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Free vs paid hotel management software: what free really costs
Search for free hotel management software and you will find several different things behind the same word. This page separates them, says what each tends to cost later, and is plain about where Nivasik sits: a 45-day free trial of the full paid product, not software that stays free.
Free for 45 days · no card · we do the setup
"Free" hotel software is usually one of five things: a free trial of a paid product, a zero-rupee tier with limits, open-source code you run yourself, software paid for by a share of each booking, or a spreadsheet. Each is free on day one and costs something later — a subscription, an upgrade at the limit, someone to run a server, a cut of every booking, or staff time.
Nivasik is the first kind: free for 45 days with everything unlocked and no card, then from ₹2,999 a month per property if you stay.
At a glance
| Kind of free | What is free | What it costs later | Ask before you start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free trial (Nivasik's kind) | The whole product, for a fixed time. | The subscription, if you stay. | What happens to my data when the trial ends? |
| Zero-rupee tier | A limited version, with no end date. | An upgrade when you reach a limit — rooms, bills, users or features. | Which limit will I reach first, and what does the next tier cost? |
| Open source | The code. | A server, someone to run and update it, and backups. | Who fixes it at 11 pm on a Saturday? |
| Paid per booking | No monthly fee. | A share of each booking or payment. | What does that share add up to in a busy month? |
| Spreadsheet and WhatsApp | Everything. | Staff time and mistakes. | What did the last double booking cost? |
Not every line is in every plan. The ticket queue and QR requests are in Core (₹2,999); the PMS, GST invoices and Form C in Pro (₹4,999); people and pay, the city ledger, the booking page and channel sync in Group (₹2,499 per property, from three); the POS is ₹1,499 per outlet. All of it is unlocked during the 45-day trial. See what each plan includes.
What "free" usually leaves out
- Setting it up — rooms, rates, the menu, staff and permissions. Hours of work, and the part most likely to be done badly alone.
- Moving your data in — and, more important, getting it out if you stop.
- Someone to call when a bill will not print during check-out.
- The things an Indian business is asked for — GST invoices, the police register and Form C, payslips.
- What happens at the limit — whether the software stops, nags, or quietly locks the feature you now depend on.
Questions to ask before you start anything free
- What does it cost on the day the free part ends — or the day I reach the limit?
- What exactly is limited: rooms, bills, users, modules, or support?
- If I stop, can I export my data, and in what form?
- Is anything taken per booking or per payment?
- Who sets it up, and who answers when it breaks?
- Does it produce GST invoices the way my accountant needs them?
Where Nivasik stands, plainly
Nivasik is not free software. It is a 45-day free trial of the full paid product: the whole product is unlocked from day one, there is no card, we do the setup, and we invoice you only if you decide to stay.
- After 45 days a property moves to a paid plan or stops. Nothing is deleted when the trial ends: the account becomes read-only, every record is kept, and it can be written to again as soon as billing is active.
- Prices are one flat amount per property per month — no per-guest fees, no usage meters, no setup fee — and you can cancel any time, at the end of the month.
- The first 20 properties get Core at ₹1,999 a month, locked for 24 months, in exchange for an honest published review after a month of real use — critical included.
- Annual prepay: pay for 10 months, get 12.
- Paying is by bank transfer or UPI against an invoice. There is no card payment inside the product.
What is free on this site, with no trial attached, is the free tools — such as the salary calculator and the GST calculator.
When the other option is better
Said plainly, because it is true for some properties and they should know before they buy.
You are still finding out whether you need software
A spreadsheet, or any free trial, is the cheap way to learn what you actually want before paying for anything.
A tiny, owner-run property with no booking sites
A zero-rupee tool may cover everything you need for years.
You have someone technical on the team
Open-source software costs nothing but time, and you control every part of it.
Cash is tight this season
Better a free tool you use properly than a paid one you cannot keep.
When Nivasik is the better choice
You want to try everything before paying
45 days, the whole product, no card, and we do the setup — so the trial is of the real thing on your own place.
You need GST invoices, Form C and payslips
They are in the product — GST invoices and Form C from the Pro plan, salary and payslips with people and pay on Group — and all of it is unlocked during the 45-day trial. (Payroll here is not statutory: no PF, ESI, professional tax or TDS.)
You want to know the price in advance
One flat monthly price per property, with no per-booking cut and no usage meter.
You do not want to lose your records
Nothing is deleted when the trial ends, and your data is exported on request if you leave.
What Nivasik does not do
- Nivasik is not free software: after 45 days it is a paid plan or it stops (read-only, nothing deleted).
- There is no card payment inside the product; plans are paid by bank transfer or UPI against an invoice.
Questions people ask
Is Nivasik free?
No. Nivasik is free for 45 days with the whole product unlocked and no card. After that it is a paid plan — from ₹2,999 a month per property — or you stop. The free tools on this site, such as the salary and GST calculators, are free.
What happens to our data when the free trial ends?
Nothing is deleted. An expired trial becomes read-only with every record kept, and it can be written to again as soon as billing is active.
Do we need a card to start the trial?
No card. We invoice you only if you decide to stay, and payment is by bank transfer or UPI.
Is there free hotel management software in India?
Some products offer a zero-rupee tier or open-source code, and a spreadsheet costs nothing. Before choosing one, ask what it costs when you outgrow it and how you get your data out. Nivasik is not free software; it is a 45-day free trial of a paid product.
Is there a discount?
The first 20 properties get Core at ₹1,999 a month, locked for 24 months, in exchange for an honest published review after a month of real use. Paying a year ahead gives 12 months for the price of 10.
Try it on your own place, free for 45 days.
We set it up for you — your rooms, menu or stock list, your staff and your prices — and walk it end to end on your phone. No card, and we invoice only if you stay.