Zoho Books vs QuickBooks (2025 Comparison Review)

Choosing the right accounting software can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be.

I've spent years helping small business owners and entrepreneurs find the accounting solution that works for them. Both Xero and QuickBooks Online are popular accounting software options that simplify financial management, but they work differently.

In this article, I'll break down what makes each platform unique and help you figure out which one fits your business best.

What is Zoho Books?

Zoho Books is a cloud-based accounting software designed by Zoho, a company that offers many business tools.

It is part of a larger ecosystem of Zoho apps that all work together seamlessly. This means if you use other Zoho platforms like Zoho CRM or Zoho Payroll, everything connects smoothly.

Zoho Books started as a simple invoicing tool and has grown into a full accounting platform. Over time, it added features like advanced inventory control, vendor portal, and robust automation features.

The software is known for being affordable and flexible, making it popular with small businesses and freelancers. Zoho Books integrates easily with hundreds of third-party apps, giving you lots of options to customize your accounting setup.

What is QuickBooks Online?

QuickBooks Online is Intuit's cloud-based accounting software and one of the most popular choices for small businesses.

Intuit also makes QuickBooks Desktop, the older software you install on your computer, but QuickBooks Online is the modern cloud version that most businesses use today.

QuickBooks has been serving small businesses for decades and serves millions of users worldwide. The software helps you track income, manage expenses, handle payroll, and prepare financial reports all in one place.

QuickBooks continues to add new features and improvements, making it one of the most feature-rich accounting solutions available.

The company built a whole app store where third-party developers create integrations, giving you endless possibilities for connecting your other business tools.

Learn which version of QuickBooks is best for your LLC.

Zoho Books vs. QuickBooks Comparison

Zoho Books Core Features

Creating Invoices and Recurring Invoices

Zoho Books lets you create professional invoices in just a few clicks and set up recurring invoices for customers who pay you regularly. You can customize invoice templates to match your brand and add direct payment links so customers can pay instantly.

The software tracks invoice status so you know exactly which ones are paid and which ones need follow-up.

Expense Tracking and Vendor Portal

Zoho Books also includes a vendor portal where your suppliers can submit bills and invoices for you to approve. This keeps everything organized and gives you better control over spending and accounts payable.

Inventory Tracking

You can track your stock levels and get alerts when inventory runs low. Zoho Books provides basic to advanced inventory control depending on your plan, letting you see which products are selling and which ones aren't moving.

Bank Accounts and Cash Flow Tracking

Connect your multiple bank accounts and Zoho Books automatically imports transactions. The software shows you your complete cash flow picture across all accounts so you understand your true financial position.

Financial Reports

Zoho Books generates standard financial reports including profit and loss statements, balance sheets, and cash flow reports. You can also access forecasting tools that help you predict future financial performance.

Mobile App

Access your accounting data from anywhere using Zoho Books' mobile app. You can create invoices, track expenses, and check your financial status while away from your desk. The mobile app keeps you connected to your business finances at all times.

Client Portal

Your customers can view their invoices and pay directly through a secure client portal. This gives customers transparency about their account and makes it easier for them to manage payments. The portal reduces back-and-forth communication about invoices and payment status.

QuickBooks Online Core Features

Invoicing and Payment Tracking

QuickBooks Payments lets your customers pay directly through the invoice, which means money reaches you faster. This feature reduces the time between sending an invoice and receiving payment.

Bank Feeds and Reconciliation

Connect your bank accounts and QuickBooks automatically imports all transactions. The software matches your bank activity to your records so reconciliation takes minutes instead of hours.

Expense Tracking

Record and categorize expenses easily to stay on top of your spending throughout the month. Receipt capture makes logging receipts simple because you just take a photo instead of keeping paper piles. Everything gets organized in one place so you see exactly where your money goes.

Project Management and Job Costing Tools

If you run projects for clients, you can track time and costs by individual job to see which projects are profitable. This helps you understand which clients are worth the effort and which ones cost you money. You can also see if certain types of work are more profitable than others.

Payroll Management

You can manage everything related to employee payroll through QuickBooks, including tax withholding and direct deposit. QuickBooks Payroll handles complex tax calculations so you don't have to worry about making mistakes.

One platform handles your accounting and your employee payments without needing separate software.

