There was no single best GST software for every Indian business in 2019. A small shop needed fast, offline billing; a wholesaler needed stock and receivables; a service firm needed cloud access; and an accountant needed ledgers, controls and data export. The strongest historical free-software option was the GSTN-facilitated programme selected by the GST Council, while Tally, Zoho Books, Marg, BUSY and other commercial products competed on accounting depth, inventory, connectivity and support.
This guide separates what was selected or planned in 2019 from features and prices shown by vendors today. Use the demo checklist before buying: software can calculate and organise GST data, but it cannot guarantee that your HSN/SAC classification, place of supply, tax rate or return is legally correct.
Quick verdict by business type
| Business need | Most relevant 2019-era choice | Why | Check before purchase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Established business needing deep accounting and offline work | Tally | Strong ledger, inventory and reporting workflows familiar to many Indian accountants. | Edition, licence, training, backup and remote-access requirements. |
| Cloud-first startup or service firm | Zoho Books | Online collaboration, invoicing, banking, reporting and accountant access. | Internet dependence, plan limits, users, locations and export rights. |
| Very small eligible taxpayer seeking historical free access | GSTN-selected providers | The 2019 programme proposed core GST billing and accounting at no charge for qualifying small taxpayers. | Actual rollout, eligibility, availability in your state and paid add-ons. |
| Retail, pharmacy, distribution or inventory-heavy operation | Marg or BUSY (correct GST edition) | Desktop and stock-focused workflows can suit high-volume item businesses. | Batch, expiry, warehouse, barcode, e-way bill and edition-specific GST features. |
What “GST software” should include
GST billing software creates tax invoices and bills of supply, calculates CGST, SGST and IGST, stores GSTINs and HSN/SAC details, and handles returns, credit notes and debit notes.
GST accounting software adds customer and supplier ledgers, receivables, payables, cash and bank records, expenses, inventory, profit and loss and balance-sheet reports.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →#1 Best Overall
- Two-Part Carbonless Invoice Book: Each invoice book has 50 sets of invoices, each with a white/light yellow section, with the yellow section retained in the invoice book to maintain detailed records.
- Consecutively Numbered: Enlarged red 6-digit numbers in the upper right corner of each invoice receipt book help you quickly navigate through your orders.
- Wraparound Divider Flap: A thick folded cardboard divider is integrated into the back of each invoice book for use between each two-part sales order to prevent the written content from rubbing off on subsequent copies of the invoice, resulting in wasted invoices.
- 2 Packs/50 Sets (100 Sets Total): Each invoice book provides 50 sequentially numbered carbonless sets of 2 invoice books for long-term use.
- Customizable Space: Each invoice book for small business has space at the top to add a company seal or sticker.
GST compliance software prepares or transmits return data and may support reconciliation, e-way bills or e-invoicing. “Supports filing” does not mean the vendor accepts responsibility for your tax treatment.
Minimum feature checklist
- GSTIN capture and a clear validation workflow.
- CGST, SGST, IGST and, where applicable, UTGST and reverse-charge treatment.
- Tax-inclusive and tax-exclusive prices with place-of-supply logic.
- B2B, B2C, export, exempt, nil-rated and non-GST transaction types.
- HSN and SAC masters, units and tax rates.
- Credit notes, debit notes, sales returns, purchase returns and bill cancellation.
- Purchase and sales registers, cash and bank ledgers, outstanding reports and financial statements.
- Return-preparation reports or exports, plus e-way bill and e-invoice workflows where relevant to the period.
- Multi-GSTIN, user permissions, audit history, backups and usable data export.
- Updates when GST rates, forms, validations or filing rules change.
What was selected under the 2019 GSTN free-software programme?
The GST Council’s 2019 agenda records 43 bids, 18 shortlisted providers and an ICAI-assisted evaluation that resulted in seven products from seven providers. The proposal was to make core GST compliance and accounting software available through the GST portal, in a staggered rollout proposed from 1 February 2019, for small taxpayers with annual turnover up to ₹1.5 crore. The basic scope included billing, invoicing, customer and supplier masters, sales and purchases, cash and bank ledgers, invoice and ledger printing, item masters with HSN, automatic tax calculation, bill cancellation, historical bill search, goods returns, credit notes and debit notes, as well as profit-and-loss and balance-sheet maintenance. Read the GST Council agenda.
This was a government-facilitated access programme, not a ranking or permanent government endorsement. The document also allowed providers to sell additional features and products to taxpayers above the ₹1.5 crore threshold. It confirms selection and intended structure; it does not prove equal rollout, continuous maintenance or current availability for every product.
