QuickBooks Online vs Zoho Books
Verified ratings, real UK pricing and the compliance detail, weighed side by side — with a written verdict at the end.
QuickBooks Online
Accounting Software
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- United States
- Canada
- Australia
- Phone
- Live Chat
- Knowledge Base
- Forum
Zoho Books
Accounting Software
- United Kingdom
- Ireland
- United States
- Canada
- Australia
- India
- Phone
- Live Chat
- Knowledge Base
- Forum
Evenly matched on verified reviews — 4.1 against 4.1. Price and fit will decide this one, not the score.
The short version
What each one costs and how each one rates, side by side. Only the rows where leading means something are marked; vendor and availability are in the overview above.
| Detail | QuickBooks Online | Zoho Books |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | ||
| Starting priceLowest paid tier, excluding VAT | £14.33/mo | Free |
| Free version | NoNo | YesYes |
| Free trial | YesYes | YesYes |
| How it rates | ||
| Overall ratingMean of verified Assaylist reviews | 4.1 | 4.1 |
| Verified reviewsVolume is evidence, not a score — this row is not a contest | 262 reviews | 240 reviews |
Highlighted where one clearly leads. Rows without a highlight are not a contest.
How reviewers score them
Across the four dimensions we ask every reviewer about — and, below, the star split each average is built from.
- QuickBooks Online
- Zoho Books
| Dimension | QuickBooks Online | Zoho Books | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of use | 4.0 | 4.1 | 0.1 to Zoho Books |
| Value for money | 4.0 | 4.0 | Level |
| Customer support | 4.0 | 4.0 | Level |
| Functionality | 4.0 | 4.1 | 0.1 to Zoho Books |
What each average is made of
Two products can share an average and not share a reputation. These bars show the star split behind each score.
| Product | 5 star | 4 star | 3 star | 2 star | 1 star |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online | 44% (115 reviews) | 35% (93 reviews) | 13% (34 reviews) | 6% (17 reviews) | 1% (3 reviews) |
| Zoho Books | 48% (114 reviews) | 29% (69 reviews) | 15% (36 reviews) | 7% (17 reviews) | 2% (4 reviews) |
Feature by feature
Everything either vendor publishes, split into what separates them and what they share.
- Both products
- 13%
- Only QuickBooks Online
- 1345%
- Only Zoho Books
- 1552%
29 features listed across both products.
What only one of them does
QuickBooks Online
13- Automated bank feeds
- Batch invoicing
- Budgets
- Calculate and submit CIS
+ 9 more in the table below
Zoho Books
15- 50+ reports
- API access
- Bank reconciliation
- CIS contractor tracking
+ 11 more in the table below
Showing 29 of 29 features
| Detail | QuickBooks Online | Zoho Books |
|---|---|---|
| Where they differ · 28 | ||
| Automated bank feeds | YesYes | NoNo |
| Batch invoicing | YesYes | NoNo |
| Budgets | YesYes | NoNo |
| Calculate and submit CIS | YesYes | NoNo |
| Class and location tracking | YesYes | NoNo |
| Custom reporting | YesYes | NoNo |
| Making Tax Digital for VAT | YesYes | NoNo |
| MTD for Income Tax ready | YesYes | NoNo |
| Multiple currencies | YesYes | NoNo |
| Project profitability tracking | YesYes | NoNo |
| Receipt capture and mileage tracking | YesYes | NoNo |
| Role based access control | YesYes | NoNo |
| Workflow automation | YesYes | NoNo |
| 50+ reports | NoNo | YesYes |
| API access | NoNo | YesYes |
| Bank reconciliation | NoNo | YesYes |
| CIS contractor tracking | NoNo | YesYes |
| Customer portal | NoNo | YesYes |
| File CT600 Corporation Tax | NoNo | YesYes |
| File SA100 Self Assessment | NoNo | YesYes |
| Final Accounts filing | NoNo | YesYes |
| Mileage tracking | NoNo | YesYes |
| MTD for Income Tax | NoNo | YesYes |
| MTD for VAT | NoNo | YesYes |
| Projects and time tracking | NoNo | YesYes |
| Property tracking for landlords | NoNo | YesYes |
| Receipt autoscans | NoNo | YesYes |
| Recurring invoices | NoNo | YesYes |
| Where they match · 1 | ||
| Inventory management | YesYes | YesYes |
A dash means the vendor has not published a feature list — which is not the same as the feature being unavailable.
How they handle UK obligations
Checked against the vendor's own documentation or HMRC's published list. A dash means we have not verified it — never that it is missing.
| Detail | QuickBooks Online | Zoho Books |
|---|---|---|
| Verified against vendor documentation | ||
| HMRC-recognised for MTD for VAT | YesYes | YesYes |
| HMRC-recognised for MTD for ITSA | YesYes | YesYes |
| Making Tax Digital ready | YesYes | YesYes |
| CIS support | YesYes | YesYes |
| Open Banking bank feeds | YesYes | YesYes |
| UK-based support | Telephone and chat support | Not stated |
What each tier costs
Both line-ups on one ladder, so the middle tier on one side sits next to the middle tier on the other.
QuickBooks Online
Zoho Books
Simple Start
£14.33/mo
- 1 user plus accountant
- Making Tax Digital for VAT
- Calculate and submit CIS
Free
FreeLower
- 1 user plus 1 accountant
- File SA100 with HMRC
- MTD for Income Tax
Essentials
£34.20/mo
- 3 users plus accountant
- Multiple currencies
- Employee time tracking
Standard
£12/moLower
- 3 users
- Connect bank feeds
- Final Accounts filing
Plus
£50.40/mo
- 5 users plus accountant
- Inventory management
- Budgets
Professional
£24/moLower
- Projects and time tracking
- Inventory management
- Purchase orders
Rungs are matched by position in each vendor’s own line-up, not by what the tiers include — an entry plan on one side may cover more than the other. Prices exclude VAT unless stated, and per-seat plans are quoted per seat. Always confirm on the vendor’s own site.
Which should you choose?
Two answers, because there are two right ones depending on what you need.
Choose QuickBooks Online if
- It lists 13 features Zoho Books does not, including automated bank feeds.
- It covers more of the UK obligations we check — 5 of them against 4.
Choose Zoho Books if
- It costs less to get started — Free against £14.33/mo.
- There is a free tier you can stay on, which QuickBooks Online does not offer.
- It lists 15 features QuickBooks Online does not, including 50+ reports.
On verified Assaylist reviews, QuickBooks Online currently rates 4.1 against 4.1 for Zoho Books. That gap is not the whole story: QuickBooks Online starts at £14.33/mo and Zoho Books at Free, so the right answer depends on the tier you actually need and on which one handles your UK obligations. Read both profiles before you commit, and confirm current pricing on the vendor's own site.
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