Quick answer
- Phone-first kirana or general store on a tight budget: start with myBillBook Plus (₹3,490 a year) or Zoho POS Free for very low billing volumes (50 POS transactions per month).
- Your CA already uses Tally: TallyPrime Silver keeps your bills, stock and GST books in one place (₹9,558 a year with GST).
- Barcode-heavy store with 2 or 3 counters: pick a POS-first tool such as GoFrugal or Zoho POS Professional.
| If you are… | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A single-counter kirana billing from a phone | myBillBook Plus or Zoho POS Free | Low starting cost; barcode scanning included. Zoho Free allows 50 POS transactions per month. |
| A shop that loses internet often | Vyapar or Zoho POS Standard | Both bill offline and sync later |
| A shop whose CA works in Tally | TallyPrime Silver | Billing, stock and GST in the same books |
| An owner who hates monthly bills | Marg ERP Basic | One-time licence, small yearly renewal |
| An apparel or supermarket floor with many barcodes | GoFrugal or Zoho POS Professional | Built for fast counter billing, multiple registers |
| A business that must issue e-invoices | myBillBook Pro Max or TallyPrime | e-invoice and e-way bills built in |
How we compared: official pricing and product pages of each vendor, checked on 19 October 2026.
Who this guide is for
This guide is for the owner of one retail shop in India. Think kirana, general store, stationery, mobile accessories or a small apparel store with 1 to 3 billing counters.
You want fast GST bills, simple stock tracking and a price you can plan for. You do not have an IT person. This page helps you pick a tool and know what you will really pay in year 1 and year 2.
The 6 tools at a glance
| Tool | Best for | Entry paid price (listed) | GST on price | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| myBillBook | Phone-first small shops | ₹3,490 a year (Plus) | Not stated | Free trial on the mobile app |
| Vyapar | Offline billing on PC and phone | Check on Vyapar site | Not stated | Free Android app |
| TallyPrime | Shops whose CA uses Tally | ₹750 a month or ₹8,100 a year (Silver) | 18% extra | 7-day free trial |
| Marg ERP | One-time desktop licence | ₹10,300 one time (Basic) | 18% extra | Not stated |
| GoFrugal | Multi-counter, barcode-heavy stores | Not published right now | Included, says GoFrugal | 30-day free trial |
| Zoho POS | Cloud POS that grows with you | ₹649 a month, billed yearly (Standard) | Extra | Free plan, 15-day trial |
Year 1 and year 2 cost
This is the money that leaves your account, for one shop and one main user. Where the vendor says GST is extra, we added 18%. Hardware like printers and scanners is not included. Year 2 and two-year totals are estimates based on current prices and unchanged tax rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest rupee; the renewal invoice determines the final charge.
| Plan | Year 1 cash payable | Estimated year 2 cost | Estimated 2-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| myBillBook Plus | ₹3,490 (GST not stated) | ₹3,490 if renewed at the current price | ₹6,980 |
| myBillBook Pro | ₹3,990 (GST not stated) | ₹3,990 if renewed at the current price | ₹7,980 |
| Zoho POS Free | ₹0 | ₹0 | ₹0 |
| Zoho POS Standard | ₹9,190 (₹7,788 + GST) | ₹9,190 | ₹18,380 |
| Zoho POS Professional | ₹18,394 (₹15,588 + GST) | ₹18,394 | ₹36,788 |
| TallyPrime Silver, 12 months | ₹9,558 (₹8,100 + GST) | ₹9,558 | ₹19,116 |
| TallyPrime Silver, lifetime | ₹26,550 (₹22,500 + GST, includes 1 year TSS) | Optional TSS renewal for updates | ₹26,550 plus any TSS |
| TallyPrime Gold, 12 months | ₹28,674 (₹24,300 + GST) | ₹28,674 | ₹57,348 |
| Marg ERP Basic | ₹12,154 (₹10,300 + GST) | ₹4,708 ARC (₹3,990 + GST) | ₹16,862 |
| Marg ERP Silver | ₹16,402 (₹13,900 + GST) | ₹5,640 ARC (₹4,780 + GST) | ₹22,042 |
| Vyapar | See Vyapar plans and prices | Check | Check |
| GoFrugal | Ask GoFrugal | Ask | Ask |
A few quick reads from this table:
- Cheapest to start: Zoho POS Free, then myBillBook Plus.
- Paying Tally monthly costs more. Silver at ₹750 a month is ₹9,000 a year, or ₹10,620 with GST. The 12-month plan is ₹9,558 with GST.
- Marg gets cheaper after year 1. You pay the licence once, then only the yearly ARC. See Marg’s full price list with GST.
