AlertBox does one job well: it listens to UPI payment notifications from Paytm, PhonePe, Google Pay, BHIM, and Amazon Pay, then announces the amount in the language a shop owner picks. No hardware, no wire, no monthly device rental. That has made it a real budget substitute for the branded SoundBox devices, which is why 29 lakh merchants have downloaded it. Where it struggles: the free plan has ads, some regional voices sound flat, and the app cannot process a payment itself, only announce one that arrived through another app.
If those trade-offs pushed you to look for AlertBox alternatives, the seven below cover the same shopfront moment when a customer scans, taps pay, and the merchant needs a clear “aa gaya” out loud. Some are full PSP apps that bundle their own soundbox voice; others are lightweight merchant apps built around the same UPI alert loop.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paytm for Business | Existing Paytm QR shops | Yes | Free app; SoundBox device from a few hundred rupees | Voice alerts in ~11 Indian languages |
| PhonePe Business | Highest UPI volume shops | Yes | Free app; SmartSpeaker device rental | Direct settlement into any bank account |
| Google Pay for Business | Merchants who want zero ads | Yes | Free, no paid tier | Clean UI, spoken confirmations |
| BharatPe | Free lifetime QR + loans | Yes | Free | Merchant credit line based on UPI turnover |
| OkCredit | Udhaar + payments in one place | Yes | Freemium premium tier | Ledger plus voice alerts |
| Freecharge | Shops already on Axis Bank | Yes | Free | Instant settlement into Axis account |
| Cointab BHIM UPI | Traders who prefer a plain UPI collection app | Yes | Free | Simple ledger and dynamic QR |
Why merchants leave AlertBox
Three complaints come up over and over on the Play Store review page and in Hindi small-business forums.
Ads on the free plan get in the way
The free version shows banner and interstitial ads. In a busy shop it is fine, in a quiet one it means the phone screen is more billboard than tool. The paid upgrade removes them, but many single-till shops would rather use a fully free option.Regional voice quality is uneven
Hindi, English, and Hinglish sound the most natural. Some of the ten other languages, including a few South Indian ones, come out with an unnatural cadence. Merchants in those regions often switch to a big-PSP app whose voice pack was recorded with a native speaker.It does not process the payment
AlertBox listens, it does not accept. If your QR is torn, or your Paytm login has expired, no alert arrives. Merchants who want a single app that both receives and announces the payment prefer the PSP merchant apps below.The alternatives
Paytm for Business – Best if you already run a Paytm QR
Paytm for Business is the merchant-side of the largest QR network in India. The app accepts UPI, wallet, and card payments, prints daily reports, and speaks each incoming amount aloud in around eleven languages. The optional Paytm SoundBox 4G plugs into a stand near the till and calls out payments even when your phone is in your pocket.
Where it falls short: Some Paytm merchants have hit disruptions when their KYC status expired unexpectedly, which stopped both new UPI collections and the voice alerts.
Pricing:
- Free: The app itself, unlimited UPI collections, spoken alerts on the phone
- Paid: The SoundBox device carries a small monthly rental or a one-time purchase
- vs AlertBox: Comparable on phone voice alerts, adds real acceptance and hardware
Migrating from AlertBox: No import needed. Install, complete merchant KYC once, print or download a QR, and voice alerts turn on for any transaction that lands in your Paytm merchant account.
Bottom line: Pick this if the shop already scans a Paytm QR; the switch is basically free.
PhonePe Business – Best for the highest transaction volume
PhonePe Business sits on top of the largest UPI processor in the country. The app itself is free, settlement is next-day into any bank, and the voice alert speaks the received amount within a second. PhonePe also sells a SmartSpeaker device that plays the same voice from a small standalone box near the counter.
Where it falls short: The SmartSpeaker requires an active data SIM inside it, so there is a recurring cost that AlertBox does not have. The app can feel heavy on entry-level phones.
Pricing:
- Free: The app, all UPI collections, phone-based voice alerts
- Paid: SmartSpeaker device rental, typically a low monthly fee
- vs AlertBox: Similar phone alerts, plus real acceptance and instant settlement
Migrating from AlertBox: Install PhonePe Business, register with your PAN and bank details, add your existing static QR or print a PhonePe one, and voice alerts start with the first payment.
Bottom line: Pick this if PhonePe is what most of your customers use to scan.
Google Pay for Business – Best free option with zero ads
Google Pay for Business is the merchant sibling of the consumer GPay app. The interface is stripped to the essentials, spoken confirmations use a clean neutral voice, and there is no ad load whatsoever. Settlement is direct to the bank you register.
Where it falls short: Only Google Pay-branded payments get the confirmation, so if you also accept Paytm and PhonePe scans you still need their apps or something like AlertBox for the other flows.
Pricing:
- Free: Everything. No paid tier, no hardware speaker sold by Google.
- Paid: None
- vs AlertBox: Cleaner and ad-free, narrower app-brand coverage.
Migrating from AlertBox: Sign in with the Google account tied to your business, verify your bank, and print the GPay merchant QR. Voice alerts are on by default.
Bottom line: Pick this when GPay dominates your customer base and you want a quiet, ad-free app.
