Top Free Accounting Software Options for India GST
Zoho Books Free covers online accounts and GST work for businesses within its revenue and transaction limits. For billing from an Android phone, consider Vyapar. ProfitBooks Startup fits a few invoices each month; GnuCash provides desktop bookkeeping without a subscription.
Before signing up, count your invoices and purchase bills, including those in your busiest month. A shop recording daily sales can outgrow an allowance that comfortably covers a consultant’s work.
This guide uses official pricing pages, product documentation and GSTN material. Recommendations are based on documented capabilities, not hands-on testing of every product. Worked examples are illustrative.
For options beyond free plans, see our accounting software comparison for India.
Free Accounting Software in India: Quick Comparison
| Software | What is free | Useful for | Main restriction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho Books Free | Revenue up to ₹25 lakh/year; 1 user + 1 accountant; 1,000 invoices/year | Online accounts, inventory and GST work | Also limited to 1,000 bills/expenses annually |
| ProfitBooks Startup | 1 user; 10 invoices and 10 journal vouchers/month; 1 warehouse | Low-volume bookkeeping | GSTR-1/GSTR-3B features are listed under paid Essential |
| Vyapar Android | Ongoing free plan advertised for one firm; billing and expense tracking | Billing from an Android phone | Multi-device sync appears in paid Silver |
| BUSY Express | 100 vouchers per financial year | Very small desktop bookkeeping workloads | A voucher allowance is not an invoice allowance |
| GnuCash | Free, open-source desktop application | Double-entry accounts and bank reconciliation | Indian GST portal filing was not established from reviewed documentation |
| Refrens Basic | 15 documents | Occasional document creation | No annual reset stated; advanced GST features are paid |
Sources are linked below. The comparison covers the specified free edition or allowance.
Which Free Option Fits Your Work?
1. Zoho Books Free: Accounts and GST Work for Eligible Micro Businesses
Zoho’s Free plan includes bank reconciliation, inventory, financial reports, and GST reports and filing.
The separate allowance for bills and expenses deserves attention if you buy from many suppliers.
Source: Zoho Books India plan details and eligibility.
2. ProfitBooks Startup: Bookkeeping for a Few Invoices Each Month
ProfitBooks starts new accounts on an SMB Pro trial, then switches them to its free Startup plan. Startup includes basic financial reports and the monthly limits shown above. Its FAQ also specifies up to 50 customers.
For GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B features, the pricing page points to Essential at ₹2,499 per year before GST.
Source: ProfitBooks pricing and trial terms.
3. Vyapar Android: A Free Starting Point for Mobile Billing
Vyapar advertises lifetime free Android access. Its free-plan card lists invoice and bill creation, expense tracking, GSTR reports and one firm or organisation. Multi-device synchronisation appears under paid Silver; journal entries and a chart of accounts appear under Gold on the same page.
If you need to work on both a phone and a computer, allow for the synchronisation upgrade. The free offer verified here is for Android; iPhone terms were not confirmed. Desktop use is advertised through a seven-day trial.
Sources: Android free and paid feature lists and desktop trial.
4. BUSY Express: Desktop Accounts with a Small Annual Allowance
BUSY’s Express download page lists books of accounts, balance sheets, GST summary reports, multi-company support, and backup and restore.
Purchases, receipts, payments and adjustments can use vouchers alongside sales. Before importing records, ask BUSY which entries count towards the allowance and whether it applies per company.
Express is separate from paid SMART. Its listed features do not confirm e-invoice generation or direct return filing.
Source: BUSY Express allowance and features.
5. GnuCash: Desktop Bookkeeping Without a Subscription
GnuCash is free, open-source accounting software for Windows, macOS and Linux. It supports double-entry accounts, invoices, bill payments, customer and supplier records, financial reports and bank statement reconciliation.
You maintain the local accounts and backups. There is no subscription invoice quota, but you will need time to learn the application.
Direct filing through the Indian GST portal was not confirmed in the documentation reviewed. Discuss the reporting and export process with your accountant before using it for business books.
Sources: GnuCash licence and downloads and documented accounting features.
6. Refrens Basic: Occasional Documents, with a Firm Limit
Refrens Basic lists 15 documents, two users, payment tracking and automated payment reminders. The pricing page does not specify an annual reset.
The paid Accounts Pro plan lists e-way bills, e-invoices, GSTR-1 reports, GSTR-2B reconciliation and a GSTR-3B summary.
Source: Refrens Basic and Accounts Pro features.
What Is Changing in Accounting Software in 2026?
Recent releases add receipt scanning and more ways to review GST records. Pricing also separates some AI services from the underlying accounting plan.
