You want AI co-workers from day one, plan to expand into the GCC within 12 months, and want flat SMB pricing for under-25-employee teams.
You are India-only, your team is 100–500 employees, employee experience is your top priority, and you don't need cross-GCC payroll in this 18-month horizon.
We migrated off Keka in seven days. Payroll closes in under a minute now and our compliance filings haven't slipped once.
Pricing — NeuralHR.AI vs Keka
| Tier | NeuralHR.AI | Keka |
|---|---|---|
| Starter / 5 users | ₹4,999 / month flat | Not available; Foundation starts at 100 employees |
| Foundation / 100 employees | ₹4,999 + per-employee = ≈ ₹15,000 | ₹6,999 / month base + per-employee adders |
| Growth / 200 employees | ≈ ₹35,000 / month | ≈ ₹40,000–55,000 / month (Strength tier) |
| Free trial | 14 days, no card | Demo only |
Keka's Foundation tier requires a 100-employee minimum, which makes it unfit for under-100 SMBs. NeuralHR.AI has no minimum-employee threshold.
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Capability | NeuralHR.AI | Keka |
|---|---|---|
| AI co-workers across HR lifecycle | Seven specialised agents | AI features (bolt-on) |
| Employee mobile app UX | Strong native iOS / Android | Best-in-class native iOS / Android |
| Performance management | Continuous + 360 + AI summaries | Best-in-class continuous + 360 |
| Native PF / ESIC / TDS / PT | Native | Native |
| Form 16 + investment proofs | Native | Native |
| Multi-country (UAE / KSA + India) | Yes, one tenant | India-only |
| AI interviewer (video screening) | Yes | No |
| AI payroll anomaly detection | Yes | Limited |
| Self-serve trial + onboarding | Yes (14-day) | Demo only |
| Foundation-tier minimum employees | None | 100 |
What NeuralHR.AI does better
- ✓No minimum-employee threshold — fits 5–500 employee teams equally
- ✓Seven AI co-workers vs Keka's bolt-on AI
- ✓Multi-country tenant for India + GCC operations
- ✓AI interviewer + AI screener for high-volume hiring
- ✓Self-serve 14-day trial — Keka requires a sales call
What Keka does better
- ★Best-in-class employee mobile experience after 5 years of iteration
- ★Best-in-class continuous performance management for India
- ★Largest installed mid-market reference base in Indian HR
- ★Mature integrations with Indian banking and statutory portals
- ★Strong customer success organisation
Three buyer scenarios
30-person Indian SaaS startup
Keka's Foundation tier doesn't accept you (100-employee minimum). NeuralHR.AI Starter / Growth fits at ₹4,999 / month flat. NeuralHR.AI wins by default.
200-person Indian services company, India-only
Keka's employee experience is the SMB benchmark. If India-only and employee experience is the deciding factor, Keka wins on UX maturity.
150-person Indian company opening a Dubai office
NeuralHR.AI runs PF/ESIC/TDS for India and WPS for UAE in one tenant. Keka would force you to a second vendor for UAE. NeuralHR.AI wins clearly.
How to switch from Keka to NeuralHR.AI in 7 days
- 1
Day 1 — Keka data export
Use Keka's CSV export for employees, contracts, salary structures, statutory registrations.
- 2
Day 2 — bulk import + validation
Validate PF / ESIC / PT registrations, state codes, contract types.
- 3
Day 3 — bank + statutory setup
Connect Indian bank for salary disbursement. Replicate Keka payroll structure.
- 4
Day 4 — parallel payroll
Run March payroll on both Keka and NeuralHR. Reconcile differences in deductions / allowances / TDS.
- 5
Day 5 — employee app rollout
Send NeuralHR.AI app invites. Employees punch in immediately.
- 6
Day 6 — opening balances
Import accrued leave, PF YTD, TDS YTD, gratuity accruals.
- 7
Day 7 — go live + decommission
Cutover. Cancel Keka at end of cycle. 90-day archive of Keka exports retained.
Frequently asked questions
Is NeuralHR.AI cheaper than Keka?
For under-100-employee SMBs, yes — significantly. Keka's Foundation tier requires a 100-employee minimum, so smaller SMBs can't even buy Keka. NeuralHR.AI Starter is ₹4,999 / month flat. At 100+ employees, prices are roughly comparable, with Keka's higher-tier add-ons typically pushing it 15–30% above NeuralHR.
Does NeuralHR.AI have AI features that Keka doesn't?
Yes. NeuralHR.AI ships seven specialised AI co-workers across the HR lifecycle, including AI video interviewing, AI payroll anomaly detection, and AI performance summaries. Keka has scattered AI features but no co-worker model.
Is Keka's employee app better than NeuralHR.AI's?
Keka has a 5-year head start on employee app UX in India and remains the SMB benchmark. NeuralHR.AI's app is competitive on features but not on UI maturity. If employee experience is the single deciding factor, Keka has the edge today.
Why would I switch from Keka to NeuralHR.AI?
Three common reasons: (1) you need cross-GCC payroll (Keka is India-only), (2) you want AI co-workers that complete tasks vs scattered AI features, (3) you're under 100 employees and Keka's Foundation tier rejects you.
How does payroll compliance compare?
Both vendors handle PF, ESIC, Professional Tax, LWF and TDS natively across major Indian states. Functional parity here.
How long does migration from Keka take?
An Indian SMB / mid-market migration to NeuralHR.AI typically completes in 7 working days including a parallel payroll. Larger groups (300+ employees) take 2–3 weeks.
Try NeuralHR.AI free — see the difference vs Keka.
Comparison data sourced from each vendor's public website and product documentation as of April 2026. Pricing is subject to change; verify current rates with each vendor before purchase.