Zoho vs FreshBooks 2024: Is FreshBooks or Zoho Books Better?

Zoho and FreshBooks are currently recognized as two of the leading accounting software applications on the market. They are known for their great invoicing features, project tracking tools, and other advanced features. 

Our Zoho vs FreshBooks comparison will explore more of the duo's individual features, strengths, and weaknesses. That way, you are armed with enough data and information to make a choice that best aligns with your unique business needs. 

Sounds good? Let's get started!

What Is The Difference Between Zoho and FreshBooks?

The main difference between Freshbooks and Zoho Books is that while ZohoBooks works as part of the Zoho Ecosystem, FreshBooks is a stand-alone accounting platform. In addition, FreshBooks has a more competitive pricing plan than ZohoBooks even though the latter comes with a free plan for users. 

Most Zoho Books review articles often praise its array of features and user-friendliness while criticizing the limited amount of third-party integrations. 

FreshBooks review articles, on the other hand, often praise its comprehensive invoicing services while criticizing the absence of some basic features in its Lite plan. 

On the whole, Zoho Books is best for merchandising businesses, while FreshBooks is the better choice for service businesses. 

Zoho vs FreshBooks Comparison Chart

Before we get knee-deep in the intricacies, how about a tabular overview of some of the features presented side by side?

Zoho vs FreshBooks Pricing

ZohoBooks comes with a range of paid pricing plans, including Standard, Professional, Premium, Elite, and Ultimate. 

The Standard Plan costs $20 per month or $180 annually, and the Professional Plan goes for $50 monthly or $480 annually. 

The Premium Plan costs $70 per month and $720 annually, while the Elite Plan goes for $150 per month and $1440 annually. The Ultimate Plan concludes the list at $275 per month and $2880 annually. 

FreshBooks also comes with its own suite of various pricing plans. The Lite Plant is the lowest, and it starts at $17 per month or $204 annually, while the Plus plan starts at $30 per month or $360 annually. 

The Premium plan concludes the list at $55 per month or $660 annually. There is also a custom pricing plan for businesses that need extra. 

Winner: Zoho Books

While FreshBooks appears to be cheaper, ZohoBooks has a more transparent pricing plan. It also comes with a free version and allows for more scalability. 

Also, FreshBooks limits the number of billable clients to 5 in its Lite plan and 50 for its Plus plan, while ZohoBooks has no such limits, not even for its free version. 

FreshBooks vs  Zoho Books Free Versions

There is no free version of FreshBooks available. The closest thing users get to that is a free trial period of 30 days. It's also worth noting that the free trial does not require credit card details. 

Zoho Books, on the other hand, has a completely free version with a respectable assortment of features. This includes a client portal, customizable invoicing, expense tracking, and basic reports, among others. It's great for infant businesses working with a small budget. 

Winner: Zoho Books

Zoho wins this round with ease, seeing as it is the only one of the duo with a free version. 

Customer Support

Zoho provides paid users with a range of customer support options, including phone and live chat. Free users only get access to email support. Their phone lines are available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on business days for all paid users. 

You can, however, opt to pay for Premium Support, which costs $49 per month or 20% of the subscription fee. The Premium Support guarantees round-the-clock service, 3 hours response time, remote assistance, product onboarding, and configuration assistance. 

FreshBooks also offers a range of customer support channels, including email, virtual live chat, and online support tickets. The system also offers phone support for all users from 8a.m to 8p.m every weekday.

You can expect a response from phone calls within 3 to 5 rings, while email responses usually take about 90 minutes to 3 hours. 

Winner: FreshBooks

FreshBooks wins this round because it provides free customer support for its users with relatively prompt responses. 

Knowledgebase & Learning

Zoho offers a great knowledge base with articles, guides, and lucid answers to frequently asked questions. The answers cover general topics as well as specific topics, including accounts, security, custom fields, subscriptions, invoices, bills, templates, etc. 

The answers are straightforward and exhaustive, leaving no room for confusion. It's a viable support alternative, especially for free users. 

FreshBooks also boasts a solid knowledge on its support page with informative how-to articles and guides. These articles cover different categories, including invoices, payments, expenses, expenses, security, billing, dashboard, settings, etc. 

Winner: FreshBooks

While both platforms offer an impressive knowledgebase, we found FreshBooks' knowledgebase to be slightly more navigable. 

FreshBooks vs Zoho Books: Features And Functionality

Now that we've considered some of the basics let's dig further into the individual features and functionalities of FreshBooks and Zoho Books. 

