PunchMe vs SalaryBox: attendance and payroll apps compared (2026)
9 November 2026
Short answer: pick SalaryBox if you want an iPhone app today, a biometric machine add-on, Tally integration (Enterprise plan), or a cheap attendance-only plan. Pick PunchMe if you want face match, GPS geofence and device binding on every punch, offline punching, field tracking and payroll with PF, ESI, PT and TDS all in one price of ₹29 per active employee per month, billed monthly from a prepaid wallet with a 30-day free trial. On published prices, PunchMe costs less than SalaryBox's Business plan at both 25 and 100 employees, and its price already includes field tracking, which SalaryBox sells as an add-on.
Prices and features as published on official websites in November 2026; check the vendor for current details.
At a glance
| PunchMe | SalaryBox | |
|---|---|---|
| Face recognition | Yes, on every phone punch, with liveness steps | AI face recognition and liveness (Business and up) |
| Selfie punch | Face match replaces the selfie (no photo stored) | AI selfie attendance (all plans) |
| GPS and geofence | Yes, fake GPS blocked by default | GPS check-in and geofencing (all plans), fake GPS detection (Business and up) |
| Device binding | Yes, one phone per employee | Not listed; "New device alerts" on Business and up |
| Shared tablet kiosk | Yes, face kiosk with employee-code backup | Attendance kiosk (Business and up) |
| QR attendance | No | Yes (all plans) |
| Biometric machine | No | Paid add-on, bought in-app |
| Offline punch | Yes, syncs within 72 hours, flagged for review | Not mentioned on the website |
| Field tracking | Included: route, distance, client visits | Add-on: live location ₹100 per user per month; Field Force CRM ₹250 per user per month |
| Shifts, holidays, overtime | Yes | Rosters and overtime automation (Business and up) |
| Leave | Yes, with accrual and approvals | Leave requests (all plans); accrual and approval flow (Business and up) |
| Expenses | Yes | Business and up |
| Payroll with PF, ESI, PT, TDS | Yes, plus LWF, arrears, loans, full and final | Business and up: EPF, ESI, PT, LWF, income tax management, full and final |
| Payslips | In the employee app | Yes (Business and up) |
| Android app | Live on Google Play | Yes |
| iPhone app | Coming soon (kiosk works on iPad meanwhile) | Yes |
| Separate manager app | Yes, PunchMe Manager | Not listed as a separate app; admin and manager roles |
| API | No | Enterprise plan |
| Tally integration | No | Enterprise plan |
| Pricing model | ₹29 per active employee per month + 18% GST, monthly from a prepaid wallet | Plan fee plus per-user fee, billed quarterly or annually, taxes extra |
| Starting price | ₹29 per employee per month | Starter: ₹1,350 per month + ₹27 per user per month (quarterly billing) |
| Free plan or trial | 30-day free trial, no card | No free plan; 7-day free trial |
Attendance fraud prevention
Both apps go well beyond a simple punch button, so the difference is in the details.
SalaryBox lists selfie, GPS, QR and geofence attendance on every plan. Face recognition, liveness detection, fake GPS detection and the kiosk come with the Business plan and above. It also offers a biometric machine as an add-on.
PunchMe runs the same set of checks on every phone punch, on its single plan:
- Face match with liveness. Two random liveness steps stop a photo or video being used. No selfie is uploaded; only an encrypted set of numbers. See Face check.
- GPS geofence. The punch must come from inside the office area, and fake GPS is blocked by default. See Geofence and GPS.
- Device binding. Each employee punches from one phone only. If they change phones, HR resets the device.
- Flagged punches. Anything unusual, like weak GPS or an offline punch, is allowed through but sent to HR to keep or reject.
Staff without smartphones punch with their face on a shared Android tablet kiosk, with an employee code as backup. Where the network drops, at a basement, warehouse or village site, the app saves the punch offline and syncs it within 72 hours.
Field tracking
For sales, service and collection teams, this changes the cost a lot. SalaryBox sells live location tracking as an add-on at ₹100 per user per month, and Field Force CRM at ₹250 per user per month.
PunchMe includes field tracking in the base price. You see each field employee's live location while they are checked in, their route and distance for the day, and the client visits they logged. Tracking is off by default, is turned on per employee, needs the employee's consent in the app, and never runs when they are checked out.
Payroll
SalaryBox's payroll is on the Business and Enterprise plans: one-click payroll, payslips, full and final, overtime and late-coming automation, EPF, ESI, professional tax, LWF, multi-state payroll, challan generation and employee income tax management. The Starter plan does not include payroll.
