Keka fits best when you bill clients for project time and want timesheets, resourcing and invoicing in your HR system; Darwinbox when you are a large enterprise or multinational and want a broad, global HCM suite. Both run Indian payroll. Below: prices, AI, payroll and hiring side by side, from each company's own pages, checked 22 October 2026 and 23 October 2026.
Our verdict
Choose Keka if you bill clients for project time and want timesheets, resourcing and invoicing in your HR system, or if you prefer a large, long-established vendor with a big customer base in India. Choose Darwinbox if you are a large enterprise or multinational and want a broad, global HCM suite, or if you want a large catalogue of agents across HR, IT and Finance, and have the team to configure them. If neither fits, Peoplo.ai is a third option: an agentic HRMS with published prices from ₹1,975 a month and hiring included.
Peoplo.ai wrote this page and competes with both products. Everything about Keka and Darwinbox comes from their own public pages, listed in the sources, with the date we checked. Peoplo.ai is shown separately as a third option.
At a glance
Keka and Darwinbox side by side
Keka and Darwinbox compared
Keka
Darwinbox
Best for
You bill clients for project time and want timesheets, resourcing and invoicing in your HR system.
You are a large enterprise or multinational and want a broad, global HCM suite.
Pricing
Not published on the pricing page. Plans are quoted by sales, and a setup fee applies.
Not published. Plans are quoted by sales.
AI
Keka AI answers questions with the record behind each number, drafts steps inside workflows, and flags payroll anomalies and attrition risk with a recommended action.
More than 30 agents and a Super Agent, reported
Indian statutory payroll
TDS, PF, ESI and PT, across all states and union territories.
Payroll is part of its HCM suite. Check statutory coverage with Darwinbox for your states.
Hiring
Sold as separate hiring plans (Pro and Advanced).
Recruiting is part of the suite, with recruiting agents reported.
Beyond HR
Expenses, plus a project services suite: timesheets, resource management, billing and invoicing.
Super Agent is described as working across HR, IT and Finance requests, and Darwinbox Studio connects other systems.
Outside India
Regional sites for the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, the US and the Philippines.
Customers in about 130 countries.
Free trial
Not described on the pages we checked
Demo
Checked
22 October 2026
23 October 2026
"Not described" means we did not find it on the pages we checked, not that the product lacks it. Products and prices change, so check each site for the latest.
AI
How the AI in Keka and Darwinbox works
Most HR products now say they have AI. The useful questions are what it does on its own, who approves the change and what is recorded.
How the AI in Keka and Darwinbox compares
Keka
Darwinbox
How the AI works
Keka AI, which its site describes as answering, collaborating inside workflows and anticipating issues. The pages we checked don’t describe named agents.
Agentic. Darwinbox reports more than 30 agents, and a Super Agent that takes requests in plain language across HR, IT and Finance.
Who makes the change
Says Keka AI completes everyday tasks and recommends actions. The pages we checked don’t say whether each change waits for confirmation.
Super Agent takes actions, such as updating rosters or starting an offboarding, and is described as keeping “humans in the loop for sensitive steps”.
Assistant
Answers questions across payroll, attendance, hiring and performance, citing the record behind each number. An AI Helpdesk is listed in the HR suite.
Super Agent, one natural-language interface for employees.
Record of what AI did
Cites the record behind every number. An audit trail of AI actions isn’t described on the pages we checked.
A full audit trail is described, with oversight of exceptions for CHROs and CIOs.
Control
Not described on the pages we checked.
Actions inherit HCM permissions, approvals and audit, and Super Agent manages agent permissions and controls.
Bring your own AI
Not described on the pages we checked.
An MCP server, launched in beta in May 2025, lets external AI agents act in Darwinbox within role-based access.
Keka
Keka describes itself as a "modern people platform for growing enterprises" chosen by 12,500+ companies. It sells HRMS and payroll plans (Foundation, Strength and Growth), plus separate hiring and project services (PSA) plans.
What stands out
A project services suite: timesheets, resource management, billing and invoicing.
Keka AI shows the record behind each number and flags payroll anomalies and attrition risk with a recommended action.
A large customer base in India, by its own account.
Worth checking
Prices are not published; plans are quoted and a setup fee applies.