Sales Tax Management

QuickBooks tracks sales tax collected from customers and helps you prepare for tax filing automatically. The software reminds you when sales tax is due so you never miss a deadline. This takes the stress out of managing tax compliance and keeping records for audits.

Time Tracking

Your team can log billable and non-billable time to track how people spend their working hours. This is especially useful if you charge clients by the hour or need to track productivity. You see exactly how much time each project takes and can bill accordingly.

Advanced Reporting

QuickBooks creates detailed reports on profit and loss, cash flow, and other key financial metrics. You can generate these reports whenever you need them to check your business health. The reports are professional and help you understand your financial performance at a glance.

Also Read: Xero vs QuickBooks

Pricing Plans

Zoho Books Pricing Plans

• Free Plan ($0 per month): This plan is perfect for getting started and includes invoicing, basic expense tracking, and up to 1,000 invoices per year. Great if you're just starting out or testing the platform.
• Standard Plan ($15 per month): Includes everything in the free plan plus email support, bulk invoicing, and basic accounting tasks. You get up to 10 users with this plan.
• Professional Plan ($40 per month): Adds advanced features like advanced inventory control, client portal, and powerful reporting tools. This plan includes up to 25 users so growing teams can all access the system.
• Premium Plan ($60 per month): Includes everything from lower tiers plus advanced automation features, custom fields, and higher usage limits. This plan supports up to 50 users for larger businesses.
• Elite Plan ($120 per month): Adds warehouse management, tracking serial numbers, batch tracking, printing shipping labels, and tracking shipments.
• Ultimate ($240 per month): Includes everything in the lower tiers plus , 5,000 bins/warehouse, 50+ Pre-built data visualization, adding and tracking KPIs for your business, and embedding reports in web sites/applications.

All Zoho Books plans include seamless integration with other Zoho apps like Zoho CRM and Zoho Payroll. You get the flexibility to add more Zoho apps as your business grows without switching accounting software.

QuickBooks Online Pricing Plans

• Simple Start ($30 per month): This basic plan covers invoicing, expense tracking, and financial reports. It supports one user and is ideal for solo entrepreneurs just starting out.
• Essentials Plan ($55 per month): Add features like time tracking, mileage tracking, and basic project tracking tools. You get up to three users with this plan, which works well for small teams.
• Plus Plan ($82 per month): Get everything in Essentials plus advanced inventory management, job costing tools, and up to 25 users. This plan is better for growing businesses with more complex needs.
• Advanced Plan ($155 per month): The highest tier adds advanced reporting, batch transactions, and custom user permissions for up to 25 users. This plan is designed for businesses with complex accounting requirements.

QuickBooks offers more pricing tiers than Zoho Books, giving you granular control over what you pay for. However, this means QuickBooks plans can cost more as you move to higher tiers compared to Zoho's pricing structure.

Additional Features

Zoho Books Offers

• Payroll (Pricing varies by country and plan; contact Zoho for details)
• Zoho Time (Pricing varies; integrates with Zoho Books for time tracking)
• Zoho Inventory (Pricing varies; integrates with Zoho Books for inventory management)
• Zoho Expense (Pricing varies; integrates with Zoho Books for expense management)
• Zoho Analytics (Pricing varies; integrates with Zoho Books for advanced reporting and analytics)

QuickBooks Online Offers

• Payroll Core ($50/month + $6.50/employee/month)
• Payroll Premium ($88/month + $10/employee/month)
• Payroll Elite ($134/month + $12/employee/month)
• QuickBooks Time Premium ($20/month + $8/user/month)
• QuickBooks Time Elite ($40/month + $10/user/month)

Our Rating

Zoho Books

• Support: 4.7
• Price: 4.8
• Features 4.4
• Security 4.5
• Ease of Use 4.6

QuickBooks Online

• Support: 5
• Price: 4.5
• Features: 4.8
• Security: 4.8
• Ease of Use: 4.7

Customer Reviews

Zoho Books

QuickBooks Online

 

FAQs

Our Verdict

Both Zoho Books and QuickBooks Online are strong accounting solutions for small businesses with different strengths.

However, QuickBooks Online provides more comprehensive features and robust automation features that handle complex accounting requirements better.

If you need proven accounting software with excellent support, powerful reporting tools, and features designed to grow with your business, QuickBooks Online stands out as the best accounting solution.

Its integrated payroll management, advanced job costing tools, and professional reporting make it the right accounting software for businesses ready to scale and professional teams managing complex finances.