, has zero setup fees, serves 4,000+ companies, and was founded in 2023.
Keka is best for companies with 200-500+ employees, uses a monthly subscription model, takes 2-4 weeks to implement, starts at ₹6,999/month for 100 employees, charges nominal setup fees, serves 6,500+ customers, and was founded in 2014.
Understanding the Pricing Models
Offrd: Pay-Per-Use HR Software
Offrd operates on a pay-per-use model where you only pay when you use a feature. The pricing is simple: ₹50 per active employee per month. There are no monthly subscription fees, no setup costs, and no payments for capacity you barely use. This makes it ideal for bootstrapped startups with unpredictable hiring patterns.
The key advantages of this model include zero fixed costs during slow hiring months, budget-friendly pricing for early-stage startups, no vendor lock-in, costs that scale with actual usage, and perfect flexibility for seasonal hiring patterns.
Keka: Subscription Model
Keka follows a traditional subscription pricing structure. It starts at ₹6,999/month for up to 100 employees, with an additional ₹60 per employee per month beyond that. Setup fees apply, and there's a fixed monthly commitment required.
For example, if you have 100 employees, you'll pay ₹6,999/month or ₹83,988/year. With 150 employees, that becomes ₹9,999/month or ₹1,19,988/year. At 200 employees, you're looking at ₹12,999/month or ₹1,55,988/year.
Setup and Implementation
Getting Started with Offrd
Offrd takes just 2 minutes to go live. There's no setup needed, no training required, and you get human support without pushy sales tactics. Activation is instant, there are no onboarding calls needed, and it's perfect for founders handling HR themselves.
Getting Started with Keka
Keka takes an average of 2-4 weeks to implement. The process includes a comprehensive onboarding program, guided configuration support, data migration assistance, and training sessions for your HR team. This more structured approach is better suited for companies with established HR departments.
User Experience Comparison
Offrd's Simplicity-First Approach
Offrd is designed for people with no HR experience. CEOs and small teams can use it effortlessly. It features AI-powered document generation, has a minimal learning curve, and can generate offer letters in under 2 minutes. The interface is intuitive for non-HR professionals.
Keka's Feature-Rich Interface
Keka offers a comprehensive dashboard with multiple modules to navigate. However, users have requested proper documented manuals to reduce reliance on customer support. Some users find the interface cluttered, making it better suited for experienced HR teams.
Who Should Use Which Platform?
Offrd is Ideal For:
Companies with 5-200 employees in the seed to Series A startup stage. It's perfect for founder-led HR teams or companies with just one HR person. If you're hiring 5-15 people per quarter and have a budget under ₹15,000/month for HR software, Offrd is a strong choice. Your priority is speed, simplicity, and cost savings.
Specific use cases include bootstrapped startups, first-time founders, companies without dedicated HR departments, businesses with seasonal hiring patterns, and remote-first teams.
Keka is Ideal For:
Companies with 200-500+ employees in Series B or beyond, or profitable companies. It's designed for organizations with 2 or more dedicated HR professionals who hire 20+ people per quarter and can invest ₹15,000+ per month in HRMS. Your priority is advanced features, analytics, and compliance.
Specific use cases include established mid-size companies, businesses with complex payroll structures, multi-location operations, companies focused on performance management, and organizations needing comprehensive HRMS capabilities.
Feature Comparison
What Offrd Offers
Offrd covers essential document management including offer letters, probation letters, increment letters, and separation letters. It features AI-powered document generation with compliance checks, onboarding workflows, and payslip generation.
For attendance and leave management, Offrd provides real-time attendance tracking with QR check-ins and geofencing, leave management, shift updates, and remote work support.
The AI features include intelligent document generation, a policy generator, and automated compliance tools.
What Keka Offers
Keka provides comprehensive core HRMS features including employee data management, payroll, leave and attendance, and performance management.
Advanced modules include recruitment with integrated ATS, performance management with OKRs and SMART goals, a learning and development platform, time tracking and timesheets, expense management, and asset management.
On the compliance front, Keka handles PF, ESI, TDS, and PT automated compliance, Form website 16 generation, and state-wise labor law adaptation.
Customer Reviews and Feedback
Offrd Customer Experiences
Users have praised Offrd's platform for being user-friendly with no training needed, significantly cutting costs for onboarding. It's been described as a perfect fit for hybrid teams with accurate attendance capture. The pay-per-use model has been noted as perfect for scaling gradually. The platform is trusted by over 4,000 companies across India with a focus on MSMEs.
Keka Customer Experiences
Users praise Keka for saving manual hours on payroll and simplifying onboarding. The platform has strong payroll automation and good biometric integration. Keka serves 6,500+ customers globally and has raised $57 million in Series A funding since its founding in 2014.
