Compare · Ways of working
Cloud vs desktop billing software: which to choose
For a shop or restaurant. The real trade-off is the internet against who looks after backups.
45-day free trial this Diwali · ₹0 · no card · opening offer · we do the setup
Cloud billing software runs in a browser and keeps your records on the vendor’s servers. Desktop software runs on your computer and keeps them there. The real trade-off is the internet against who looks after backups, more than price.
Nivasik is ₹0 for your first 45 days this Diwali (every plan and add-on, no card). After that, you pay less than you pay today, quoted in writing. This is an opening offer. We may change it, or end it, at any time, without prior notice.
At a glance
| Cloud | Desktop | |
|---|---|---|
| Install | Nothing: a browser or an app | On one computer, or a local network |
| See your numbers from home | Yes, from any device | Usually not, unless you add remote access |
| When the internet drops | Depends on the product; ask exactly what still works | Keeps working |
| When the computer dies | Sign in from another device | You need your own recent backup |
| Backups | Done by the vendor; ask how, and how you get a copy | Your job |
| Updates, including GST changes | Arrive by themselves | Often a paid update or a visit |
| Price shape | Usually yearly | Often one-time, plus yearly support |
| Your data | On the vendor’s servers; ask where, and how to take it away | On your own computer |
When desktop is the better choice
When Desktop software is the better choice
- Your internet is poor for hours at a time.
- You must keep data on your own computer. Nivasik cannot be installed on your own server.
- You prefer a one-time licence.
- A local dealer you trust looks after it.
When Nivasik is the better choice
- You want your numbers from home or on your phone.
- You do not want to look after backups.
- You run two counters without a local network.
- You want to start at ₹0 for your first 45 days with no installation.
What Nivasik does not do
Said plainly, before you decide
- It cannot be installed on your own server; your data is kept on Nivasik’s cloud, in Singapore.
- Hotel screens need the internet; only a shop’s or restaurant’s counter keeps working offline.
- There is no built-in Bluetooth printing. Bills print through the phone's or computer's print window, on 2, 3, 4 or 5 inch rolls.
Questions people ask
Is cloud or desktop billing software better?
Cloud suits owners who want numbers from anywhere and no backups to look after. Desktop suits a shop with poor internet and someone who will keep backups.
Does cloud billing stop when the internet is down?
Many do. Some keep billing and send the bills later. Nivasik’s shop and restaurant counter does this; points, offers and kitchen tickets wait for the internet.
Is my data safe in the cloud?
Ask where it is kept, who can reach it and how you get a copy. A desktop is not automatically safer: a stolen or dead computer is how many shops lose their records.
Can I move from desktop to cloud?
Yes, usually through a spreadsheet of your items and customers. Bills and history take more care.
Run your own place on it, free. It is ₹0 for everyone.
We do the setup with you — your rooms, menu or stock list, your staff and your prices — in about a day. No card, so there is nothing to pay or cancel. This is an opening offer: we may change it, or end it, at any time, without prior notice.