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FreshBooks vs Zoho Books
FreshBooks: Built around invoicing and billing clients, with a limit on billable clients per plan. Zoho Books: Has a free plan for small revenue and inventory features on paid plans. Prices listed are per organization.
Plans and prices
| Tool | Plan | Price | Included |
|---|---|---|---|
| FreshBooks | Lite | $23/mo | Extra team members $11/mo each. 5 billable clients |
| FreshBooks | Plus | $43/mo | Extra team members $11/mo each. 50 billable clients |
| FreshBooks | Premium | $70/mo | Extra team members $11/mo each. Unlimited billable clients |
| Zoho Books | Free | Free | 1 user + 1 accountant. 1,000 invoices a year; while revenue stays under $50K |
| Zoho Books | Standard | $20/mo | 3 |
| Zoho Books | Professional | $50/mo | 5 |
| Zoho Books | Premium | $70/mo | 10 |
The cheapest paid plan is $23 a month at FreshBooks and $20 a month at Zoho Books, a gap of $36 a year ($108 over three years).
Where each one rates higher
- FreshBooks rates higher on invoicing, ease of learning.
- Zoho Books rates higher on inventory, several users, free plan.
| Our fit rating | FreshBooks | Zoho Books |
|---|---|---|
| Payroll | Limited | Limited |
| Inventory | Minimal or none | Strong |
| Invoicing | Strong | Good |
| Accountant access | Good | Good |
| Several users | Limited | Good |
| Ease of learning | Strong | Good |
| Free plan | Minimal or none | Good |
Ratings are our editorial judgments, published on How we score. They are not vendor claims.
Who wins for four typical setups
Same scoring as the quiz, limited to these two tools, for US businesses.
| Setup | Better fit |
|---|---|
| Solo freelancer, 5 invoices a month, wants free | Zoho Books |
| Product shop, 3 users, works with an accountant | Zoho Books |
| Small team with payroll and an accountant | FreshBooks |
| Invoice-heavy, wants to stay under $30 a month | FreshBooks |
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