Best Small Business HR Software For Your Business In 2023

People are the most important asset for any organization — startups or large corporations. That’s why you need a tool like HR software for small businesses that makes the whole process of managing employees efficient. An HR, or human resource, software streamlines various aspects of business processes, including employee management, performance management, onboarding, and much more.

In other words, it manages an employee's entire lifecycle— from hiring candidates to their retirement process. While large enterprises do not struggle to find the best HR software for small businesses or startups need to consider an economical and versatile option.

Fortunately, a stack of software is available for startups in India that can help them redefine their HR process. We will discuss the best software for small businesses that you can consider using.

List of Best HR Software for Small Businesses

1. GreytHR

GreytHR is an all-in-one HR software that caters to the needs of small and midsize businesses across various industries. This cloud-based solution ensures that your employees can access the system on the go.It automates various HR processes, provides a portal for employees, and ensures 100% statutory compliance with PF/ESI/PT/TDS. Employees can access accurate leave balances and transactions anytime — saving time for both employees and the HR manager.Companies like Instamojo, CavinKare, and Volvo use GreytHR to run their organization efficiently.

Features

• Attendance management and leave management
• Employee lifecycle management
• Payroll processing
• Training and Performance tracking
• Tax statutory compliance

Pros

• Mobile application
• Exceptional customer support

Cons

• The user interface can be improved

Pricing

• Quote on request

2. PeopleWorks

PeopleWorks is one of the best HR software for small businesses that aim to improve the overall productivity of employees. This leading HRMS (human resource management system) simplifies the tedious recruitment and onboarding process by automating the candidate selection process. What’s interesting about it is that it offers geo-based attendance tracking, meaning you can easily keep track of your remote employee attendance. Besides, it offers an end-to-end solution — covering all aspects of human capital management on a single platform.

Features

• Talent management
• Biometric integrated setup
• Payroll management
• Compensation management
• Employee Database

Pros

• Rich user interface
• 360-degree feedback

Cons

• Few bugs reports

Pricing

• Quote on request

3. Sage HRMS

Sage HRMS is an on-premise capital management software best suited for small to medium-sized businesses. It offers a comprehensive set of solutions for managing the entire employee life cycle, from hiring to retirement.Furthermore, it helps with time and attendance management by keeping track of all types of absences. Most importantly, Sage HRMS aims for businesses to digitize their records and save paper costs. It also ensures that you are investing in the right employees.

Features

• Payroll processing
• Recruitment
• Talent management
• Absence management
• Employee self-service

Pros

• Analytics capability
• Reliable customer service

Cons

• Having difficulty in integrating with other applications

Pricing

• Quote on request

4. Qandle

Qandle is a cloud-based HR software for small businesses that is quite popular for its powerful recruitment tools. It provides an intuitive ATS solution along with a shareable link for job boards.In other words, it ensures that you hire the right people for the right job. Besides, the Qandle Assistant — an automated chatbot — gets your task done quickly. Instead of waiting for your HR reply, you can ask the bot and know the real-time status of your leave balances, request for leave, raise help desk tickets, and much more.

Features

• Payroll management
• Employee self-service portal
• Reports and analytics
• Mobile responsive
• Asset management

Pros

• Fully configurable with smart integration
• High-level data security

Cons

• Performance module can be improved

Pricing

• Quote on request

5. CavinHR

CavinHR is a leading HR software for small businesses that offers a robust set of functionalities. It streamlines the entire HR process, including time tracking, managing leave requests, and much more. Its analytics feature provides deep insights into employee performance and suggests how the overall productivity can be improved.Besides, it enables you to check-in and check out to clock your presence from multiple devices. The system is compatible with various devices — desktop, laptop, mobile, and tablet.

Features

• Admin access control
• Employee self-service
• Social tools
• Attendance and time tracking
• Leave calendar

Pros

• Powerful reporting and analytic tool
• Rich and intuitive interface

Cons

• Lacks app support

Pricing

• Starting at INR 70 per user per month

6. Keka HRMS

Keka HRMS is a complete HR solution for small businesses This cloud-based solution automates mundane tasks like employee data entry or onboarding process, allowing your HR team to spend more time strategizing. Besides, its analytical tool provides actionable insights to improve the overall productivity within the organization.Some of the names in its clientele list include Oyo, Hitachi, ClearTax, and much more. It acts as a modern workspace where all information about your employees is stored in a single platform.

