FreeAgent vs Zoho Books
We give FreeAgent a 2.2 GPA and Zoho Books a 3.4, out of 4.0. Zoho Books grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
FreeAgent
Accounting for freelancers and small firms, built in the UK
Zoho Books
Online accounting from Zoho, with a free plan and six paid tiers
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAFreeAgentFair | 3.4GPAZoho BooksVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | COne plan at $27 a month or $270 a year, between this category's middle at $23 and its dearer quarter at $31.10, with no cheaper tier for someone sending three invoices a month. Everything is in it, though, and the first 6 months are half price. | BStandard is $15 a month billed yearly ($20 monthly) for the whole business with 3 users, right at the cheaper quarter of this category. It already has bank feeds, sales tax, 1099 e-filing and API access. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 30-day free trial with no card needed. There's no free plan in the US. In the UK, NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank and Mettle business customers get FreeAgent free. | BFree for businesses under $50K revenue a year: 1 user plus an accountant, 1,000 invoices a year, bank reconciliation, 1099s and 50+ reports. One person could live on it, though automatic bank feeds need Standard. |
| Features | CInvoices and estimates, bank feeds, receipt capture, time tracking, project profit, multiple currencies and sales tax reports. The gap is in the listing: the US edition has no payroll, as payroll and HMRC filing belong to the UK one. | BInvoices, bills, bank feeds, sales tax, 1099s, projects, multiple currencies, inventory up to warehouses and batch tracking, budgets, custom modules and AI that answers questions about the books. That covers the whole job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You link a bank and explain each transaction as money in or out, and the dashboard shows when tax bills are due. It's still bookkeeping to learn, though. | A4.81 from 5,247 App Store ratings, the top band for accounting apps. Receipt autoscans work on every plan, the free one included, which saves typing. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Stripe, Pleo, Float, Chaser and Tyl by NatWest. There's no desktop app, and the bank feeds page names mainly UK banks. | AWeb, Windows, iPhone and Android, with an API from Standard up and links to Shopify, Amazon, eBay, Etsy and the rest of Zoho. That's the full spread. |
| Best for | freelancers who want one plan with no tiers | a real free plan with room to grow |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: FreeAgent and Zoho Books. How we grade
Price against what you get
FreeAgent starts at $27 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Zoho Books starts at $15 a month and scores 3.7.
Zoho Books scores higher and starts $12 a month lower. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 6 score higher than FreeAgent for less, and none scores higher than Zoho Books for less.
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
Where they differ
- 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.
At a glance
| FreeAgent | Zoho Books | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $27 per month, billed monthly | $15 per organization / month, billed annually |
| Free plan | None | Free plan for businesses with under $50K revenue a year: 1 user plus 1 accountant, invoices, quotes, expenses, bank reconciliation, 1099s and 50+ reports, with email support. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial, no credit card required | 14-day free trial of the paid plans |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | FreeAgent Central | Zoho |
| Price read from | freeagent.com | zoho.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
FreeAgent
- Freelancers and contractors who want invoicing, time and books in one plan
- UK sole traders and limited companies filing with HMRC
- NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank and Mettle customers, who can use it free
Zoho Books
- Very small businesses that want a free plan with real double-entry books
- Companies already using other Zoho apps
- Growing product businesses that will need inventory and warehouses later
Worth knowing
FreeAgent
- The advertised prices are 50% off the first 6 months (or first year, paid annually); it then renews at $27 a month or $270 a year.
- Payroll, Making Tax Digital and HMRC filing belong to the UK edition; the US edition lists sales tax reports but no payroll.
- UK prices depend on business type, excluding VAT: £10 a month for landlords, £19 sole traders, £27 partnerships and £33 limited companies.
- Support comes from accountants based in the UK, and the bank feeds page names mainly UK banks.
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.
Key features
FreeAgent
- Estimates and invoices
- Send estimates and invoices from templates, convert an estimate to an invoice in one click, and invoice in other currencies.
- Bank feeds
- Import transactions daily from linked bank accounts, or upload OFX, QIF and CSV statements, and explain each one as money in or out.
- Expenses and Smart Capture
- Photograph receipts on the phone and upload them. Unlimited Smart Capture scanning is a $6 a month add-on.
- Time tracking and projects
- Record time with a stopwatch or timesheets and see the income, costs and profit of each project.
- Dashboard and Radar
- A dashboard shows cash flow and when tax bills are due, and Radar points out trends in the business's numbers.
- Sales tax reports
- Set one or more sales tax rates, including compound ones, and report tax charged and reclaimable, with Schedule C reporting.
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.
Plans
FreeAgent
FreeAgent$27
per month, billed monthly
Advertised at $13.50 a month for the first 6 months. One plan with invoicing, expenses, banking, projects, time tracking, sales tax reports and multiple currencies.
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.
Ways to pay less
FreeAgent
- Other savings
50% off the first 6 months
New customers on monthly billing pay $13.50 a month for 6 months, then $27. The UK offer works the same way on each business-type price.
- Annual discount
Pay yearly: 12 months for the price of 10
Paying upfront costs $270 a year, the price of 10 months. The first year is half price at $135.
- Other savings
Free with a NatWest, RBS, Ulster Bank or Mettle account
UK businesses with a NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland or Ulster Bank business account, or a Mettle account used at least once a month, get FreeAgent free.
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.
