Zoho Books
Xero-level features at a fraction of the cost
Zoho Books offers a remarkably complete accounting platform — bank reconciliation, VAT, payroll, inventory, project tracking, and client portal — at prices that undercut Xero and QuickBooks substantially. For businesses already using other Zoho products (CRM, Desk, Projects), the integration value is compelling.
The free plan is unique among full-featured accounting platforms — supporting one user and up to 1,000 invoices per year at no cost. This makes Zoho Books an unusually good choice for very small businesses who want proper double-entry accounting without paying for it.
Where Zoho Books excels
Free plan with proper double-entry accounting, invoicing, and bank feeds.
Excellent value on paid plans — Premium (£30/mo) matches Xero Standard feature-for-feature at a lower price.
Deep integration with Zoho CRM, Zoho Inventory, and 50+ other Zoho apps.
Client portal where customers can view invoices and pay online — included on free plan.
Where it falls short
Lower UK accountant adoption than Xero — harder to find local bookkeepers who know it.
Third-party integrations outside the Zoho ecosystem are more limited than Xero or QuickBooks.
Occasional interface inconsistencies — the product spans many years of development.
Pricing
Free plan: 1 user, 1 accountant, 1,000 invoices/year, customer portal, bank reconciliation. Standard (£10/mo): 3 users, unlimited invoices, automated workflows. Premium (£30/mo): 10 users, budgeting, purchase approvals. All prices annual billing.
| Plan | Price | Invoicing | Expense Tracking | Payroll | Bank Reconciliation | VAT Returns | What's included |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 user, 1,000 invoices/year, invoicing, bank reconciliation, client portal |
| Standard | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 users, unlimited invoices, automated bank rules, vendor credits |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5 users, sales orders, purchase orders, inventory tracking |
| Premium | — | — | — | — | — | — | 10 users, custom domain, budgeting, purchase approvals |
Features
- Invoicing
- Expense Tracking
- Payroll
- Bank Reconciliation
- VAT Returns
About
Zoho Books is a comprehensive cloud accounting platform from Zoho Corporation that delivers near-Xero functionality at a significantly lower price point. It integrates tightly with the broader Zoho ecosystem including CRM, inventory, and HR.
- Founded
- 1996
- HQ
- Chennai, India
- Support channels
- Email · Live chat · Phone · Knowledge base · Community forum