All comparisons
HRMS & Payroll
Custom HRMS vs greytHR, Keka and Darwinbox
Payroll works, mostly. But attendance still gets reconciled by hand, your shift or piece-rate structure doesn't fit the product's model, and every month someone spends days producing numbers instead of checking them.
Honest first
When to stay, and when to switch.
Stay with greytHR, Keka and Darwinbox if
- You run standard monthly salaried payroll with no unusual structures
- Your headcount is small enough that per-employee pricing stays comfortable
- Statutory updates arriving automatically is worth more to you than exact fit
- You have no attendance or shift complexity the product can't already handle
Consider building if
- You run shifts, piece rates, contract labour or site-wise attendance the product won't model
- Attendance data still gets keyed in by hand before payroll can run
- Your HRMS doesn't talk to your ERP, so employee data lives in two places
- You're paying per employee across hundreds of staff, and headcount is growing
- Compliance reporting is assembled manually even though the data is already in the system
Side by side
greytHR, Keka and Darwinbox or an owned system.
| greytHR, Keka and Darwinbox | Custom build with Ekalon | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost shape | Per employee per month, scales with headcount | One-time build plus flat support |
| Statutory compliance | Maintained by the vendor, updated automatically | Built and maintained for the regulations that apply to you |
| Attendance and shifts | Standard models; unusual structures need workarounds | Modelled exactly as you run it, including piece rate and contract labour |
| Integration with your ERP | Via available APIs, where they exist | Same system, or a direct integration built for it |
| Time to live | Weeks | Six to twelve weeks including parallel payroll runs |
| Switching risk | Low to start, higher once you depend on it | De-risked by running both systems in parallel until numbers match |
Comparison reflects typical engagements as of 2026 and is our own assessment, not the vendor's. Product capabilities change, check current details with greytHR, Keka and Darwinbox before deciding.
| What matters | greytHR, Keka and Darwinbox | Owned system |
|---|---|---|
| Live within daysFirst owned module takes four to eight weeks | ||
| No upfront build cost | ||
| Cost stays flat as you hire | ||
| Fits your non-standard processRented tools bend with scripts and workarounds | ||
| You own the source code and data | ||
| Statutory and tax updates handled for youOwned: covered under a support plan | ||
| Change anything, whenever you need | ||
| Support from the engineers who built it |
Five-year cost shape
Rent keeps climbing.
greytHR, Keka and Darwinbox bills you every month, and the bill grows as you add people. An owned system is a one-time build with flat support after it.
- Break-even is usually years, not monthsSmall, standard teams may never reach it. We will say so.
- After that, it is yoursNo renewal, no seat count, no roadmap you cannot change.
Proof
All work Businesses that made this call
Own vs rent
Not sure which side you're on?
Tell us what you run today and roughly what it costs you. We'll say honestly whether to stay, integrate, or build, before you spend a rupee with us.