Darwinbox vs Zoho (People/Payroll) (2026): The Brutal Indian HR Comparison
India-first comparison using listing signals: pricing visibility, compliance coverage, integrations, and verification freshness.
Brutal Truth (data-backed)
- 🏆 Where Darwinbox wins: Darwinbox holds a balanced profile for India teams; final call depends on your implementation reality.
- 🏆 Where Zoho (People/Payroll) wins: Zoho (People/Payroll) holds a balanced profile for India teams; final call depends on your implementation reality.
- ⚠️ The Brutal Truth: If statutory confidence and execution reliability are your top priority, bias toward Darwinbox. If you optimize for UI modernity and broader ecosystem flexibility, validate Zoho (People/Payroll) deeply before finalizing.
| Metric | Darwinbox | Zoho (People/Payroll) |
|---|---|---|
| HRSuggest Readiness Score™ | 78/100 | 74/100 |
| Vendor | Darwinbox | Zoho (People/Payroll) |
| Pricing snapshot (India) | Estimated: enterprise quote-based (often annual contract + implementation) | Estimated: quote-based (request vendor pricing by headcount, modules, and compliance scope). |
| India compliance depth | 9 tags: PF, ESI, PT, LWF, TDS, Form16, 24Q, Leave, Shifts | 9 tags: PF, ESI, PT, LWF, TDS, Form16, 24Q, Leave, Shifts |
| Integrations listed | 3 | 3 |
⚠️ Darwinbox dealbreakers
- • Enterprise-first rollout can feel heavy for small teams with tight implementation bandwidth.
- • Pricing clarity is low (ask for base fee, per-user fee, and implementation fee in writing).
🛑 Zoho (People/Payroll) dealbreakers
- • Pricing clarity is low (ask for base fee, per-user fee, and implementation fee in writing).
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