PunchMe calculates salary from attendance and leave, with PF, ESI, PT, LWF and TDS, plus arrears, loans and advances, and full and final settlement. It produces the PF ECR file, ESI file, TDS annexure, bank upload file and payslips in the employee app. PT rules are set up for Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat; in other states, check PT yourself. PunchMe does not file returns or pay authorities, so have your CA check the figures. See Payroll.
Useful tools: PF calculator, ESI calculator, salary calculator and gratuity calculator.
Pricing: 25 and 100 employees
SalaryBox's pricing page shows a plan fee plus a per-user fee. With quarterly billing (10% off), Starter shows ₹1,350 per month plus ₹27 per user per month, and Business shows ₹2,700 per month plus ₹67.50 per user per month. Billing is quarterly or annual; annual is advertised at 33% off, but the page does not show annual figures. Taxes are extra.
PunchMe is ₹29 per active employee per month plus 18% GST, charged monthly. See Pricing.
Monthly cost before tax, reading SalaryBox's quarterly prices as plan fee plus per-user fee:
| Team size | PunchMe | SalaryBox Starter (no payroll) | SalaryBox Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 employees | ₹725 | ₹1,350 + ₹675 = ₹2,025 | ₹2,700 + ₹1,687.50 = ₹4,387.50 |
| 100 employees | ₹2,900 | ₹1,350 + ₹2,700 = ₹4,050 | ₹2,700 + ₹6,750 = ₹9,450 |
Add 18% GST to the PunchMe figures: ₹855.50 for 25 employees and ₹3,422 for 100. Add SalaryBox's applicable taxes to its figures. SalaryBox is billed per quarter, so the Business plan for 25 employees means about ₹13,162.50 before tax at each quarterly payment.
If your field staff need live tracking, add ₹100 per tracked user per month to the SalaryBox figures. On PunchMe, it is already included.
SalaryBox's annual plan will bring its numbers down, so ask them for an annual quote before you compare.
Where SalaryBox is stronger
- iPhone app today. SalaryBox has an iOS app. PunchMe's iPhone app is coming soon.
- Biometric machine and QR options. SalaryBox sells a biometric device add-on and supports QR attendance. PunchMe offers neither.
- Tally and API. The Enterprise plan includes Tally integration and API access. PunchMe has no public API and no Tally link.
- Low-cost attendance-only plan. For a very small team that needs attendance and leave but not payroll, Starter is a simple option.
- Extras. Background verification, bank account verification, online payouts (Enterprise) and multi-currency payroll are listed. PunchMe does not offer these.
Where PunchMe is stronger
- All checks on one plan. Face match, liveness, fake GPS blocking, geofence and device binding are not split across tiers.
- Offline punch. Saved on the phone and synced within 72 hours, then sent to HR for review.
- Field tracking included. No per-user add-on.
- Monthly billing from a prepaid wallet. No quarterly or annual commitment, no card mandate, and a GST invoice from Hostspica every month.
- Longer trial. 30 days free, no card.
- Separate manager app. Owners and HR approve requests and review flagged punches in PunchMe Manager.
See everything on Features.
What PunchMe does not do yet
PunchMe has no public API, no SSO, no recruitment or ATS, and no timesheets or project tracking. The apps are in English only. The Android app is live; the iPhone app is coming soon.
FAQ
Does SalaryBox have a free plan?
No. Its pricing page lists a 7-day free trial and no free plan. The FAQ mentions a ₹1 refundable verification charge. PunchMe offers a 30-day free trial with no card.
Which is cheaper for a 25-person team with payroll?
On published prices before tax, PunchMe is ₹725 a month and SalaryBox Business is about ₹4,387.50 a month with quarterly billing. Check SalaryBox's annual price too, which is advertised at a bigger discount.
Can staff without smartphones use PunchMe?
Yes. Set up a shared tablet as a face kiosk. Staff can also enter their employee code as a backup.
Does PunchMe charge extra for field tracking?
No. Field tracking with routes, distance and client visits is part of the ₹29 per employee price.
Is PunchMe available in Hindi?
Not yet. The apps and dashboard are in English only.
Sources
- SalaryBox pricing: https://www.salarybox.in/pricing
- SalaryBox home page: https://www.salarybox.in/
- PunchMe pricing: https://punchme.online/pricing
- PunchMe help center: https://punchme.online/docs