Zoho or FreshBooks for Ease of Use

Zoho Books consists of features that make it simple and easy to use. For instance, it comes with tools that automate the reconciliation process, removing the need for manual reconciliation. 

The app also categorizes transactions automatically and allows you to determine your own bank rules. However, a global search function isn't available, which sets things back a bit. 

FreshBooks also comes with tools that can auto-categorize transactions for you, making things a bit easier. However, its lowest "Lite" plan lacks automatic reconciliation. 

In addition, it does not offer a global search function and notably denies users the power to set their own bank rules. However, it does have an inviting and navigable user interface.

Winner: Zoho Books

Zoho Books emerged victorious in this contest because it is easier to use thanks to its various automation tools. 

FreshBooks vs Zoho Online Versions

The duo of FreshBooks and Zoho Books are web-based and can be accessed online through any web browser. The online versions are quite easy to navigate, and both platforms have alluring interfaces. 

Winner: Tie

This category is a tie as both systems are web-based. 

Zoho vs FreshBooks Desktop Versions

ZohoBooks offers a downloadable desktop app for Windows and Mac  PCs. 

The UI is clean and clutter-free, and users get to record expenses, manage projects, and send invoices, among other activities. The desktop version is available on the Mac App Store and Microsoft Store. 

FreshBooks, on the other hand, does not offer a native desktop app for Windows and Mac. However, users can get a desktop-like experience by using third-party desktop apps like WebCatalog. 

Winner: ZohoBooks

Zoho wins this category because it offers a desktop app that is downloadable on the Mac App Store and the Microsoft Store. 

Mobile Apps

ZohoBooks is available on the App Store for iOS users and the Google PlayStore for Android users. The mobile app allows you to send invoices, track expenses, generate financial reports, and transact in multiple currencies. 

You also get to add widgets to your home screen, which means quick access to invoice lists, timers, and receivables. It is also available for Apple Watch, and you can view invoices, send reminders, and track deadlines from your wrist. 

It boasts a 4.8 rating on Google Play and App Store with millions in combined downloads. 

FreshBooks offers an excellent mobile app available for download on Google Play and the App Store. With the app, you can track your mileage, create invoices, scan receipts, and respond to your clients, all on the go. 

It has a 4.7 rating on both Google Play and App Store, with hundreds of thousands of downloads so far. 

Winner: Zoho

The truth is, both platforms have excellent and hugely satisfactory mobile apps as corroborated by the user ratings. However, Zoho wins because it offers more features on the go. 

Invoicing

FreshBooks allows users to create invoices easily using the invoice generator. It also allows for easy customization and users get to add their accent colors and business logos. 

You may also create the invoice with your client's native currency. There is an option to make the invoice recurring and send notifications if your client is late with their payment. 

ZohoBooks also offers custom invoicing, and it allows users to create and customize invoices according to their needs. 

The system offers a step-by-step guide on the invoice creation and customization process as well as a collection of useful templates. You also have the option of creating recurring invoices if you'd like. 

Winner: Tie

Both FreshBooks and Zoho Books offer outstanding invoicing features and we believe they are on the same level, in that regard. 

ZohoBooks is best for those who sell products, while FreshBooks is more suitable for users who offer services, including freelancers. 

Integrations

As far as integrations go, FreshBooks does quite well, allowing for integration with over 100 third-party apps. 

This includes Zoom, Google Workspace, DropBox, Shopify, Stripe, and many others. However, a major downside is the shortage of direct payroll and point-of-sale integrations. 

Zoho Books, on the other hand, offers integration with less than 50 third-party applications. Most of the integrations are Zoho products like Zoho CRM, Zoho People, Zoho Expense, etc. 

Users also don't get nearly enough integrations for direct payroll and point-of-sale integrations, which is pretty disappointing. In addition, users do not get any live bookkeeping integrations at all. 

Winner: FreshBooks

FreshBooks takes the win in this round because it offers a lot more integrations than its Zoho counterpart. 

ZohoBooks, on the other hand, mostly offers integrations with other Zoho products, and that can be very limiting for users. 

A note on Zoho FreshBooks integration 

A FreshBooks Zoho integration would greatly boost productivity and help users streamline their workflows. Unfortunately, FreshBooks does not offer a Zoho Books integration; at least not natively. 

In the same vein, Zoho Books does not natively integrate with FreshBooks. However, users can export data from FreshBooks in a CSV. 

This is, however, limited to client information, basic invoice information, staff and timesheet details, and journal entries. Users will not be able to export other important stuff like quotes, credits, items, recurring invoices, expenses, taxes, and payments. 

