ZipBooks vs QuickBooks: Compare Features and Pricing in 2021

In reviewing both of these cloud-based accounting solutions, QuickBooks is best for almost any business willing to pay the extra money. QuickBooks has more features and more depth to its functionality, with a lot more built-in reporting. It also provides more support and online resources. Its mobile app is robust and functional, and it offers hundreds of integrations, compared to the dozen that ZipBooks offers.

All of this is very important if you need project management, inventory management, or job costing applications. As compared to ZipBooks, QuickBooks supports businesses which sell products reasonably well, so if you’re in retail, manufacturing, or wholesale, you’ll want to opt to use QuickBooks. However, with all of its benefits, QuickBooks comes at a fairly high cost compared to the free version of ZipBooks. If you’re running a side hustle or a startup with limited funds, ZipBooks’ free package may fit the bill, and you can upgrade later if you need additional features.

When to Use ZipBooks

On the market for about six years now, ZipBooks is cloud-based accounting software that is suited best for very small businesses, sole proprietors, freelancers, and consultants. ZipBooks offers excellent time tracking capability, making it well-suited for service and consulting businesses. It’s also a good choice for businesses with very tight budgets because of its free plan. However, the lack of an inventory tracking feature may not be a fit for product businesses.

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When to Use QuickBooks

QuickBooks Online, like all QuickBooks products, is designed for small businesses. It offers a degree of flexibility that small business owners will appreciate and is improving constantly by adding new features and access to more apps on a regular basis. With plans ranging from Self-Employed to Advanced, it can grow with your business. Its built-in payroll integration makes it a great option for businesses with employees. It is also best for those selling products, offering good inventory management capability. We have ranked it consistently as the best overall small business accounting software.

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Comparing ZipBooks and QuickBooks at a Glance

ZipBooks Pricing vs QuickBooks Pricing

ZipBooks starts off free for a single user, although there are no limits on the number of customers, vendors, or transactions. There are also fewer features than with the paid versions, although you’ll find that the Starter version supplies you with everything you need to run a small business.

QuickBooks kicks off at $15 per month for the self-employed version, which is broadly comparable with the free package from ZipBooks. Each succeeding package offers more users and more functionality although, at the top level, you’re limited to 25 users whereas ZipBooks gives you unlimited users. Like ZipBooks, QuickBooks doesn’t give you time tracking in the entry-level packages, but it introduces it with Essentials.

ZipBooks Pricing

If you opt for the ZipBooks Starter plan, it is free forever. The cost of the other programs increases as additional features and users are added.

• Starter: $0 for one user
• Smarter: $15 for five users
• Sophisticated: $35 for unlimited users
• Accountant: Custom-priced for unlimited users, includes all of the Sophisticated features for both the accountant and their clients, the ability to manage clients from one dashboard, export financial packages, and edit transactions in bulk
• Assisted bookkeeping and 1099 services: Starting at $125 per month

ZipBooks Pricing and Tiered Features

For more information about ZipBooks and its various plans, read our expert review of ZipBooks.

QuickBooks Pricing

There are five monthly subscription plans available for QuickBooks Online, which are based on the number of users and features available. Here are the prices for each:

• Self-Employed: $15 per month for one user
• Simple Start: $25 per month for one user
• Essentials: $40 per month for up to three users
• Plus: $70 per month for up to five users
• Advanced: $150 per month for up to 25 users

Self-Employed is not a double-entry bookkeeping system and cannot be upgraded to any of the other plans. Any of the other plans can be upgraded easily to higher-level plans as your business grows.

QuickBooks Pricing and Tiered Features

You can find more information about QuickBooks Online in our expert review.

Takeaway: Both ZipBooks and QuickBooks Online offer competitive pricing, but ZipBooks excels with its free Starter subscription. QuickBooks Online’s pricing starts at $15 per month for the Self-Employed level.

ZipBooks vs QuickBooks: Features

While ZipBooks offers a good selection of basic features, QuickBooks has many advanced features, such as inventory tracking that is built into the software. QuickBooks offers the ability to pay vendors either electronically or by check and also has a retainer management option, which can be useful for consultants and legal or accounting professionals. QuickBooks Online also includes budgeting capability and offers more extensive reporting options than ZipBooks.

ZipBooks is competitive with QuickBooks in its invoicing capabilities. Like QuickBooks, it allows you to customize your invoice, set up recurring invoices, accept payment via credit card or automated clearing house (ACH), set reminders for unpaid invoices, and track open invoices. With ZipBooks, customers also can write a review of your business after paying your invoice and then share those reviews to Google, Yelp, and Facebook. One of the best features in ZipBooks is the timer at the top of the dashboard, which can be started at any time.

Takeaway: QuickBooks Online gives you all of the same basic features as ZipBooks, but its inventory side is more robust, making it a better choice if your business sells physical products. It also has more budgeting capability and more in-depth reporting, which means that you’ll be able to be more proactive with your business strategy. The main difference isn’t that QuickBooks offers particular features that ZipBooks doesn’t, but rather that there’s more depth and flexibility built into the system.

If you’re looking for another QuickBooks alternative that offers more robust features, we recommend checking out our article that suggests different software based on your industry and bookkeeping needs.

