Runtime HRMS

Runtime HRMS is a cloud HR system combining employee administration, payroll, workforce reporting and mobile access. It is best suited to Indian small and mid-sized organizations that can commit to annual billing and a 10-employee billing floor. Its broad HR coverage is compelling, but plan-level user limits and biometric requirements need close attention.

Overview

Runtime HRMS brings employee records, time-off management, onboarding, performance management and time tracking into one subscription. Modern browsers such as Chrome and Edge provide anytime access, while Android and iOS apps help employees and managers work away from a desk. An organization wall supports internal sharing, and HR Portal permissions distinguish administrative and user access.

Runtime Software Private Limited is headquartered in Jaipur, Rajasthan, and reports managing more than 80,000 employees across over 1,250 companies. Data is stored in Indian datacenters on AWS, Google and Azure infrastructure. A free onboarding session, with recordings kept in the HR Portal, gives new customers a defined starting point. Support includes chat, email, tickets, online sessions and an AI answering bot; dedicated phone support with an account manager is a separately priced option.

Key features

• Core HR: Employee records, leave, onboarding, performance and time tracking cover the routine work of a general HR team. However, plan scope differs: Growth adds onboarding forms and Scale adds performance management, so buyers should match requirements to the selected tier.
• Reporting: More than 50 MIS reports provide a substantial reporting base. AI report generation from natural-language instructions can reduce the effort needed to produce custom views, particularly for HR teams without technical staff.
• Access and collaboration: Mobile apps, browser access, an organization wall and configurable HR Portal rights support distributed teams. HR Portal seats are limited to one, three or five users by plan, with extra users sold as an add-on.
• Integrations: Microsoft Entra ID, SpringVerify, Zwitch, SMTP, Gmail, Microsoft Email and local biometric systems are supported. Biometric integration is a significant constraint: the database must be stored locally on a PC, and cloud biometrics are not supported.
• Administration and support: Subscription charges are based on employees and selected features. Billing applies to at least 10 employees, even when an organization has fewer. Certain masters, including departments, designations, shifts and week-off policies, are capped at 999 records per account.

Pricing

Runtime HRMS uses a freemium model, with a 7-day trial and no credit card required. The Free plan costs nothing for up to five employees, making it suitable for evaluating basic capacity but not larger teams.

• Seed: ₹35 a month with annual billing, for small businesses with basic needs; minimum billing is 10 employees and the plan includes one HR Portal user. This is the lowest paid entry point, but the employee floor can make it expensive for very small workforces.
• Get Started: ₹350 a month, billed annually, includes 10 employees, mobile app, payroll and HR management, and more than 50 MIS reports. It fits a 10-person operation wanting a defined starter bundle.
• Growth: ₹50 a month with annual billing. It adds HR letters, policies, onboarding forms, tax compliance, shift rostering and biometric integration to Seed features, with three users. Choose it when compliance and workforce scheduling matter, provided local-database biometrics are acceptable.
• Scale: ₹75 a month with annual billing, for organizations with 500 or more employees. Five users are included, along with travel, performance, project management and API access. Its feature expansion targets larger, more complex HR operations.
• Start: ₹7,200 a year with yearly renewals, covering up to 40 employees.

A free plan is also described as available for up to five employees without a published price, and dedicated phone support has custom pricing. Annual renewal terms and the 10-employee billing minimum should be included in any cost comparison.

Platforms

Runtime HRMS runs in modern web browsers and offers Android and iOS mobile apps. The service is cloud hosted, with employee data stored in Indian datacenters across AWS, Google and Azure infrastructure. Local PC database storage is required only for biometric integration.

Who it's for

Runtime HRMS is a strong match for Indian businesses seeking one system for core HR, payroll, reporting and mobile access, especially those with at least 10 billable employees and annual-payment tolerance. Growth suits teams needing tax compliance, rostering and HR documents; Scale is aimed at 500-plus employees and adds APIs and project-related capabilities. It is less suitable for organizations needing cloud-based biometrics, more than five HR Portal users without add-ons, or a genuinely no-cost service beyond five employees.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Broad coverage across employee records, leave, onboarding, performance and time tracking.
• More than 50 MIS reports plus natural-language AI report generation.
• Android, iOS and browser access support office and mobile work.
• Multiple support channels and a free onboarding session reduce initial setup friction.
• Integrations include identity, email, verification, payments and local biometrics.

Cons

• The minimum billable count of 10 employees disadvantages very small organizations.
• HR Portal access is limited to one, three or five included users by plan, with add-on charges for more.
• Biometric integration requires a locally stored database and excludes cloud biometrics.
• Some account masters stop at 999 records, which may constrain highly complex structures.
• Several plans require annual billing, limiting short-term commitment.

Alternatives

Choose Horilla instead if open-source deployment, web access and unlimited users or companies on its free self-hosted plan are more important than Runtime HRMS's mobile apps and Indian hosting.

Zoho People is a better fit when you want web, iOS and Android access with a free tier for five users and a broader established plan ladder.

Pick Frappe HR for self-hosted or API-oriented deployments, with Android, iOS, web and cloud options.

WebHR suits teams seeking a free five-employee tier or a yearly plan advertised for up to 1,000 employees.

TalentHR is worth considering for a no-time-limit free plan supporting up to 10 active users and core HR tools.

factoHR is an alternative for a free allowance of up to 20 employees and web access.

IceHrm offers an open-source-oriented option with employee profiles, attendance, payroll, documents, projects and reports.

Cast HR is another freemium choice, including a forever-free Startup plan for 20 employees.

Browse more options in HR Software.

Verdict

Choose Runtime HRMS if you need broad HR and payroll coverage, substantial reporting and mobile access in an Indian-hosted SaaS platform, and your workforce can meet the 10-employee billing minimum. Look elsewhere if cloud biometrics, unrestricted HR Portal access, month-to-month flexibility or a larger free tier is central to your decision.