Alternatives · Accounting
Zoho Books alternatives
Zoho Books compared with 12 alternatives: QuickBooks Online, Xero, FreshBooks, Wave, Odoo and 7 more.
Zoho Books has a free plan. Paid plans start at $15 per organization / month, billed annually. 7 of the 12 alternatives are free or have a free plan. 5 more offer a free trial.
12 tools · Listings checked up to Oct 17, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zoho BooksThis tool | Free plan · from $15/mo | Yes | Web, Windows, iOS, Android |
| QuickBooks Online | Free plan · from $38/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Xero | Free trial · from $27/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| FreshBooks | Free trial · from $23/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Wave | Free plan · from $19/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Odoo | Free plan · from $31.10/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| Akaunting | Free plan · from $72/yr | Yes | Web |
| Found | Free plan · from $35/mo | Yes | Web, iOS, Android |
| FreeAgent | Free trial · from $27/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Kashoo | Free trial · from $30/mo | Trial only | Web, iOS, Android |
| Manager.io | Free plan · from $59/mo | Yes | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Patriot Accounting | Free trial · from $20/mo | Trial only | Web |
| ZipBooks | Free plan · from $15/mo | Yes | Web |
Price against what you get
Zoho Books starts at $15 a month and scores 3.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 12 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.
Odoo, Akaunting and Patriot Accounting start 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 Zoho Books
- 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. Zoho Books starts at $15 per organization / month, billed annually.
- Only Zoho Books lists a Windows app.
- QuickBooks Online also covers payroll.
Suits: US small businesses that want their accountant working in the same books
- Free trial · from $27/mo
Xero
Cloud accounting for small businesses, with unlimited users
- Xero starts at $27 per month, billed monthly. Zoho Books starts at $15 per organization / month, billed annually.
- Zoho Books has a free plan. Xero does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Zoho Books lists a Windows app.
- Xero also covers payroll.
Suits: Small businesses that want every staff member and adviser in the books at no extra cost
- Free trial · from $23/mo
FreshBooks
Invoicing and accounting for freelancers and service businesses
- FreshBooks starts at $23 per month, billed monthly. Zoho Books starts at $15 per organization / month, billed annually.
- Zoho Books has a free plan. FreshBooks does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Zoho Books lists a Windows app.
- FreshBooks also covers time tracking and payroll.
Suits: Freelancers and consultants who bill a handful of clients for their time
- Free plan · from $19/mo
Wave
Free invoicing and bookkeeping for US and Canadian small businesses
- Wave starts at $19 per month, billed monthly. Zoho Books starts at $15 per organization / month, billed annually.
- Only Zoho Books lists a Windows app.
- Wave also covers payroll.
Suits: Sole proprietors in the US or Canada who mainly need to send invoices
- Free plan · from $31.10/mo
Odoo
Business app suite whose Accounting app is free when used on its own
- Odoo starts at $31.10 per user / month, billed annually, after $24.90 for the first 12 months. Zoho Books starts at $15 per organization / month, billed annually.
- Only Zoho Books lists a Windows app.
- Odoo is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
Suits: Businesses that want full double-entry accounting free for any number of users
- 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. Zoho Books starts at $15 per organization / month, billed annually.
- Only Zoho Books lists Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Akaunting is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
Suits: Businesses that want to own and host their accounting data
- Free plan · from $35/mo
Found
Business bank account with bookkeeping and tax tools built in
- Found starts at $35 per month, billed monthly. Zoho Books starts at $15 per organization / month, billed annually.
- Only Zoho Books lists a Windows app.
Suits: US sole proprietors who want banking and books in one app
- Free trial · from $27/mo
FreeAgent
Accounting for freelancers and small firms, built in the UK
- FreeAgent starts at $27 per month, billed monthly. Zoho Books starts at $15 per organization / month, billed annually.
- Zoho Books has a free plan. FreeAgent does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Zoho Books lists a Windows app.
- FreeAgent also covers time tracking.
Suits: Freelancers and contractors who want invoicing, time and books in one plan
- Free trial · from $30/mo
Kashoo
One-plan online accounting with unlimited users and bank feeds
- Kashoo starts at $30 per business / month, billed monthly. Zoho Books starts at $15 per organization / month, billed annually.
- Zoho Books has a free plan. Kashoo does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Zoho Books lists a Windows app.
Suits: Sole proprietors who want one flat price with every feature included
- Free plan · from $59/mo
Manager.io
Free offline accounting for Windows, Mac and Linux, with a paid cloud
- Manager.io starts at $59 per month, billed monthly. Zoho Books starts at $15 per organization / month, billed annually.
- Only Manager.io lists macOS and Linux apps.
- Only Zoho Books lists iOS and Android apps.
- Manager.io is self-hostable, according to its own site.
Suits: Sole traders who want full double-entry books without a subscription
- Free trial · from $20/mo
Patriot Accounting
Low-cost US small business accounting that pairs with Patriot Payroll
- Patriot Accounting starts at $20 per month, billed monthly, after $10 a month for the first 3 months. Zoho Books starts at $15 per organization / month, billed annually.
- Zoho Books has a free plan. Patriot Accounting does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Zoho Books lists Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Patriot Accounting also covers payroll.
Suits: US small businesses that want low-cost books with phone support
- Free plan · from $15/mo
ZipBooks
Browser-based invoicing and bookkeeping with a free starter plan
- ZipBooks starts at $15 per month, billed monthly. Zoho Books starts at $15 per organization / month, billed annually.
- Only Zoho Books lists Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- ZipBooks also covers time tracking.
Suits: Freelancers who want free invoicing with basic books
Limits worth knowing in Zoho Books
- The free plan stays free only while revenue is under $50K a financial year, and paid add-ons other than autoscans cannot be added to it.
- Each plan caps users at 3, 5, 10, 10 or 15; more cost $3 per user a month, or $2.50 billed annually.
- Every plan caps invoices and bills a year: 1,000 on Free, 5,000 on Standard, 10,000 on Professional and 25,000 on Premium.
- These are US prices; Zoho lists separate editions for 18 countries plus a global one, including the UK, Canada, India and Australia.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to Zoho Books?
The alternatives to Zoho Books in this directory are QuickBooks Online, Xero, FreshBooks, Wave, Odoo, Akaunting, Found, FreeAgent, Kashoo, Manager.io, Patriot Accounting and ZipBooks. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Zoho Books.
Is there a free alternative to Zoho Books?
Yes. QuickBooks Online, Wave, Odoo, Akaunting, Found, Manager.io and ZipBooks have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which Zoho Books alternatives work on macOS?
The Zoho Books listing does not include a macOS app. Manager.io lists one.
Which Zoho Books alternatives work on Linux?
The Zoho Books listing does not include a Linux app. Manager.io lists one.
Is there an open-source alternative to Zoho Books?
Odoo and Akaunting are described as open source on their own sites.
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.