Payroll Software for India

Free Payroll Software
for Indian Businesses

PayNest automates salary processing, TDS, PF & ESI calculations, payslip generation, and Form 16 — so your HR team focuses on people, not spreadsheets.

No credit card required
14-day free trial
PF, ESI & TDS auto-calculated
Form 16 in one click
100%Cloud-based, access anywhere
₹0Setup fee, ever
14-dayFull-access free trial
5 minAverage payroll run time

Everything your payroll needs,
nothing it doesn't

Built specifically for Indian compliance — PF, ESI, TDS, professional tax, and all the statutory forms your business needs to stay audit-ready.

💰

Automated Salary Processing

Calculate gross pay, deductions, bonuses, and net salaries automatically every month. Run payroll for 100 employees in under 5 minutes.

📄

TDS, PF & ESI Calculations

PayNest automatically applies the correct PF (12%), ESI (0.75% + 3.25%), and TDS slabs for every employee. No manual formulas. No errors.

📋

Form 16 & 24Q Generation

Generate Form 16 for all employees and Form 24Q for quarterly TDS filing with one click. Download ready-to-file XMLs for the TRACES portal.

👤

Employee Self-Service Portal

Employees log in to download payslips, submit investment declarations for 80C, apply for leave, and update bank account details — zero HR intervention.

📅

Leave & Attendance

Track casual, sick, and earned leave. Integrate with biometric devices or upload attendance sheets. Approved leaves automatically adjust payroll.

🌐

Multi-location & Multi-state

Manage payroll across multiple offices and states. Each location can have its own PT (professional tax) slab, leave policy, and compliance rules.

📊

HR Analytics Dashboard

Real-time reports on payroll cost by department, headcount trends, attrition, and statutory liability. Export to Excel or PDF with one click.

🔒

Bank-grade Security

256-bit SSL encryption, two-factor authentication, role-based access control, and automatic daily backups. Hosted on AWS with 99.9% uptime.

🔗

Integrations & API

Connect PayNest to Zoho Books, Tally, QuickBooks, Slack, and your existing HRMS via REST API. Automate data flow across your HR stack.

Up and running in 3 steps

No implementation partner required. No week-long setup. Just sign up and run your first payroll the same day.

1

Add your employees

Import from Excel or add one by one. Set their salary structure — basic, HRA, allowances, PF eligibility — in minutes. Templates included for common structures.

2

Review & approve payroll

PayNest calculates everyone's net salary, TDS, PF, and ESI automatically. Review a summary, make any adjustments, and approve with one click.

3

Disburse & file

Download the bank transfer file and upload it directly to your bank. Payslips are auto-emailed to employees. Compliance reports are ready to file.

Simple, transparent pricing

No per-employee hidden fees on base plans. No surprise charges. Cancel anytime.

Starter
For small businesses & startups
1,499/mo
Up to 35 employees • Mobile app included
Start Free Trial ↗

14-day free trial • No credit card required

  • Automated payroll processing
  • PF + ESI + PT calculations
  • PDF payslip generation
  • Core compliance reports
  • Mobile app (Android & iOS)
  • Email support
  • TDS & Form 16
  • Face attendance
  • AI Chatbot
  • Multi-location
Basic
For growing teams
2,499/mo
Up to 75 employees • Face attendance
Start Free Trial ↗

14-day free trial • No credit card required

  • Everything in Starter
  • TDS calculation & Form 16
  • Face attendance integration
  • Aadhaar KYC verification
  • Employee self-service portal
  • Chat + email support
  • 33+ advanced reports
  • AI Chatbot
  • Recruitment module
  • Multi-location
Professional
For larger teams & custom needs
3,499/mo
Up to 150 employees • Custom branding
Start Free Trial ↗

14-day free trial • No credit card required

  • Everything in Standard
  • Recruitment module
  • Offer letter generation
  • Custom branding
  • API access & integrations
  • Bulk payslip download
  • Multi-location payroll
  • Dedicated account manager
  • Multi-company support
  • On-premise deployment
Premium
For enterprises with multi-location teams
3,999/mo
Up to 200 employees • Dedicated manager
Start Free Trial ↗

14-day free trial • No credit card required

  • Everything in Professional
  • Multi-location payroll
  • Dedicated account manager
  • Form 24Q auto-generation
  • Custom payroll components
  • Priority phone support
  • Multi-company support
  • On-premise deployment
  • Custom API integration
  • Security audit
Enterprise
Unlimited scale, full control
4,999/mo
Unlimited employees • Multi-company
Contact Sales

Dedicated onboarding & migration included

  • Everything in Premium
  • Multi-company support
  • On-premise deployment option
  • Custom API integration
  • 99.9% uptime SLA
  • 24/7 priority phone support
  • Security & compliance audit
  • White-label branding
  • Custom training & workshops
  • Volume discounts available
🔒 256-bit SSL encryption
GDPR & IT Act compliant
📅 Cancel anytime, no penalty
📞 Free migration support

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about PayNest payroll software.

Yes. PayNest offers a 14-day free trial with full access to all features — no credit card required. After the trial, paid plans start at ₹1,499/month for up to 35 employees, which is among the most affordable payroll solutions in India.

Yes. PayNest automatically calculates Provident Fund (PF) at 12% of basic salary and ESI at 0.75% (employee contribution) and 3.25% (employer contribution) on gross salary for all eligible employees. Employees above the ESI wage ceiling (₹21,000/month) are automatically excluded. All deductions are applied every payroll cycle without any manual input.

Yes. PayNest automatically generates Form 16 (Part A and Part B) for all employees at year-end, and Form 24Q for quarterly TDS return filing. Both are downloadable as PDFs and TRACES-compatible XMLs with one click from the Compliance section.

Starter: 35 employees at ₹1,499/mo. Basic: 75 employees at ₹2,499/mo. Standard: 100 employees at ₹2,999/mo. Professional: 150 employees at ₹3,499/mo. Premium: 200 employees at ₹3,999/mo. Enterprise: unlimited employees at ₹4,999/mo.

Yes. The Growth and Enterprise plans support multi-location payroll. Each location can have its own professional tax slab, leave policy, and statutory settings. You can manage all locations from a single dashboard and run consolidated or location-wise payroll reports.

Yes. Every PayNest account includes an Employee Self-Service (ESS) portal. Employees can log in independently to download payslips, view leave balances, submit income tax investment declarations (for 80C, 80D, etc.), apply for leave, and update personal or bank details — without contacting HR.

Yes. PayNest uses 256-bit SSL encryption for all data in transit and AES-256 encryption at rest. It is hosted on AWS in India (Mumbai region) and is fully compliant with India's IT Act 2000 and GDPR. Role-based access control ensures only authorised users can view sensitive payroll data. Automatic daily backups with 30-day retention are included on all plans.

Starter (₹1,499/mo, up to 35 employees) covers core payroll — PF, ESI, PT, payslips, core reports, and mobile app. Basic (₹2,499/mo, 75 employees) adds TDS, Form 16, face attendance, and Aadhaar KYC. Standard (₹2,999/mo, 100 employees) adds 33+ reports, AI Chatbot, and priority support. Professional (₹3,499/mo, 150 employees) adds recruitment and custom branding. Premium (₹3,999/mo, 200 employees) adds multi-location and a dedicated manager. Enterprise (₹4,999/mo) is unlimited with multi-company and on-premise options.

Ready to run payroll the smart way?

Join hundreds of Indian businesses that use PayNest to automate payroll, stay compliant, and save hours every month.

14-day free trial • No credit card • Free onboarding support