Zoho Books and QuickBooks Online are some of the best small-business accounting software products around. Their biggest differences come down to pricing, reporting and popularity in the U.S.
Choose Zoho Books if you’re on a tight budget or prefer to get all of your business software from the same company. QuickBooks Online is a better fit for growing businesses with complex accounting needs. If you work with accountants, they'll likely be comfortable with QuickBooks, too.
Zoho Books is better for:
✔️ Saving on software costs.
✔️ Building an all-in-one business software solution.
✔️ Automated workflows.
QuickBooks is better for:
✔️ Scaling up.
✔️ Working with your accountant.
✔️ Detailed reporting.
Zoho Books pros and cons at a glance
Pros
Free plan for businesses making less than $50,000 annually.
Suite of in-house solutions for CRM, social media marketing, HR, etc.
Workflow automations in Professional plan and up.
Cons
Fewer third-party integrations than competitors.
Poor customer support, according to user reviews.
QuickBooks pros and cons at a glance
Pros
Familiarity among accountants.
More than 750 app integrations, including live, in-house bookkeeping.
Variety of in-depth reports in all plans.
Cons
More expensive than many competitors.
Poor customer support, according to user reviews.
NerdWallet Small Business helps you get your business in shape for taxes, loans, and growth. Stop worrying about accounting and speak with a real, human expert from our partner, Xendoo.
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Zoho Books vs. QuickBooks: Head-to-head comparison
NerdWallet independently reviews accounting software products, like Zoho Books and QuickBooks Online, across 10 categories and more than 30 subcategories. We collected the data from the companies’ public-facing websites and from company representatives.
Our accounting software ratings range from one to five stars overall. But we also score individual features to help business owners understand a product's strengths and weaknesses.
Here’s how Zoho Books and QuickBooks Online stack up:
Zoho Books | QuickBooks Online | |
|---|---|---|
Cost |
|
|
Key features | Has robust reporting tools, but offers fewer reports than QuickBooks. Has customizable invoicing features, advanced inventory control in higher tier plans and a capable mobile app. | Has robust reporting tools and report customization options, unlimited invoicing, inventory tracking in higher tier plans, plus a capable mobile app. |
Ease of use | Includes tools that help automate the reconciliation process, along with a global search function. Customizable dashboard available in Elite and Ultimate plans. | Includes tools that help automate the reconciliation process, along with a global search function and customizable dashboard. However, there is a learning curve. |
Scalability | Highest-tier plan includes 15 users (additional users can be added for a fee). Typically serves businesses with fewer than 100 employees. | Can support larger small businesses with dozens of employees. Highest-tier plan includes 25 users. |
Ease of sharing with accountants | Includes audit trails and easy accountant access. Less popular than QuickBooks Online. | Includes audit trails and easy accountant access. Has millions of users, so your accountant will likely be familiar with it. |
Integrations | Integrates with no more than 50 third-party apps. Limited choices for point-of-sale integrations. | Integrates with more than 750 apps and offers live, in-house bookkeeping add-on. |
Customer support | Email support in free plan. Phone and live chat support from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET on weekdays in paid plans. | All plans include phone and live chat support Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT and Saturday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. PT. |
Advanced features | Includes project tracking tools in higher-tier plans, along with reporting tags. Lacks industry-specific reports. Users with multiple businesses must pay for separate subscriptions. | Includes project tracking tools in the Plus plan. Limited transaction tracking tags. Lacks industry-specific reports. Users with multiple businesses must pay for separate subscriptions. |
We don't incorporate user reviews in our star ratings, because we can't verify every user's individual experience. However, small-business owners’ perspectives are still worth taking into account to get a more complete overview.
For a more detailed analysis of the user sentiment around each product, read our individual reviews of Zoho Books and QuickBooks Online.
