How much more does dollar-billed software cost in India?

It depends whether you can reclaim GST. For a GST-registered business, about 4% more, the card forex markup on a dollar charge, which is not reclaimable. If you cannot reclaim GST, about 22% more once 18% GST is added. A $50/month tool looks like ₹4,796 at the mid-market rate, but a registered business pays about ₹4,963, or ₹5,857 if you cannot reclaim GST.

Do most tools sold to Indian businesses price in rupees?

No. Among tools with a verified monthly price, 56% bill in US dollars versus 42% in rupees. Rupee pricing comes mostly from India-built vendors, so a dollar sticker (and the forex layer on top) is still the norm.

Which software is cheapest in India?

It depends on the function. In 20 of the 31 functions we ranked, the cheapest option (forex-adjusted) is an India-built, rupee-billed tool, so the lowest true cost is often a local product rather than the global default.

What GST rate applies to software and SaaS in India?

18%. Software licences and SaaS subscriptions are taxed at 18% GST in India. For a foreign, dollar-billed tool, a GST-registered business self-accounts for that 18% under the reverse-charge mechanism and reclaims it as input tax credit, so it nets to zero; an unregistered buyer pays it under the OIDAR rules with no way to reclaim. An Indian vendor charges the 18% on the invoice directly, also reclaimable if you are registered.

What is the HSN/SAC code and GST rate for software?

Software supplied as a service (SaaS, subscriptions, development) is treated as a service under SAC heading 9983 (IT services) and taxed at 18% GST. Off-the-shelf packaged software supplied as goods has historically sat under HSN 8523, also at 18%. The rate is 18% either way; confirm the exact SAC/HSN for your own invoicing with your accountant.

Are these the exact prices I will pay?

They are indicative, not a bill. We take each vendor's verified starting monthly price and convert dollars at the effective card rate (mid-market plus the forex markup) — the cost a registered business nets after reclaiming GST. GST adds 18% if you cannot reclaim it. Your card's markup, plan and negotiated rates will vary. It is meant to show the shape of the cost, not to quote you.

FindThatSoftwareData report

The India software tax

The price on a SaaS pricing page is not the price an Indian buyer pays. There are really two India taxes. The one nobody escapes is the ~4% card forex markup on a dollar charge, which even a GST-registered business cannot reclaim. On top sits 18% GST, but that is reclaimable if you are registered, so it only bites if you are not, taking the premium to about 22%. We priced the 267 tools with a verified monthly rate the way you actually pay, and used our function tags to rank each kind of software. Updated October 2026.

Findings

Key findings

The unavoidable premium is the ~4% forex markup on dollar-billed tools. A $50/mo tool (₹4,796 at the mid-market rate) costs a registered business about ₹4,963/mo, GST reclaimed.
If you cannot reclaim GST, the premium is ~22% once 18% GST is added, taking that same tool to about ₹5,857/mo. Registered businesses reclaim it; foreign B2B is reverse-charged.
A local tool is often the cheapest true cost in 20 of the 31 software functions we ranked, the lowest forex-adjusted option is an India-built, rupee-billed product.

By function

India cost by function, cheapest first

Typical (median) monthly cost for a GST-registered business in each software function with enough verified monthly pricing to compare, plus the cheapest verified option in each. Forex-adjusted, with GST reclaimed. Add 18% if you cannot reclaim GST.

