Many or all of the products and brands we promote and feature including our ‘Partner Spotlights’ are from our partners who compensate us. However, this does not influence our editorial opinion found in articles, reviews and our ‘Best’ tables. Our opinion is our own. Read more on our methodology here.
From a free plan for companies making less than £35,000 a year to an Ultimate plan that allows for up to 15 users and advanced analytics, Zoho Books has six different accounting plans to choose from. This means that regardless of the size of your business, there is a good chance Zoho Books will have an option that suits your needs.
However, none of the Zoho Books accounting software plans include payroll functionality. Therefore, you should be aware that if you want to run payroll through your Zoho Books account, you will need to integrate your accounting software with a separate payroll app, which may require a subscription fee and is not available in all territories – including the UK.
» MORE: Best accounting software for small businesses
Key features
Key features
- Free accountBusinesses with annual revenue of less than £35,000 can access a basic Zoho Books account for free.
- Making Tax Digital-compliantAll Zoho Books plans are compliant with MTD requirements.
- Multi-user accessEvery paid Zoho Books plan comes with some level of multi-user access, although the free account only accommodates one user and one accountant.
- Mobile appZoho Books has one of the best reviewed accounting apps on the market.
Zoho Books accounting software pros & cons
Pros
- Businesses with annual revenue of less than £35,000 can get a basic account for free.
- Every Zoho Books plan is Making Tax Digital-compliant.
- You can submit MTD-compliant VAT returns directly to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
- Every Zoho Books plan comes with some level of multi-user access – even if just for a user and their accountant.
Cons
- Payroll features aren’t included with a Zoho Books account.
- Cash-flow forecasting is locked behind the more expensive Zoho Books plans.
- Multi-currency handling is only accessible at the Professional tier and above.
- At £199 per month, the Zoho Books Ultimate plan is one of the more expensive plans on the market.
The pros and cons featured here are chosen by us based on our expert, research-based opinions. They are unlikely to be the only product features and restrictions that you should consider. Pros and cons are subjective and you should align them to your own personal and business circumstances. Information was correct at the time of publication but may have changed since.
Zoho Books accounting software full review
Zoho Books is the accounting software product from Zoho, a global business software platform set up in India in the 1990s.
All Zoho Books plans are compliant with Making Tax Digital. It is now required by the UK government that you use MTD compatible software when submitting returns as a VAT-registered business. Further MTD rules will be introduced around income tax returns in April 2026 and 2027.
Zoho Books offers six different accounting plans, scaling in price, each with an increasing number of features. Its tiers, pre-VAT and pre-discount, are as follows:
- Free: This plan is free for businesses that make less than £35,000 a year in revenue. It includes, but is not limited to, all of the basic features: such as the ability to manage invoices, generate payment links, track expenses, and integrate other apps. However, you won’t be able to access cash-flow forecasting, multi-currency handling, custom reports, project tracking or the live chat or over-the-phone customer service function. Also, its multi-user access is limited to one user and an accountant.
- Standard: This plan costs £12 a month and comes with all of the basic features of the free plan. On top of these basic features, the Standard plan includes more scheduled reports and access for three users, as well as an extra tier of features such as bulk updates, custom reports and recurring expenses, plus email, chat and phone customer service options.
- Professional: This plan costs £24 a month and comes with everything included in the Standard plan. On top of this, the Professional plan also includes project tracking, cash-flow forecasting, basic multi-currency handling, stock tracking and more.
- Premium, Elite and Ultimate: These more expensive plans are for larger businesses, which need higher user access, more scheduled reports, and a wider range of features. They are priced at £30 per month, £99 per month, and £199 per month, respectively.
Zoho Books accounting software features: at a glance
| Monthly fee (pre-discounts, pre-VAT) | £0 (Free) £12 (Standard) £24 (Professional) £30 (Premium) £99 (Elite) £199 (Ultimate) |
| Free trial | 14 days |
| Making Tax Digital compliant | Yes |
| Submit VAT to HMRC | Yes |
| Payroll costs per month (for five employees, pre-discounts, pre-VAT) | N/A (you will need to integrate an external payroll app) |
| Multi-user access | Yes |
| Multi-currency accounting | Yes (Professional, Premium, Elite and Ultimate) |
| Customer service | Live chat with agent (All paid plans) [email protected] 0800 0856099 (Monday to Friday, 24 hours a day) |
Where Zoho Books stands out
Free account: Businesses with an annual revenue of less than £35,000 can access a basic Zoho Books account for free.
Free trial and annual discount: Zoho Books offers a free 14-day trial when you first sign up. Zoho Books also offers discounts, which can vary depending on when you apply. At the time of writing, you can receive a discount if you pay for your chosen plan annually, rather than monthly.
Demo account: Zoho Books has a demo account you can explore before deciding whether or not it is the right accounting software for your business.
Making Tax Digital-compliant VAT returns: Every tier of Zoho Books accounting software has the ability to submit Making Tax Digital-compliant VAT returns to HMRC.
Multiple user access: Even the free Zoho Books plan allows access for one user and one accountant. The Standard plan allows for three users, Professional five, Premium and Elite 10, and Ultimate 15.
Customer service times: Alongside email and an agented live chat, you can call Zoho Books 24/5 – that’s 24 hours a day, Monday to Friday.
Customer reviews: Zoho Books has one of the best reviewed mobile apps on iOS and Android, and an Great rating on Trustpilot.
Where Zoho Books falls short
Payroll: Payroll options are not included with your Zoho Books account. You would need to integrate an external payroll app of your choice, which may require a separate subscription fee for that service.
Cash-flow forecasting: Cash-flow forecasting is only available from the Premium tier onwards.
Multi-currency: You can only use multi-currency features if you are on the Professional plan and above.
Zoho Books customer reviews
Zoho Books’s customers have left reviews on a range of sites. Generally, these reviews are very positive.
- App Store: 4.8 out of 5, based on over 750 reviews
- Google Play: 4.7 out of 5, based on over 18,700 reviews
- Trustpilot: 4.2 out of 5, based on over 4,900 reviews
This information is correct as of 10 October 2024.
Review methodology
At NerdWallet UK, we base our reviews and our ‘Best’ pages on the results of surveys we undertook about what was important to people who use these products. This allows us to look at products impartially of any commercial arrangements we have and fairly rate the products on the same set of criteria.
Best means our ‘Best’ and is based only on what products we have aligned to our surveys, which form the basis of our reviews and ratings. This means that there will be other products on the market that we have not included in our ‘Best’ pages. Best does not mean it’s best for you, nor does it mean the ‘cheapest’.
Our reviews may display lenders’ rates. This additional information has not been included in our evaluations but is still very important when choosing a product. Rates offered can depend on circumstances, amount and term. Always check details before proceeding with any financial product.
Product details reflect the information that was available at that time but may have changed since. We strive to give you a review on as many products as possible, but there will be products not included on the market. The review is our opinion, but it does not constitute advice, recommendation or suitability for your financial circumstances.
While we try to provide you with accurate information, the providers can change the terms of their products at any time, therefore it is advisable to check the terms before you proceed.
You can view our full review methodology here.