# Staff Khata vs Zoho Payroll

> Need attendance and payroll together? Compare Staff Khata and Zoho Payroll on free plan, pricing, attendance, biometric machines and languages.

Checked 8 November 2026. Prices exclude GST.

Zoho Payroll is excellent compliant payroll and is free for up to 10 employees, but leave and attendance are only on its Premium plan (₹4,000 a month for 50 staff); phone and field attendance need Zoho People. Staff Khata is built around attendance first: selfie + GPS, a rotating QR and Realtime biometric machines feed payroll directly, at ₹0.50 per employee per day (about ₹750 a month for 50 staff). Choose Zoho if you already use Zoho Books and mainly need payroll filing.

## Comparison

| | Staff Khata | Zoho Payroll |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free forever up to 50 staff: attendance from 1 Realtime biometric machine and daily reports (no payroll or mobile app) | Free up to 10 employees |
| Paid pricing | Growth ₹0.50 per employee per day (about ₹15/month): payroll, mobile app, selfie + GPS, leave, shifts. Pro HRMS ₹1/day adds live field tracking | Standard ₹1,000/month for 25 staff (annual); Premium ₹4,000/month for 50 |
| Attendance methods | Selfie + GPS radius punch, QR code that rotates every 40 seconds, Realtime biometric machines | Leave and attendance only on Premium; field attendance through Zoho People |
| Biometric hardware | Works with Realtime biometric machines you buy from any Realtime dealer | Through Zoho People integrations |
| Payroll and compliance | Growth plan and above: monthly and weekly payroll, PF, ESI, professional tax, advances, payslip PDFs | EPF, ESI, state PT, LWF, TDS worksheet and payslips, even on the free plan |
| Field staff tracking | Pro HRMS plan (₹1 per employee per day): live map, customer stops with notes and bills, trip replay, fake-GPS detection | Not verified |
| Owner alerts | Punch alerts and daily summaries on WhatsApp or SMS | Not listed |
| Languages | 55 languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Bengali | Not verified |
| Platforms | Web, Android, iOS | Web, Android, iOS |
| Best for | Shops, factories and field teams of 10–500 staff who want attendance and payroll in their own language at a low per-employee price | Businesses already on Zoho Books that mainly need compliant payroll |

## Frequently asked questions

### Does Zoho Payroll include attendance?

Only on the Premium plan, which is ₹4,000 a month for 50 employees on annual billing. Mobile and geofenced attendance are part of Zoho People, a separate product (vendor pricing page, checked 8 November 2026).

### Is Zoho Payroll free?

Yes, for up to 10 employees, including EPF, ESI, professional tax, LWF, a TDS worksheet and payslips.

### Which is better for a factory with a biometric machine?

Staff Khata, if the machine is a Realtime device: punches sync over the cloud in real time and flow into shifts, overtime and payroll. With Zoho you need Zoho People and a supported device integration.

## Sources

- Zoho Payroll: https://www.zoho.com/in/payroll/pricing/
- Staff Khata: https://staffkhata.com/pricing

Page: https://staffkhata.com/compare/zoho-payroll-alternative