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ZipBooks

Browser-based invoicing and bookkeeping with a free starter plan

Free plan · from $15/moAccountingChecked Oct 17, 2026
Visit zipbooks.comFree guide

ZipBooks report card

2.4GPA

Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 17, 2026

Best for free invoicing and simple books in a browser

ZipBooks gives you unlimited invoices and one connected bank account for free, and Smarter at $15 a month adds recurring billing, reminders, time tracking and room for 5 people. It all runs in a browser now, since the phone app was dropped. And reconciling your accounts waits for Sophisticated at $35, which is where it stops being cheap.

Who ZipBooks is for

  • Great if you're a freelancer who wants free invoicing with basic books behind it
  • Handy when you bill for time and want the hours pulled straight onto invoices
  • Good for US sole traders with one business bank account, on the free plan

Who ZipBooks is not for

  • Skip it if you want a phone app, as ZipBooks dropped it and points you to the browser
  • Pricey if you need to reconcile your accounts, which waits for Sophisticated at $35 a month
  • Not for you if you bank outside the US, since some of those connections may not sync

Why ZipBooks gets a 2.4

Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.

  • CValue for moneySmarter is $15 a month, right at the cheaper quarter of accounting tools, with recurring billing, several bank accounts and time tracking. But reconciling accounts and locking finished books need Sophisticated at $35, above the dearer quarter at $31.10.
  • BFree plan and trialStarter is free for good: unlimited invoices, customers and vendors, card payments through Square or PayPal, basic reports and 1 connected bank account. One person could live on that. Recurring invoices, reminders and time tracking need Smarter.
  • CFeaturesInvoices and quotes in 100+ currencies, bank transactions sorted by learned rules, cash or accrual reports, 1099 tracking, time tracking and payroll through Gusto. The listing names the gaps: the phone app is gone, and some bank connections outside the US may not sync.
  • CEase of useNo store rating on record, as there's no app. Rules that learn how you sort transactions save some clicking, but there's still a bank to connect and bookkeeping to learn.
  • BPlatforms and integrationsWeb only, since ZipBooks discontinued its phone app and points you to the browser. What lifts it is the connections: Square, PayPal, Stripe, Gusto and Slack.

What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from ZipBooks' own pages on 17 October 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.

Make ZipBooks? Put this grade on your site
ZipBooks: 2.4 GPA on ToolGPA

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Where ZipBooks stands among accounting and invoicing tools

ZipBooks's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 4 of the 17 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, and level with 5.

It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 10 of 17) and worst on features (C, above 0).

Its paid plans start at $15 a month, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 5 of the 16 others that charge start lower.

On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 3 tools score higher and cost less.

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 18 accounting and invoicing tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. ZipBooks’s own letter is outlined.

  • CValue for moneyAbove 2 of 17, level with 10
  • BFree plan and trialAbove 10 of 17, level with 3
  • CFeaturesAbove 0 of 17, level with 12
  • CEase of useAbove 0 of 17, level with 11
  • BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 17, level with 11

Price against what you get

Each dot is one of 18 accounting and invoicing tools. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$2$5$10$20$50$100More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessZipBooks

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
The full chart, and the best accounting and invoicing tools at every price

Keep ZipBooks, or make your own?

Keep it

To replace ZipBooks you would be making live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 8 of the 17 other accounting and invoicing tools grade higher. It costs $180 a year.

What you could make

  • Invoicing, expense tracking, reports and time tracking: an app builder makes these well.

What you could not

  • Live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them.
  • It plugs into other products, Square, PayPal and Stripe among them.

What this rests on. ZipBooks’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

What is ZipBooks?

ZipBooks is web-based accounting software for small businesses and freelancers, made in Utah. The free Starter plan covers unlimited invoices and contacts with one connected bank account, and the paid plans add recurring billing, time tracking, tagging, reconciliation and more users. It also sells an Accountant plan for bookkeeping firms that manage client books.

