Alternatives · Accounting
ZipBooks alternatives
ZipBooks compared with 7 alternatives: Wave, FreshBooks, QuickBooks Online, Zoho Books, Akaunting and 2 more.
ZipBooks has a free plan. Paid plans start at $15 per month, billed monthly. 6 of the 7 alternatives are free or have a free plan. One more offers a free trial.
7 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 17, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZipBooksThis tool | Free plan · from $15/mo | Yes | Web |
| Wave | Free plan · from $19/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| FreshBooks | Free trial · from $23/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| QuickBooks Online | Free plan · from $38/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Zoho Books | Free plan · from $15/mo | Yes | Web, Windows, iOS, Android |
| Akaunting | Free plan · from $72/yr | Yes | Web |
| Square Invoices | Free plan · from $49/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Zoho Invoice | Free | Free | Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android |
Price against what you get
ZipBooks starts at $15 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. 1 of the 7 alternatives on this chart scores higher and starts lower: Zoho Invoice.
FreshBooks, QuickBooks Online, Zoho Books and Square Invoices score higher without starting lower. Akaunting starts lower without scoring higher.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from ZipBooks
- Free plan · from $19/mo
Wave
Free invoicing and bookkeeping for US and Canadian small businesses
- Wave starts at $19 per month, billed monthly. ZipBooks starts at $15 per month, billed monthly.
- Only Wave lists iOS and Android apps.
- Wave also covers payroll.
- ZipBooks also covers time tracking.
Suits: Sole proprietors in the US or Canada who mainly need to send invoices
- Free trial · from $23/mo
FreshBooks
Invoicing and accounting for freelancers and service businesses
- FreshBooks starts at $23 per month, billed monthly. ZipBooks starts at $15 per month, billed monthly.
- ZipBooks has a free plan. FreshBooks does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only FreshBooks lists iOS and Android apps.
- FreshBooks also covers payroll.
Suits: Freelancers and consultants who bill a handful of clients for their time
- Free plan · from $38/mo
QuickBooks Online
Cloud accounting from Intuit, from a free plan to 25-user Advanced
- QuickBooks Online starts at $38 per month, billed monthly. ZipBooks starts at $15 per month, billed monthly.
- Only QuickBooks Online lists iOS and Android apps.
- QuickBooks Online also covers payroll.
- ZipBooks also covers time tracking.
Suits: US small businesses that want their accountant working in the same books
- Free plan · from $15/mo
Zoho Books
Online accounting from Zoho, with a free plan and six paid tiers
- Zoho Books starts at $15 per organization / month, billed annually. ZipBooks starts at $15 per month, billed monthly.
- Only Zoho Books lists Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- ZipBooks also covers time tracking.
Suits: Very small businesses that want a free plan with real double-entry books
- Free plan · from $72/yr
Akaunting
Open-source accounting you can host yourself or use in the cloud
- Akaunting starts at $72 per year, self-hosted. ZipBooks starts at $15 per month, billed monthly.
- Akaunting is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- ZipBooks also covers time tracking.
Suits: Businesses that want to own and host their accounting data
- Free plan · from $49/mo
Square Invoices
Free invoicing, estimates and contracts inside Square's payment plans
- Square Invoices starts at $49 per location / month, billed monthly. ZipBooks starts at $15 per month, billed monthly.
- Only Square Invoices lists iOS and Android apps.
- ZipBooks also covers time tracking, bookkeeping and expense tracking.
Suits: Service businesses that want to send invoices without a monthly fee
- Free
Zoho Invoice
Free invoicing app from Zoho for freelancers and small businesses
- Zoho Invoice is free. ZipBooks starts at $15 per month, billed monthly.
- Only Zoho Invoice lists iOS, Android, Windows and macOS apps.
- ZipBooks also covers bookkeeping.
Suits: Freelancers who send fewer than 500 invoices a year
Limits worth knowing in ZipBooks
- There is no mobile app: ZipBooks discontinued it and its help center points phone users to the browser.
- The free plan connects 1 bank account; team members need Smarter, which allows 5, and unlimited users need Sophisticated.
- The Accountant plan for bookkeeping firms is priced by number of clients on a separate page, with no figure in its page text.
- ZipBooks is in English only, and its help center says some bank connections outside the US may not sync.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to ZipBooks?
The alternatives to ZipBooks in this directory are Wave, FreshBooks, QuickBooks Online, Zoho Books, Akaunting, Square Invoices and Zoho Invoice. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with ZipBooks.
Is there a free alternative to ZipBooks?
Yes. Zoho Invoice is free to use. Wave, QuickBooks Online, Zoho Books, Akaunting and Square Invoices have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which ZipBooks alternatives work on Windows?
The ZipBooks listing does not include a Windows app. Zoho Books and Zoho Invoice list one.
Which ZipBooks alternatives work on macOS?
The ZipBooks listing does not include a macOS app. Zoho Invoice lists one.
Is there an open-source alternative to ZipBooks?
Akaunting is described as open source on its own site.
When were these prices checked?
Every listing on this page was checked on Oct 17, 2026, against the pages it cites. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.