What is the best khata app for a small business in the UK?

The best khata app for a small business in the UK is one that works offline, runs in the language your staff and customers read, costs nothing for the basics, and lets you export records for your accountant. Munshi is a free khata in Urdu and English with a currency setting for GBP. It records udhaar, cash, bank and expenses, but it is not HMRC-recognised tax software, so it sits beside your accounting rather than replacing it. We make Munshi, so we are not a neutral reviewer; this guide tells you what to check and where Munshi does and does not fit.

Who this is for

Think of a Pakistani or Bangladeshi corner shop in Bradford, a tailor in Birmingham, a grocery in Manchester, a market stall, a takeaway or a family wholesaler. Some customers pay at the till, others run a tab through the month, “I will pay on Friday”. That informal credit, and the cash that passes through the drawer, is exactly what a khata records. It is a different layer from VAT returns and payroll, which belong in accounting software or with an accountant.

What to look for in a khata app

1. Works offline. Entries should save on the phone first and sync later, for a basement shop or a weak signal.
2. Language. Staff, relatives and customers who read Urdu need Urdu screens and, importantly, Urdu statements.
3. Price and what is locked. Free is good only if the basics, backup and exports are not behind a plan.
4. A cash book beside the ledger, so credit and the drawer are both recorded.
5. Export and backup. You must be able to take your records out as PDF or Excel and restore them on a new phone.
6. Currency. The app should show pounds, not rupees.
7. Privacy. Customer names, numbers and amounts should not be given to advertisers.

How Munshi measures up

• Offline: yes. Entries are saved on your phone and sync when you are online.
• Language: the whole app runs in Urdu or English, right to left in Urdu, and statements follow the language you set when you export.
• Price: free, with small ads marked “Ad” that never appear while you add an entry, sign in, unlock the app or send a reminder. No subscription.
• Cash book: a Cash Book and Bank book beside the customer ledger, plus expenses.
• Export and backup: statements and reports as PDF or Excel (this month and last month’s PDFs are free; a longer range or Excel shows a short ad first), and backup to your own Google Drive.
• Currency: on the shop setup screen or in Shop settings, type GBP in place of PKR and amounts show GBP. Munshi does not convert between currencies, and changing the code later does not recalculate old amounts.
• Reminders: a reminder opens in WhatsApp with the message ready and you press Send.

What Munshi does not do, and why it matters in the UK

Munshi has no invoicing, no VAT calculation, no payroll or staff roles, no stock or barcode tracking, and no connection to bank accounts. It is not software recognised by HMRC for filing, and we make no claim that it is. If your business is registered for VAT or must keep digital tax records, keep proper accounting software or an accountant for that, and check HMRC’s own guidance for what is required. Munshi’s job is the informal layer: who owes you, what the drawer holds, what you spent.

A sensible split for a UK shop

• Accounting software or your accountant: sales records for tax, VAT, payroll, year-end accounts.
• Munshi: regular customers on credit, supplier credit, the cash drawer and day-to-day expenses.
• Monthly bridge: export a PDF or Excel report from Munshi and send it to your accountant. See how to share your khata with your accountant.

A ten-minute test before you commit

1. Install the app and set the language and the currency to GBP.
2. Add three real customers and record a credit and a payment.
3. Switch on airplane mode and add an entry.
4. Make a statement and open it on another phone.
5. Check what the store listing says about ads and in-app purchases.

The same test works for any app. For a longer checklist see the best free khata app checklist, and for how Urdu support really works, business apps with Urdu support abroad.

Running more than one business

Many UK traders run two things: a shop and a stall, or a UK shop and a family business in Pakistan. One Munshi account holds up to five businesses, each with its own customers, cash book and reports. If they use different currencies, keep them as separate businesses so the amounts do not mix. See managing multiple businesses in one app and a khata abroad.

Moving from a paper khata

If you still keep a bahi khata, choose a cut-off date, list every balance, enter or import them, and check the total before you stop writing on paper. Our guide how to digitize your khata book in five steps walks through it, and importing from Excel or CSV saves typing if your list is in a sheet.

Our honest recommendation

If you are a UK trader who gives udhaar, wants Urdu statements and a free offline tool, Munshi is built for that and costs nothing to try. If your main need is VAT, invoices and payroll, start with accounting software, and use a khata alongside it for the informal credit. Either way, keep your own exports and test with real entries for a week before moving everything.