Restaurant billing software price in India: what you will really pay

Most restaurant billing software in India is now sold as a subscription: you pay per outlet, every month or once a year, and the software runs in the cloud. A few products still sell a one-time licence for one computer, usually with a yearly support fee on top.

• Monthly, per outletThe lowest cost to start and easy to stop. Each branch is paid for separately.
• Yearly, per outletPaid once for 12 months, usually less than 12 monthly bills.
• Base plan plus modulesA low starting price, with KOT, kitchen display, inventory or online ordering sold as extras or in higher plans.
• Per device or per userEach extra billing counter, waiter phone or login adds to the bill.
• One-time licencePay once for one computer, then a yearly fee for updates and support.

None of these is wrong. What matters is the total for a year, for the way your restaurant actually works.

Before you compare prices, write down everything you will pay in the first year, not just the plan.

• GST on the subscription. POSBADA's bill adds 18% GST, so ₹499 becomes ₹588.82. Check whether a quoted price includes GST.
• Features sold separately. KOT printing, a kitchen display, QR table ordering, an online ordering shop, offline billing, loyalty and WhatsApp bills are often add-ons.
• Commission on online orders. A percentage on every online order soon costs more than any monthly fee as orders grow.
• Hardware. A USB thermal printer for bills and KOTs, and the phone, tablet or computer you bill on. POSBADA runs in Chrome on the devices you already have.
• Messages. WhatsApp receipts and offers usually cost per message, on top of any monthly fee.
• Setup and training. Some vendors charge to load your menu or visit. Ask before you sign.
• Renewals. Check whether the plan renews by itself, and whether the price stays the same.

POSBADA has one plan, POSBADA Complete, with every feature: billing, KOT, kitchen display, QR table ordering, your own online ordering shop at 0% commission, staff apps, galla close, udhaar, reports, POSBADA-HUB offline support and PITCH order announcements. The pricing page has the full list.

• Monthly: ₹499 per outlet₹499 + ₹89.82 GST = ₹588.82 a month.
• Yearly: ₹4,999 per outlet₹4,999 + ₹899.82 GST = ₹5,898.82 for 12 months, 2 of them free.
• First month freeFor one outlet, with every feature and no card needed.
• WhatsApp, only if you want it₹550 a month per outlet plus messages, from the month you switch it on.

Example: Swaad Kitchen has two outlets. Paying monthly, the plan costs 2 × ₹499 = ₹998 + ₹179.64 GST = ₹1,177.64 a month, or ₹14,131.68 over 12 months. Paying yearly, it costs 2 × ₹4,999 = ₹9,998 + ₹1,799.64 GST = ₹11,797.64 once. The yearly plan saves ₹1,978 before GST (not counting the free first month).

The cheapest plan depends on what you need. A plan that looks cheaper can cost more once you add the features a restaurant uses every day. Ask every vendor the same questions:

• Is the price per outlet, per device or per user?
• Are KOT, the kitchen display, QR ordering and online orders included, or extra?
• Is there a commission or platform fee on online orders?
• Does billing keep working when the internet drops?
• Does it print on a 58 mm or 80 mm USB thermal printer?
• Does the plan renew by itself? Can I export my data if I leave?
• Is GST included in the price you quoted?

Then add up a full year for your number of outlets. A café runs on the same plan (see café billing software), and for what the bill itself must show, see the restaurant GST bill format.

Yes, but read what “free” covers. Most free options are a free first month, a free version with limits, or software you install and look after yourself. Our guide to free restaurant billing software goes through each one. POSBADA's first month is free for one outlet with every feature, then ₹499 a month.

Pay monthly while you are still deciding, or while the outlet is new. Pick yearly once POSBADA is part of the daily routine: ₹4,999 once instead of ₹5,988 over 12 months. With POSBADA nothing renews by itself, so a yearly plan never surprises you in the 13th month. Each outlet can be on its own plan, so a new branch can start monthly while the old one pays yearly.

New to the terms? Our guide to the POS full form in a restaurant explains what a restaurant POS does.