Compare/Head to head

Keka vs OrangeHRM

Same facts, side by side: starting price, free tier, MCP, API and what each one is actually built for.

Starting price

Keka

Sales-quoted Free trial

Cloud HRMS bundling core HR, payroll, attendance, performance, and recruiting. US commercial terms are quoted. A free trial is the public entry.

Where Keka fits

  • Growing SMBs that want HR, payroll, attendance, and recruiting in one login
  • India-origin companies expanding to US payroll on the same PeopleOS
  • Teams that want a free trial before a Foundation vs Strength vs Growth quote
  • Buyers comparing a mid-market HRMS against BambooHR or Zoho People

OrangeHRM

Quote-based Free tier 30 day free trial

Recruitment module of the OrangeHRM HR suite for teams that want hiring inside their HR system rather than a standalone ATS. Job posting and a company website integration are free in the open-source Starter edition, while Advanced adds e-signatures and custom forms at a per-employee quote with a 30-day trial.

Where OrangeHRM fits

  • Teams already running OrangeHRM for HR
  • Tech teams willing to self-host open source
  • Employers that only need job posting for now

At a glance

DetailKekaOrangeHRM
Starting priceSales-quotedQuote-based
Free tier–No✓Yes
Free trialYes30 day free trial
MCP server–No–No
Public API–No–No
Listed underATS, HRIS, Payroll, PerformanceATS
Capterra4.4 from 91 reviewsNot enough reviews

Where they pull apart

Keka

Stands out: Keka sells Foundation, Strength, and Growth HR/payroll bands plus Hire Pro recruiting, with a US site at keka.com/us and native multi-state payroll.

Watch out: Keka publishes no US dollar amounts. Do not budget from India rupee cards if you are buying US payroll.

Not the right fit for

  • US buyers who need a printed per-employee USD rate before a sales call
  • Enterprises standardizing on Workday or UKG as the system of record

OrangeHRM

Stands out: Basic hiring costs nothing, because the open-source Starter edition includes job posting and a company website integration. Advanced adds offer e-signatures, custom application forms and questions, and an interview assistant with predefined questions.

Watch out: Advanced is priced per employee per month with no published rate, and the recruitment tools come as part of the wider HR suite. The free Starter edition stops before e-signatures, custom application forms and interview assistant automation.

Not the right fit for

  • Recruiting teams wanting a standalone ATS
  • Buyers needing a public per-employee rate
  • Teams needing e-signatures on a free plan

Pros and cons

Keka

  • HR, payroll, attendance, performance, and recruiting in one suite
  • US site with multi-state payroll and a free trial path
  • Foundation / Strength / Growth bands so you are not forced into a mega-suite on day one
  • No published US list prices
  • Recruiting (Hire Pro) is a separate add-on conversation
  • API access is not on the entry band

OrangeHRM

  • Free open-source Starter includes job posting
  • Hiring sits inside the same HR system
  • 30-day free trial of Advanced
  • No published per-employee rate for Advanced
  • Recruitment is not sold as a standalone ATS
  • Free edition lacks e-signatures and custom forms

What each one costs

Keka

Sales-quoted

US plans (Foundation, Strength, Growth, and Hire Pro) are quoted. A free trial is available. The US pricing page is the commercial path for US payroll buyers. India rupee cards on other regional pages are a different rate card and are not the US list. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 19 Sep 2026

OrangeHRM

Quote-based

The open-source Starter edition is free and includes job posting and a company website integration. Advanced is priced per employee per month by quote, adds e-signatures, custom application forms and interview assistant automation, and has a 30-day free trial. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.

Checked 27 Sep 2026

Common questions

Can you try Keka or OrangeHRM for free?
OrangeHRM carries a free tier on our listing. Keka offers a free trial. OrangeHRM offers a 30 day free trial.

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Editorial listings, never paid rankings. Prices checked 19 Sep 2026. Confirm current terms on the vendor site. Spot an error?