ZipBooks has a free plan. Paid plans start at $15 per month, billed monthly. See every plan

Good for

  • Freelancers who want free invoicing with basic books
  • Small service businesses that bill for time
  • Bookkeepers who manage several client accounts from one dashboard

Worth knowing

  • There is no mobile app: ZipBooks discontinued it and its help center points phone users to the browser.
  • The free plan connects 1 bank account; team members need Smarter, which allows 5, and unlimited users need Sophisticated.
  • The Accountant plan for bookkeeping firms is priced by number of clients on a separate page, with no figure in its page text.
  • ZipBooks is in English only, and its help center says some bank connections outside the US may not sync.

Key features

Invoices and quotes
Custom invoices and quotes with taxes, discounts and over 100 currencies. Recurring invoices, auto-billing and payment reminders start on Smarter.
Online payments
Customers pay invoices by card through a connected Square, PayPal or Stripe account.
Bookkeeping with auto-categorizing
Bank transactions land in one list and are categorized by learned rules, with custom categories and 1099 tracking for vendors.
Tags and reports
Income statement and balance sheet on cash or accrual basis. Sophisticated adds tags by location or project and reports built on them.
Time tracking and projects
Track time live or by hand at fixed or hourly rates and pull the entries onto invoices, from the Smarter plan.
Payroll through Gusto
Payroll is handled by Gusto, which connects to ZipBooks as an integration.

ZipBooks pricing

Starts at
$15 per month, billed monthly
Free plan
Starter plan: unlimited invoices, customers and vendors, card payments through Square or PayPal, basic reports and 1 connected bank account. Free with no time limit.
Free trial
30-day free trial of the paid features, no credit card required
Starter$0Unlimited invoices, customers and vendors, Square or PayPal payments, basic reports and 1 bank account.
Smarter$15per month, billed monthlyAdds recurring invoices with auto-bill, automatic reminders, saved line items, several bank accounts, time tracking and 5 team members.
Sophisticated$35per month, billed monthlyAdds tagging by location, project or custom field, reconciliation, locked books, document sharing, tag-based reports and unlimited users.

Read from zipbooks.com on Oct 17, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with ZipBooks before you buy.

Pricing in detail

Works with

ZipBooks alternatives

All ZipBooks alternatives comparedAll accounting and invoicing tools

Common questions

Is ZipBooks free?

ZipBooks has a free plan. Starter plan: unlimited invoices, customers and vendors, card payments through Square or PayPal, basic reports and 1 connected bank account. Free with no time limit. Paid plans start at $15 per month, billed monthly.

How much does ZipBooks cost?

ZipBooks lists 3 plans. Starter: $0. Smarter: $15 per month, billed monthly. Sophisticated: $35 per month, billed monthly. Prices were read from zipbooks.com on Oct 17, 2026.

What platforms does ZipBooks work on?

ZipBooks is available on Web.

Does ZipBooks have an Android app?

No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. ZipBooks is listed for Web.

Does ZipBooks have an iPhone app?

No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. ZipBooks is listed for Web.

Is ZipBooks open source?

ZipBooks is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.

What does ZipBooks integrate with?

ZipBooks's listing names Square, PayPal, Stripe, Gusto and Slack. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.

Does ZipBooks have a free trial?

Yes. 30-day free trial of the paid features, no credit card required.

Who makes ZipBooks?

ZipBooks is made by ZipBooks.

What are the alternatives to ZipBooks?

The closest alternatives to ZipBooks in our directory are Wave, FreshBooks, QuickBooks Online, Zoho Books and Akaunting. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with ZipBooks.

How does ZipBooks compare with other accounting and invoicing tools?

ZipBooks's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 4 of the 17 other accounting and invoicing tools we grade, and level with 5. It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 10 of 17) and worst on features (C, above 0).

Is ZipBooks good value for money?

ToolGPA grades ZipBooks C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $15 a month, against a middle price of $19 for the category: 5 of the 16 others that charge start lower. On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 3 tools score higher and cost less.

Could I make my own version of ZipBooks?

To replace ZipBooks you would be making live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 8 of the 17 other accounting and invoicing tools grade higher. It costs $180 a year. What you could not make: Live feeds from your bank, which take an agreement with each bank or a service that has them. It plugs into other products, Square, PayPal and Stripe among them. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.

Sources for this page

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 17, 2026.