QuickBooks vs Zoho Books
Choose QuickBooks if you want Intuit’s accounting tools, third-party app integrations, and room for up to 25 included users on its Advanced plan; choose Zoho Books if you want lower published paid-plan prices, a customer portal on the free plan, or close integration with other Zoho apps. Both offer free plans, but their limits and paid-plan features differ substantially.
Last updated October 24, 2026.
At a glance
| Dimension | QuickBooks | Zoho Books |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | $0/month; 1 user | $0/month; 1 user plus 1 accountant |
| Free invoicing limit | 2 invoices/month; unlimited with eligible QuickBooks Payments | 1,000 invoices/year |
| Free-plan revenue threshold | Not published | $50,000 per financial year |
| Paid plans | Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, Advanced | Standard, Professional, Premium, Elite, Ultimate |
| Published paid prices | $38–$340/month before introductory discounts | $20–$275 per organization/month, billed monthly |
| Included paid-plan users | 1, 3, 5, or 25 by plan | 3, 5, 10, 10, or 15 by plan |
| Paid-plan invoice limits | Not published | 5,000–100,000 invoices/year by plan |
| Inventory tracking | Plus and Advanced | Professional and above |
| Automatic bank feeds | 1 bank connection on Free | Bank feeds from Standard |
| Integrations | 800+ business apps; unavailable on Free | Zoho apps and third-party integrations |
| Deployment and mobile platforms | Cloud; iOS and Android app on paid plans | Cloud; iOS, Android, and Windows apps |
| Support | Chat on Free; phone on paid plans | Email on Free; email, voice, and chat on paid plans |
Scroll the table sideways to compare each row.
Which should you choose?
Choose QuickBooks if
- Teams that use QuickBooks-compatible third-party apps
- Businesses needing up to 25 included users on Advanced
- Teams wanting Excel data sync on Advanced
- Businesses wanting batch invoicing on Advanced
Choose Zoho Books if
- Businesses already using Zoho apps
- Solopreneurs needing a free customer portal
- Teams needing inventory and project profitability on Professional
- Businesses needing a vendor portal on Premium
The verdict
The deciding factor is the workflow you need at the price and plan that includes it. QuickBooks is the better fit for teams that rely on its app integrations or want Advanced features such as Excel data sync and batch invoicing. Zoho Books is the better fit for businesses using Zoho apps, needing a free customer portal, or wanting inventory and project profitability on its Professional plan. Check the free-plan limits before choosing either product.
QuickBooks vs Zoho Books: common questions
- Do QuickBooks and Zoho Books both have free plans?
- Yes. QuickBooks Free costs $0 per month and includes one user, two invoices per month, and one bank connection. Zoho Books Free costs $0 per month, includes one user plus one accountant, and permits up to 1,000 invoices annually while annual revenue stays at or below $50,000.
- How much do paid QuickBooks and Zoho Books plans cost?
- QuickBooks lists regular monthly prices of $38 for Simple Start, $85 for Essentials, $140 for Plus, and $340 for Advanced, before introductory discounts. Zoho Books lists monthly-billed prices of $20 for Standard, $50 for Professional, $70 for Premium, $150 for Elite, and $275 for Ultimate, per organization.
- Which has higher invoice limits?
- Zoho Books publishes annual invoice limits of 1,000 on Free, 5,000 on Standard, 10,000 on Professional, 25,000 on Premium, and 100,000 on Elite and Ultimate. QuickBooks Free allows two invoices per month, or unlimited invoices if the business qualifies for and enables QuickBooks Payments; its pricing page does not publish annual paid-plan invoice limits.
- Which plans include inventory tracking?
- QuickBooks lists inventory tracking on Plus and Advanced. Zoho Books lists inventory tracking from Professional upward, with advanced inventory controls on Elite and Ultimate.
- Can I connect bank accounts on a free plan?
- QuickBooks Free lists one bank connection. Zoho Books Free includes bank reconciliation, but its pricing page places connected bank feeds on Standard and higher plans.
- How many people can use each product?
- QuickBooks paid plans include 1, 3, 5, or 25 users, depending on the plan. Zoho Books paid plans include 3, 5, 10, 10, or 15 users, depending on the plan, and offer a paid add-on for additional users.
- Do QuickBooks and Zoho Books work on mobile?
- QuickBooks offers an iOS and Android app with paid plans, but says mobile app access is not available with QuickBooks Free. Zoho Books offers iOS and Android apps and also publishes a Windows desktop app.
- What support does each free plan include?
- QuickBooks Free lists chat support; QuickBooks says phone support is included with paid Simple Start plans and above. Zoho Books Free includes email support, while its paid plans list email, voice, and chat support.