However, there are common complaints. Customer support issues are frequently mentioned, with 169 users citing poor customer support with unresolved queries and delays. Customer service response times are described as slow.
Customization limitations are another concern. The functionality is described as hard-wired with limited ability to make changes. You have to wire your process to fit Keka rather than the other way around. This limitation was mentioned by 146 users.
Performance issues include slow loading times hindering task completion, mentioned by 117 users. Mobile app limitations include no document downloads and slow performance.
Documentation gaps exist as well, with 184 users requesting proper documented manuals.
Real Cost Analysis: A 50-Employee Startup
Let's look at a realistic scenario for a 50-employee startup with standard HR operations and regular payroll and attendance needs.
With Offrd, you would pay 50 employees times ₹50 per month, which equals ₹2,500/month or ₹30,000/year.
With Keka, you would pay ₹6,999/month, which covers up to 100 employees, totaling ₹83,988/year.
This means savings with Offrd of ₹53,988 per year, representing a 64% lower cost.
What These Savings Mean
With the money saved using Offrd, you could hire an additional employee for 2 months, invest in marketing or product development, build a 6-month emergency fund, or cover office rent for multiple months.
When Does Keka Make Financial Sense?
Keka makes sense financially when you have 140+ active employees (since ₹50 times 140 equals ₹7,000/month, approaching Keka's base cost), when you're hiring 50+ people per month consistently, when the advanced features justify the cost difference, or when your dedicated HR team can fully utilize all modules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better for startups: Offrd or Keka?
Offrd is better for startups under 200 employees due to its pay-per-use pricing model, 2-minute setup, and no monthly commitments. You only pay when you use features, saving 90% or more on HR software costs compared to subscription models.
What is the main difference between Offrd and Keka pricing?
Offrd charges ₹50 per active employee per month, while Keka charges a fixed monthly subscription starting at ₹6,999/month for 100 employees plus ₹60 per additional employee.
How long does it take to set up Offrd vs Keka?
Offrd takes 2 minutes with no setup fees, while Keka takes 2-4 weeks with onboarding fees.
Which HR software is better for 100-200 employees?
Offrd is more cost-effective for companies with 100-200 employees, especially if hiring is sporadic. It can save ₹60,000-1,00,000 annually compared to Keka's subscription model.
Does Offrd have payroll features like Keka?
Offrd offers payroll management and payslip generation, while Keka has more advanced payroll features with complex salary structures. For basic payroll needs, Offrd is sufficient.
What are the main complaints about Keka HR?
Common Keka complaints include poor customer support (169 mentions), limited customization (146 mentions), and slow loading times (117 mentions).
Is Offrd suitable for remote teams?
Yes, Offrd supports remote work with QR check-ins, geofencing, and real-time attendance tracking, making it perfect for hybrid and remote teams.
Which software is more user-friendly?
Offrd is designed for people with no HR experience and requires no training, making it more user-friendly than Keka, which users say requires proper documentation and has a learning curve.
Can I switch from Keka to Offrd?
Yes, since Offrd has no lock-in contracts and no setup fees, switching is simple and cost-effective.
Which HR software has better AI features?
Offrd recently launched AI-powered document generation and automation features, positioning it as an AI-first platform. Keka focuses more on traditional HRMS features.
Final Verdict: Which Should You Choose?
Choose Offrd If You:
Have 5-200 employees, are a bootstrapped startup or MSME, want to save 64% or more on HR software costs, need to start using HR software TODAY with a 2-minute setup, hire sporadically (not every week), don't have a dedicated HR team, want pay-per-use flexibility with no commitments, value AI-powered automation and simplicity, or are budget-conscious (under ₹15k/month for HR).
Choose Keka If You:
Have 200-500+ employees, have a dedicated HR team (2+ people), need advanced features like LMS and advanced analytics, hire 20+ people monthly at scale, have complex multi-location payroll, can invest ₹15,000-30,000/month in HRMS, need comprehensive performance management, or want a full-featured enterprise HRMS.
The Bottom Line
For 90% of Indian startups and MSMEs under 200 employees, Offrd is the smarter choice because:
First, cost savings. You save ₹53,988+ annually (64% savings for a 50-employee company).
Second, speed. Start in 2 minutes versus 2-4 weeks.
Third, simplicity. No HR experience needed.
Fourth, flexibility. Pay only ₹50 per active employee per month.
Fifth, modern technology. AI-powered automation.
Keka makes sense when you've scaled past 200 employees, have steady hiring needs, and require enterprise features that justify the 3-5x higher cost.
Getting Started
If you're a startup with under 200 employees, try Offrd. There's no credit card required, you can start in 2 minutes, you pay only ₹50 per active employee per month, and there are no setup fees.
If you're a company with 200+ employees, book a Keka demo. Note that comprehensive onboarding is included, setup fees apply, and a monthly commitment is required.