FreshBooks vs Zoho Books
Both are full cloud accounting tools for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
Zoho Books is the cheaper starting point at £0 (VAT included) versus from £216/yr for FreshBooks — but the cheapest plan only wins if it covers the income types you actually have.
| FreshBooks | Zoho Books | |
|---|---|---|
| True annual cost from | from £216/yr | £0 |
| Self-employment | Yes | Yes |
| Property / rent | No | Yes |
| Keeps your spreadsheet | No | No |
| Accountant access | Yes | Yes |
| Type | full cloud accounting | full cloud accounting |
| HMRC status | Recognised | Recognised |
| Price verified | 2026-06-24 | 2026-06-24 |
FreshBooks
Invoicing-first accounting aimed at service freelancers. Great if you bill clients; not built for landlords.
- Freelancers who live in invoices
- Service businesses with no property income
Zoho Books
Full cloud accounting with a genuinely free plan for all business types (with invoice limits) — rare among the serious tools. Strong if you're already in the Zoho ecosystem.
- Anyone wanting free full accounting
- Existing Zoho users
Not sure either is right? Use the finder to get a recommendation ranked by what it will actually cost you.
Prices are the cheapest plan that covers a typical sole trader or landlord, VAT included, last verified 24 June 2026 (catalogue reconciled 24 June 2026). Links are affiliate links and never affect ranking. Not affiliated with HMRC; not tax advice.