Named AI agents are not described on the pages we checked.
From Keka's own pages, checked 22 October 2026.
Darwinbox
Darwinbox is reported to serve around 1,000 enterprise customers and more than 4 million employees in about 130 countries, mostly large enterprises and multinationals. Prices are quoted by sales.
What stands out
Super Agent takes plain-language requests across HR, IT and Finance.
Darwinbox Studio connects other systems, and an MCP server was announced in May 2025.
Built for large, multi-country workforces.
Worth checking
Prices are not published.
Statutory coverage by state is not listed on the pages we checked.
From Darwinbox's own pages, checked 23 October 2026.
Payroll and AI, in detail
How Keka and Darwinbox compare on payroll and AI
From our payroll and AI rankings for India, which read each product's own pages with those questions in mind.
Keka
Payroll
A large Indian HR and payroll platform, chosen by 12,500+ companies by its own account, with TDS, PF, ESI and PT across all states and union territories.
TDS, PF, ESI and PT across all states and union territories.
Keka AI shows the record behind each number and flags payroll anomalies with a recommended action.
Timesheets, resourcing and invoicing in its project services plans.
Prices are not published; plans are quoted and a setup fee applies.
LWF is not listed on the pages we checked.
AI
Keka AI answers questions with the record behind each number, drafts steps inside workflows, and flags payroll anomalies and attrition risk with a recommended action.
Answers across payroll, attendance, hiring and performance, citing the record behind each number.
Flags payroll anomalies and attrition risk with a recommended action.
An AI Helpdesk in the HR suite.
Named agents are not described on the pages we checked.
Prices are quoted by sales, and a setup fee applies.
Approval and record: Cites the record behind each number; approval of changes not described
Darwinbox
Payroll
An Indian HCM platform reported to serve around 1,000 enterprise customers in about 130 countries, with payroll as part of its suite and a growing set of AI agents.
Payroll inside a broad HCM suite built for large, multi-country workforces.
Super Agent takes plain-language requests across HR, IT and Finance.
An MCP server announced in May 2025.
Prices are not published.
Statutory coverage by state is not listed on the pages we checked.
AI
Calls its AI Darwinbox Cortex and is reported to have more than 30 agents and a Super Agent that takes requests in plain language. An MCP server for connecting AI tools was announced in May 2025.
A Super Agent takes plain-language requests across HR, IT and Finance.
An MCP server for connecting AI tools was announced in May 2025.
Built for large, multi-country workforces.
Prices are not published.
Approval rules for agents are not described on the pages we checked.
Approval and record: Not described on the pages we checked
Which to choose
Keka or Darwinbox: who each one suits
Choose Keka if
You bill clients for project time and want timesheets, resourcing and invoicing in your HR system.
You prefer a large, long-established vendor with a big customer base in India.
Choose Darwinbox if
You are a large enterprise or multinational and want a broad, global HCM suite.
You want a large catalogue of agents across HR, IT and Finance, and have the team to configure them.
Consider a third option if
You want an agentic HRMS: AI agents that prepare payroll, onboarding and exits on their own, while changes to pay, tax, people records and money always wait for a person.
You want to see the price before talking to sales.
You also run claims, IT assets and passwords, and want them on the same employee record.
You want AI agents without an enterprise rollout.
By team size
Keka or Darwinbox at your size
Under 50 employees
Look for published prices, a free plan or trial, and PF, ESI and PT right from the first payroll. If you only need payroll, a payroll-only product can be enough; if you also hire and onboard, check those are included. Neither is on our shortlist at this size. Shortlist: Peoplo.ai, factoHR, greytHR, RazorpayX Payroll, Asanify and sumHR.
50 to 250 employees
Approvals, attendance and full and final settlement within two working days start to matter, along with PT and LWF in each state you employ people. Check which modules are add-ons. Keka is on our shortlist at this size; Darwinbox is not. Shortlist: Peoplo.ai, greytHR, Keka, HROne, Zimyo and Savvy HRMS.
250 to 1,000 employees
Several states and entities, data migration and links to your accounting and attendance systems. Ask for a demo with your own salary structure. Peoplo.ai publishes prices up to 2,000 employees. Keka is on our shortlist at this size; Darwinbox is not. Shortlist: Peoplo.ai, Keka, Zimyo, ZingHR and Quikchex.
