When Indian companies post HR or Payroll jobs, three software names appear in job descriptions more than any others: GreytHR, Keka, and Darwinbox. All three are serious, India-built platforms. But they serve different company sizes and have different job-market demand profiles. If you are learning payroll with a career goal in mind — this comparison will tell you exactly where to focus.
Quick Comparison: GreytHR vs Keka vs Darwinbox
| Factor | GreytHR | Keka | Darwinbox |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for company size | SMEs (10–500 employees) | Mid-size (50–2,000) | Enterprise (500–50,000+) |
| Market penetration in India | Very high (20,000+ companies) | High (8,000+ companies) | High, growing fast |
| Payroll processing strength | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| HRMS / People features | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Compliance (PF, ESI, TDS) | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ |
| Learning curve | Low (easy to learn) | Medium | Medium-High |
| Job postings mentioning it | Very high | High | High |
| Typical company type | Traditional, SME, manufacturing | Startups, tech, new-age | Large enterprises, MNCs |
GreytHR HIGHEST JOB DEMAND
Best for: Freshers and payroll specialists targeting SME and mid-market companies
GreytHR is the most widely used payroll software in India by number of companies. It is particularly dominant in Pune's manufacturing sector, traditional IT companies, and SMEs across India. If you are starting out in payroll, GreytHR is the single most valuable software skill to have — it appears in more job descriptions than any other HRMS in India.
Key strengths: India-specific statutory compliance is excellent. PF, ESI, TDS filings are automated. Payroll processing is clean and accurate. Very strong in companies with 50–500 employees. Easy for a motivated learner to get hands-on within a few weeks.
Keka STARTUP & TECH FAVOURITE
Best for: HR professionals targeting tech companies, startups, and growth-stage businesses
Keka is the software of choice for India's startup ecosystem and new-age technology companies. If you want to work in Bangalore's startup belt, Pune's tech companies, or any VC-backed growth company — knowing Keka gives you a significant advantage. It is more than just payroll: Keka includes performance management, leave tracking, expense management and a full-featured HRMS suite.
Key strengths: Modern, clean UI that employees actually enjoy using. Strong performance management module. Good mobile app. Preferred by HR generalists who need to do more than just payroll.
Darwinbox ENTERPRISE & MNC
Best for: HR professionals targeting large companies, GCCs, and enterprise roles
Darwinbox competes with global enterprise HCM platforms like SAP SuccessFactors and Workday for large Indian companies and MNCs. It is the software you are most likely to encounter in companies with 500+ employees, especially in BFSI, manufacturing conglomerates, and GCCs. Darwinbox knowledge signals that you are ready for an enterprise HR role.
Key strengths: Full talent suite (hiring to offboarding), workforce planning, robust analytics, enterprise-grade compliance. Strong in companies with complex HR structures.
Which One Should You Learn First?
The answer depends entirely on the kind of company you want to work for:
- If you want to get placed quickly at any company (especially as a fresher): Learn GreytHR first. It opens the most doors, particularly in Pune's large traditional corporate sector.
- If you want to work in a startup or tech company: Learn Keka. It is the dominant software in that segment and learning it signals that you are ready for a modern HR role.
- If you are targeting a large enterprise, GCC, or MNC job: Invest time in Darwinbox — it will differentiate you significantly in senior-level HR interviews.
💡 At Aapvex, we teach GreytHR as the primary platform in our Payroll Management course and also cover Keka as a secondary system — because this combination covers the largest possible range of employer requirements in Pune and Bangalore.
Can You Learn All Three?
You can — and ideally you should have basic familiarity with all three. But do not try to learn all three simultaneously. Go deep on one (GreytHR or Keka depending on your target employer), then build surface-level knowledge of the others. Interviews will test you on one specific system, but interviewers are impressed when you can compare platforms intelligently.
What Skills Are Common Across All Three?
Regardless of which platform you learn, the underlying payroll knowledge is the same. PF and ESI calculation, TDS deduction logic, salary structuring, statutory filing — these principles are platform-agnostic. Master the concepts first, and learning any software becomes much faster. This is exactly how we teach it at Aapvex.
Learn GreytHR + Keka Hands-On at Aapvex
Our Payroll Management course includes live practice on both GreytHR and Keka — with real payroll scenarios, TDS calculations and PF filing exercises. Get software-ready for your first payroll interview.