ZipBooks vs QuickBooks: Compare Features & Pricing

Two well-known options in the accounting software market are QuickBooks and ZipBooks. Selecting accounting software that addresses the majority of your company’s bookkeeping, tax compliance, and accounting issues will be your most difficult decision as an owner. In the event that you are having trouble deciding between ZipBooks and QuickBooks, we have provided an unbiased comparison that should help. You can choose the application that is most appropriate for your company by reading this blog post.

With a cheaper premium membership option and a free plan, ZipBooks is more cost-effective than QuickBooks Online. But compared to ZipBooks, QuickBooks is more feature-rich, more affordable, and a better all-around bookkeeping program. Because QuickBooks has capabilities like inventory management, a mobile app, and integrated payroll that ZipBooks does not, we suggest it above ZipBooks for the majority of small businesses.

After comparing ZipBooks vs QuickBooks in-depth, we discovered that:

• Small businesses that provide services and independent contractors looking for an inexpensive, user-friendly way to track their income and expenses will find ZipBooks to be suitable.
• Most businesses, especially those with inventory, are better off using QuickBooks Online.

About ZipBooks

Best suited for very small enterprises, sole owners, freelancers, and consultants, ZipBooks is a relatively new accounting software product that has been on the market for about four years. Additionally, ZipBooks is a wonderful option for small businesses with employees due to its new integration with Gusto Payroll.

Because of its superior time tracking features, ZipBooks is more appropriate for service and consulting firms. Because of its fantastic free plan, it’s also a great option for companies with really limited finances.

But for individuals that sell things, ZipBooks would be a bad choice because it doesn’t have an inventory monitoring tool.

About QuickBooks

Like all QuickBooks Apps, QuickBooks is made with small businesses in mind.

Small company owners will value the degree of flexibility that QuickBooks gives. It provides a wide range of pricing tiers and plans, from a self-employed plan to an advanced plan that can accommodate up to 25 people.

It is a wonderful choice for both small and larger enterprises because the program is always evolving, always introducing new features and providing access to more apps.

Short Comparison of Both

Dancing Numbers objective motivates us to give you the finest answers to your small business inquiries so you can select the ideal accounting solution. We are a reliable source for accounting software insights because of our thorough evaluation procedure. We delve deeply into each platform we analyze, examining all of its features, even the smallest subtleties, rather than just skimming the surface.

We’ve reviewed small business accounting software for a long time, and we keep up with the newest features and improvements. Our in-depth knowledge, informed by our internal case study, enables us to comprehend how the various products stack up against one another and function in practical situations.

	ZipBooks	QuickBooks
Rating	3.3	4.3
Pricing	$0 to $35	$30 to $200
Trial	30 Days	30 Days
Discount to new customer	No	50% for 3 months
Key Features	Existence of a complimentary plan. The Sophisticated plan offers unlimited user support. Time tracking system included in. Reasonably priced help with bookkeeping.	Tracking of earnings and expenses by location and class Accounting for inventory Accounts receivable (A/R) and payable (A/P) Administration An accounting app on the go Time tracking system integrated in
Sharing	Invitation can be set via email	Invitation can be set via email
Scalability	Unlimited User	25 User
Mobile App	Nil	iOS and Android
Use	Easy	Easy

Use Cases for ZipBooks and QuickBooks

ZipBooks

Freelancer those Who are Looking for Free Accounting Software:

For one user and one bank account link, ZipBooks’ Starter plan is free. For independent contractors and entrepreneurs who must manage their expenses and invoices, it is perfect. It provides you with limitless billing and invoicing for your company. On the other hand, QuickBooks Online does not have a free membership level.

Accounting for Multicompany

There is only a single-entity plan available with QuickBooks Online, thus you cannot manage several organizations with a single plan. You may monitor the bookkeeping for several organizations using ZipBooks Sophisticated.

