There are plenty of kirana store apps and billing software, but most are built for a different shop: GST invoices in India, accounting for an office, or a credit ledger with nothing else. A kirana or general store in Nepal needs something narrower: a fast counter, stock that keeps itself, a khata for regulars, and all of it working when the internet doesn't.
We make one of these apps, BSMM, so read this with that in mind. We've tried to be fair: every fact below about another app comes from its own website or store listing, checked in November 2026, with links at the end. Prices and features change, so check before you decide.
What a small shop actually needs
Before comparing apps, it helps to know what you're comparing them on:
- Billing at the counter: fast search or barcode scanning, discounts, and every way your customers pay: cash, eSewa, Khalti, Fonepay, bank, or udharo.
- Stock that updates itself with every sale and purchase, with low-stock warnings and a reorder list.
- A khata that fills in from credit bills, with reminders.
- Works offline. Power cuts and weak signal shouldn't stop the counter.
- Staff on their own phones, seeing the same shop.
- The real cost over a year, including the features you'll need later, like a second phone or stock.
- No ads at your counter, and a way to get your records out.
The apps at a glance
| App | Made for | Free version | Paid plans | Phones and computers | Offline | Stock | Khata |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSMM | Small shops (made in Nepal) | Everything, no ads | None | Android, iPhone | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Karobar | Businesses in Nepal | Yes | Yes (price not on its site) | Android, iPhone, web | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Byapar.App | Businesses in Nepal | Yes | Rs 5,000 or Rs 12,000 a year | Web browser | View only | Yes | Not described |
| Khatapana | Businesses in Nepal | Yes | Plus and Pro, from $2.99 a month (App Store) | iPhone, web | Not stated | Not stated | Payment and credit reminders |
| Vyapar | Businesses in India (GST) | Basic plan on mobile | Yes | Android, iPhone, Windows, Mac | Yes | Yes | Dues and reminders |
| Khatabook | Shops in India | Yes, with ads | Not published | Android, iPhone (India) | Not stated | Yes | Yes |
| OkCredit | Shops in India | Basic, with ads | ₹30 to ₹99 per 30 days | Android, iPhone, web | Yes | Paid plan only | Yes |
| myBillBook | Businesses in India (GST) | Free trial only | From ₹3,490 a year | Android, iPhone, web | Unclear | Yes | Yes |
| Zoho Inventory | Businesses anywhere | Yes (50 orders, 1 user) | From $29 a month | Android, iPhone, Windows, web | Not stated | Yes | Invoices and dues only |
"Not stated" means the app's own site and listing don't say either way.
The apps one by one
Karobar
A Nepali app with a Nepali-language interface and the Nepali calendar, popular with small businesses (its Google Play listing shows over 500,000 downloads). It covers a ledger, invoices and inventory, works offline, and supports staff access across several devices. It has free and paid versions; its site doesn't list current prices. A strong choice if you want the app itself in Nepali.
Byapar.App
A Nepali accounting, billing and inventory service that runs in the web browser, with a free plan and paid plans of Rs 5,000 and Rs 12,000 a year (including VAT). Its own site says new entries can't be made offline yet, and multi-user access is on the higher plan. Better suited to a desk with a computer than to a busy counter.
Khatapana
A Nepali bookkeeping app ("Easy Accounting App" on the App Store) in Nepali and English, for recording cash transactions, attaching bills and receipts, and reminders for payments and credit that's due. Its makers also offer accounting and tax services. The app is free to download; the App Store lists Plus and Pro plans from $2.99 a month, and there's a web version. Check the price in Nepal before you sign up. Closer to a bookkeeping and accounting service than a counter app.
Vyapar
A full billing, inventory and accounting app built around India's GST, on phones and computers, with an offline mode. The mobile app has a free basic plan; using it on more than one device is a paid feature. Feature-rich, but much of it (GST returns and e-way bills) is for Indian businesses.
Khatabook
Started as a credit ledger and now also does bills and stock. The app is free, its Play listing says it contains ads, and its listing promotes business loans. Good at the khata, but built for India.
OkCredit
Mainly a credit ledger with UPI payments. The basic version is free with ads; stock management, ad-free use and more devices are in paid plans of ₹30 to ₹99 every 30 days. A ledger first; stock costs extra.
myBillBook
GST billing and inventory for Indian businesses. There's a free trial but no free plan: paid plans start at ₹3,490 a year, with one user plus an accountant on the lower plans. Made for GST invoicing.