1,000+ employees
Large shift-based workforces, many entities and an implementation partner. Ask each vendor for references in your sector and for the statutory coverage by state. Both Keka and Darwinbox are on our shortlist at this size. Shortlist: Darwinbox, ZingHR and Keka.
Worked example
One employee through Indian payroll
What Keka, Darwinbox or any HR software in India should calculate for the same person. Ask both to show these numbers on your data.
Provident Fund
Basic ₹30,000 a month: PF wages are capped at the ₹25,000 ceiling in force from 17 September 2026, so the employee pays ₹3,000. The employer also pays ₹3,000: ₹2,083 to the pension scheme (EPS) and ₹918 to EPF.
ESI
Gross ₹50,000 is above the ₹21,000 ESI ceiling, so no ESI applies. At a gross of ₹18,000, the employee would pay ₹135 (0.75%) and the employer ₹585 (3.25%).
Professional tax
In Karnataka, ₹200 a month from a gross of ₹25,000, and ₹300 in February, capped at ₹2,500 a year. In Maharashtra the top slab is ₹200, with ₹300 in February. Delhi has none.
Income tax (TDS)
Under the new regime, the standard deduction is ₹75,000 and income up to ₹12 lakh pays no tax after the rebate. TDS each month depends on the regime the employee chose and the year so far.
Gratuity at exit
Last drawn basic ₹40,000 after 6 years: (₹40,000 × 15 ÷ 26) × 6 = ₹1,38,462, within the ₹20 lakh cap.
In-hand before TDS
Gross ₹50,000 less employee PF of ₹3,000 and Karnataka professional tax of ₹200 leaves ₹46,800 a month before income tax. The salary calculator works the same out for any CTC.
Leave encashment at exit
Last drawn basic ₹40,000 and 20 unused days: (₹40,000 ÷ 30) × 20 = ₹26,667, paid with the final settlement. The tax exemption for non-government employees is capped at ₹25 lakh across a working life.
Full and final settlement
Under the Code on Wages, wages due to someone who leaves, including leave encashment, must be paid within two working days of the last day. Gratuity, where it is due, follows the Code on Social Security and must be paid within 30 days of becoming payable.
India checklist
Indian rules to test in both
PF at the new ceiling
12% from employee and employer on wages up to ₹25,000 a month since 17 September 2026 (₹15,000 before), with 8.33% of the employer share to EPS.
ESI crossings
ESI applies up to gross wages of ₹21,000 a month. Someone who crosses the line mid-period stays covered to the end of that contribution period.
Professional tax by state
Different slabs in every state, February top-ups in some, half-yearly in Tamil Nadu and none in Delhi. Check each state you employ people in.
LWF
Labour welfare fund contributions differ by state in amount and timing. Ask how the software sets them for each work location.
TDS under both regimes
Employees choose the old or new regime; the new regime has a ₹75,000 standard deduction and the rebate up to ₹12 lakh.
Gratuity
15 days' last drawn basic for each year after five years of service (one year for fixed-term staff), worked out at 15 ÷ 26, up to ₹20 lakh.
Leave encashment at exit
Exempt up to ₹25 lakh across a working life for non-government employees, from 1 April 2023.
Settlement in two working days
The Code on Wages sets two working days from the last day for wages due to someone who leaves.
Key terms
The payroll terms in this comparison
CTC
Cost to company: everything the employer spends on a person in a year, including employer PF and gratuity, not only the salary paid out.
PF (EPF and EPS)
Provident Fund: 12% from the employee and 12% from the employer on wages up to the ₹25,000 ceiling, with part of the employer share going to the pension scheme (EPS).
ESI
Employees' State Insurance: health cover for employees earning up to ₹21,000 a month, paid 0.75% by the employee and 3.25% by the employer.
PT
Professional tax: a state tax deducted from salary, with different slabs in each state and none in some, such as Delhi.
LWF
Labour welfare fund: small contributions set by each state, with their own amounts and due dates.
TDS
Tax deducted at source from salary every month, under the old or new regime each employee chooses.
