A Bikayi Alternative for Physical Local Shops
Last updated: June 2026
If you're weighing up an online-store-builder app like Bikayi, the real question is whether you just want a storefront — or whether you want to run your whole physical shop. e-Kirana is built for the second case: it gives your local or grocery shop an online store and the billing, inventory and home delivery that a counter actually needs, all in one app.
This page compares the categoryof online-store-builder apps with e-Kirana, so you can see where the all-in-one approach fits a shop with a real counter and real deliveries. We don't go into the specifics of any one competitor here, because those move around.
Note: features and plans of online-store-builder apps vary and change over time — check each vendor for current details. This compares the category, not one product.
Storefront builder vs. a shop in one app
Online-store-builder apps are generally designed to do one thing well: give you a digital storefront and catalogue you can share with customers. That is genuinely useful — but a kirana or local grocery shop also bills at a counter, tracks stock, takes UPI payments and sends orders out for delivery. With a storefront-only tool, those parts usually live in other apps you stitch together yourself.
e-Kirana takes the opposite route. It starts as billing and POS software for your shop, then gives you a branded online store on your own subdomain that runs off the same products, prices and stock you bill with. One app, one source of truth — instead of a storefront on one side and your real shop on the other.
Want the storefront detail on its own? See online store for kirana shop.
Online-store-builder app vs. e-Kirana
Here is a capability-by-capability view. We describe online-store-builder apps as a category, with hedged words, because their plans and features vary by product and change over time — please check each vendor for current details before deciding.
| Capability | e-Kirana | Typical online-store-builder app |
|---|---|---|
| Your own online store | Yes — branded store on your own subdomain | Yes — this is usually the core feature |
| Counter billing & POS | Yes — POS billing for your shop counter | Often not the focus; varies by product |
| Inventory by barcode | Yes — bulk import by barcode, stock synced to the store | Varies; often catalogue-only |
| GST invoicing with HSN codes | Yes — on the Business tier | Varies by product |
| Home delivery + live tracking | Yes — batching, routing, partner app, COD, live GPS | Often arranged separately by you |
| UPI payment auto-verify | Yes — automatic UPI verification via the companion app | Varies by product |
| Commission on your sales | None taken by e-Kirana | Varies; some plans add fees or upsells |
| Works when internet drops | Yes — offline order capture + cloud sync | Usually needs to be online |
Comparing other tools too? See our Dukaan alternative page, which takes the same all-in-one angle for physical shops.
Why a physical shop wants more than a storefront
A digital storefront is the visible part of going online, but it is only one part. The moment a customer places an order, your shop needs to bill it, check it against real stock, confirm the UPI payment, pack it and get it to the door. If your storefront app doesn't do those steps, you end up running a second system at the counter and matching the two by hand.
e-Kirana keeps the whole loop in one place. Orders from your online store land in the same billing screen you use at the counter; UPI payments are verified automatically through the e-Kirana Payments Android companion app, which reads UPI payment alerts and pairs to your desktop by QR; and home delivery is dispatched from your shop with batching, routing, a delivery-partner app and live GPS tracking. Customers can order from your branded online store, the customer mobile app or the offline-friendly PWA — and each order lands as a clean entry at your counter.
And it's built for India: GST invoicing with HSN codes (Business tier), inventory you bulk-import by barcode, offline order capture with cloud sync, a customer mobile app and an offline-friendly PWA, all available in 22 Indian languages. If you sell food or any licensed goods, the relevant licence (for example FSSAI) remains the seller's responsibility.
Delivery beyond your own range
You deliver from your own shop by default, using your own staff or a courier partner. For orders that go beyond the area you cover yourself, a courier partner such as Shiprocket Quickoffers same-day hyperlocal delivery in major metros — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai and Ahmedabad — backed by Shiprocket's pan-India network reaching 19,000+ pincodes (Shiprocket's claim). That keeps the online store you build genuinely deliverable, instead of being a catalogue with no way to fulfil it.
How much does it cost?
e-Kirana is premium, paid-upfront Windows software — no ads, and you own your store and your data. Pricing is annual:
- Standard — ₹2,999 / year (plus 18% GST), up to 2,500 SKUs
- Business — ₹4,999 / year (plus 18% GST), up to 5,000 SKUs, adds GST invoicing with HSN codes
Billing is annual only, with no free trial and no freemium tier. Crucially, e-Kirana takes no commission on your sales — unlike apps that add a cut or upsell on top, the price is fixed and the margin on every order stays with you.
See the full breakdown on the pricing page.
Key facts
- ✓An all-in-one app — your own branded online store on its own subdomain plus billing, inventory and delivery, not just a storefront.
- ✓Billing & POS at the counter, inventory by barcode, and GST invoicing with HSN codes on the Business tier.
- ✓Home delivery from your shop — own staff or a courier partner — with batching, route optimisation, a partner app, COD recording and live GPS tracking.
- ✓Automatic UPI payment verification via the e-Kirana Payments companion app, plus a customer app + offline-friendly PWA.
- ✓Offline order capture + cloud sync, in 22 Indian languages.
- ✓Pricing: ₹2,999/year (Standard) and ₹4,999/year (Business), both +18% GST, annual only. No free trial; no commission on your sales.
Frequently asked questions
Is e-Kirana like Bikayi?
Both can put your shop online, but the starting points are different. Online-store-builder apps are usually designed around creating a digital storefront and catalogue you can share. e-Kirana starts from your physical counter: it is billing and POS software for an Indian local or grocery shop that also gives you your own branded online store, inventory, home delivery and UPI verification in one app. Plans and features of store-builder apps vary and change over time — check each vendor for current details; this page compares the category, not one product.
Does e-Kirana do billing and POS too, or just an online store?
Both. e-Kirana is first a billing and POS app for the counter, with inventory you can bulk-import by barcode and (on the Business tier) GST invoicing with HSN codes. The online store sits on top of the same data, so the prices and stock you bill at the counter flow straight to your store. Many storefront-builder apps focus mainly on the online catalogue and are not built to run your in-shop billing — so you would often need a separate POS alongside them.
Can customers get home delivery?
Yes. e-Kirana includes home delivery you run from your own shop — with order batching, route optimisation, a delivery-partner app, COD recording and live GPS tracking — using your own staff or a courier partner. For orders beyond your own range, a courier partner such as Shiprocket Quick offers same-day hyperlocal delivery in major metros (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai and Ahmedabad), backed by Shiprocket's pan-India network reaching 19,000+ pincodes (Shiprocket's claim). A storefront-builder app that only generates a catalogue link usually leaves delivery for you to arrange separately.
How much does e-Kirana cost?
e-Kirana is paid-upfront Windows software, billed annually: Standard ₹2,999/year and Business ₹4,999/year, both plus 18% GST. The Business tier adds GST invoicing with HSN codes. There is no free trial and no freemium tier, and e-Kirana takes no commission on your sales — so the more you sell, the more you keep. SKU limits are up to 2,500 on Standard and up to 5,000 on Business.
Is there a free version?
No. Unlike some storefront-builder apps that advertise a free tier supported by ads or upsells, e-Kirana is a paid product with annual billing only and no free plan. In return it is ad-free, takes no commission on your sales, and your store and data stay yours.
More than a storefront — your whole shop online
Your own branded store, billing and inventory at the counter, and home delivery from your shop — all in one app, with no commission on your sales. See the plans and get started.
See plans