ClearTax is a large GST and e-invoicing platform built around enterprise accounts, and API access runs through its sales team. gstinapi.in is a self-serve API with a published price list. Here is what each side shows publicly.
| ClearTax | gstinapi.in | |
|---|---|---|
| Free trial | No API trial size shown. Sandbox accounts are set up through a sales representative. | Up to 75 free lookups — 10 on signup and 65 more across three setup steps. Never expire. |
| Price per lookup | No API price shown. Its pricing page lists income tax filing plans. | ₹0.40 to ₹0.80, by pack. ₹0.40 on the 6,250-credit pack. |
| How you get pricing | Contact a sales representative for sandbox and production accounts. | Published, self-serve. Buy a pack, no sales call. |
| Return-filing data | Part of its GST API and filing products. No per-call price shown. | Yes — GET /v1/gstin/{gstin}/returns lists every GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B filed in a financial year with dates and ARNs; /compliance summarises it; /filing-preference gives the QRMP cadence. |
| Integration | Public docs for GST, e-way bill and e-invoice APIs. Its docs say GSTN processes sandbox credential requests fortnightly. | One header (x-api-key), official Node.js and Python libraries, OpenAPI spec, a free test GSTIN that never spends a credit. |
ClearTax details are what its own page states, read on November 1, 2026; where the page shows nothing we say so rather than guess. Source: docs.cleartax.in/cleartax-docs/gst-gsp-api/gst-gsp-api-reference. Providers change their pricing — check with them before committing volume, and tell us if anything here is out of date.
The fastest honest comparison is your own vendor list through both. Sign up, copy the key and run this. The test GSTIN 00AAAAA0000A1ZT returns a fixed response and never spends a credit.
curl "https://www.gstinapi.in/v1/gstin/22AAAAA0000A1Z5" \ -H "x-api-key: gak_your_api_key"
No credit card. Credits never expire.
Not on the pages we read on November 1, 2026. The ClearTax pricing page lists income tax filing plans, and its GST API docs ask you to contact a sales representative for sandbox and production accounts. gstinapi.in publishes its rates: ₹0.40 to ₹0.80 per lookup depending on the pack, prepaid, with the lowest rate on the 6,250-credit pack. Prices exclude 18% GST.
Its GST API docs say to contact a sales representative with your details for a sandbox account, and again for production. The docs also say GSTN processes sandbox credential requests fortnightly, so a request placed on the 1st gets credentials by the 15th. On gstinapi.in you sign up, confirm your email and copy your key.
Yes. If you only need GST data in your own software, gstinapi.in covers GSTIN verification, return-filing history, HSN/SAC lookup, vendor monitoring, e-way bill and e-invoice APIs on prepaid packs, with no annual contract and up to 75 free lookups to start.
When you are buying a compliance platform and not only an API: GST filing with tax teams, ERP integration, vendor management and an enterprise agreement. gstinapi.in is deliberately narrower and self-serve.
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