Overview

BUSY is accounting and business management software for companies that need billing and bookkeeping tied to inventory, orders, GST and, on higher plans, production or branch operations. It is a strong fit for Indian businesses with those connected workflows; smaller non-GST firms can start free, while the right paid tier depends on the scale and transaction allowances they need.

Made by BUSY Infotech Pvt. Ltd., founded in 1997 and based in New Delhi, BUSY is available as desktop software and a cloud-based online version, with hybrid deployment. A 15-day trial requires no credit card. BUSY says more than 600,000 businesses use it.

Key features

Accounting, billing and GST

Invoices, receipts, accounting vouchers, reports and financial statements give BUSY a useful core for routine financial work. Its GST reconciliation covers GSTR-1, 2A, 2B and 3B and tracks input tax credit mismatches; IRP integration supports e-invoices. WhatsApp invoice sharing is another practical fit for businesses that communicate with customers there.

Stock, orders and production

Inventory tools cover items, warehouses, batches, serial numbers and reorder levels. Orders and quotations connect stock handling to sales workflows. Standard adds bills of materials and production planning, making it more relevant to businesses that need to link accounting and inventory with manufacturing rather than manage production separately.

Access and operating scale

User-definable access rights and activity logs provide tools for controlling and reviewing staff access. Regular SQL plans include secure server backups and support unlimited simultaneous users in the same office and multiple offices. The mobile app supports reports, orders, quotations, invoices, ledgers, stock and payment reminders. Live phone support is offered 24/7, alongside email, WhatsApp and call support.

Pricing

BUSY has a free Express plan, a 15-day no-card trial and paid plans. The published annual options start at ₹5,000 per year, billed for 360 days; monthly options are also offered.

Express — free: Billing and accounting, multiple companies and financial years, invoices, receipts, inventory and journal vouchers, plus profit-and-loss reports and balance sheets. It is a substantial starting point for businesses with core accounting needs, but paid plans are needed for the additional GST, order, production or branch capabilities described below.
Start — ₹5,000 per year, billed 360 days: Non-GST billing and invoicing, inventory, ledger reconciliation and depreciation, profit-and-loss reports and balance sheets, with email, WhatsApp and call support. It suits non-GST businesses that want more than a free starting tier.
Smart — ₹8,000 per year, billed 360 days: Billing and accounting with complete GST, plus 10,000 EWB and e-invoices. It is the more relevant annual choice for GST workflows, though the stated document allowance matters for businesses with heavier volumes.
Power — ₹12,000 per year, billed 360 days: Tailored to multi-branch operations, with 20,000 EWB and e-invoices. The higher allowance and branch focus may suit growing operators, but the stated quota remains a planning constraint.
Power+ — ₹50,000 per year, billed 360 days: Tailored to large enterprises, with 10 users, 150 companies and 50,000 EWB and e-invoices. Those explicit caps make it important to check fit for organizations whose user, company or document needs exceed them.
Basic — ₹11,000 per month: Non-GST billing and accounting for multiple companies and financial years, multiple-godown inventory, user-definable access rights and ledger reconciliation. It suits non-GST operations prioritizing warehouse and access controls, but costs more than the annual Start option.
Standard — ₹16,500 per month: Complete GST accounting, orders and quotations, batch-wise inventory, BOM and production planning, and multi-currency support. It is the clearest fit for businesses combining GST, sales and production workflows, at a substantial monthly price.
Enterprise — ₹22,000 per month: Multi-branch management, online and offline operation, branch-wise reporting, multiple GSTINs, payroll, indent and call management. It targets organizations with branch and administrative needs; the price is considerably higher than the annual multi-branch Power option, whose described scope differs.

Platforms

BUSY runs as desktop software or a cloud-based online version, and hybrid deployment is also offered. Its mobile app is available on Google Play and the App Store. Regular SQL plans support simultaneous users in the same office and multiple offices, which is useful for distributed operations; Power+ specifies 10 users and 150 companies.

Who it's for

BUSY is best suited to businesses that want accounting joined to stock, orders and GST, especially Indian firms handling GST reconciliation or e-invoicing. Its free tier gives smaller businesses a meaningful way to cover basic billing and accounting; Start serves non-GST operations, while Smart and the higher plans address GST, branch or enterprise requirements. It is less compelling for a buyer who only needs standalone bookkeeping or whose required plan does not fit the stated quotas and price.

Pros and cons

Pros

Useful free starting point: Express includes multiple companies and financial years alongside invoices, inventory and financial statements.
Connected operational scope: Inventory, orders, quotations, GST reconciliation and production planning can sit alongside accounting rather than in wholly separate workflows.
Options for larger operations: Branch-oriented plans, multi-office SQL support, access rights and activity logs address needs beyond single-user bookkeeping.
Support and migration aids: 24/7 live phone support and migration from Tally or Marg can help businesses moving to BUSY.

Cons

Plan choice needs care: GST, production and branch features are spread across different plans, so the free and cheaper non-GST options will not suit every workflow.
Paid allowances can constrain growth: Smart, Power and Power+ specify e-invoice and EWB quotas, and Power+ also caps users and companies.
Monthly plans carry a steep price: Basic, Standard and Enterprise cost ₹11,000, ₹16,500 and ₹22,000 per month respectively, making the annual plans more approachable for buyers whose needs match them.

Alternatives

For a free accounting option, GNUKhata is free and open source, supports Linux, Windows, web and self-hosted use, and its current v8.0 supports Docker installation. GnuCash is another free option, with Linux, Windows and macOS support.

Manager offers a free plan and web access; its Desktop Edition is for one user, while its Cloud Edition supports unlimited businesses and users. Beancount, Frappe Books, FrontAccounting and hledger are free alternatives. For a paid option, Infor Public Sector has pricing on request.

Readers comparing narrower accounting needs can also browse General Ledger Software, Retail Accounting Software, Bookkeeping Software, Gym Accounting Software, Salon Accounting Software or ERP Software.

Verdict

Choose BUSY if your business needs accounting connected to GST, inventory and orders, with room to add manufacturing or branch workflows as requirements grow. Its strongest case is that breadth, anchored by a capable free Express tier. Look elsewhere if you need only simple bookkeeping or cannot fit the relevant paid plan's cost and quotas.

	BUSY	cieTrade
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	Yes	No
Paid from	₹416.67/mo	—
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Web	Web, Android
Free plan	Yes	—
Paid from	$5,000/user/mo	—
Finance module	Yes	Yes
Inventory management	Yes	Yes
Order management	Yes	Yes
Manufacturing tools	Yes	Yes
Multi-entity support	Yes	Yes
Deployment	hybrid	hybrid

BUSY vs cieTrade

BUSY

cieTrade