Accountants with Clients with the help of ZipBooks

Bookkeepers and certified public accountants (CPAs) can aid their clients by using the plan that ZipBooks offers. With an infinite number of users and bank account connections, the Accountant plan has a customized fee. In order to set your bookkeeping business apart from the competition, it also provides co-branding features.

QuickBooks

Ecommerce Businesses

QuickBooks Online, our top e-commerce accounting program, can connect with your online store to automatically track changes in sales and inventory. Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, WooCommerce, Square, and Zapier are just a few of the well-known e-commerce platforms that QuickBooks Online can interact with. E-commerce connectors are absent from ZipBooks.

Hourly Billings

With QuickBooks Online, you may bill time and costs to a project or client, and the time will be automatically included to the subsequent invoice that is issued for that client.

Retail Business

Cost of goods sold (COGS), cost of ending inventory, and inventory stock levels are not tracked by ZipBooks’ inventory module. All of those tasks are accomplished by QuickBooks Online, which also accounts for inventory costs when generating purchase orders (POs) and invoices.

Comparison of ZipBooks and QuickBooks on the Bases of Prices

With its free edition and affordable options, ZipBooks is a cost-effective option for small businesses. In contrast, QuickBooks Online is more costly despite being the market leader in sophisticated accounting capabilities. Based only on pricing, ZipBooks wins since its top plan is appropriate for small enterprises with basic accounting needs, while its free plan is perfect for freelancers.

	ZipBooks	QuickBooks
Score	4.8	3
Monthly Pricing	Starter – $0 Smarter – $15 Sophisticated – $35 Accountant – Custom	Simple Start – $30 Essential – $ 60 Plus – $ 90 Advanced – $200
Number of Users	Starter – 1 Smarter – 5 Sophisticated – Unlimited Accountant – Unlimited	Simple Start – 1 Essential – 3 Plus – 5 Advanced – 25
Trial	30 Days	30 Days
Plan	Yes	No
New Customer Discount	No	50% for 3 months

Comparison of Features for QuickBooks and ZipBooks

Banking and Management of Cash:

As it lets you manually upload transaction data, QuickBooks Online wins in the banking category. This feature is helpful if you don’t want to link your bank account to your accounting program. It also has the benefit of allowing you to print checks, which is excellent if you frequently pay your vendors using checks.

	ZipBooks	QuickBooks
Score	3.9	5
Create and Send Invoices	Yes	Yes
Upload of Logo	Yes	Yes
Print and Email of invoices	Yes	Yes
Tracking of Outstanding Invoices	Yes	Yes
Generate Recurring of Invoices	Yes	Yes
Accepting of Short Payments	Yes	Yes
Selecting from different Invoices Template	No	Yes
Changing of Invoice Colors	No	Yes
Rating on Customer Address	No	Yes

A/R Management:

Compared to ZipBooks, invoices in QuickBooks Online are more customisable. With QuickBooks Online, you may customise invoice colours and select from a variety of templates-something that is not possible with ZipBooks.

The ability of QuickBooks Online to automatically determine the total tax rates to apply to an invoice based on your customer’s address is another noteworthy feature. This is particularly useful if you’re receiving taxable payments from multiple states. We think QuickBooks Online is the best invoicing software overall because of this functionality.

	ZipBooks	QuickBooks Online
Score	3.9	5
Creating and Sending Invoices	Yes	Yes
Uploading of Logo	Yes	Yes
Invoice Email and Printing	Yes	Yes
Tracking of Outstanding Invoices	Yes	Yes
Generate Recurring Invoices	Yes	Yes
Accepting Short Payments from Customers	No	Yes
Selecting from different Invoice Templates	No	Yes
Changing of Invoices Colors	No	Yes
Calculation of Sales Tax Rate based on Customer Address	No	Yes

A/P Management:

As its mobile app allows you to upload receipts for expenses straight from your phone, QuickBooks Online leads the way in accounting payable. The software gathers the data automatically and either adds it to an already-completed transaction or allows you to start a new one. QuickBooks Online is also a better option if you frequently need to issue purchase orders and vendor credits.

