Custom platform or off-the-shelf software?
Off-the-shelf billing and accounting tools such as Tally or Zoho Books are inexpensive to start with and do their core job well. For many small businesses they are the right answer. A custom platform starts to make sense when:
- you run several tools that don't talk to each other, and someone re-types orders, stock and invoices between them;
- your workflow is unusual — batch and expiry tracking, multi-channel orders, franchise or distributor pricing — and generic tools force workarounds;
- compliance keeps slipping: a late return, an input-tax-credit mismatch, a licence that expired because nobody was watching the date.
If none of those apply, buy, don't build.
Typical price ranges in India (2026)
| Option | Common cost range (2026) |
|---|---|
| Off-the-shelf billing / accounting subscription | Low thousands to tens of thousands of rupees a year |
| Focused custom platform (a few core modules) | ₹75,000 – ₹2,00,000 |
| Production system with live integrations | ₹2,00,000 – ₹10,00,000+ |
| Hosting, support and small changes | ₹5,000 – ₹25,000 / mo |
For reference, our Laksvi Commerce platform is ₹85,000 plus ₹5,000/month for the multi-module navigable version, and ₹2,00,000 plus ₹10,000/month for the production build with live integrations.
The modules that drive the price
Every module is a mini-project. The ones Indian MSMEs usually need, roughly in order of how much they add:
- GST returns and reconciliation — preparing GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B data and matching purchases against GSTR-2B so you don't lose input tax credit. Our GST compliance guide explains why this matters.
- E-invoicing and e-way bills — e-invoicing is mandatory once your aggregate turnover crosses ₹5 crore in any year since 2017-18, so larger MSMEs need IRN generation built in.
- Inventory with batches and expiry — essential for food, cosmetics and pharma, and a common source of write-offs when it lives in a spreadsheet.
- Payroll with PF, ESI and Professional Tax, and a TDS/TCS ledger.
- Bank reconciliation — matching statements to books.
- A compliance calendar that maps every statutory deadline and licence renewal.
Live integrations: where budgets jump
A platform that runs on data you enter or import is far cheaper than one that talks directly to outside systems. Filing directly with the GST system goes through an authorised GST Suvidha Provider (GSP), which carries its own fees and setup; live bank feeds and marketplace order syncs add similar work. A sensible path is to launch on imported data first, prove the workflow, and add live integrations as a second phase.
Before you sign, ask two questions: who owns the source code, and where does the data live? If the answer isn't "you" and "somewhere you control", you are renting, not building.
Hidden costs to budget for
- Data migration — moving years of customers, products and opening balances in cleanly.
- Training — the best system fails if the team keeps using the old spreadsheet.
- Change requests — tax rules and your business both change; budget for small updates every month.
- Hosting — modest for most MSMEs, but it is a real line item.
How to budget for it
Start with the two or three modules that cost you the most money or time today — usually orders, inventory and GST. Get a navigable version on realistic data so your team can use it before committing to the full build. Then add live integrations once the workflow is proven. Keep your CA involved: software makes compliance easier to run, but the filing decisions remain theirs and yours.