Retail features that matter
| Tool | Offline billing | Barcode and stock | e-invoice and e-way bill | Counter hardware | Apps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| myBillBook | Offered, check your plan | Scan and print barcodes, low-stock alerts | Only on Pro Max | Printers, barcode scanners, weighing scales | Android, iOS, web; desktop from Pro |
| Vyapar | Yes, on desktop and mobile | Scan and generate barcodes, stock tracking | Yes | 2 and 3 inch thermal printers | Android, iOS, Windows |
| TallyPrime | Desktop software | Full inventory | Yes, generated instantly | Check with Tally | Windows desktop; cloud access is an add-on |
| Marg ERP | Desktop software | Check with Marg | Check with Marg | Check with Marg | Check with Marg |
| GoFrugal | Yes, bills without internet | Batch-wise barcodes | Check with GoFrugal | Barcode scanners, weighing scales, many counters | Mobile, desktop, tablet, browser |
| Zoho POS | From Standard plan | Barcode scanning on all plans; barcode generation from Standard | e-way bills from Standard | Printers on all plans | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS |
User limits in the entry plans:
- myBillBook Plus and Pro: 1 business, 1 user plus your CA, unlimited devices. Pro Max gives 3 users and 2 businesses.
- TallyPrime Silver: one PC. Gold is for many users.
- Marg ERP Basic: 1 full user, up to 2 users. Each extra user is ₹3,000 plus GST.
- Zoho POS: Free has 1 register, 1 user and 50 POS transactions per month. Standard has 1 register and 3 users. Professional has 3 registers and 10 users. See the Zoho POS feature limits.
- GoFrugal: its Starter, Standard and Professional editions are meant for shops with fewer than 5 counters.
Four things most comparisons miss
1. Subscription or one-time licence changes your year 2 bill
myBillBook, Zoho POS and TallyPrime rental require recurring payments. Marg ERP and TallyPrime lifetime licences have a larger initial payment, with support and update costs to consider in later years.
If you plan to use the same software for 3 years or more, compare the licence, support and update costs with three years of subscription payments. If you are not sure the tool will suit you, a yearly plan is the safer bet.
2. Retail must-haves often sit in a higher tier
The brand name is not enough. Check the exact plan.
- myBillBook gives e-invoicing, e-way bills and POS billing only in Pro Max.
- Zoho POS gives offline billing and e-way bills from Standard. The Free plan stops at 50 POS transactions per month.
3. Compare prices after GST
Tally, Marg and Zoho show prices before 18% GST. GoFrugal says its prices include GST. Vyapar’s POS page says GST@18% is extra; myBillBook does not say clearly.
So a ₹10,300 price can mean ₹12,154 at checkout. Always compare the final amount.
4. Barcode-heavy floors need a POS-first tool
Tally itself says a barcode-first POS suits a supermarket or apparel floor better. Tally shines when billing volume is moderate and your CA wants clean books.
If you scan hundreds of items a day across 2 or 3 counters, look at GoFrugal or Zoho POS first.
Example shop (for illustration only): a 2-counter apparel store wants a separate register for each counter. Zoho POS Standard includes only 1 register. Professional includes 3 registers and costs ₹18,394 a year with GST, about double Standard. Zoho also sells extra registers as an add-on, so compare both options on the Zoho pricing page before you choose.
Tool by tool
myBillBook
A mobile-first billing app made for small Indian businesses. Plus costs ₹291 a month billed yearly (₹3,490). Pro costs ₹333 a month billed yearly (₹3,990) and adds the desktop app, label barcode printing and unlimited godowns. Pro Max starts at ₹570 a month billed yearly and adds e-invoice, e-way bills and POS billing. There is a 7-day money-back guarantee.
Good fit: a single-owner shop that bills from a phone. Official page: https://mybillbook.in/pricing-plans
Vyapar
A billing app for small shops that want to bill on both PC and phone. It works offline on desktop and mobile and syncs later. It supports barcode scanning, thermal printers, e-invoices and e-way bills. The Android app is free, and the desktop version has a 7-day trial.
Good fit: shops with patchy internet. Official page: https://vyaparapp.in/pricing
TallyPrime
Desktop billing and accounting software from Tally Solutions. Silver is for one PC and Gold is for many users. Plans run monthly, quarterly, yearly or lifetime. Prices are plus 18% GST, and the lifetime licence includes 1 year of TSS (updates and services). Cloud Access is an add-on at ₹1,800 for 3 months.
Good fit: shops where the CA already works in Tally. Official page: https://tallysolutions.com/buy-tally/ Our detailed price guide: TallyPrime price in India
Marg ERP
Desktop software sold with a one-time licence and a yearly ARC (support and updates). Basic is ₹10,300, Silver is ₹13,900 and Gold is ₹26,000, all plus 18% GST. Marg sells through local partners and says it gives no support if you buy from online portals.
