Key takeaways
What this article covers, in order:
- How do they compare at a glance?
- Trial or free plan: does it really matter?
- Who is HelloBooks Free built for?
- When might ClearTax be the better choice?
- What should you ask either vendor?
- Let's try it on two real-looking businesses
Your friend says "just use ClearTax", your CA mentions something else, and you're trying to work out which one actually costs nothing. Here's the short answer. As of Sep 2026, ClearTax offers a 30-day free trial of its GST software for small businesses and its pages list no price. HelloBooks has a permanent ₹0 plan that files GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B for one GSTIN, with limits on volume instead of time. One is a trial to evaluate, the other is a free plan to keep.
We make HelloBooks, so read this knowing that. We've kept to facts we can stand behind, and we'll tell you where ClearTax may suit you better.
How do they compare at a glance?
| HelloBooks Free | ClearTax GST (as of Sep 2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Kind of free offer | Permanent free plan, no expiry | 30-day free trial for small businesses |
| After the free part | Stays ₹0; Pro is ₹499/month if you need more | Pages list no price, so ask their team |
| GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B filing while free | Yes, unlimited, one GSTIN | During the trial |
| How filing happens | Directly to the GST portal from inside HelloBooks | Check their current pages |
| GSTR-2B reconciliation while free | Yes, with ITC tracking | Check their current pages |
| Limits on the free offer | 200 transactions a year, 2 users, 1 GSTIN | 30 days |
| Books and reports | Invoices, bills, quotes, P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, AP/AR aging | Check their current pages |
We can't verify ClearTax's features or price beyond the trial and the unlisted price, so those cells say "check". Please confirm on their own site before deciding. Products change.
Trial or free plan: does it really matter?
It does, though neither is better in the abstract.
A trial gives you full or near-full access for a fixed window so you can judge the product before you pay. A free plan gives you a limited version you can keep using indefinitely. If you already know you'll pay for GST software and want to try before you commit, a 30-day trial is a fair way to test something on a live return. If you're a small business that wants to file routine returns without a recurring bill, a free plan with clear limits is the more natural fit.
One practical point people miss. Thirty days covers about one monthly GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B cycle. If you're under QRMP and file GSTR-1 quarterly, you might not hit a full filing inside the trial at all. So time the trial around your return calendar. Start it around the middle of a quarter's last month, so the 13th falls inside your 30 days.
Who is HelloBooks Free built for?
Small businesses with one GSTIN and up to 200 transactions a year. Think freelancers, consultants, home businesses, small shops, early startups. It suits owners who want their books and GST in one place, so the return is built from the same invoices and bills they already enter. It suits people who work with a CA, because 2 users means the CA can log in to the same books. And it suits anyone who'd rather not have a trial clock ticking.
If you grow past those limits, Pro is ₹499/month and adds GSTR-9 generated ready to file, e-invoicing and e-way bills, unlimited users and roles, every GSTIN of one legal entity, Tally sync and Excel export.
When might ClearTax be the better choice?
We'll be straight about this. ClearTax may suit you better if you've already set aside a budget for paid GST software and want to evaluate a product during a trial before getting a quote for your volume. It may also make sense if your needs are larger or more involved than a free plan is meant for, and you'd prefer a pricing conversation built around you over a fixed public plan. And if your CA or finance team already works in it and wants you on the same platform, that consistency counts for something.
If that's you, take the trial. Put day 30 in your calendar, and ask for written pricing well before then.
What should you ask either vendor?
These work for any GST software, not just these two.
- Which returns can I file on this plan, and are they filed directly to the GST portal?
- Is GSTR-2B reconciliation included, and does it track ITC across months?
- What exactly happens on day 31, or the day I hit a limit?
- What's the price for my volume, in writing?
- Can my CA have their own login?
- Can I export my data if I leave?
- Does GSTR-3B show interest and late fee before I file?
Let's try it on two real-looking businesses
Lakshmi is an IT consultant in Chennai. One GSTIN, ₹35 lakh turnover, about 60 sales invoices and 40 expense bills a year. She files GSTR-1 monthly and her CA reviews things each quarter. That's around 100 transactions a year, comfortably inside HelloBooks Free's 200. She needs GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, GSTR-2B matching and a login for her CA. No e-invoicing, no e-way bills. For her, a permanent free plan covers the routine work. She could take a trial to compare, but she'd have to budget for whatever the price turns out to be afterwards.
Harish runs a distribution business across several locations, with a few thousand invoices a year and e-way bills on most shipments. Neither HelloBooks Free nor any trial is his real decision. He should compare paid plans side by side, HelloBooks Pro included, and get written quotes.
(Lakshmi and Harish are illustrations, not customers.)
Thinking of switching from one to the other?
Switch at the start of a month, better still a quarter. Your past returns stay on the GST portal whichever software you used. Bring across customers, suppliers, items with HSN/SAC, and opening balances. Then reconcile the first month's GSTR-2B carefully in the new tool, so no ITC slips between the two systems. If you've got a pending notice or an amendment from an earlier period, ask your CA how to handle it before you move.
How HelloBooks helps
HelloBooks Free is ₹0, needs no credit card, and doesn't expire. You get unlimited GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B filing for one GSTIN, filed directly to the GST portal from inside HelloBooks, plus GSTR-2B reconciliation with ITC tracking. On GSTR-3B, interest and late fee are shown as the GST portal's own figure before you file. You get 2 users, up to 200 transactions a year, invoices, bills, quotes and the core reports, and the mobile app for books and invoicing.
Not on Free: GSTR-9 and 9C, e-invoicing, e-way bills, more than one GSTIN, more than 2 users or 200 transactions a year. See the full HelloBooks vs ClearTax comparison, pricing and free vs paid GST software.
FAQs
Is ClearTax GST software free?
As of Sep 2026, ClearTax offers a 30-day free trial of its GST software for small businesses, and its pages don't list a price. Check their site for the latest.
Is HelloBooks Free just a trial?
No. It's ₹0 with no card and no expiry. The limits are on volume (one GSTIN, 2 users, 200 transactions a year), not on time.
Can I try both at once?
You can run HelloBooks Free alongside a ClearTax trial for a month. Just file each period from one tool only, so you don't end up with conflicting returns.
Which is better for a CA with many clients?
That depends on how the CA works. HelloBooks Free is per business, so each client has their own account and invites the CA. A firm with many clients should compare paid options from both.
What happens when I outgrow HelloBooks Free?
You move to Pro at ₹499/month for more transactions, unlimited users, every GSTIN of one legal entity, GSTR-9 generated ready to file, e-invoicing and e-way bills.
Try whichever fits how you work, and make the decision before any clock runs out.
Start free — GST filing included, no card. Try HelloBooks Free
