Zoho Books Accounting Software Review
In a nutshell
Zoho Books offers exceptional value, particularly if you already use other Zoho products. Part of the broader Zoho ecosystem serving over 90 million users globally, the UK edition handles MTD VAT competently and now supports MTD for Income Tax with quarterly updates. Though the platform international roots show occasionally, it has been adapted well for UK requirements. The genuinely free tier (for businesses under £35,000 turnover) is usable for very small businesses, and paid plans remain competitive starting from around £12/month. Automation features are sophisticated if you are willing to invest time in setup, and the integration with other Zoho apps creates a powerful ecosystem.
Pros
- Genuinely free plan for businesses under £35,000 turnover
- Full MTD compliance for VAT and Income Tax
- Excellent value on paid plans with generous feature sets
- Strong automation capabilities for invoicing, reminders, and workflows
- Seamless integration with Zoho CRM, Inventory, and 50+ other Zoho apps
- Multi-currency support with automatic exchange rate updates
- Client portal for customers to view invoices and make payments
- Strong mobile app highly rated for functionality
Cons
- UK-specific features can feel secondary to global focus
- Support timezone differences - not always available during UK hours
- Advanced analytics locked behind higher-tier plans
- Full functionality requires additional Zoho apps (Inventory, Payroll) at extra cost
- Fewer UK accountants are familiar with the platform compared to Xero/QuickBooks
- Limited third-party integrations outside Zoho ecosystem
- Basic inventory management - assembly grouping requires additional purchases
Zoho Books offers exceptional value, particularly if you already use other Zoho products. The UK edition handles MTD VAT competently, though it’s clear the platform’s roots are more international than UK-first.
The free tier is genuinely usable for very small businesses, and paid tiers remain competitive. Automation features are sophisticated if you’re willing to set them up.
Best for: Budget-conscious SMEs, existing Zoho users, tech-comfortable business owners
Limitations: UK-specific features can feel secondary; support timezone differences