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Free vs paid billing software: what free really costs
For a shop or restaurant. Free tiers are real, and so are their limits.
45-day free trial this Diwali · ₹0 · no card · opening offer · we do the setup
Free billing software is fine for making invoices. It usually runs out at stock, reports, a second user or support. Paid software has its own catch: per-user pricing, add-ons and renewals.
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
| A free tier | A paid plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Bills and GST | Usually | Yes |
| Stock and reports | Often limited, or paid | Yes |
| More than one user or device | Often limited | Usually, sometimes per user |
| A watermark or ads on your bills | Sometimes | No |
| Support | Limited | Usually |
| Taking your data away | Check first | Check first |
| Who pays for it | You, later, or an upsell | You, now |
Questions to ask before you start anything free
- How do you make money, and when will I be asked to pay?
- What happens to my bills if I stop?
- Can I export items, customers and bills?
- Is there a watermark on my bills?
- Who answers when it stops working on a busy night?
When a free tier is the better choice
When A free tier is the better choice
- You make a few invoices a day and need little else.
- You are not yet sure you want software.
- You will never need a second user.
- You do not need stock or staff in the same place.
When Nivasik is the better choice
- You want stock, khata, a kitchen and staff pay without add-ons.
- You want the setup done with you.
- You pay for software today and want to pay less after the trial.
What Nivasik does not do
Said plainly, before you decide
- It does not file GST returns or issue e-invoices or e-way bills. GST data is exported, and Tally is an import file, not a live link.
- It takes no card payments and runs no payment gateway. The booking page takes a booking as 'pay at the property'.
- 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 free billing software really free?
Free tiers are real, and each has limits. Check stock, reports, users and watermarks, and what happens when you outgrow it.
Should I use cracked or “free full version” billing software?
No. Nobody supports it, updates stop, and your business records sit in software you cannot trust.
When is it worth paying?
When the software saves more than it costs in lost stock, unpaid khata or time. Work that out from your own numbers.
Is Nivasik free?
It is ₹0 for your first 45 days, as an opening offer. When the 45-day trial ends, show us what you pay now for similar software and we quote you less, in writing. This is an opening offer. We may change it, or end it, at any time, without prior notice.
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.