Swipe vs TallyPrime

Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

Swipe

GST billing, invoicing and inventory app for small Indian businesses, on phone and web.

Free plan + paid

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TallyPrime

India's most widely used desktop accounting, inventory and GST software for small and mid-sized businesses.

Paid

Visit TallyPrime TallyPrime profile

The short answer

Swipe is a quick GST billing and inventory app for phone and web, with free basic invoicing. TallyPrime is a full Windows accounting package covering books, inventory, payroll and GST returns, sold as rental or lifetime licences. Pick Swipe if billing speed from a phone matters most; pick TallyPrime when you need complete accounts and an accountant who already knows Tally. The two also work together through Swipe's Tally sync.

Swipe or TallyPrime: our take

These apps sit at different layers of an Indian small business. Swipe is about billing: it creates GST invoices, quotations, purchase orders and e-way bills in seconds, sends them over WhatsApp, email or SMS, chases unpaid bills automatically, prints to 2-inch and 3-inch thermal printers, and tracks stock and expenses with sales, ledger and profit-and-loss reports. It runs on the web, Android and iOS. Basic invoicing is free, but it is not a full double-entry accounting system.

TallyPrime is that full system. It handles accounting, inventory, invoicing, banking, payroll and statutory compliance including GST filing, e-invoicing and e-way bills, and it is fast from the keyboard once learned. India has a huge pool of Tally-trained accountants, which is its biggest strength. The trade-offs are a Windows-first design, a dated interface, and cloud access, remote reports and WhatsApp sharing sold as paid add-ons. Prices start at ₹750 a month + 18% GST for a Silver rental, with Gold at ₹2,250 a month + 18% GST; lifetime licences cost ₹22,500 + 18% GST for Silver and ₹67,500 + 18% GST for Gold. There is a free trial and an educational mode.

A shop, freelancer or distributor that mainly needs to send invoices from a phone and keep an eye on stock can start with Swipe at little or no cost. A business that needs proper books, payroll and returns handled in-house, or whose accountant works in Tally, should use TallyPrime. Because Swipe syncs with Tally, many businesses can do both: bill quickly in Swipe and let the accountant close the books in TallyPrime.

Choose Swipe if…

Indian SMEs that want quick GST invoices, e-way bills and stock tracking from a phone
You want a free option (TallyPrime is paid only)
You need Web, Android and iOS, which TallyPrime doesn't list
E-way bills, e-invoices and GST reports built in
Invoices shared straight to WhatsApp, email or SMS

Choose TallyPrime if…

Indian SMEs that need GST compliance, inventory and an accountant who knows Tally
You need Windows, which Swipe doesn't list
Covers GST, e-invoicing and inventory in one package
Huge pool of trained accountants in India

What is Swipe?

Swipe is an invoicing and billing app built mainly for small and medium businesses in India. It creates GST-compliant invoices, quotations, purchase orders and estimates in a few seconds and shares them over WhatsApp, email or SMS, with automatic reminders for unpaid bills. Beyond invoicing it tracks stock in and out, records payments and expenses, and produces sales, purchase, ledger and profit-and-loss reports. India-specific features include e-way bills, e-invoices, GSTR JSON exports and a sync with Tally, and bills can be printed on A4 or on 2- and 3-inch thermal printers for counter billing. It runs as a mobile app and in the browser, and supports several users and businesses on one account. Basic invoicing can be started free, with paid plans unlocking the advanced GST and inventory features. It suits shops, distributors and freelancers who want quick billing rather than a full accounting package.

What is TallyPrime?

TallyPrime, from Tally Solutions, is the current version of the accounting package that most small and mid-sized businesses in India and many in the Middle East and Africa have grown up with. It handles accounting, inventory, invoicing, banking, payroll and statutory compliance such as GST returns, e-invoicing and e-way bills, and it is fast to use from the keyboard once learned. It is a Windows desktop application at heart, with paid add-ons for cloud access, remote reports and WhatsApp sharing. Licences come as Silver for a single user or Gold for multi-user setups, either as a lifetime licence with a yearly software services subscription for updates, or as a rental. A free trial and an educational mode are available. The huge pool of Tally-trained accountants is its biggest strength; the main drawbacks are a desktop-first design, a dated look, and weaker fit outside its core markets.

Side by side

Attribute	Swipe	TallyPrime
Pricing	Free plan + paid	Paid
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	Web, Android, iOS	Windows
Best for	Indian SMEs that want quick GST invoices, e-way bills and stock tracking from a phone	Indian SMEs that need GST compliance, inventory and an accountant who knows Tally
Status	Active	Active