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Free HR Software India: What Apragya's Free Plan Covers, and Where It Stops

For founders and office managers still keeping staff details in spreadsheets: move them into a real HR system without paying, and know exactly what a paid plan would add.

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An HR executive handing a coloured joining folder across a desk to a new joiner

Free HR software for Indian businesses can actually use should do more than store names. It should hold every employee's details and documents, run leave and attendance, and walk a new joiner through their first week. Apragya's free plan does that for up to 3 users.

Many small firms run HR out of a spreadsheet, a leave register and a folder of scanned documents. It works for five people. By fifteen, leave balances are disputed, documents go missing and nobody is sure who approved what.

This page sets out what the free plan includes, what it does not, and an illustrative example of a small firm making the move.

What spreadsheet HR costs a small firm

Leave disputes

Balances are worked out by hand, and every correction is an argument.

Missing documents

ID proofs and offer letters are scattered across inboxes.

Attendance guesswork

Late marks and half days are settled from memory.

Slow onboarding

A new joiner waits days for a laptop, an email and a manager.

An example: a 12-person design studio in Kochi

Take an illustrative studio where the founder, the office manager and one team lead handle all people matters. Those three are the users; the nine others are employee records they manage.

The studio's first fortnight on the free plan

  • Employee recordsAll twelve, with documents attached.Done
  • Leave policyCasual, sick and earned leave with balances.Done
  • AttendanceDaily marks with a monthly calendar view.Done
  • OnboardingA joining checklist with an owner for each task.Done
  • AnnouncementsHoliday list and policies in one place.Done
  • PayrollStill with the accountant, until they move to Starter.Pending
Everything except salary moved in the first fortnight.

The leave arguments stopped because balances were visible. The next joiner had their checklist done on day one. Salary stayed with the accountant, which is the honest limit of the free plan.

An open coloured folder seen from above with a cloth, a key, a stamped card and a tag arranged inside
A joining kit is a checklist with owners, which is exactly what most small firms keep in their heads.

What free HRMS software includes on Apragya

Step 1 of 5

People records

Employee profiles, documents and the org chart.

  1. People records: Employee profiles, documents and the org chart.
  2. Leave: Policies, balances and approvals.
  3. Attendance: Daily marks, shifts and a calendar view.
  4. Onboarding: Joining checklists with owners and due dates.
  5. AI tools: Copilot and the Business Suite AI tools, with 1,000 AI Credits.

Is there a free HRMS with payroll?

Honestly, not on Apragya. Payroll with PF, ESI, Professional Tax and TDS is part of the Starter plan, because statutory salary work carries real compliance risk and needs support behind it.

A typical free HR tool, against Apragya's free plan

FeatureTypical free HR toolApragya free plan
UsersOften a single adminUp to 3 users
Employee recordsOften cappedFull records with documents
Leave and attendanceBasicPolicies, balances and calendars
CRM alongside✗ NoYes, on the same platform
AI toolsRarelyCopilot and 1,000 AI Credits
PayrollLimited or paidOn Starter, INR 3,999 a month

Checked against public information on 16 September 2026.

Why start with Apragya rather than another free tool

Room to grow

Add payroll and more users on the same records, without migrating.

CRM included

The free plan includes CRM and One Additional App.

AI from day one

Copilot helps draft policies, letters and announcements.

Proper access control

Each user sees only what their role allows.

Built for India

Statutory payroll is ready when you move up.

14-Day Trial + Free Forever

9-apps trial for 14 days, then HRMS + CRM + any 1 additional app free forever.

See the features in detail: employee records, leave management and onboarding. When salary moves in, read about payroll software.

Getting started

  1. Sign up and invite the two other people who handle HR.
  2. Import your employee spreadsheet.
  3. Set your leave policy and opening balances.
  4. Turn on attendance and the joining checklist.
  5. Publish the holiday list as an announcement.

Most small teams are running on it the same afternoon.

What it costs to start

Free
Up to 3 users
HR included, with CRM and any 1 Additional App
1,000
AI Credits
On the free plan
INR 3,999
Starter, a month
Up to 10 users and 2,000 AI Credits

Free HR software, answered

Does 3 users mean only 3 employees?
No. Users are the people who log in to manage HR. The records you manage can cover your whole team.
Who approves leave?
The approver set on the leave policy, usually the reporting manager, with the balance shown beside the request.
Is payroll included?
No. Payroll comes with the Starter plan. HR records, leave, attendance and onboarding are free.
Is there a time limit on the free plan?
No. It is a plan, not a trial.
Can we move our data out later?
Yes. Records can be exported at any time.
What does it cost to start?
HRMS is part of the free plan, which supports up to 3 users with CRM, one additional app, and 1,000 AI Credits. The Starter plan, at INR 3,999 per month, supports up to 10 users and adds a choice of enterprise apps.

Move HR out of the spreadsheet today

Start on the free plan and import your team in an afternoon.

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