	ZipBooks	QuickBooks Online
Score	3.9	5
Tracking of Unpaid Bills	Yes	Yes
Storing and Managing Vendor Information	Yes	Yes
Create Recurring Expense	Yes	Yes
Tracking of Payments to Independent Contractors	Yes	Yes
Generate Recurring Invoices	Yes	Yes
Short Pay Invoices	Yes	Yes
Capturing of Expense Receipt	No	Yes
Record POs	No	Yes
Record Vendor Credits	No	Yes

Project Accounting:

As it enables you to track items utilized in your projects, QuickBooks Online outperforms ZipBooks in the project accounting space. Additionally, even though you may make estimates with both programs, only QuickBooks allows you to turn those estimates into invoices after they are approved. The option to track project profitability by comparing expected and actual project costs is another valuable tool found in QuickBooks Online Advanced.

	ZipBooks	QuickBooks Online
Score	3.3	4.3
Create an Estimate	Yes	Yes
Conversion of Estimates to an Invoice	No	Yes
Create Projects	Yes	Yes
Tracking of Time	Yes	Yes
Recording of Actual Inventory which is used in Project	No	Yes
Compare Estimated vs Actual Costs	No	Available only in Advanced

Inventory Management:

You should use QuickBooks instead of ZipBooks if your company sells goods. Though inventory tracking is not possible with ZipBooks, you can construct an inventory item to be added to bills and invoices. QuickBooks, on the other hand, gives you the ability to perform inventory reports, modify inventory depending on sales and purchases, and constantly track the amount of your products.

Most notably, ZipBooks lacks automatic COGS tracking that QuickBooks does. Users of ZipBooks with inventory will need to adhere to the tax regulations on the deductibility of inventory costs by tracking their costs in a spreadsheet or comparable application.

	ZipBooks	QuickBooks Online
Score	1.1	4.9
Setting up of Inventory Item	Yes	Yes
View Available Inventory	No	Yes
Adjust the levels of Inventory	No	Yes
Setting of Recorder Points	No	Yes
Generate Inventory Reports	No	Yes

What Support does ZipBooks and QuickBooks Offers?

ZipBooks Offers

You can only get help from ZipBooks through chat, which is available both on the ZipBookswebsite and within the program. Additionally, ZipBooks offers an extensive searchable knowledge base, but you’ll need to go through the ZipBooks website to access it.

QuickBooks Offers

QuickBooks provides its users with a plethora of the assistance alternatives, such as the following:

• Phone Assistance
• Contact Help via Email.
• Assistance for Messaging
• Within-product Assistance
• Knowledge Base that can be Searched
• User Base

Although QuickBooks does recommend contacting assistance via email and message as a first step, phone support is also accessible for problems that cannot be handled in this way.

What Mobile Apps does ZipBooks and QuickBooks Offers?

ZipBooks Offers

With the iOS app from ZipBooks, you can manage clients, track time, generate, update, and send invoices in addition to viewing invoice history and capturing business cost receipts.

Although they claim to be working on one, ZipBooks regrettably does not presently have an Android mobile app available.

QuickBooks Offers

With a paid QuickBooks Online membership, mobile apps are available for both iOS and Android smart phones at no extra cost.

The apps have the capacity to bank reconcile, take pictures of receipts, generate and send invoices, and receive electronic payments.

Conclusion

It’s amazing how well ZipBooks compares to QuickBooks Online given its inexpensive pricing. Unless you’re a physical product seller and need to manage inventory, ZipBooks can manage the essential accounting functions for your business at a little expense. In terms of overall functionality, reporting, and customer service, QuickBooks Online comes out on top. Most small firms should use it, particularly those that have inventory.

QuickBooks Online can expand with your company thanks to its range of options, which include QuickBooks Self-Employed and Advanced. Because it has strong inventory management features, QuickBooks Online is also the best option for businesses that sell goods.

For independent contractors, business owners, and small enterprises-especially those who must track and bill hours-ZipBooks is still a solid, cost-effective choice.

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