Features

• Hiring and onboarding
• Timesheet management
• Payroll expense management
• Performance management
• Leave and attendance management

Pros

• Industry agnostic
• Reliable and active customer support

Cons

• Not available on Mac and Windows

Pricing

• Foundation: Starts at ?6,999/month
• Strength: Starts at ?9,999/month
• Growth: ?13,999/month
• Blue Collar: On request

7. ZingNEO

ZingNEO is an AI-driven human resource solution that aims to accelerate business growth. This HR software for small businesses leverages 18+ years of domain expertise into their system. Its real-time dashboard gives you clear visibility into various HR processes, allowing you to make smart and informed decisions.It connects human resource management and information technology to fuel your HRMS processes. No wonder it is trusted by 600+ Enterprises and SMBs globally, including HDFC Bank, Medi Assist, and much more. It boasts of 1.25+ million employee records.

Features

• Talent management
• Performance management
• Time and attendance management
• Payroll management
• Employee self-service

Pros

• Mobile app for better mobility
• Affordable and easy to navigate

Cons

• Lacks knowledge management

Pricing

• Quote on request

8. sumHR

sumHR is one of the most reliable HR software in India that enables a 360-degree performance review system to keep productivity in check. Top companies like Karma Ayurveda, Instant Pay, Johari, and more use sumHR to streamline their people management process.It is widely famous for its organized onboarding process, where it provides complete Onboarding and exit checklists. Besides, employees can easily access all policies easily from a central repository.Companies can set up help desks for prompt employee support. What’s more, it empowers employees by promoting collaboration, keeping all communication streamlined.

Features

• Payroll management
• OKRs and goal settings
• Web attendance
• Expense management
• Approval workflow management

Pros

• Employee database
• Self-service portal

Cons

• UI design needs improvement

 Pricing

• Starting at ?75 per month

9. Zoho People

Zoho People is a simple yet powerful HR tool for small businesses. It provides a 360-degree HR solution that easily integrates with various other Zoho applications to streamline the entire business operations. What sets it apart is its ability to analyze employees’ performance by keeping track of their strengths and weaknesses. One good quality of Zoho People is that it ensures quality hires from multiple sources. It accelerates the HR process by automating mail alerts, creating checklists and tasks, promoting digital onboarding, and much more.Moreover, you can access the system from anywhere, using any device with an internet connection.

Features

• Performance management
• Recruitment
• Time and attendance management
• Knowledge database
• Employee self-service

Pros

• Highly customizable
• Responsive mobile app

Cons

• The mobile app is missing some important features of the web

Pricing

• Starting price is ?504 per year

10. PeopleHum

peopleHum is an end-to-end AI and automation-driven Hire to Retire HR software for Human Resources to drive business results. It is a cloud-based platform that is an intuitive and affordable way for growing companies to track and manage essential employee information.PeopleHum aims to create seamless employee experiences that go beyond the HR silos and whether it’s hiring, onboarding, or performance, peopleHum helps in centralizing that data and automating transactional tasks in order for HR to keep pace.

Features

• Centralized employee database
• Employee Engagement 
• Applicant tracking system
• Time and attendance tracking
• Document storage and management
• eSignature
• Performance management

Pros 

• Powerful reporting and analytics capability
• Exceptional customer service

Cons

•  No internal payroll system, they integrate with multiple local payroll vendors.

Pricing

• 14 day free trial available. Quote on request.

11. HR Mantra

The last on our list is HR Mantra — an award-winning HR software that has configured millions of HR policies. It includes a wide range of functionalities that help save 30 mins for each employee every day, allowing them to focus on more strategic planning. It has resulted in 10 times more ROI.

Furthermore, it makes the whole onboarding process smooth by automatically creating employee code based on a combination of alphabets or serial numbers. It acts as a central database where the contact information of each employee is stored properly.

Besides, disciplinary actions like salary cuts, suspensions, or terminations can be maintained too.

Features

• Performance management
• Recruitment and onboarding
• Attendance and leave management
• Performance management
• Learning management

Pros

• Customizable dashboard
• Detailed reporting

Cons

• Can’t download data

Pricing

• Quote on request

Final Thoughts

The employee lifecycle has five stages: hiring and recruiting, onboarding and training, career planning and development, workforce management, and retirement and termination. There’s always a risk of these stages getting overlapped, directly impacting the employee experience.

Startups need to ensure a streamlined experience for their employees to attract and retain industry talent. And what better way than using HR software for small businesses to ease the whole HR-related process? Evaluate these top HR software for small businesses and get your organization running smoothly.