What Indian businesses ask about ERP in 2026, in our own search data, is mostly which system to choose: comparisons and "alternative to" searches come first, then cost, then who can help. AI assistants get a different set of questions, mostly about tax and invoicing rules such as e-invoice limits. This post shares what we measured, how, and what it cannot tell you.
Short answer
In our Google Search data for India (16 months), about two in five ERP searches were comparisons or "alternative to" searches. Cost and finding an implementation partner came next, at roughly one in seven each. For ERPNext, cost and finding help made up over half of the searches. In Microsoft Copilot (6 months, worldwide), about half of the citations of our pages on ERP questions were about compliance rules.
We kept this to what the numbers show. I lead ERP programmes at MithTech. We support ERPNext, Tally, SAP Business One, Zoho and Odoo, and we wrote some of the pages these searches landed on, which is the main limit on the data.
What did we measure?
Two sources, both our own: Google Search Console for India and Bing's AI Performance report for Microsoft Copilot. We grouped every query by the shape of the question and by the systems it names.
| Source | What it lists | Window | Where | Queries used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Search Console | Searches where Google showed a mith.tech page | Last 16 months, read 29 Oct 2026 | India | 350 ERP queries |
| Bing Webmaster Tools, AI Performance | Questions where Microsoft Copilot cited mith.tech | 6 months from 29 Apr 2026, read 29 Oct 2026 | Worldwide | 25 ERP questions |
How we grouped them. Each query gets one question shape, by the first rule that fits: compliance, migration, cost, AI features, versions, comparisons, finding help, hosting, how-to, and "what is it". A query can name more than one system, so it counts for each one, and those shares do not add up to 100. We left out searches by job-seekers and students (salary, jobs, courses) because they are not business questions. Read on 29 October 2026.
What do Indian businesses search for about ERP?
Mostly which system to choose. Comparisons and "alternative to" searches were the biggest group by far. Cost and finding an implementation partner were close behind each other. Compliance was small in search, which is the opposite of what we saw in AI assistants.
Which systems do they ask about?
ERPNext and Tally, then a long tail. ERPNext appears in about half of the searches and Tally in over a third. "Other systems" are mostly Indian billing apps and QuickBooks, named in comparisons with Tally.
What do they ask about each system?
Each system has its own question. Tally searches look for alternatives; ERPNext searches ask what it costs and who can do it; SAP searches ask how to move off it.
| Tally | Compare and alternatives (89.8 %) | AI features (4.7 %) |
| ERPNext | Finding help (29.6 %) | Cost and pricing (28.6 %) |
| SAP (any product) | Migration (84.0 %) | Compare and alternatives (15.4 %) |
| Other systems | Compare and alternatives (65.5 %) | What is it (22.8 %) |
| No system named | Compliance (42.1 %) | Compare and alternatives (22.7 %) |
Zoho and Odoo had too few searches in our data to read a pattern, so we leave them out of this table. The full breakdown is in the dataset.
One caution on Tally. We have written several "Tally alternative" posts, so Google shows us for those searches more than for, say, Tally how-to questions. The share is real for our site, but it overstates how many Tally users are looking to leave.
What are the top ERP searches?
The ten most-seen ERP searches that found us, as typed, with a company name removed from two of them.
- erpnext implementation cost
- sap to erpnext migration service provider
- tally alternative
- erpnext pricing in india
- tally alternatives
- tally vs giddh comparison
- tally vs vyapar
- tally open source alternative
- erpnext customization service provider
- vyapar app
Ranked by impressions in Google Search Console, India, last 16 months, read 29 October 2026.
What do businesses ask AI assistants about ERP?
Mostly the rules. In Microsoft Copilot, about half of the citations of our pages on ERP questions were about compliance: e-invoice limits, tax invoice formats and invoice validation. Finding a partner came second. Bing labels most of these questions "Informational" or "Learn and Solve", not "Commercial".
Bing calls its list a sample; 25 of its 44 questions were on ERP topics.
The most-cited ERP questions, by rank: "e invoice limit", "tax invoice format in word", a manufacturing ERP comparison with SAP S/4HANA, "open source self-hosted alternatives to zoho business software", "fdn validation", "what is erpnext", an ERPNext partner evaluation, and "erpnext installation guide".
Why do search and AI questions differ?
People seem to search when they are choosing and ask an assistant when they need a rule. A rule has one right answer that an assistant can give in a sentence, such as an e-invoice turnover limit. A choice between systems needs comparison pages, which is what search returns. This is our reading of two small samples, not a finding we can prove.
What does this mean if you are choosing an ERP?
Most people start where you probably are: comparing. The questions in this data match the order most buyers go through:
- Compare the systems for your kind of business: Tally alternatives or ERPNext vs Tally.
- Work out the cost: ERPNext pricing in India and the implementation cost estimator.
- Choose who will help: how to compare ERPNext implementation partners.
- Plan the move: for example, SAP to ERPNext migration.
- Check the rules: e-invoice deadlines and e-way bill limits.
What are the limits of this data?
It is one site's data, so treat it as a signal, not a survey.
- Search Console lists only searches where we appeared, so our own content shapes it. Topics we have not written about are missing, not absent from the market.
- The report lists 1,000 queries at most and leaves some searches out, so the 1,000 India rows hold only part of the property's impressions. ERP queries were 42.7 % of the impressions in those rows.
- Bing's AI list is a sample of 44 questions and is worldwide, not India only.
- Shapes are rule-based. A different set of rules would move a few queries between groups. The rules are listed above; every share is in the dataset.
Can I use this data?
Yes, with a link to this page. Download the dataset (CSV): every share and rank in this post, with its source and read date. It has no raw counts and no personal data.
Frequently asked questions
+What do Indian businesses search for most about ERP?
In our Google Search data for India over 16 months, comparisons and "alternative to" searches were the largest group, at about two in five ERP search impressions. Cost and finding an implementation partner came next, at roughly one in seven each. The single most-seen query was "erpnext implementation cost".
+Is this data about the whole Indian market?
No. It is one website's data. Google Search Console only lists searches where Google showed one of our pages, so it leans towards topics we have written about. Read it as what people asked when they found mith.tech, not as a market survey.
+What do people ask AI assistants about ERP?
Of Microsoft Copilot's citations of our pages on ERP questions over six months, about half were on compliance rules, such as e-invoice limits and tax invoice formats. Finding an implementation partner came second. Bing's list is a worldwide sample, not India only.
+Why are Tally searches mostly about alternatives?
Partly because people outgrow accounting-only software, and partly because we have written several Tally alternative posts, so Google shows us for those searches. The share is accurate for our site but overstates how many Tally users want to leave.
+Can I use these figures?
Yes, with a link to this page. Every figure is a share or a rank, with its source and read date in the dataset. There are no raw counts and no personal data.
What is the bottom line?
In our data, Indian businesses search to choose: they compare systems, ask what ERPNext costs and look for someone to implement it. When they ask an AI assistant, they mostly want a rule. If you are choosing now, start with a fair comparison and a clear cost before you pick a partner.
Comparing systems for your business?
Start with a range for your size and industry. If ERPNext is not the right fit, we will say so on the free call.
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Manoj · Published on 29 October 2026
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