by ProfitBooks
Top FREE Accounting Software For SMEs (Rated #1)
ProfitBooks is a cloud-based accounting and inventory management software built in Pune, India, specifically for Indian small businesses, freelancers, and startups. The platform has served over 100,000 businesses globally and is designed so that non-accountants can manage their finances โ no CA degree required. Founded by Harshal Katre, ProfitBooks focuses on simplicity over feature bloat, making it one of the most accessible accounting tools for first-time business owners in India. Core features include GST-compliant invoicing, expense tracking, bank reconciliation, inventory management with low-stock alerts, time tracking with billable hours linked to invoices, and 40+ financial reports (balance sheet, P&L, sales and tax summaries). The platform handles the Indian GST regime natively โ GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, and HSN/SAC code mapping are built in. ProfitBooks also offers purchase order management, vendor tracking, and multi-currency support for businesses dealing with international clients. Pricing is genuinely free for businesses earning under Rs 50,000 annually (1 user, 25 invoices/month, 100 customers). The SMB plan starts at Rs 749/month and removes all limits โ unlimited invoices, users, and inventory items. Compared to Tally (Rs 18,000+ one-time for Silver) or QuickBooks India (Rs 630/month but with fewer India-specific features), ProfitBooks hits a sweet spot for micro-businesses that need GST compliance without the complexity or cost of enterprise tools. Best suited for Indian freelancers, small retailers, service businesses, and startups who need straightforward GST-compliant accounting without Tally's learning curve. ProfitBooks excels at simplicity and affordability. However, it's not built for growing businesses with complex needs โ there's no direct bank feed integration (transactions must be imported manually), reporting customization is limited, the mobile app is functional but clunky, and scalability hits a ceiling quickly for businesses with multi-location inventory or complex workflows.
Information updated 7 months ago
ProfitBooks
4.4/5 on Capterra (92 reviews) ยท Last verified 2026-04-25
Hand-picked videos to help you get started โ tutorials, demos, and reviews.
Basic Setup of ProfitBooks Software | Get Started with ProfitBooks
Create invoices in ProfitBooks
How to Pass Journal Entries in ProfitBooks | Step-by-Step Tutorial
ProfitBooks - Free Invoicing Software For Service Providers

ProfitBooks is a powerful Indian alternative to these international apps:
Yes, ProfitBooks by ProfitBooks is an Indian alternative to Tally. It offers similar functionality while being developed and maintained in India.Explore other Indian alternatives to Tally โ
Yes, ProfitBooks by ProfitBooks is an Indian alternative to QuickBooks. It offers similar functionality while being developed and maintained in India.Explore other Indian alternatives to QuickBooks โ
Yes, ProfitBooks by ProfitBooks is an Indian alternative to Xero. It offers similar functionality while being developed and maintained in India.Explore other Indian alternatives to Xero โ
Yes, ProfitBooks by ProfitBooks is an Indian alternative to Sage. It offers similar functionality while being developed and maintained in India.Explore other Indian alternatives to Sage โ
Yes, ProfitBooks by ProfitBooks is an Indian alternative to FreshBooks. It offers similar functionality while being developed and maintained in India.Explore other Indian alternatives to FreshBooks โ
Zoho Corporation
Zoho Books is a Chennai-built GST-compliant online accounting platform for Indian SMBs and CAs. Invoicing, expense tracking, bank reconciliation, project accounting, multi-currency, plus GSTR-1/3B filing, e-invoicing, e-way bills, TDS, and multi-GSTIN โ Zoho is a registered GST Suvidha Provider. Free for businesses under Rs 25 lakh revenue; Standard Rs 899, Professional Rs 1,499, Premium Rs 2,999/month. Best for SMBs wanting Tally-like features in the cloud.

Zoho Corporation
Zoho Invoice is a Chennai-built free online invoicing platform for freelancers, consultants, and small businesses. GST-compliant invoice templates, one-click invoicing from estimates, recurring invoices, automated payment reminders, multi-currency, time tracking, expense tracking with receipt upload, and a self-service customer portal. Razorpay, Stripe, and PayPal built in. Completely free under $50,000 annual revenue; Premium $9/org/month above that.
National Payments Corporation of India
BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) is India's official UPI payment app by NPCI with 100M+ downloads and 128M active users. Instant peer-to-peer transfers, bill payments, merchant QR scanning, and balance checks linked directly to bank accounts. UPI Lite+ enables PIN-free payments up to Rs 500 per transaction. Supports 12+ Indian languages. Completely free with zero transaction fees, no ads. Government-backed PhonePe and Google Pay alternative.
ChargeBee Inc
Chargebee is a Chennai-founded subscription billing platform powering Calendly, Toyota, Linktree, and Freshworks across 130+ countries. Manages full lifecycle โ plans, checkout, invoicing, proration, dunning, and cancellation. Supports flat, tiered, usage-based, and hybrid billing. RevenueStory analytics, ASC 606 revenue recognition, AI Copilot, and 30+ gateway integrations. Free up to $250K billing; 0.75% revenue share after. Stripe Billing and Zuora alternative.
Dreamplug Technologies Private Limited
CRED is a Bangalore-built rewards-based fintech app founded by Kunal Shah in 2018 with 13M+ monthly active users. Credit card bill payments, UPI, rent payments, short-term credit lines (CRED Cash, CRED Flash), wealth management via Kuvera, free credit score tracking, and CRED Store marketplace. Invite-only for users with credit scores above 750. Completely free for users; revenue from lending and brand partnerships. Credit Karma alternative.
Billionbrains Garage Ventures Limited
Groww is an Indian investment app from Bengaluru with 4 crore+ users for stocks, mutual funds, IPO, F&O, US stocks, gold and fixed deposits. Zero commission on direct mutual funds, flat Rs 20 (or 0.05%) per equity order, paperless eKYC demat account in a day, SIPs from Rs 100, fractional stock investing from Rs 10. SEBI-registered broker (parent Billionbrains Garage Ventures, listed on NSE/BSE in November 2025 under ticker GROWW). Robinhood and E*Trade alternative.