Gratuity
A payment at exit after five years' service (one year for fixed-term staff), worked out at 15 days' last drawn basic per year, due within 30 days.
Full and final settlement
The last payment to someone who leaves: final wages and leave encashment within two working days, less recoveries.
Switching
Moving between Keka and Darwinbox
1Pick the dateSwitch at the start of a month, ideally a quarter, so each TDS return and PF challan comes from one system.
2Export from the old systemEmployee master with PAN, UAN, ESI numbers and bank details, salary structures, this year's payroll and TDS, tax declarations and leave balances.
3Set up the new oneEntities, work states for PT and LWF, PF and ESI codes, pay components and approval chains.
4Import and checkLoad employees and year-to-date figures, then compare a sample of payslips line by line.
5Run one month in parallelProcess the same month in both systems and compare every payslip, PF, ESI, PT and TDS line before you go live.
6Go live and close the old accountLock payroll in the new system, keep the old registers for the year, and delete stray copies of the export.
In the demo
Eight things to ask both
1Run one month of our payroll in Keka and in Darwinbox, and show PF, ESI, PT, LWF and TDS for the same three people.
2Show how the PF increase at the new ₹25,000 wage ceiling appears on this month's payslips.
3Settle a leaver: final wages and leave encashment within two working days, and gratuity within 30 days.
4Take a new joiner from accepted offer to day one, with PAN, Aadhaar and UAN.
5Show what the AI does without being asked, and who has to approve each change.
6Open the record of who changed a salary, and when.
7Give us a written price for our headcount for three years, with every add-on and the setup fee.
8Export all our employee data, as we would if we left.
A third option
Where Peoplo.ai is different from both
Peoplo.ai is our product, so read this section as ours. It is an agentic HRMS: AI agents start work when something happens, prepare it, and wait for a person on changes to pay, tax, people records and money.
How the AI works
An agentic system: agents with one job each, set off by events such as month-end payroll, an accepted offer or a resignation.
Who makes the change
Agents prepare the work. A person approves changes to pay, people records and money before they are applied.
Assistant
Kili answers questions from company records and proposes changes as cards you confirm or cancel.
Record of what AI did
Important changes are written to an audit log: who did what, and when.
Control
Admins switch each agent on or off. Peoplo.ai works as a normal HRMS without them.
Bring your own AI
Connect Claude Desktop, Claude Code or ChatGPT over MCP with a personal API key and the same permissions.
Price: ₹79 per employee a month before GST, for at least 25 employees, with hiring, onboarding and exits included. See Keka vs Peoplo.ai and Darwinbox vs Peoplo.ai for the detail.
Straight answers on Keka and Darwinbox for Indian companies.
Is Keka or Darwinbox better?
It depends on what you need. Choose Keka if you bill clients for project time and want timesheets, resourcing and invoicing in your HR system, or if you prefer a large, long-established vendor with a big customer base in India. Choose Darwinbox if you are a large enterprise or multinational and want a broad, global HCM suite, or if you want a large catalogue of agents across HR, IT and Finance, and have the team to configure them. If neither fits, Peoplo.ai is a third option: an agentic HRMS with published prices from ₹1,975 a month and hiring included.
Which is cheaper, Keka or Darwinbox?
Keka (checked 22 October 2026): Not published on the pricing page. Plans are quoted by sales, and a setup fee applies. Darwinbox (checked 23 October 2026): Not published. Plans are quoted by sales. Peoplo.ai publishes ₹79 per employee a month before GST, for at least 25 employees.
Does Keka or Darwinbox have AI agents?
Keka: Keka AI, which its site describes as answering, collaborating inside workflows and anticipating issues. The pages we checked don’t describe named agents. Darwinbox: Agentic. Darwinbox reports more than 30 agents, and a Super Agent that takes requests in plain language across HR, IT and Finance.
Who makes the change when the AI acts in Keka and Darwinbox?
Keka: Says Keka AI completes everyday tasks and recommends actions. The pages we checked don’t say whether each change waits for confirmation. Darwinbox: Super Agent takes actions, such as updating rosters or starting an offboarding, and is described as keeping “humans in the loop for sensitive steps”.
How do Keka and Darwinbox handle Indian statutory payroll?