BharatPe – Best for free lifetime QR and merchant credit
BharatPe built its brand around one selling point: a free-for-life single QR that accepts every UPI app in one place. The merchant app announces each received amount in Hindi or English and unlocks a merchant loan line once your monthly turnover crosses a threshold.
Where it falls short: Voice-language coverage is narrower than Paytm’s, and the loan line is only useful if you actually want short-tenor working capital.
Pricing:
- Free: The QR, the app, unlimited collections, and phone-based voice alerts
- Paid: Optional POS device or merchant loans on separate terms
- vs AlertBox: Same headline (free), broader UPI-app coverage on one QR.
Migrating from AlertBox: Order the free QR from inside the app, stick it near the till, and voice alerts start the moment your first customer scans.
Bottom line: Pick this if you want a single free QR that handles every UPI app your customers use.
OkCredit – Best when a ledger matters as much as the alert
OkCredit is the leading udhaar and bahi khata app in India, and it has quietly grown into a payments tool too. The app tracks customer credit balances, sends reminder messages, and, since the merchant payments update, speaks every incoming UPI amount out loud in a range of Indian languages.
Where it falls short: Merchant payments are still catching up to what pure PSP apps offer, and some newer features sit behind an OkCredit Premium tier.
Pricing:
- Free: Ledger, voice alerts, and basic reminders
- Paid: OkCredit Premium adds advanced reports and reminder automations
- vs AlertBox: Voice alerts plus a full ledger, one app instead of two.
Migrating from AlertBox: Install OkCredit, choose the merchant mode during setup, add your bank for UPI, and voice alerts join the ledger view automatically.
Bottom line: Pick this if you already keep udhaar in a diary and want the voice alert bundled in.
Freecharge – Best if your bank is Axis
Freecharge is the Axis Bank-owned consumer wallet with a merchant tier tucked inside. The alert flow is simple: any UPI amount to the merchant Freecharge QR is spoken from the phone, and payouts settle instantly into an Axis account. The rest of the app doubles as bill pay and Pay Later, which are optional.
Where it falls short: The instant settlement perk is far less useful if you do not bank with Axis. Voice-language coverage sits behind Paytm and PhonePe.
Pricing:
- Free: The app, UPI acceptance, and voice alerts
- Paid: Optional Pay Later or credit products for the merchant
- vs AlertBox: Real payments acceptance plus alerts, tightest fit if your current account is Axis.
Migrating from AlertBox: Register as a merchant, add your Axis account, and generate a static QR. Voice alerts start on the first payment.
Bottom line: Pick this if you bank with Axis and want instant settlement in the same app.
Cointab BHIM UPI – Best for a plain, single-purpose UPI app
Cointab is the calmest option on this list. It leans on NPCI’s BHIM stack for the actual UPI plumbing, gives you a dynamic QR to show at the till, and speaks the amount aloud each time a payment lands. No wallet, no loans, no ads pushing you to a Pay Later tab.
Where it falls short: Fewer voice languages than Paytm, and the smaller user base means less community help when something breaks.
Pricing:
- Free: Everything the app does
- Paid: None
- vs AlertBox: Real UPI acceptance in a UI that is almost as light.
Migrating from AlertBox: Add your VPA or bank details, print the dynamic QR, and voice alerts arrive on every incoming payment.
Bottom line: Pick this if you want a light app that does UPI and voice, and nothing else.
How to choose
Pick Paytm for Business or PhonePe Business if the shop already leans on one of those QR networks; the alert flow is identical to AlertBox and you gain real acceptance for free. Pick Google Pay for Business when you want an ad-free interface and can accept that only GPay-branded scans get the spoken confirmation. Pick BharatPe if you need one free QR that accepts every UPI app on the market. Pick OkCredit when you already write khata by hand and want the voice alert folded into the same book.
Stay on AlertBox if you deliberately do not want to change PSP relationships; it is still the most flexible standalone announcer for a merchant who has stitched together Paytm, PhonePe, and GPay QRs across a counter and wants one shared voice on top.
FAQ
Is there a free AlertBox alternative that also accepts payments? Yes. Google Pay for Business, BharatPe, and Cointab all accept UPI and speak the amount aloud without a paid tier or hardware requirement.
Can I get UPI voice alerts without a physical SoundBox device? Yes. Paytm for Business, PhonePe Business, Google Pay for Business, and AlertBox all speak the received amount straight from the phone speaker. A dedicated device is a nicety, not a must.
Which app supports the most Indian languages for payment voice alerts? Paytm for Business supports the widest set today, around eleven languages including several South Indian ones. AlertBox is close behind. Most other apps stick to Hindi, English, and one or two regional voices.
Do these apps announce payments when the phone is locked? Yes, with notification permission granted. Voice alerts from all seven apps play over the lock screen and even in silent mode when the app is set as an exception, exactly like AlertBox.
Can I use two of these apps at once? Yes. Some merchants run Paytm for Business or PhonePe Business for their own QR and keep AlertBox listening for scans that go to a different PSP. Voice alerts do not conflict; each app speaks only what its own notification carries.
Which app has the fewest ads? Google Pay for Business is the only option on this list with no ads at all. Cointab is close behind. The others show occasional promos on the home tab.
