A grocery or kirana counter bills more customers per hour than almost any other shop. Every slow bill means a longer queue, and every missed stock-out means a lost sale. This guide compares the billing software most Indian grocery stores look at, so you can choose on price and fit, not on ads.
Quick answer
For most grocery and kirana stores, choose software with fast barcode billing, UPI and cash on one bill, thermal receipts, low-stock alerts and GST reports by HSN. RichPOS does all of this for ₹199/month (₹2,000/year) with a 30-day free trial. Vyapar is a low-cost desktop option, Marg ERP fits stores already on a desktop ERP, Zoho Inventory suits online sellers, and Khatabook is a free credit ledger, not a full billing counter.
What a grocery store needs from billing software
- Fast checkout: scan, total, take payment, print. No typing item names at the counter.
- Mixed payments: a customer pays part UPI and part cash on the same bill.
- Thermal receipts: a small, quick printout, with A4 only when a customer needs a full invoice.
- Barcode labels: for items you pack yourself, so they scan like branded goods.
- Low-stock alerts: know before rice, oil or milk run out, not after.
- GST by HSN: clean sales and purchase reports for your monthly return.
- Staff control: cashiers bill; only the owner sees profit and edits prices.
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Price comparison
| Software | Listed price (excl. GST) | Free trial / plan |
|---|---|---|
| RichPOS | ₹199/month or ₹2,000/year | 30-day free trial |
| Vyapar | Silver desktop about ₹3,399 to ₹3,421/year; desktop + mobile about ₹4,011/year | 7-day trial |
| Marg ERP | Nano ₹5,550, Basic ₹10,300, Silver ₹13,900, Gold ₹26,000; +₹3,000 per extra user or company | Demo on request |
| Zoho Inventory | Standard ₹999/month billed yearly (₹1,199 monthly); higher plans up to ₹7,499/month | Free plan: 50 orders/month, 1 user |
| Khatabook | Ledger free; premium price not published | Free ledger |
Prices from each vendor's public pricing page as checked in September 2026. Confirm current prices before buying.
Which one fits which grocery store
RichPOS: busy counters that want everything in one place
Built for retail counters, including supermarkets and grocery stores that need fast barcode billing. You get barcode and keyboard checkout, cash, card, UPI and split payments, thermal or A4 bills, barcode label printing, low-stock alerts, supplier ledgers and GST reports by HSN/SAC. Cashiers get their own logins with per-module permissions, so profit figures stay with the owner. One plan covers it: ₹2,000/year. See Billing & POS and Inventory & barcode.
Vyapar: small shops on a tight budget
A popular low-cost choice for small shops that want desktop billing, with a mobile add-on at a higher price. Check the free trial carefully, since it is 7 days. See Vyapar alternatives if you are comparing.
Marg ERP: stores already running a desktop ERP
Marg is a long-standing desktop ERP. Its entry price is higher than the others here, and each extra user or company adds ₹3,000, which matters if you run two counters. See Marg ERP alternatives.
Zoho Inventory: grocers who also sell online
Zoho Inventory is aimed at order and inventory management. The free plan's 50 orders a month is too small for a walk-in grocery counter, and the Standard plan works out to about ₹11,988/year. See Zoho Inventory alternatives.
Khatabook: tracking udhaar only
Khatabook is a free digital ledger for customer credit. It is useful alongside billing, but it is not a barcode billing counter. See Khatabook alternatives.
Setting up a grocery counter in RichPOS
- Add items with HSN code and GST rate, or import your list.
- Print barcode labels for items you pack in-house.
- Set minimum quantities so low-stock alerts flag fast movers early.
- Create a login for each cashier with billing-only permissions.
- At month-end, export GST reports by HSN for your CA. See GST & reports.
Check before you buy
If you sell loose items by weight through a weighing scale, or track batch expiry on every product, ask each vendor to show it in a demo. These are not listed on the RichPOS features page, so confirm the set-up that suits your store when you call.
Frequently asked questions
- Which billing software is best for a kirana store in India?
- For a kirana or grocery counter, pick software with fast barcode billing, UPI and cash on the same bill, thermal receipts, low-stock alerts and GST reports by HSN. RichPOS covers these at ₹199/month (₹2,000/year) with a 30-day free trial. Vyapar is a common low-cost desktop choice, Marg ERP suits shops already on a desktop ERP, and Khatabook is a free credit ledger rather than full billing.
- Is there free billing software for grocery shops?
- Khatabook's ledger is free and Zoho Inventory has a free plan limited to 50 orders a month and 1 user, which a busy kirana counter will outgrow quickly. Most grocery stores need a paid plan once they bill every customer with barcodes and GST.
- How much does grocery billing software cost in India?
- Listed prices (September 2026, excluding GST): RichPOS ₹2,000/year; Vyapar Silver desktop about ₹3,399 to ₹3,421/year; Zoho Inventory Standard ₹999/month billed yearly; Marg ERP from ₹5,550 (Nano) to ₹26,000 (Gold), plus ₹3,000 per extra user or company.
- Do I need a barcode scanner for my grocery store?
- For packaged goods, yes. A scanner reads the printed barcode and adds the item in one beep, which keeps the queue moving at peak hours. For your own packed items, print barcode labels from the billing software so they scan the same way.
- Can grocery billing software handle GST?
- Yes, if it records HSN codes on each item. RichPOS gives GST-ready sales and purchase reports by HSN/SAC that export to Excel, CSV or PDF for your CA.
Bottom line: A grocery counter lives on speed and stock. Pick software that scans fast, takes UPI and cash on one bill, warns you before stock runs out and keeps GST clean. To see RichPOS on a grocery counter, call +91 90333 31255 or start the 30-day free trial from the pricing page.
