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

Pick ProfitBooks if

• Fits if you invoice under 1,000 times a year and want GST or VAT handled
• Works for traders who need stock tracked across warehouses

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you stay free, with 10 invoices a month and 50 customers
• Watch out: Essential caps at 1,000 invoices a year and Growth at 5,000
• Pricey if you need payroll or multi-currency, which start on Growth at $20 a month
• Watch out: unlimited invoices and warehouses are SMB Pro at $35 a month
• Watch out: WhatsApp is an add-on on Essential, and India shows separate rupee prices

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

ProfitBooks

• Prices exclude GST in India; the rupee prices are separate, such as ₹2,499 a year for Essential.
• Essential and Growth cap invoices per year (1,000 and 5,000); SMB Pro is unlimited.
• Payroll starts on Growth, and WhatsApp integration is an add-on on Essential.
• The free plan caps customers at 50, per the pricing FAQ.

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.

ProfitBooks

GST and VAT invoicing

Applies GST for India and VAT for the UAE and other countries, and picks CGST/SGST or IGST from the place of supply.

Inventory and warehouses

Stock tracking with one warehouse on Startup and Essential, three on Growth and unlimited on SMB Pro.

Bank reconciliation

Bank rules match transactions automatically, and the site lists reconciliation among the core features.

Reports and tax data

More than 45 financial reports, plus GSTR1 and GSTR3B on paid plans.

Accountant access

A CA or accountant can log in read-only, and SMB Pro adds an auditor access feature.

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.

ProfitBooks

• Startup$0

  1 user, 10 invoices and 10 journal vouchers a month, basic reports, 1 warehouse.

• Essential$9.95

  per month, billed monthly

  1 user and 1,000 invoices a year, GSTR1 and GSTR3B, invoice reminders and signature. $99 if paid yearly.

• Growth$20

  per month, billed monthly

  10 users, 5,000 invoices a year, payroll, multicurrency and 3 warehouses. $199 if paid yearly.

• SMB Pro$35

  per month, billed monthly

  25 users with custom roles, unlimited invoices and warehouses, projects and auditor access. $349 if paid yearly.

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.

ProfitBooks

• Annual discount

  Yearly billing costs less than monthly

  Yearly prices are $99, $199 and $349 for Essential, Growth and SMB Pro; the FAQ says SMB Pro yearly billing is 10 months for 12.

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.