KOT + KDS + table orders · Every sale posts a journal · GST filed in-app · Petpooja claims verified 2026-07-06
Petpooja is a strong POS — but it is only a POS. Your accounting lives in other software, its Tally integration and e-invoicing are paid add-ons, and its prices are quote-based. HelloBooks is a restaurant POS built into a full accounting platform: the counter bills, and the ledgers, GST returns and food costs update themselves.
KOT routing, kitchen display, table orders via the HelloBooks Captain app, Swiggy and Zomato order flow — with GSTR-1 and 3B filed from the same screen. Free Plan to start, Pro from ₹499/mo, published pricing.
1. The POS and the books are one system
Petpooja is a point of sale: it bills brilliantly, then hands your numbers to other software — its Tally integration is a paid add-on. HelloBooks POS posts a real double-entry journal the moment a bill settles, so sales, taxes, tenders and inventory land in your ledgers automatically. No day-end export, no re-keying into accounting software, no reconciliation between two systems.
2. GST compliance is built in, not bolted on
On Petpooja, e-invoicing is a premium add-on and GST returns happen in whatever accounting tool you pair with it. In HelloBooks, GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B are filed from the same system that printed the receipt, with GSTR-2A/2B reconciliation, e-invoicing with IRN, and e-way bills in the same workflow.
3. One subscription instead of an add-on stack
Petpooja does not publish prices — plans are quote-based, and features like online ordering, loyalty, kiosk mode and ERP integration are sold as separate add-ons (verified 2026-07-06 at petpooja.com/pricing). HelloBooks Pro is ₹499/mo published on the pricing page, and the accounting, GST filing and inventory are the core product, not upsells.
4. A full business platform behind the counter
Because HelloBooks is an accounting platform first, the POS connects to everything else your restaurant runs on: ingredient-level food costing, purchase bills with OCR, bank feeds and AI reconciliation, multi-entity books for multi-brand operators, and staff attendance and payroll through HelloTime, the suite’s HR app.
The differences that drive switching decisions — including where Petpooja is genuinely strong. For the restaurant POS itself, see HelloBooks Restaurant POS.
| Feature | HelloBooks | Petpooja |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Restaurant POS built into a full accounting platform | Restaurant POS with an ecosystem of add-on modules |
| Pricing transparency (verified 2026-07-06) | Published: Free Plan + Pro ₹499/mo (₹4,999/yr) | Quote-based; prices not published, vary by region |
| Accounting & ledgers | Native — every sale posts a journal at settle | External — Tally integration is a paid add-on |
| GST return filing (GSTR-1 / 3B) | Filed in-app, with 2A/2B reconciliation | Not a POS function — done in your accounting software |
| e-Invoicing (IRN) | Included in the workflow | Paid add-on |
| KOT & kitchen display | KOT routing + Kitchen Display System included | Yes — mature KOT/KDS (a genuine Petpooja strength) |
| Captain / table-order app | HelloBooks Captain (Android & iOS) for KOT and table orders | Captain app included in core plan |
| Swiggy / Zomato orders | Aggregator orders flow into the same POS and books | Deep aggregator integration (a genuine Petpooja strength) |
| Inventory & food costing | Ingredient-level costing tied to purchase bills and ledgers | Inventory module included; costing stays inside the POS |
| Offline billing | Offline-capable counter, syncs when back online | Yes — offline billing supported |
| AI bookkeeping | AI categorization, bill OCR, bank reconciliation (~70% automation) | No — bookkeeping happens outside the POS |
| Bank feeds & reconciliation | Built in, AI-assisted | Not a POS function |
| Staff attendance & payroll | Via HelloTime, the suite’s HR & payroll app | Third-party integrations |
| Security & compliance | SOC 2 Type II, DPDP-aligned | Vendor-managed cloud |
| Restaurant integration marketplace | Growing — core channels covered | Very large add-on marketplace (a genuine Petpooja strength) |
Petpooja details reflect petpooja.com plan and add-on listings as of 2026-07-06; Petpooja does not publish plan prices — confirm current plans and pricing at petpooja.com. Petpooja is a trademark of its owner, used here for comparison and identification only.
If your accountant reconciles Petpooja reports against your books every month — or you pay for the Tally add-on to bridge them — you are running two systems where one would do. HelloBooks posts every settled bill straight into the ledgers, so month-end is a review, not a data-entry project.
Online ordering, loyalty, e-invoicing, kiosk, integrations — each is a separate line on a Petpooja quote. If you would rather have one published price that includes the books, GST filing and inventory, HelloBooks Pro is ₹499/mo with a Free Plan to start.
A POS that bills GST correctly but cannot file GSTR-1 or 3B still leaves you doing compliance somewhere else. HelloBooks files returns, reconciles 2A/2B for input credit, and generates e-invoices with IRN from the same system the counter runs on.
Multi-brand and multi-outlet operators need consolidated books, not just consolidated sales reports. HelloBooks gives each entity real ledgers with the POS feeding them, so you can see outlet-level P&L with food costs without a spreadsheet in between.
Your accountant should not need POS exports. In HelloBooks, the CA works in the same live books the counter writes to — journals, GST reports, purchase bills — from their own device, with practice tools included free for accountants.
A parallel-run switch, not a leap of faith: bill on both for a week, compare day-end totals, then cut over with your books already posting.
Step 1
Sign up free
Create your HelloBooks account at no cost — the Free Plan includes 5,000 AI credits and full GST reporting.
Step 2
Set up the restaurant layout
Pick the restaurant POS layout — menu, modifiers, tables, KOT routing and kitchen display — and connect your printers and terminals.
Step 3
Bring your menu & items across
Import items, categories and prices with the guided importer; the AI suggests ledger and tax mappings for each item.
Step 4
Connect GST & bank
Link GSTN so returns and e-invoicing run in-app, and connect your bank for feeds and AI reconciliation.
Step 5
Run a parallel week
Bill on HelloBooks alongside your existing POS for a few days and compare day-end totals and the auto-posted journals.
Step 6
Cut over
Make HelloBooks the live counter. Your books are already up to date — they have been posting since the first test bill.
Want a hand with the switch? Find a HelloBooks-friendly accountant at hellobooks.ai/find-an-accountant — free public directory, no paid placement.
Free Plan with 5,000 AI credits, full GST reporting and the restaurant POS layout included. No licence fee, no quote calls, no add-on stack. Run it alongside your current POS and compare a week of day-ends.