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

Pick Hubdoc if

• Fits if you already use Xero or QuickBooks Online and drown in paper bills
• Works for bookkeepers who want supplier documents collected automatically

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you need a ledger, because it captures documents and doesn't keep books
• Skip it if you want a free plan, as it's a 30-day trial and then $12 a month
• Watch out: the pricing page lists one monthly plan and no annual option
• Watch out: the site sits under the Xero name now, so how it's bundled may change

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

Hubdoc

• It captures and extracts documents; it is not a ledger and needs an accounting platform to post to.
• The pricing page lists a single $12 USD monthly plan and gives no annual option.
• The site now sits under the Xero name, so how it is bundled with Xero may change.

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.

Hubdoc

Document capture

Import bills and receipts by photographing them in the mobile app, forwarding emails, uploading from a desktop or scanning.

Data extraction

Reads key information from bills, statements, invoices and receipts so it does not need to be typed in.

Supplier rules

Rules automate how receipts, bills and statements from a given supplier are coded when they are sent on.

Accounting sync

Sends documents and their data to Xero, QuickBooks Online and Bill.com.

Collaboration and backup

Several collaborators can work in one account, documents can be downloaded, and files can be synced to Box.

Mobile apps

Apps for smartphones and tablets on Apple and Android devices.

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.

Hubdoc

• Hubdoc$12

  per month after the 30-day trial

  One plan with unlimited usage, multiple collaborators, tech support, downloads, backup and Box sync.

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.

Hubdoc

No public discounts listed.

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.