Fortnox vs Zoho Books (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Fortnox if

• Fits if you run a Swedish company and want bank-connected books
• Makes sense if you start a new company and can use the free half year

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you are outside Sweden, because it links to Swedish banks and the tax agency
• Pricey if you send a lot of invoices: 4.90 kr each through the invoice service, 39 kr each when you send them yourself on the simple tier
• Watch out: the Access base fee of 9 to 199 kr a month goes on every package
• Watch out: a 3-month term adds 15% to every list price
• Tight if you want to try before you pay, since there is no trial and the free half year is for new companies only

Pick Zoho Books if

• Fits if your business turns over less than $50K a year and you want to pay $0
• Works for businesses already running other Zoho apps

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if your team grows, since plans cap users at 3, 5, 10 or 15 and more cost $3 each a month
• Pricey if you need warehouses or Amazon and eBay channels, which start on Elite at $120 a month
• Not for you if you're past $50K revenue and hoping to stay free
• Tight if you bill a lot: invoices are capped at 1,000 a year on Free, 5,000 on Standard and 25,000 on Premium
• Watch out: automatic bank feeds need Standard, and the free plan can't take paid add-ons other than autoscans

Fortnox

• Built for Swedish businesses: it links to Swedish banks and the tax agency, and prices are in kronor.
• Every customer pays the Access base fee: 9 kr a month under 40 vouchers a year, 99 kr at 100 to 999, 199 kr at 1,000 or more.
• Invoices cost extra: 4.90 kr each through the invoice service, and 39 kr each by sending yourself on the simple tier.
• A 3-month term adds 15% to every list price; the prices shown are for a 12-month term.

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.

Fortnox

Bookkeeping

Reads transactions from connected bank and tax accounts and books most of them automatically, with suggested postings for supplier invoices.

Invoicing

Create and send invoices, track which are paid, and let Fortnox handle distribution, matching and reminders for a per-invoice fee.

Company card and receipts

A free company card sends each purchase and receipt into the books; receipts can also be photographed in the mobile app.

Payroll

A payroll program and a simpler pay-run option both pay out salaries and send payslips, with e-ID sign-in.

Payments from the platform

Pay suppliers inside Fortnox by signing with e-ID; payments are matched and booked automatically.

Mobile app

The Fortnox app, for Android and iOS, handles supplier invoices, mobile invoicing and receipt capture.

Zoho Books

Invoicing and online payments

Quotes, invoices, recurring invoices, retention payments and automatic reminders, with a customer portal for paying online.

Banking and reconciliation

Reconcile accounts on every plan. Automatic bank feeds start on Standard, along with recurring expenses and period locking.

US tax and 1099s

Track sales and use tax, manage W-9s and 1099 contractors, and e-file 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC forms from Standard up.

Projects and inventory

Professional adds timesheets, project profitability and basic inventory. Elite adds warehouses, serial and batch tracking and shipping labels.

Automation and customization

Workflows, approvals and custom roles from Professional; custom modules, buttons and functions from Premium; Blueprints on Elite.

AI in accounting

Ask questions about the books in plain English, spot anomalies and automate collections, plus receipt autoscans on every plan.

Fortnox

• Mini209 kr

  per month on a 12-month term, plus the Access base fee

  Bookkeeping package. A 3-month term adds 15%. New companies pay the first half year free.

• Liten349 kr

  per month on a 12-month term, plus the Access base fee

  Bookkeeping plus Fakturering Plus, the fuller invoicing program.

• Mellan+659 kr

  per month on a 12-month term, plus the Access base fee

  Adds payroll, supplier-invoice approval and unlimited integrations. A Mellan package without the plus lists at 490 kr.

• Stor+919 kr

  per month on a 12-month term, plus the Access base fee

  Adds fixed-asset register and two reporting programs. A Stor package without the plus lists at 710 kr.

Zoho Books

• Free$0

  Revenue under $50K a year. 1 user and 1 accountant, up to 1,000 invoices a year, recurring invoices, payment reminders and 1099 filing.

• Standard$15

  per organization / month, billed annually

  $20 billed monthly. 3 users, bank feeds, sales and use tax, 1099 e-filing, custom reports, API access and 5,000 invoices a year.

• Professional$40

  per organization / month, billed annually

  $50 billed monthly. 5 users, sales and purchase orders, multiple currencies, timesheets, project profitability, retainers and inventory.

• Premium$60

  per organization / month, billed annually

  $70 billed monthly. 10 users, fixed assets, budgets, cash flow forecasting, a vendor portal and custom modules.

• Elite$120

  per organization / month, billed annually

  $150 billed monthly. 10 users, advanced inventory with warehouses and batch tracking, Etsy, eBay and Amazon channels, and up to 2 Shopify stores.

• Ultimate$240

  per organization / month, billed annually

  $275 billed monthly. 15 users and built-in business intelligence with 50+ prebuilt visualizations, KPI tracking and embeddable reports.

Fortnox

• Startups

  First half year free for new companies

  Fortnox says a newly started company's first six months with the service cost nothing.

Zoho Books

• Annual discount

  Save up to 25% with yearly billing

  Yearly billing cuts Standard from $20 to $15 a month, Professional from $50 to $40, Premium from $70 to $60, Elite from $150 to $120 and Ultimate from $275 to $240.