HelloBooks vs Zoho Books: which free plan keeps up as you grow?

Zoho Books Free allows 1,000 invoices and 1,000 expenses a year, and only while turnover stays under $50K. (Zoho’s pricing page, checked September 2026.) Once a business crosses either the document count or the turnover line, the free plan no longer fits and a paid Zoho plan is needed.

HelloBooks Free has no invoice, bill or quote cap and no turnover ceiling. We meter the AI, never the ledger: Free includes free AI credits to get started, and when they run out you upgrade for more AI credits or carry on categorizing by hand (paid plans can also top up with a credit pack). The books keep working either way.

Everything below is on the $0 plan, with no credit card and no end date.

• Unlimited invoices, bills and quotes
• Unlimited email payment reminders
• 1 live bank feed through Plaid (11,000+ supported US banks)
• 2 users, so an owner and an accountant can both work in the books
• AP/AR aging, P&L, balance sheet and cash flow reports
• iOS and Android app

HelloBooks Free does not include data export, recurring invoices or multi-currency; those are on paid plans. Starter is $14.99/mo and Pro is $39.99/mo. Free invoices carry a small “Powered by HelloBooks” badge, removed on Pro.

For Zoho Books, check its current plan page for what sits outside Free; we only state the Zoho facts we have recorded with a date and a source.