Zoho Added Free Receipt Scanning
Zoho’s release notes announced free receipt scanning on 21 April 2026. Its current India pricing FAQ gives free and trial users 50 scans per month.
For each scanned receipt, compare the supplier, amount and tax details with the original before posting. Try a faded receipt or an unfamiliar supplier’s bill as well as a clean sample to see how much correction is needed.
Sources: Zoho’s dated release notes and scan allowances.
GST Purchase Review Has a New Offline Option
GSTN’s April 2026 advisory documents an Excel-based Invoice Management System (IMS) offline tool. It allows users to import IMS data downloaded from the portal, review supplier records individually or in bulk, validate their actions and generate a JSON file for upload.
The tool handles supplier-invoice review; you still need your own accounting records. An internet connection is required to download the portal data and upload the completed file.
Businesses reviewing many purchase invoices can assess this route with their accountant before paying for an in-app alternative.
Source: GSTN advisory for the IMS offline tool.
Some AI Services Carry a Separate Charge
Refrens includes OCR scanning allowances in its plans but lists its Freya AI accounting assistant as additionally chargeable. Compare the scan allowance and assistant price separately when budgeting for these functions.
Source: Refrens feature allowances and additional charges.
When Does a Free Plan Stop Being Enough?
Here is how the published limits apply to four sample workloads.
| Example workload | What the limit means |
|---|---|
| A business issues 100 sales invoices every month | That is 1,200 annually: above Zoho Free’s 1,000-invoice allowance, even if revenue remains eligible. |
| A consultant sends 8 invoices in most months and 14 in one busy month | The busy month exceeds ProfitBooks Startup’s 10-invoice cap. The annual average does not solve it. |
| A user creates 5 Refrens documents each month | A 15-document allowance would cover 3 months, assuming every document counts and no others are created. |
| A business records 12 countable BUSY vouchers each month | That is 144 annually, exceeding a 100-voucher allowance. Confirm voucher counting with BUSY. |
There is also a time cost. Suppose a workaround takes two hours a month and you value that time at ₹300 an hour. That is ₹7,200 a year. Compare that amount with the upgrade price and the work it would remove.
Free Trials and Other Offers to Keep Separate
myBillBook and RealBooks
myBillBook’s pricing page confirms a free trial for new users and paid subscriptions. It does not establish an ongoing free accounting plan. RealBooks advertises a 14-day trial for one user.
Sources: myBillBook pricing FAQ and RealBooks pricing FAQ.
TallyPrime Educational Mode
Tally’s licensing documentation restricts voucher creation in Educational mode to the 1st, 2nd and 31st dates of a month and excludes connected services. You cannot use those restricted dates to record a normal month’s transactions on their actual dates.
Source: TallyPrime Educational mode restrictions.
Odoo Community
Odoo offers an open-source Community edition and licensed Enterprise. For a self-hosted Community installation, budget for configuration, backups and maintenance. Confirm that the modules you need belong to Community before arranging the setup.
Source: Odoo editions and hosting options.
GSTN-Empanelled Offers
GSTN’s official page lists accounting and billing products offered free to taxpayers with annual turnover below ₹1.5 crore. These scheme offers have their own terms, separate from a vendor’s ordinary subscriptions.
The listing is still accessible, but activation was not tested for this article. Confirm current enrolment, included features and support with the listed provider before relying on the offer.
Source: GSTN’s empanelled accounting and billing providers.
A Short Test Before You Move Your Accounts
Use sample records first. Repeat the checks after any premium trial ends so you see the edition you will actually keep.
- Record a complete sale. Create an invoice, enter a partial payment and confirm the balance still due.
- Process a correction. Record a return or credit note and check its effect on the customer balance and stock, where relevant.
- Give the output to your accountant. Review the ledger, purchase records and tax reports together. Identify work that must happen outside the software.
- Export your records. Open the exported transactions and customer list. A downloaded PDF is not necessarily enough for migration.
- Check access and recovery. Test the staff logins you need. For desktop software, restore a sample backup; for a hosted account, establish how records can be recovered or retrieved after cancellation.
For browser-based alternatives, see our cloud accounting software comparison. For a broader selection around small-business needs, use our small-business accounting guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Free Billing Software the Same as Free Accounting Software?
No. Billing may cover invoices and collections without providing the journals, reconciliation and financial statements needed for complete books. Check the functions of the specific edition, rather than relying on the product category.
Do GST Reports Mean the Software Files My Returns?
No. A report may support preparation, while an export requires a separate upload. Direct filing is another function. Ask the provider to identify the exact step its free edition performs, then agree the remaining process with your accountant.
Can I Use Free Software for More Than One Business?
Company limits and user limits are separate. A plan allowing another login may still cover only one organisation. Check both, along with whether a transaction allowance is shared across companies.