Rank #2
- QUALITY INVOICES: Adams Order books provide a professional invoice or customer receipt; a great way to create and maintain a professional image for small businesses and service providers
- 50 TWO-PART CARBONLESS FORMS: Customers get the perforated white top copy; retain the canary and pink copies for your records
- WRAP-AROUND COVER: Fold the back cover between sets to keep invoices neat and legible
- ROOM FOR CUSTOMIZATION: A blank space at top leaves room for your company stamp; a big savings over custom-printed forms
- CONSECUTIVELY NUMBERED: Large 6-digit numbers in the upper right hand corner help you thumb through orders quickly
| Provider | Product | Deployment noted in the 2019 agenda |
|---|---|---|
| Adaequare Info Pvt. Ltd. | UBooks | Cloud |
| Intuit India Software Solutions Pvt. Ltd. | QuickBooks | Cloud |
| Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. | Zoho Books | Cloud |
| Marg ERP Ltd. | Marg | On-premises/offline |
| Seshasai Business Forms Pvt. Ltd. | GenieBooks | Cloud |
| Relyon Softech Ltd. | Saral Accounts | On-premises/offline |
| Focus Softnet Pvt. Ltd. | FocusLyte | Cloud |
Commercial products to compare
Tally: accounting depth and offline work
Tally is best treated as an established desktop-accounting benchmark, not a universal winner. Its current free-software page promotes GST invoicing, return preparation, ledgers, receivables, expenses, bank tracking and offline use, and advertises a seven-day free trial. After that trial, its lifetime educational mode restricts transaction entry to the first, second and thirty-first days of a month, so educational mode is not unrestricted commercial use. See Tally’s current free and trial terms.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Choose it when accountant familiarity, local reporting and offline continuity matter. Budget for training, desktop deployment, backups and any additional setup for distributed teams. Current GST positioning is described by Tally at its GST software page; those current pages should not be read as proof of the exact 2019 feature set.
Zoho Books: cloud collaboration
Zoho Books is a strong cloud comparison for services, startups and remote teams. Its current India page lists invoicing, banking, inventory, reporting, audit trail, customer portals, credit and debit notes, multi-GSTIN support and GST reporting, with e-way bill and e-invoicing workflows. Review the current feature page.
Rank #3
- QUALITY INVOICES: Adams Invoice books provide a professional invoice or customer receipt; easily customize by using the extra space at the top and your company stamp
- 50-TWO PART CARBONLESS FORMS: Customers get the perforated white top copy; retain the yellow copy for your records
- WRAP-AROUND COVER: Fold the back cover between sets to keep invoices neat and legible
- CONSECUTIVELY NUMBERED: Large 6-digit numbers help you thumb through invoices quickly
- STOCK UP: Each book includes 50 white/canary sets; order several to keep your favorite forms on hand
The India pricing page observed in August 2026 shows Free at ₹0; Standard at ₹899 monthly or ₹749 per month billed annually; Professional at ₹1,799 monthly or ₹1,499 annually; Premium at ₹3,599 monthly or ₹2,999 annually; Elite at ₹5,999 monthly or ₹4,999 annually; and Ultimate at ₹9,599 monthly or ₹7,999 annually. The page says businesses below ₹25 lakh annual revenue are eligible for the free plan. Prices can change and are shown exclusive of local taxes. Check current plan limits and eligibility.
Verify invoice volume, users, locations, automation, integrations, data export and cancellation terms. Current features and prices cannot be projected backward to 2019.
Recommended Free Tools
Marg: offline and inventory-led operations
Marg is historically important because the GST Council list identifies it as an on-premises/offline product. That makes it worth investigating for retail, pharmacy, distribution and businesses with many items, where continuity during an internet outage is valuable. Offline operation also means you must plan backups, updates, local network setup and remote access. The official site is margcompusoft.com; obtain a dated, product-specific quotation rather than relying on an unsupported price.
Rank #4
- This value 3 pack of Adams Invoice Books give you 150 two part carbonless invoices with a perforated white customer receipt and yellow duplicates for your records; 3 50-invoice books per pack
- Unique horizontal invoice sheets capture the purchased by and shipped to addresses; a compact 5-9/16 x 8-7/16 page still leaves plenty of room for details on up to 12 items sold
- Wraparound back cover prevents write-through between sets; pull out the perforated white customer receipt and the yellow carbonless duplicates stay behind for your records
- Unique 6 digit invoice numbers help you thumb through orders quickly; blank space up top gives you room for a company stamp—an affordable custom touch
- In value packs with three 50-invoice books for your small business; buy ahead to keep on site or take on the road for pop-up shop sales
BUSY: verify the edition
BUSY is a relevant desktop accounting and inventory alternative, but its currently opened Basic page is specifically positioned for non-GST-registered businesses. It advertises billing, stock management, a free trial and demo booking, but that page is not evidence that BUSY Basic is the correct GST edition. Review the Basic page and the comparison hub, then ask for the exact GST-capable edition, filing workflow and written price.
Cloud versus desktop
| Model | Advantages | Risks and responsibilities |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud | Remote access, shared accountant access, centralised updates and easier multi-location collaboration. | Internet dependence, recurring subscription, plan limits and the need to confirm export, hosting and cancellation terms. |
| Desktop or on-premises | Offline billing, local reporting, familiar accountant workflows and potentially perpetual or term licensing. | Customer-managed backups, manual updates, more complex remote access and branch synchronisation. |
An offline invoice is not the same as an offline GST submission. E-way bills, e-invoices and portal authentication generally require connectivity; confirm how queued transactions synchronise after an outage.