Zoho Inventory
Proper inventory and order management for growing businesses, with a free plan limited to 50 orders and one user, and paid plans from $29 a month billed annually. It has no khata. Powerful, but more than a neighbourhood shop needs, and priced for bigger ones.
BSMM
Our app, built at Bhupu Sainik Mini Mart, a family grocery in Pokhara, for its own counter. Billing with barcode scanning, recording cash, eSewa, Khalti, Fonepay, bank or card, or udharo; stock that updates with every sale and purchase, with low-stock and expiry warnings and a reorder list; a khata for each regular with WhatsApp and SMS reminders; profit reports and a day-end summary. It works offline, staff use their own phones, and you can run more than one shop. It works the same for a one-person stall and for a business with staff and several branches. Everything is free: there's no paid plan and no ads.
BSMM's home screen, in the app's demo shop.
Its limits, honestly: the app is in English only, it runs on phones (Android and iPhone), not computers, and it isn't a tax billing system.
Indian apps in a Nepali shop
Vyapar, Khatabook, OkCredit and myBillBook are made for India. Many of their headline features (GST invoices, GST returns, e-way bills, UPI) don't apply in Nepal, and their sites don't say whether they handle Nepali rupees or Nepali tax rules. Several also put their best features (stock, more devices, no ads) in paid plans priced in Indian rupees. If one of them suits you, try it with a week of real sales before moving your whole khata into it.
Looking for a Vyapar alternative?
Vyapar is a capable app, and for some shops it's the right one. Stay with it if you need GST invoices, accounting on a computer, or printed bills from the counter.
Consider switching if you don't issue GST or VAT invoices at the counter and want the everyday parts (billing, stock that updates itself, a khata for regulars) free on every phone in the shop, working offline. That's the shop BSMM was built for. Whatever you choose, run the new app beside the old one for a week before you move your khata.
Do you need IRD-approved billing software?
In Nepal, larger businesses must issue bills through billing software registered with the Inland Revenue Department and connected to its Central Billing Monitoring System (CBMS), so every bill is recorded with the government as it's issued. According to news reports from April 2026, the requirement applies to businesses with an annual turnover above Rs 200 million (Rs 20 crore). Most neighbourhood shops are far below that, but rules change: check with the IRD or your accountant.
If you're VAT-registered, your tax invoices have to follow IRD's rules whatever app you use. BSMM isn't a tax billing system, so shops that need VAT invoices use it alongside their tax bills, for stock, the khata and profit.
Which one should you pick?
- You want everything free, at the counter, offline, with staff: BSMM.
- You want the app itself in Nepali: Karobar, or Khatapana for bookkeeping.
- You do your accounts at a computer: Byapar.App, or Zoho Inventory if you're growing fast.
- You're in India and need GST invoices: Vyapar or myBillBook.
- You only want a credit ledger: Khatabook or OkCredit.
Whatever you choose, start small: put your 20 fastest items and your regular customers in, and run it beside your notebook for a week.
Questions shopkeepers ask
Is there a completely free inventory app with no ads? BSMM is free with no ads and no paid plan. Most others are free to start, with ads or with stock, more phones or more users in a paid plan.
Which apps work without the internet? BSMM, Karobar, Vyapar and OkCredit say they work offline. Byapar.App lets you view records offline but not add new ones. The others don't say.
Can my staff use the app on their own phones? In BSMM, yes, for free. Karobar supports staff access on several devices. In Vyapar, OkCredit and myBillBook, more devices or users are part of paid plans.
Sources
Checked on 7 November 2026. Prices and features can change at any time.
- Karobar: karobarapp.com and its Google Play listing
- Byapar.App: byaparapp.com (offline use) and byaparapp.com/pricing
- Khatapana: its App Store listing
- Vyapar: vyaparapp.in and its guide to multiple devices
- Khatabook: its Google Play listing
- OkCredit: okcredit.in/pricing
- myBillBook: mybillbook.in/pricing-plans
- Zoho Inventory: zoho.com/inventory/pricing
- E-billing threshold: Republica and Ratopati, April 2026