Good fit: owners who prefer one payment and a local support person. Official page: https://margcompusoft.com/marg-price-list.html
GoFrugal
A retail POS and ERP with on-premise and cloud options. It supports multiple counters, weighing scales and batch-wise barcodes, and it bills without internet. Editions are Cash Register, Starter, Standard and Professional. There is a 30-day free trial.
Good fit: busy stores with several counters and a large barcode catalogue. Official page: https://www.gofrugal.com/plans-pricing.html
Zoho POS
A cloud POS with apps for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. Prices are per location per month, plus GST. Standard is ₹649 (yearly) or ₹799 (monthly). Professional is ₹1,299 (yearly) or ₹1,599 (monthly). Premium is ₹2,099 (yearly) or ₹2,499 (monthly). The 15-day trial includes Premium features. After the trial, the account moves to the Free plan.
Good fit: shops that want to start free and grow into more registers. Official page: https://www.zoho.com/en-in/pos/retail/pricing.html
Check before you pay
- Vyapar: prices change with offers and can show differently by location. Confirm the India price, the plan and the GST on vyaparapp.in before you buy.
- GoFrugal: the pricing page was not showing prices on 19 October 2026. Ask GoFrugal for a written quote.
- myBillBook: the plan card shows ₹291 a month billed yearly, while its FAQ says plans start at ₹349 a month. Confirm the monthly price and whether GST is extra.
- Renewal prices: myBillBook renewal, Tally TSS renewal and GoFrugal renewal are not listed on the pages above. Ask before you pay.
- Features to confirm: Marg ERP offline use, barcode, e-invoice and mobile app; Zoho POS e-invoicing; Tally barcode and POS hardware support.
How to choose in 10 minutes
- Count your counters. One counter means any tool here can work. Two or more with heavy scanning means a POS-first tool.
- Ask your CA which software they prefer. If the answer is Tally, start there.
- Check whether you need e-invoices or e-way bills. If yes, avoid entry tiers that leave them out.
- Compare the 2-year total after GST, not the monthly headline.
- Use the free trial on your busiest day before you pay.
More help on ScaleSaathi:
- Best GST billing software in India
- Restaurant billing software in India
- E-invoicing software in India
- Zoho Books pricing in India
- Tally vs Zoho Books
- Busy accounting software review
- GST invoice format
- Accounting software selector
- Guides for MSMEs
What users commonly report
These themes summarise public reviews of Vyapar (Google Play, Capterra, Software Advice) and Marg ERP (Trustpilot, Capterra, Software Advice, SoftwareSuggest)—two retail billing tools covered in this guide. They are paraphrased; other tools on the page are not included here because matching review files are not available yet.
- Vyapar for a single shop: reviewers commonly find GST billing, stock and payment reminders easy on phone or desktop, with good perceived value.
- Vyapar support after purchase: mixed: some praise responsive executives, while negative reviews often cite slow or declining help.
- Vyapar data and print issues: stock or payment mismatches, hangs during business hours and barcode printing problems repeat.
- Marg for retail and pharmacy depth: long-time users praise reliability, expiry or batch features and a wide GST report set.
- Marg support and dealer model: poor after-sales response and being passed between Marg and the local dealer are the strongest complaints.
- Marg renewal surprises: renewal and AMC costs, plus extra dealer charges, are a repeated theme among older customers.
FAQ
Which billing software is cheapest for a small retail shop?
Zoho POS has a free plan with 1 register, 1 user and 50 POS transactions per month. Among paid plans, myBillBook Plus is ₹3,490 a year (check whether GST is extra).
Can I bill without internet?
Yes. Vyapar and GoFrugal bill offline and sync later. Zoho POS offers offline billing from the Standard plan. Tally and Marg are desktop software.
Do I need e-invoicing for my shop?
Only if your business crosses the turnover limit set by the GST department. Many small shops do not need it. Ask your CA, and pick a plan that includes it if you do.
Is a one-time licence better than a subscription?
A one-time licence can suit long-term use, but the saving depends on support and update costs. At current prices, the estimated two-year cost of Marg ERP Basic is ₹16,862 with GST, compared with ₹18,380 for Zoho POS Standard. A subscription is easier to cancel if the tool does not suit you.
Disclosure: this page has no affiliate or tracked links. All vendor links go to their official pages.
Product names and logos are trademarks of their respective owners. They are shown only to identify the products compared in this guide, and their use does not imply endorsement by or affiliation with ScaleSaathi.