Keka

Overview

Keka is a people-operations platform that brings HR administration, payroll, attendance, and talent processes into one system. It is most compelling for employers managing multiple sites or a distributed workforce who want those functions connected, rather than a standalone payroll or recruiting tool.

Its breadth is a practical advantage: payroll draws on attendance, leave, and salary inputs, while employee records and lifecycle workflows sit alongside time tracking and talent management. That can reduce handoffs between systems, but the scope may be more than a buyer needs if it wants only one focused capability.

Key features

HR and payroll

Keka covers employee records, organizational structures, documents, and workflows from onboarding through exit. Its payroll calculates TDS, PF, ESI, and PT from attendance, leave, and salary inputs, and produces filing-ready returns. Employers whose payroll depends on current attendance and leave data have a clear reason to keep these processes together.

Time and talent

Attendance supports offices, shifts, and field teams through biometric, GPS, and mobile check-ins. The talent suite spans hiring, sourcing, screening, interviews, engagement, learning, performance reviews, goals, and recognition. That range favors organizations seeking a connected employee lifecycle; a team buying only candidate management may find the larger platform unnecessary.

Integrations, security, and implementation

Keka’s marketplace offers more than 100 integrations, including Slack, Teams, Google Workspace, and accounting apps. API and webhooks are add-ons, so organizations planning custom platform connections should account for that distinction. Keka describes in-transit encryption, firewalls, and DDoS defenses, and says its cloud infrastructure providers hold SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 certifications. It also reports availability consistently above 99.9% and backups across multiple online replicas with additional snapshots.

Customer onboarding includes a named implementation team, guided configuration, live training, and handover. Help center, chat, support, and email are among its support channels; phone access is listed for enterprise customers. That implementation structure is useful for employers with a broad rollout, though buyers should confirm the support arrangement that applies to their plan.

Pricing

Keka is paid software with custom pricing, no free plan, and a free trial. The plan lineup spans HR and payroll, talent, and project work, but there are no published prices to compare. Buyers should request a quote and establish which tier includes the functions they need before evaluating total cost.

HR plans

Foundation combines core HR, employee onboarding, leave management, attendance tracking, payroll automation, and a mobile app. It is the clearest fit for employers seeking the essential people and payroll workflow. Strength adds advanced onboarding, asset tracking, people analytics, employee pulse, and advanced attendance features, making it more relevant to teams needing broader workforce administration.

Growth includes Strength features plus workflow automation, goals, and performance management. It suits organizations bringing employee development and review processes into the same system. Pro adds project and timesheet features, revenue intelligence, and lightweight CRM; these capabilities point to organizations that also need project-related operations, not just HR.

Project plans and hiring limits

Basic covers project and task management, timesheets, and client and project reports. Advanced includes all Pro project features, plus smart resource allocation, advanced analytics, and approval flows. For talent pools, Pro hiring allows up to five, while Advanced removes that cap. Buyers should check which project or hiring plan applies to their intended use; the HR tier names alone do not establish those entitlements.

Platforms

Keka supports Android, iOS, web, API, and extension platforms. The mobile apps are also included in Foundation, but API and webhooks are paid add-ons for platform integrations.

Who it's for

Keka serves small businesses, enterprises, and global companies, with industry solutions for technology, healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, retail, and construction. Its connected HR, attendance, and payroll workflows are especially relevant to employers coordinating people across offices, shifts, and field teams. Buyers with a narrow need or a strict requirement to compare prices before contacting vendors should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

Broad employee lifecycle coverage: HR records, payroll, attendance, and talent processes sit in one platform, reducing the need to stitch together separate functions.

Payroll tied to workforce inputs: Attendance, leave, and salary feed statutory calculations and filing-ready returns.

Multiple attendance methods: Biometric, GPS, and mobile check-ins address office, shift, and field-team scenarios.

Custom pricing creates a comparison hurdle: Without published plan prices, buyers must request quotes to judge fit and cost.

Some capabilities cost extra or have plan limits: API and webhooks are add-ons, and Pro hiring caps talent pools at five while Advanced is unlimited.

Alternatives

For a different recruiting or candidate-experience option, Eightfold Talent Intelligence, Avature, iCIMS, Talview, Workday Paradox Candidate Experience Agent, Role.so, and Sense are paid alternatives; Role.so has a free trial and web platform, while Sense has no free trial.

Qualtrics is worth considering when the need is surveys: its free plan supports one user, three active surveys, and 500 total responses. For category browsing, see Candidate Experience Software, Interview Scheduling Software, Talent Management Software, Agency Project Management Software, HR Case Management Software, and HR Software.

Verdict

Choose Keka if your organization wants HR administration, payroll, attendance, and talent workflows connected, particularly across locations or field teams. Its strongest case is broad coverage backed by implementation support; look elsewhere if published pricing or a narrowly focused product is essential.