Function	Typical (registered)	Cheapest
Password manager	₹296/mo	Zoho Vault - ₹54/user/mo
GST billing	₹392/mo	Vyapar - ₹42/user/mo
Accounting billing	₹546/mo	Marg ERP 9+ - ₹200/mo
Form builder	₹599/mo	Google Forms - ₹99/user/mo
Ecommerce platform	₹620/mo	Dukaan - ₹208/mo
Website builder	₹630/mo	Carrd - ₹74/mo
Esignature	₹650/mo	Adobe Acrobat Sign - ₹405/mo
Restaurant POS	₹667/mo	GoFrugal - ₹353/user/mo
Project management	₹794/mo	Zoho Projects - ₹280/user/mo
Graphic design	₹794/mo	Adobe Express - ₹338/mo
AI presentation	₹869/mo	Gamma - ₹400/user/mo
Email marketing	₹870/mo	Zoho Campaigns - ₹180/mo
Docs wiki	₹943/mo	ClickUp - ₹695/user/mo
Appointment scheduling	₹993/mo	Picktime - ₹223/user/mo
CRM	₹1,019/mo	Close - ₹99/mo
Business intelligence	₹1,063/mo	Quintal Mind - ₹706/mo
Legal research	₹1,136/mo	eCourtsIndia - ₹500/mo
HR payroll	₹1,249/mo	Zoho People - ₹48/user/mo
Video editing localization	₹1,387/mo	Edimakor - ₹413/mo
Workflow automation	₹1,450/mo	Make - ₹893/mo
Social media management	₹1,571/mo	Repostit - ₹496/mo
AI video generation	₹1,613/mo	DeepReel - ₹414/mo
Cloud telephony	₹1,623/mo	Callyzer - ₹175/user/mo
No code app builder	₹1,886/mo	Zoho Creator - ₹480/user/mo
Help desk	₹1,986/mo	Zoho Desk - ₹420/user/mo
Hotel management	₹2,250/mo	Hotelogix - ₹250/user/mo
AI content writing	₹2,382/mo	GravityWrite - ₹802/mo
WhatsApp business	₹2,399/mo	Interakt - ₹999/mo
Creator course platform	₹2,631/mo	Skolasti - ₹1,667/user/mo
Sales intelligence	₹3,871/mo	RocketReach - ₹786/user/mo
AI sales outreach	₹5,410/mo	Opencord AI - ₹794/mo

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Method

Methodology

Based on the India-first SMB tools in the FindThatSoftware catalog with a source-backed monthly price. For each tool we take the verified starting price and convert any dollar amount at the effective card rate (mid-market plus a ~3.5% forex markup) — the cost a GST-registered business nets after reclaiming GST. Adding 18% GST gives the figure for a buyer who cannot reclaim it. Only monthly-recurring plans are compared; per-unit and one-time-license tools are excluded so the per-function medians stay like-for-like. Per-seat tools are marked /user/mo — that price is per user, so a team pays a multiple of it. Figures are indicative, not a bill, and update automatically as more tools are verified.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much more does dollar-billed software cost in India?: It depends whether you can reclaim GST. For a GST-registered business, about 4% more, the card forex markup on a dollar charge, which is not reclaimable. If you cannot reclaim GST, about 22% more once 18% GST is added. A $50/month tool looks like ₹4,796 at the mid-market rate, but a registered business pays about ₹4,963, or ₹5,857 if you cannot reclaim GST.
Do most tools sold to Indian businesses price in rupees?: No. Among tools with a verified monthly price, 56% bill in US dollars versus 42% in rupees. Rupee pricing comes mostly from India-built vendors, so a dollar sticker (and the forex layer on top) is still the norm.
Which software is cheapest in India?: It depends on the function. In 20 of the 31 functions we ranked, the cheapest option (forex-adjusted) is an India-built, rupee-billed tool, so the lowest true cost is often a local product rather than the global default.
What GST rate applies to software and SaaS in India?: 18%. Software licences and SaaS subscriptions are taxed at 18% GST in India. For a foreign, dollar-billed tool, a GST-registered business self-accounts for that 18% under the reverse-charge mechanism and reclaims it as input tax credit, so it nets to zero; an unregistered buyer pays it under the OIDAR rules with no way to reclaim. An Indian vendor charges the 18% on the invoice directly, also reclaimable if you are registered.
What is the HSN/SAC code and GST rate for software?: Software supplied as a service (SaaS, subscriptions, development) is treated as a service under SAC heading 9983 (IT services) and taxed at 18% GST. Off-the-shelf packaged software supplied as goods has historically sat under HSN 8523, also at 18%. The rate is 18% either way; confirm the exact SAC/HSN for your own invoicing with your accountant.
Are these the exact prices I will pay?: They are indicative, not a bill. We take each vendor's verified starting monthly price and convert dollars at the effective card rate (mid-market plus the forex markup) — the cost a registered business nets after reclaiming GST. GST adds 18% if you cannot reclaim it. Your card's markup, plan and negotiated rates will vary. It is meant to show the shape of the cost, not to quote you.

Source: FindThatSoftware catalog analysis, October 2026. Rupee figures are indicative estimates (forex-adjusted; GST conditional), not billing figures. Cite as "FindThatSoftware, The India Software Tax".