Is Tally Free? Complete Pricing & Licensing Guide for 2026

TallyPrime is not free software. Silver licence costs Rs 22,500 + 18% GST (single user, perpetual); Gold costs Rs 67,500 + GST (unlimited LAN users). A free 30-day trial is available. Cloud hosting starts at Rs 175-290/user/month. All licences include 1 year of free Technical Support Services.

Is Tally Really Free? The Short Answer

No, Tally is not free. TallyPrime, the current version of Tally, is commercial software sold under a licensing model. However, Tally does offer a free 30-day trial, and the perpetual licence model means you pay once and own the software indefinitely (though annual Technical Support Services are optional). If you are looking for free accounting software, Tally is not it, but it is affordable and offers excellent value for small and medium businesses in India.

TallyPrime Pricing 2026: Silver and Gold Licences

TallyPrime comes in two main perpetual licence editions. These prices are indicative for 2026 and include 18% GST where applicable.

Edition	Price (+ 18% GST)	Users	Setup	TSS (1 Year)
Silver	Rs 22,500	Single user	Single machine	Free
Gold	Rs 67,500	Unlimited on LAN	Server + clients	Free
Silver to Gold Upgrade	Rs 45,000	Converts to Gold	LAN-ready	Included

Both editions are perpetual licences, meaning you buy them once and own them forever. There are no monthly or annual subscription fees for the licence itself. The investment is upfront but spreads across years of use.

What Is Included in Your TallyPrime Licence?

When you purchase TallyPrime Silver or Gold, you receive:

• Full TallyPrime software (current version at time of purchase)
• 1 year of free Technical Support Services (TSS), which includes updates, bug fixes, and access to connected services like e-invoicing and GST filing
• Offline-first functionality, meaning Tally works without internet (except for connected services)
• Built-in homegrown GST, TDS, TCS, e-invoice, and e-way bill modules
• Lifetime licence activation (no annual re-activation required)

After the first year, TSS renewal is optional. If you renew, you get updates and connected services. If you do not renew, Tally continues to work offline but will not receive updates.

Free 30-Day Trial: How to Test Tally Risk-Free

Tally offers a free 30-day trial of TallyPrime with full features enabled. This is the best way to evaluate whether Tally suits your business before committing to a purchase.

Trial features:

• All TallyPrime features (ledgers, invoices, GST, reports)
• No credit card required
• No payment information collected
• Data is editable during trial
• After 30 days, trial data can be exported or migrated to a paid licence

To start a free trial, download TallyPrime from the official Tally website or contact a Tally 3 Star Certified Partner like Global IT Care in Purnea, Bihar, who can set up the trial on your machine.

TallyPrime Cloud: Flexible Pricing for Remote Teams

If you prefer not to buy a licence outright, Tally on Cloud offers two subscription models:

1. Bring-Your-Own-Licence (BYOL): Rs 175-290 per user per month. You provide your own TallyPrime licence; the cloud provider hosts it on a secure server.
2. Licence-Included Plan: Rs 899-1,299 per user per month. The licence is included in the monthly fee; no upfront purchase needed.

Both plans include secure Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) access from Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS devices, 99.9% uptime, daily backups, and 24/7 support. Cloud hosting is ideal for distributed teams or businesses without dedicated IT infrastructure.

Technical Support Services (TSS): Optional Annual Renewal

TSS is an optional annual subscription that keeps your Tally licence updated and connected to services like GST filing and e-invoicing.

Edition	Annual TSS Cost (+ 18% GST)	Includes
Silver	Rs 4,500	Updates, bug fixes, connected services
Gold	Rs 13,500	Updates, bug fixes, connected services

TSS renewal incentives:

• Early renewal adds approximately 1 free month
• 2-year renewal receives approximately 10% discount

If TSS expires, Tally continues to work offline, but you will not receive updates or access connected services like e-invoicing and GST filing integration.

Worked Example: Total Cost of Ownership for a Small Business

Let us calculate the 3-year cost of owning TallyPrime Silver for a single-user small business in Bihar.