Keka: TDS, PF, ESI and PT, across all states and union territories. Darwinbox: Payroll is part of its HCM suite. Check statutory coverage with Darwinbox for your states.
Do Keka and Darwinbox include hiring?
Keka: Sold as separate hiring plans (Pro and Advanced). Darwinbox: Recruiting is part of the suite, with recruiting agents reported. Peoplo.ai includes hiring, onboarding and exits in the plan.
Do Keka and Darwinbox work outside India?
Keka: Regional sites for the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, the US and the Philippines. Darwinbox: Customers in about 130 countries.
Do Keka and Darwinbox have a free trial?
Keka: Not described on the pages we checked. Darwinbox: Demo. Peoplo.ai has a free trial.
Who should choose Keka?
Keka fits if you bill clients for project time and want timesheets, resourcing and invoicing in your HR system, or if you prefer a large, long-established vendor with a big customer base in India.
Who should choose Darwinbox?
Darwinbox fits if you are a large enterprise or multinational and want a broad, global HCM suite, or if you want a large catalogue of agents across HR, IT and Finance, and have the team to configure them.
What should I check before choosing Keka?
Prices are not published; plans are quoted and a setup fee applies. Named AI agents are not described on the pages we checked. From Keka's own pages, checked 22 October 2026.
What should I check before choosing Darwinbox?
Prices are not published. Statutory coverage by state is not listed on the pages we checked. From Darwinbox's own pages, checked 23 October 2026.
Can I move from Keka to Darwinbox, or the other way?
Yes. Export employee records, salary structures, this year's payroll and TDS, declarations and leave balances, set up the new system, run one month in parallel and switch at the start of a month.
Is there an alternative to both Keka and Darwinbox?
Peoplo.ai, which wrote this page, is an agentic HRMS: AI agents prepare payroll checks, onboarding, exits and claims, and changes to pay, tax, people records and money always wait for a person. Plans are published: ₹79 per employee a month before GST, for at least 25 employees. Our Keka alternatives pages list other options too.
Which has AI checks on the payroll run, Keka or Darwinbox?
Keka: Keka AI flags payroll anomalies. Darwinbox: More than 30 agents and a Super Agent, reported. Peoplo.ai: a payroll check agent before every run, which compares each payslip with last month and leaves locking the run to a person.
Who approves what the AI does in Keka and Darwinbox?
Keka: Cites the record behind each number; approval of changes not described. Darwinbox: Not described on the pages we checked. In Peoplo.ai, changes to pay, tax, people records and money always wait for a person.
Does Keka or Darwinbox publish its prices?
Keka (checked 22 October 2026): Quoted by sales; a setup fee applies. Darwinbox (checked 23 October 2026): Quoted by sales.
Which is better for a small business, Keka or Darwinbox?
Under 50 employees, published prices and a quick start matter most. Keka: Quoted by sales; a setup fee applies. Darwinbox: Quoted by sales. Our small business guide also covers free plans from Zoho Payroll (up to 10 employees) and factoHR (up to 20).
Which suits a large enterprise, Keka or Darwinbox?
Keka is described as best for: you bill clients for project time and want timesheets, resourcing and invoicing in your HR system. Darwinbox: you are a large enterprise or multinational and want a broad, global HCM suite. Large groups should ask both for references at their size and a rollout plan.
What do Keka and Darwinbox cover beyond HR and payroll?
Keka: Expenses, plus a project services suite: timesheets, resource management, billing and invoicing. Darwinbox: Super Agent is described as working across HR, IT and Finance requests, and Darwinbox Studio connects other systems. Peoplo.ai puts claims and bills, company expenses, IT assets and a shared password vault on the same employee record.
Which suits a company that bills clients for project time?
Keka sells a project services suite with timesheets, resource management, billing and invoicing alongside its HR and payroll plans, which is a real reason to choose it. If you need project billing, ask Darwinbox to show timesheets and invoicing in the demo.
How did you compare them?
We read each company's own public pages, listed in the sources, and recorded what each says about pricing, AI, payroll, hiring and countries, with the date checked. We did not test either product. Where a page does not describe something, we say so rather than calling it missing. Peoplo.ai wrote this page and is a competitor of both.
