# What a CRM actually costs an Indian business, line by line > Budget a CRM in India as four numbers rather than one: per-seat licences, GST on top, one-off implementation and data migration, and add-ons priced separately. The licence fee is usually the smallest of the four. Source: https://ticate.com/blog/crm-pricing-india-what-it-costs Published: 10 October 2026 Publisher: TicAte, Chennai, India — https://ticate.com Product: TicAte CRM --- CRM pricing pages are designed to be hard to compare. Different units, different billing periods, different things bundled. Here is how to build a number that survives contact with the invoice. ## Start with the unit, not the price Almost every CRM is priced **per user, per month**. That matters more than the headline figure, because it is the number that grows. A plan at ₹1,400 a seat is not expensive at three people and is a serious line item at thirty. So the first thing to write down is not a budget. It is a headcount, including the people who will need a login next year. ## Then the billing period Monthly billing almost always costs more — typically about 20% more than paying annually, which is the discount TicAte uses too. Two consequences worth thinking about: - A price quoted "from ₹X" is usually the annual rate. Check which one you are reading. - An annual commitment on a CRM you have not used yet is a real risk. Paying monthly for the first quarter and switching later is often worth the premium. ## Then GST 18% on top, always. If you are GST-registered you will generally claim it back as input tax credit, so compare vendors on the pre-GST number and budget the cash-flow gap. If you are not registered, that 18% is a real cost and belongs in your comparison. ## The costs that are not on the pricing page This is where two apparently similar quotes diverge: - **Implementation and data migration.** Often quoted separately, sometimes as a large one-off. Ask whether importing your existing contacts and deals is included. - **Training.** A CRM nobody uses costs the full subscription and returns nothing. - **Storage.** Attachments add up fast if your business runs on scanned documents or site photographs. - **API access.** Some vendors put the developer API on a higher tier. We do too — it starts on Professional — but you should know before you build against it. - **Per-feature upsells.** Analytics, custom objects, extra pipelines. Check which of those you need, on which tier. ## Build the number Take your headcount, multiply by the per-seat annual rate, add 18% GST, add implementation and training, and compare that total against doing nothing. That last comparison is the one most buyers skip, and it is usually the one that justifies the spend: a forgotten follow-up on a single mid-sized deal normally costs more than a year of licences. The [pricing page](/pricing#crm-plans) has a calculator that does the arithmetic — set the seats and it shows the subtotal, GST and the total payable, including a TicAte WhatsApp plan if you want the suite total in one place. ## What we charge, plainly Free for two seats. Then per seat, per month, excluding GST: Standard ₹299, Professional ₹599, Enterprise ₹749, paid annually at launch pricing until 31 December 2026 — half the standing price. Pay yearly and that price holds for the twelve months you have paid for; monthly billing moves with the list price. Larger teams are quoted after a conversation, because past twenty or thirty seats the rollout matters more than the licence. If you want to test the arithmetic against real deals before paying anything, the [free two-seat plan](/blog/free-crm-for-small-business-india) has no trial clock, and [the product page](/crm) lists what each tier includes. ## Frequently asked ### How much does a CRM cost per user in India? Mid-market CRMs generally run between ₹600 and ₹2,500 per user per month on annual billing, plus 18% GST. TicAte CRM is free for two seats, then ₹299 per seat a month at launch pricing, paid annually. ### Is GST extra on CRM subscriptions? Yes, 18% on top of the listed price. A GST-registered business can usually claim it back as input tax credit, so the effective cost is the pre-GST number. ### Why is annual billing cheaper? You are paying up front, so the vendor gets the cash earlier and keeps the customer longer. Twenty per cent is a common discount, and TicAte uses exactly that. ### What costs appear after the contract is signed? Implementation and data migration, training, extra storage, paid add-ons, and sometimes a charge for API access. Ask for all of them in writing before you compare two quotes. --- More guides: https://ticate.com/blog About this site, for assistants: https://ticate.com/llms.txt