Zoho Payroll review
A practical India-focused payroll option for paying employees and contractors together.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Zoho Payroll is cloud-based payroll software for businesses in India that need to manage employees and contractors together. It calculates salaries, taxes, and deductions; generates payslips and reports; supports statutory compliance; and provides self-service access. Contractor tools include onboarding, profile management, contract end-date reminders, TDS application under Sections 194C and 194J, payment-method management, regular pay runs, and off-cycle payouts. Web, iOS, and Android access support payroll work across devices.
Pricing follows a freemium model with a 14-day free trial. The Free plan costs INR 0 per month and includes automatic payroll calculation, payslip generation, an employee self-service portal, and integrations with Zoho Books, Zoho People, and Zoho Expense. Standard adds Contractor Payroll, TDS challan recording, an audit trail, and voice and email support at INR 1,250 per organization per month monthly or INR 1,000 annually. Professional costs INR 3,750 monthly or INR 3,000 annually and adds bonus and off-cycle pay runs, approvals, custom fields, and payroll documents. Premium costs INR 5,000 monthly or INR 4,000 annually and adds leave and attendance management, advanced approvals, workflow rules, and webhooks.
The integration mix suits organizations already working with Zoho applications or supported banking services. Connections include Zoho Analytics, Zoho Practice, Zoho Payments, HSBC, ICICI Bank, and WhatsApp Business, alongside the Free-plan Zoho integrations. Payment methods include cheque, cash, manual transfer, and direct deposit, while reports cover payroll and compliance. Contractor Payroll begins with Standard, and the contractor feature is also described as early access, so organizations should confirm availability before purchase. Zoho Payroll fits Indian businesses seeking one scheduled payroll process for employees and contractors; businesses needing multi-country payouts or contractor tools outside this focus should choose another option.
Zoho Payroll pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Unified employee and contractor pay runs with off-cycle payouts
- Automatic TDS handling under Sections 194C and 194J
- Free plan with employee portal and Zoho integrations
- Where it doesn't
- Contractor Payroll starts with the Standard plan
- Contractor features are described as early access
- Payout coverage is focused on a single country
Zoho Payroll fact sheet, pricing and score →
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