Free, trial and educational mode are different
- Free forever: unrestricted business use at no charge, subject to stated limits.
- Free below a threshold: available only when turnover or another eligibility test is met.
- Free trial: full or near-full features for a limited period.
- Educational mode: free learning access with transaction or date restrictions, as with Tally’s current mode.
- Free billing tier: basic invoices are free while accounting, filing, support or add-ons cost extra.
Match the software to the business
Small shop or microbusiness
Prioritise quick invoice entry, barcode or item search, local printer support, simple stock, offline operation, low training effort, data export and affordable support. A cloud-only product may be awkward where connectivity is unreliable; a desktop product requires disciplined backups.
Best Value
- 2 part carbonless forms (White originals, Canary duplicates) for invoicing customers
- Wraparound cover attached to back to place between sets
- Consecutively numbered within each book
- 50 sets per book
- Space at top for company stamp
Trader, wholesaler or distributor
Look for purchase and sales orders, multiple price levels, credit limits, outstanding receivables, warehouses, batches or expiry where relevant, salesperson reporting and e-way bill workflows.
Service business or professional firm
Quotations, estimates, recurring invoices, expenses, projects or time records, online payments, customer portals and accountant collaboration usually matter more than warehouse controls. Cloud accounting is often the more convenient model.
Multi-branch or growing company
Check separate GSTIN reporting, consolidated statements, role-based permissions, approval workflows, migration, branch and warehouse controls, and integrations with payroll, CRM, ecommerce, payments and banking.
Accountant managing several clients
Require multiple organisations, accountant login, import and export, reconciliation, review controls, period locking, audit trail, client-level permissions and dependable backup restoration.
Use this 15-step free-demo script
Ask the vendor to demonstrate each step with your real products, tax rates and a representative customer list:
- Create a company and enter its GSTIN.
- Create an intra-state customer and issue a CGST/SGST invoice.
- Create an interstate customer and issue an IGST invoice.
- Enter HSN or SAC codes, units and tax rates.
- Record a purchase invoice and confirm stock and input-tax treatment.
- Sell an item and show the inventory reduction.
- Record a sales return and issue a credit note.
- Show a debit note and purchase return.
- Demonstrate a bill of supply for a composition-style scenario if relevant.
- Open GST reports and show the export or filing path.
- Demonstrate e-way bill or e-invoice handling if your transactions require it.
- Display receivables, payment reminders and ageing.
- Show user permissions, accountant access and audit history.
- Export the business data and restore a backup.
- Disconnect the internet, create an invoice, then show synchronisation and the update process.
Questions to ask before signing
- Is the demo or free plan time-limited, turnover-limited, or restricted by invoices, users or locations?
- Is return filing included, or does the product only prepare data? Are filing, e-way bill, e-invoice or API charges extra?
- What happens to access and historical data after cancellation?
- Can you export customers, suppliers, items, opening balances and complete invoice history in a usable format?
- Where is data hosted, who owns it, and how long are backups retained?
- What response time, training and implementation support are promised?
- Are migration, local dealer, onboarding or branch fees separate?
- Can the vendor provide a written quotation naming the edition, users, GSTINs, locations, taxes, support and renewal terms?
Common mistakes that make a “GST-ready” product fail
- Assuming a tax-rate list makes an incorrect HSN/SAC or place-of-supply decision correct.
- Confusing invoice creation with ledgers, reconciliation, inventory, financial statements or filing connectivity.
- Calling a government-selected product “government approved” beyond the specific 2019 programme.
- Projecting current Tally, Zoho or BUSY features and prices back to 2019.
- Ignoring composition-taxpayer bill-of-supply rules.
- Failing to test separate reporting for multiple GST registrations.
- Accepting a low headline price without checking users, branches, support, migration, filing and add-ons.
- Assuming offline billing means offline e-way bills, e-invoices or return submission.
A practical comparison worksheet
| Question | Vendor A | Vendor B | Vendor C |
|---|---|---|---|
| GST invoices, bills of supply, credit/debit notes | Fill during demo | Fill during demo | Fill during demo |
| Ledgers, P&L, balance sheet and reconciliation | Fill during demo | Fill during demo | Fill during demo |
| Inventory, warehouses, batches or barcode | Fill during demo | Fill during demo | Fill during demo |
| Cloud, desktop, mobile and outage behaviour | Fill during demo | Fill during demo | Fill during demo |
| Users, GSTINs, branches and accountant access | Fill during demo | Fill during demo | Fill during demo |
| Export, backup, migration and audit trail | Fill during demo | Fill during demo | Fill during demo |
| Total first-year cost, renewal and add-ons | Fill from written quote | Fill from written quote | Fill from written quote |
Final recommendation
For 2019, choose by operating model rather than by a universal ranking: Tally for established offline accounting, Zoho Books for cloud collaboration, Marg or the correct BUSY edition for inventory-led desktop work, and a GSTN-selected product when the small-taxpayer free programme was genuinely available and sufficient. Before purchase, reproduce your own local and interstate sales, returns, inventory, GST reports, backup and outage scenarios in a live demo, then have a qualified accountant review the first setup and filing data.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