Year 1:

• TallyPrime Silver licence: Rs 22,500 + 18% GST = Rs 26,550
• TSS (1 year, free): Rs 0
• Year 1 total: Rs 26,550

Year 2:

• TSS renewal: Rs 4,500 + 18% GST = Rs 5,310
• Year 2 total: Rs 5,310

Year 3:

• TSS renewal: Rs 4,500 + 18% GST = Rs 5,310
• Year 3 total: Rs 5,310

3-Year Total Cost of Ownership: Rs 37,170

This works out to approximately Rs 1,239 per month for three years of full-featured accounting software with support and updates. Compare this to cloud-based alternatives at Rs 899-1,299 per month, and the perpetual licence becomes cost-effective after the first year.

Is Tally Worth the Cost?

Tally has over 35 million users globally and is the market leader in India for small and medium business accounting. The value proposition includes:

• Offline-first design: Works without internet, critical for businesses in areas with unreliable connectivity
• Homegrown GST compliance: Built-in GST, TDS, TCS, e-invoice, and e-way bill modules designed for Indian tax law
• Perpetual licence: No forced annual upgrades; your licence works forever
• Scalability: Upgrade from Silver to Gold without losing data or starting over
• Connected services: Seamless GST filing, e-invoicing, and bank reconciliation (with active TSS)
• Local support: Certified partners in every state, including Tally 3 Star Certified Partners in Bihar

For businesses already using Tally or considering a switch, the cost is justified by compliance automation and time savings.

Comparing Tally to Free Alternatives

If cost is your primary concern, free accounting software exists (e.g., Wave, ZipBooks, GnuCash). However, these lack Tally's strengths:

• No homegrown GST module; GST filing requires manual export and re-entry
• Limited offline functionality; most are cloud-only
• No e-invoicing integration
• Smaller user base and fewer local support options in India

Tally's paid model funds continuous development for Indian tax compliance, making it a better long-term investment for Indian businesses.

Can You Use Tally Without Paying?

Technically, yes, for 30 days via the free trial. After that, you must either purchase a licence or subscribe to cloud hosting. There is no perpetual free version of TallyPrime. However, older versions of Tally (like Tally 9) may be available second-hand, though these lack modern GST and e-invoicing features and receive no support.

How to Buy TallyPrime: Licensing Process

You can purchase TallyPrime through:

1. Tally 3 Star Certified Partners: Authorized resellers like Global IT Care in Purnea who provide installation, training, and support
2. Official Tally website: Direct purchase with self-installation
3. Cloud hosting providers: For subscription-based access

Buying through a certified partner ensures proper installation, correct cloud setup if needed, and ongoing local support.

GST Compliance and TSS: Why Updates Matter

India's GST rules change frequently. TSS ensures your Tally stays compliant. For example, recent TallyPrime 6.x updates added connected GST and GSTR-1/GSTR-2B reconciliation. Without TSS, you would miss these updates and risk non-compliance.

To enable GST in TallyPrime, go to Gateway of Tally > F11 (Features) > GST and configure your registration. GST reports are accessed via Alt+G or Gateway of Tally > Display More Reports > GST Reports.

Multi-User Access: Silver to Gold Upgrade Path

If your business grows and you need multiple users, upgrade from Silver to Gold for Rs 45,000 + GST. This is cheaper than buying a new Gold licence outright (Rs 67,500 + GST) and preserves your data and settings.

With Gold, unlimited users can access Tally on a LAN (Local Area Network) simultaneously. Two or more users can work in Tally at the same time without conflicts, making it ideal for growing teams.

Tally on Different Devices: Cost Implications

TallyPrime is primarily a Windows desktop application. However, Tally can run on Mac via cloud hosting or virtualization, and Tally on mobile is available through cloud access. Cloud hosting adds the monthly cost (Rs 175-1,299/month) but enables multi-device access.

Summary: Is Tally Free? Final Answer

Tally is not free, but it is affordable and offers perpetual licensing. TallyPrime Silver costs Rs 22,500 + GST; Gold costs Rs 67,500 + GST. Both include 1 year of free TSS. A free 30-day trial is available to test before buying. Cloud hosting is available from Rs 175-1,299/month. For Indian small and medium businesses, Tally's cost is justified by GST compliance, offline functionality, and local support.

If you are ready to implement TallyPrime or need clarity on pricing and licensing options, contact Global IT Care, a Tally 3 Star Certified Partner in Purnea, Bihar, serving businesses since 2010. We provide free consultations, trial setup, installation, training, and ongoing support. Call us at +91 75469 00951 via WhatsApp or visit our office to discuss which edition (Silver, Gold, or Cloud) best fits your business needs and budget.