Where Zoho Books stands out
In-house apps
If you’d rather opt for an all-in-one business software solution than deal with third-party integrations, Zoho Books is a solid choice. Accounting programs aside, Zoho makes software for social media management, HR, payroll, e-commerce, customer relationship management and more. Having all of your business software programs under the same umbrella is convenient and can help you avoid manual data entry.
QuickBooks Online has some in-house solutions — like QuickBooks Workforce and Time — but not as many as Zoho.
Price point
Unlike QuickBooks Online, Zoho Books has a free accounting software plan. And, it’s our choice for the best free accounting software, thanks to all its features. Zoho’s free plan includes up to 1,000 invoices per year, a client portal, basic reporting and email support. However, you need to subscribe to a paid plan, which starts at $20 per month, to access automatic bank feeds or if your annual revenue is above $50,000.
QuickBooks Online plans, in comparison, start at $38 per month. There is no free option.
» MORE: Best Zoho Books alternatives
Where QuickBooks stands out
Ubiquity in small-business accounting
QuickBooks has an industry-leading 34.07% global market share for accounting software, according to 6sense, a revenue intelligence platform. Zoho Books, on the other hand, has a 0.77% market share per 6sense.
That means more accountants in the U.S. are likely to be familiar with QuickBooks than Zoho Books. QuickBooks is the standard for most bookkeepers in general. This is important if you plan on regularly collaborating with your accountant.
Advanced reporting
QuickBooks Online offers more reports than Zoho Books does (100+ versus 70+). Those extras include breakdowns of sales by class or location, and profit and loss by customer. That data is important for growing businesses that need to dissect their finances.
QuickBooks Online has more preset report filtering options than Zoho Books, like the ability to sort by customer or employee. Zoho Books lets you create custom tags to filter reports, but that’s not as convenient.
NerdWallet Small Business helps you get your business in shape for taxes, loans, and growth. Stop worrying about accounting and speak with a real, human expert from our partner, Xendoo.
on Xendoo's website
» MORE: Top QuickBooks alternatives
Zoho Books and QuickBooks alternatives
Starting at $25/monthAdditional pricing tiers (per month): $55, $90. | Starting at $23/monthAdditional pricing tiers (per month): $43, $70, custom. |
Promotion 95% offfor 6 months. | Promotion 90% offfor 3 months. |
Xero: Better for adding users. All of Xero’s plans let you invite an unlimited number of users to collaborate with you. Zoho Books’ most expensive plan includes 15 users, and QuickBooks Online’s includes 25. Read our full Xero review.
FreshBooks: Better for tracking time. All FreshBooks plans include time-tracking capabilities. This makes it a great choice for freelancers who charge by the hour. Automated time tracking is an add-on for QuickBooks Online. Zoho Books only includes it in the Professional plan and up. Read our full FreshBooks review.
Wave: Better for side gigs. Wave is simpler than both Zoho Books and QuickBooks Online. If you’re only sending out a few invoices each month, it’s a free and easy way to manage your finances. Read our full Wave review.
Methodology
NerdWallet independently reviews accounting software products before determining our top picks. We collect the data for our software ratings from products’ public-facing websites and from company representatives. Our editorial team reviews information on a regular basis for consistency and accuracy.
We also periodically update our scoring system to reflect changing industry norms and business needs. For instance, in 2026, we stopped factoring in whether mobile apps work for both Android and iOS smartphones. If an accounting software product has its own mobile app, it’s almost always available for both operating systems.
NerdWallet’s accounting software ratings favor products that are easy to use, reasonably priced, have a robust feature set and can grow with your business. The best accounting software received top marks when evaluated across 10 categories and more than 30 subcategories. Learn more about how we rate small-business accounting software.
These ratings are meant to provide clarity in the decision-making process, but what’s best for your business will depend on its size, growth trajectory and which features you need most. We encourage you to research and compare multiple accounting software products before choosing one.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.
Article sources
- 1.6sense. Market Share for Top Accounting Technologies. Accessed Jan 30, 2026.
