Your restaurant deserves better than the old stack.
Legacy desktop POS, cloud billing app, or a notebook and Excel, here's the honest, side-by-side truth about what changes with CountStand. And when you switch, migration is free.
The three ways restaurants run today
Every setup gets something right. Fair is fair, here's both sides of each.
The legacy desktop POS
A PC at the counter, bought once, AMC every year.
Fast keys, staff know it blind
Keeps billing when the internet dies
Data lives in one machine at one counter
Updates and fixes wait for a field visit
Reports mean walking to the counter
AI is not coming to a 2014 install
The cloud billing app
Modern, subscription, tablet-first.
Quick to start, clean bills
Your numbers from anywhere
Billing can stall when the connection does
The real price stacks up in add-ons
Dashboards and alerts, the analysis stays your job
Registers & Excel
The zero-software kitchen-table stack.
Free, and completely yours
No vendor, no lock-in
Everything runs on one person’s memory
GST filing is a month-end archaeology dig
Theft and waste stay invisible
The old stack vs CountStand, the honest version
Pick what you run today. Only the middle column changes, ours doesn't need to.
| What actually matters | A typical setup todayThe cloud billing app | ⭐ CountStand |
|---|---|---|
| Works offline | Cloud-first, billing can degrade when the connection drops | 100% offline: bills, KOTs and the KDS keep running, then sync on reconnect |
| Setup | Fast signup, full setup often waits on an agent | Minutes, self-serve, or about 5 minutes over WhatsApp |
| Pricing transparency | The subscription looks small; add-ons stack up (typical) | Published: ₹999–₹5,999/mo per outlet (billed annually) with offline, GST and migration included |
| Tells you what to do next | Dashboards and alerts, the analysis is your job | AI hands you the move with rupees attached: reorder, reprice, nudge |
| Predictive inventory | Low-stock alerts only (typical) | Forecasts stock-outs, one-tap reorder, variance flags that catch theft |
| Customer ordering + loyalty | Usually a paid add-on | Built in: QR ordering, customer portal, loyalty |
| GST invoices & GSTR-1 | Usually handled, check what your plan includes | GST on every line + one-click GSTR-1 export |
| Aggregator payout reconciliation | Often available, verify the depth and the price | soonComing soon, 2026 scope is dine-in + takeaway |
| Your data, your freedom | Export usually possible; migration help varies | Free migration in, full export out, leave anytime |
| Support | Ticket queue (typical) | WhatsApp support, a human answers |
"Typical setup" cells describe common category patterns, not any specific product; capabilities vary, verify with your vendor.
Ten questions to ask any POS vendor, including us
Take these to every demo call. Our answers are printed here so you can hold us to them.
- 01
Does billing keep working when the internet dies?
Offline-first: bill, print KOTs, run the KDS, everything syncs on reconnect.
- 02
Is the full price on the website?
Yes, ₹999 to ₹5,999 per month per outlet, billed annually, published, with what each plan includes.
- 03
Can I set it up myself, today?
Minutes self-serve, or send a menu photo on WhatsApp and go live in about 5.
- 04
Will it export a GSTR-1 my CA can actually file?
One click, every month.
- 05
Does it predict stock-outs, or just beep after the fact?
It forecasts the stock-out date and drafts the reorder.
- 06
Does it tell me what to do, or just show dashboards?
Every suggestion arrives with the rupees attached.
- 07
Are QR ordering and loyalty included, or add-ons?
Included.
- 08
Can I export my data and leave whenever I want?
Always: menu, customers, sales. Ask every vendor this one twice.
- 09
What does migration cost?
Nothing in your first 60 days: your full menu (items, prices, categories) and up to 12 months of order history, imported free, usually over a weekend.
- 10
Do you reconcile Swiggy/Zomato payouts today?
soonHonest answer: not yet. It is on the roadmap, the 2026 scope is dine-in + takeaway.
Download nothing. Just ask these on every demo call, ours included.
Switching is a weekend, not a project
We do the heavy lifting; your restaurant never misses a service.
- 1Friday nightExport from your current system
Close your day as usual. Any CSV works, or just send photos of the printed menu.
- 2SaturdayWe migrate everything
Full menu (items, prices, categories) and up to 12 months of order history imported free. You review, we fix.
- 3SundayDry-run the floor
Staff take practice orders on the new POS, it takes about 10 minutes to learn.
- 4MondayGo live
First real service on CountStand. Your old data stays intact wherever it was.
The old stack isn't free, it just bills you in leakage.
one rained-out evening of unbilled covers
80 covers × ₹450 ticket × 40% of a day
wastage + pricing value the AI models at that size
from the transparent model on our pricing page
replaces the month-end GSTR-1 Excel day
exported in the format your CA files
Illustrative figures from the transparent model on our pricing page. move the sliders yourself
Switching is free, and we do the heavy lifting
We import your full menu and up to 12 months of order history, help you configure your POS, and you're live, with a 30-day free trial on top.
Switching, answered
Can I switch my restaurant POS without closing for a day?
Yes. The switch is a weekend: export Friday, we migrate Saturday, staff dry-run Sunday, go live Monday. You never miss a service.
What do you migrate for free?
Free migration in your first 60 days: your full menu (items, prices, categories) and up to 12 months of historical order data, from any POS, billing app, or even photos of a printed menu.
Does CountStand really work with no internet?
Yes, billing, KOT printing and the kitchen display keep working offline and sync when the connection returns.
What happens to my old data?
It stays wherever it is, we import copies. And your CountStand data is exportable anytime, so you keep the same freedom with us.
Do you support Swiggy/Zomato today?
Order intake and payout reconciliation are coming soon; the 2026 scope is dine-in + takeaway. If aggregators are your core business today, we would rather tell you now.
Which plan do I need to switch?
Any of them, every plan from ₹999/month per outlet includes free migration and the 30-day trial, no card needed.