Alternatives · Accounting
Refrens alternatives
As of Nov 13, 2026, the best Refrens alternative for most people is Zoho Books (3.4 GPA), first in our ranking of accounting and invoicing tools. The best free one is Zoho Invoice (3.6 GPA). The catch, in its listing's words: "Free for every business: up to 2 users."
Refrens compared with 7 alternatives: Vyapar, Zoho Books, Zoho Invoice, Odoo, Invoice Ninja and 2 more.
Refrens has a free plan. Paid plans start at ₹8,900 per year, excl. GST (₹742 a month effective). 4 of the 7 alternatives are free or have a free plan. 2 more offer a free trial.
Listings checked up to Nov 12, 2026 · Where the facts come from
Black Friday: is there a Refrens sale?
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| RefrensThis tool | Free plan · from ₹8,900/yr | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Vyapar | Free trial · from $89.99/yr | Trial only | macOS, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Zoho Books | Free plan · from $15/mo | Yes | Web, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Zoho Invoice | Free | Free | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Odoo | Free plan · from $31.10/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Invoice Ninja | Free plan · from $14/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| ClearTax | From ₹1,299 | No | Web |
| Tally Prime | Free trial · from $86/mo | Trial only | Windows |
Price against what you get
Refrens starts at about $7.81 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 2 of the 6 alternatives on this chart score higher and start lower: Zoho Invoice and Odoo.
Zoho Books and Invoice Ninja score higher without starting lower. Vyapar starts lower without scoring higher.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from Refrens
Vyapar
GST billing and inventory software for Indian small businesses
- Vyapar starts at $89.99 per year for Gold (Desktop + Mobile, 1 year).
- Vyapar has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Refrens.
- Vyapar also lists Windows and macOS apps.
- Vyapar lists no web app, which Refrens has.
- Vyapar also covers reports.
Suits: Indian shops that issue GST invoices every day
Zoho Books
Online accounting from Zoho, with a free plan and six paid tiers
- Zoho Books starts at $15 per organization / month, billed annually.
- Zoho Books also lists a Windows app.
- Zoho Books also covers reports.
- Zoho Books does not cover sales pipeline, inventory and quotes and estimates, which Refrens does.
Suits: Very small businesses that want a free plan with real double-entry books
Zoho Invoice
Free invoicing app from Zoho for freelancers and small businesses
- Zoho Invoice is free.
- Zoho Invoice also lists Windows and macOS apps.
- Zoho Invoice also covers time tracking and reports.
- Zoho Invoice does not cover sales pipeline, bookkeeping, inventory and quotes and estimates, which Refrens does.
Suits: Freelancers who send fewer than 500 invoices a year
Odoo
Business app suite whose Accounting app is free when used on its own
- Odoo starts at $31.10 per user / month, billed annually, after $24.90 for the first 12 months.
- Odoo is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Odoo also covers reports.
- Odoo does not cover sales pipeline, inventory and quotes and estimates, which Refrens does.
Suits: Businesses that want full double-entry accounting free for any number of users
Invoice Ninja
Invoicing, expenses and time tracking with a free plan
- Invoice Ninja starts at $14 per month, billed monthly ($140 billed annually).
- Invoice Ninja also lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Invoice Ninja is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Invoice Ninja also covers time tracking.
- Invoice Ninja does not cover sales pipeline, bookkeeping and inventory, which Refrens does.
Suits: Freelancers with a handful of clients who want a free invoicing tool
ClearTax
Indian income tax filing, with self-filing and CA-assisted plans
- ClearTax starts at ₹1,299 and up for CA-assisted filing of salary income.
- ClearTax has no free plan, unlike Refrens.
- ClearTax lists no iOS and Android apps, which Refrens has.
- ClearTax also covers workflow automation and reports.
- ClearTax does not cover sales pipeline, invoicing, bookkeeping, expense tracking, inventory and quotes and estimates, which Refrens does.
Suits: Salaried people in India filing an income tax return
Tally Prime
Desktop accounting and inventory software, mainly for Indian SMBs
- Tally Prime starts at $86 per 3 months (single user), on the North America price list.
- Tally Prime has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike Refrens.
- Tally Prime also lists a Windows app.
- Tally Prime lists no web app and iOS and Android apps, which Refrens has.
- Tally Prime can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Suits: Small and mid-sized businesses in India that need GST and e-invoicing built in
Limits worth knowing in Refrens
- Prices are in rupees and exclude GST; the page lists 3-month, 1-year and 3-year terms.
- The Free plan stops at 15 documents, and extras such as custom templates and digital signatures are charged on top.
- Built for Indian tax rules, with GSTR reports and e-way bills at its core.
- The pricing page FAQ says there is no downloadable app, while the footer links Android and iOS apps.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Refrens?
The alternatives to Refrens in this directory are Vyapar, Zoho Books, Zoho Invoice, Odoo, Invoice Ninja, ClearTax and Tally Prime. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Refrens.
Is there a free alternative to Refrens?
Yes. Zoho Invoice is free to use. Zoho Books, Odoo and Invoice Ninja have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Refrens alternatives work on Windows?
The Refrens listing does not include a Windows app. Vyapar, Zoho Books, Zoho Invoice, Invoice Ninja and Tally Prime list one.
Which Refrens alternatives work on macOS?
The Refrens listing does not include a macOS app. Vyapar, Zoho Invoice and Invoice Ninja list one.
Is there an open-source alternative to Refrens?
Odoo is described as open source on its own site.
When were these prices checked?
Each listing shows its own date. On this page they run from Oct 17, 2026 to Nov 12, 2026. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.