If you're interested in a  Zoho Books FreshBooks integration, you can use other third-party apps like Zapier, AppyPie, and Zoho's own Zoho Flow.  These apps will let you send info between the two platforms without using code. 

Banking and Cash Management

ZohoBooks offers an advanced banking module that allows users to link and reconcile their bank transactions. It also allows you to connect to your choice bank account, view pending transactions, upload bank statements, and print checks. 

FreshBooks also allows for bank reconciliation with any FreshBooks entries in your account. 

Users also get to create owner's equity, transfers, and expense refund transactions by marking their accounts accordingly. You can also view outstanding transactions using the app. On the downside, the system does not allow users to upload statements or print checks. 

Winner: Zoho Books 

Zoho Books wins this category easily because it offers an extensive range of cash management features, unlike its counterpart. 

FreshBooks or Zoho Books for Bills and Vendor Management 

Zoho Books boasts excellent bill and vendor management features. The system allows you to track and manage unpaid bills, create recurring expenses, capture expense receipts, log purchase orders, enter vendor credits, and pay an independent contractor. 

FreshBooks also allows users to create recurring expenses, capture receipts, and manage/track outstanding bills. However, it lacks the ability to enter vendor credits, record P/O, and pay freelancers. 

Winner: Zoho Books

Zoho Books wins this category because of its excellent and near-perfect account payable tools. 

Inventory Management

Zoho Books offers a comprehensive inventory management system. It allows you to add your inventory to an invoice, create inventory items, and view inventory available. 

There are inventory tracking tools that allow you to track total units and costs and calculate the cost of total goods sold. 

You can also modify the cost and quantity of inventory, and there is a price list feature that allows users to create special prices for specific customers/clients. 

FreshBooks also offers basic inventory management for small businesses and freelancers. It allows users to track inventory and create inventory descriptions that can be added to an invoice. 

On the downside, the system cannot perform vital functions like tracking total units and costs, calculating the cost of goods sold, and adjusting the quantity and cost of inventory. 

Winner: Zoho Books

Zoho Books again wins this round because it offers robust inventory management tools, unlike its counterpart. 

Online Payments

Zoho Books allows users to accept payments online thanks to its integration with renowned payment gateways like Stripe, Braintree, PayPal, Square, etc. 

You also get to manage recurring transactions, send out automated payment reminders, and customize receipts with warm and personalized notes. 

Similarly, FreshBooks offers online payments using gateways like Stripe, PayPal, and its own FreshBooks Payments. 

The system offers multi-currency billing, customizable payment reminders, payment schedules, checkout links(for fixed-priced items), refunds, etc. 

Winner: Zoho Books

While both platforms have excellent online payment infrastructures, ZohoBooks gets the win here because its online payment system is more straightforward. 

Reporting

Zoho Books has a comprehensive reports module with reports on business, sales, inventory, receivables, and payments received. 

These reports give you access to valuable information about your business and help you make more informed business decisions going forward. 

You can also configure the reports and schedule them however you want. Not only that, you can share reports with other users and remove user access at any time. 

FreshBooks also provides a variety of reports, including profit and loss reports, sales tax summary reports, account aging reports, invoice details reports, double-entry accounting reports, etc. 

On the downside, the system offers limited customization options for the reports. 

Winner: ZohoBooks

ZohoBooks wins the reporting contest because of its vast reports module and variety of configuration options. 

Assisted Bookkeeping

ZohoBooks offers assisted bookkeeping by giving users access to a network of more than 500 certified advisors, with a sizable number of them in the U.S. 

On the other hand, FreshBooks does not natively offer assisted bookkeeping. 

However, it partnered with Bench to provide bookkeeping and tax filing services to small businesses, with prices ranging from $299 to $499 monthly. 

Winner: ZohoBooks

ZohoBooks wins this round because it directly offers assisted bookkeeping services handled by Zoho experts and advisors. 

Is Zoho Better Than FreshBooks? Our Conclusion

The truth is that both Zoho and FreshBooks are excellent accounting software solutions. However, they excel in different areas. 

ZohoBooks works best for users who need multi-feature software that can easily scale with their business while also providing a free version for humble beginnings. 

FreshBooks, on the other hand, is best for small businesses, freelancers, and contractors looking for basic accounting software with super responsive customer service. 

Overall, we believe Zoho has the upper hand mainly because of the depth of its features and scalability. 

However, FreshBook certainly holds its own and merits a place among the best accounting software options for small businesses.