QuickBooks 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 £129.60/yr for QuickBooks — but the cheapest plan only wins if it covers the income types you actually have.
| QuickBooks | Zoho Books | |
|---|---|---|
| True annual cost from | from £129.60/yr | £0 |
| Self-employment | Yes | Yes |
| Property / rent | Yes | Yes |
| Keeps your spreadsheet | No | No |
| Accountant access | Yes | Yes |
| Type | full cloud accounting | full cloud accounting |
| HMRC status | Recognised | Recognised |
| Price verified | 2026-08-10 | 2026-08-10 |
QuickBooks
Widely used cloud accounting. The Sole Trader Plus plan covers self-employment and a single rental property if you're not VAT-registered; Simple Start adds VAT.
- Sole traders and single-property landlords on a budget
- People who want a big app ecosystem
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 each tool's cheapest plan, VAT included, last verified 10 August 2026 (catalogue reconciled 10 August 2026). Links are affiliate links and never affect ranking. Not affiliated with HMRC; not tax advice.