ZipBooks vs QuickBooks: Ease of Use

Both applications have a modern-looking interface that is clean and well-structured. Both start with a dashboard that tells you all of the basics you need to know, like how your sales are doing or how much your customers owe. ZipBooks has one convenient added feature, a timer at the top of the dashboard for time tracking. It also uses color-coding to help you navigate and has tabs across the top as well as on the left-side menu, so you have two ways of getting around.

QuickBooks has a slightly steeper learning curve, which is a result of its deeper functionality. However, you can customize the dashboard easily only to show the information that is relevant to your business.

ZipBooks Ease of Use

ZipBooks offers a user-friendly interface screen, with a navigational menu on the left side of the main screen. This screen also functions as a dashboard, displaying business-related vitals. System setup is quick and painless, even for new users, who will be able to complete the process in a few minutes. Data entry screens are clean and uncluttered and, if you get stuck, you have immediate access to chat support from any screen.

1. Home: The navigation bar on the left side allows you to access Invoices, Transactions, Reports, Contacts, Tracking, and Payroll. A similar navigation bar is also located at the top of the page.
2. Financial performance: This report is shown in graph format and provides a summary of your business’ revenue, expenses, and net income.
3. Finish setup: This section displays your account setup progress along with tasks to be completed, such as adding an address and phone number, uploading a logo, and connecting your bank.
4. Expenses: Your transactions will be downloaded automatically and displayed here once you connect your bank account.
5. Tracked time: This feature shows the time that you have tracked but not yet billed so that you can see what you need to invoice. There is also a timer at the top of the page, which you can use to track your time and then import into ZipBooks.

QuickBooks Ease of Use

Like ZipBooks, QuickBooks Online offers easy setup with an option to enter vital information, leaving the rest until a later date. It also has an intuitive user interface, with all navigation taking place from the QuickBooks Dashboard. The dashboard screen is a bit crowded and can seem a little intimidating, but you can select what you wish to display, eliminating unnecessary items.

A vertical menu to the left of the screen offers access to all system features, and icons at the top of the screen offer access to company information and help options, which are available from any QuickBooks Online screen. It also provides a quick shortcut to add new transactions, which can be found at the upper-left side of the screen.

1. Left menu bar: Each of the tabs in this section will take you to different accounting functions, including invoicing customers, generating reports, and tracking projects.
2. Cash flow: This report can be customized by time period and provides a snapshot of your income, cost of goods sold (COGS), and expenses.
3. Income: All items related to your income, such as paid invoices, are reported here. You can use this information to follow up on invoices that are past due and view your accounts receivable (A/R) report.
4. Expenses: This report shows your expenses, broken down by category.
5. Profit & loss (P&L): This customizable report shows your business’s profit and loss based on a certain time period.
6. Sales: View a customizable graph of your sales over a specific time period.
7. Bank accounts: View your available bank balances here. Once you connect QuickBooks to your online bank and credit card accounts, you can access both the bank and QuickBooks balances.

At the top of the left navigation bar is the quick-add button, which is one of QuickBooks Online’s most indispensable features. You can use it to add most things like invoices, bills, credit memos, and journal entries. This bar is labeled “+ New”:

Takeaway: Both ZipBooks and QuickBooks offer intuitive and easy-to-use interfaces, but QuickBooks has a steeper learning curve because of its extensive offerings.

ZipBooks vs QuickBooks: Assisted Bookkeeping

ZipBooks Assisted Bookkeeping

For an additional monthly fee, there are bookkeeping and tax services available from ZipBooks, which start at $125 per month. You’ll be assigned to a dedicated bookkeeper who is backed by a support team and who will provide support via online chat. If you opt for the simple bookkeeping plan, you’ll be able to connect up to five bank or credit accounts and will receive monthly financial statements.

The multiclassifications bookkeeping plan starts at $145 per month and also allows you to tag or track multiple locations, business units, or classifications. You’ll also have access to more complex and detailed financial statements. ZipBooks also has a vendor and 1099 preparation plan that starts at $175 per month.

QuickBooks Assisted Bookkeeping

QuickBooks users that are looking for support with their bookkeeping may want to consider using QuickBooks Live, which matches you with an online bookkeeper that understands your business. They will begin by bringing your books up to date and then provide ongoing services such as categorizing expenses and reconciling your accounts. Each month, your bookkeeper will provide you with key reports such as a P&L statement and balance sheet. You can collaborate with them via video chat once or twice per month to discuss any questions.

Like the ZipBooks services, QuickBooks Live doesn’t include sending invoices, paying bills, or management of inventory, A/R, or accounts payable (A/P), but it does allow for both cash and accrual accounting. The service also doesn’t include financial advisory services, tax advice, facilitating the filing of income or sales tax returns, creating or sending 1099s, or management of payroll. QuickBooks Online does offer full-service payroll for an additional cost.

ZipBooks vs QuickBooks: Integrations

An accounting application often only covers part of your business needs. To get the most out of it, you can integrate it with other business applications. ZipBooks does well for collaboration since it integrates with Slack as well as Google products. It also integrates with Square and PayPal for online payments and Gusto for payroll. However, it doesn’t offer the vast number of integrations that you get with QuickBooks, which also has its own payroll and timekeeping apps.

ZipBooks Integrations

In contrast to the hundreds of integrations that QuickBooks offers, ZipBooks currently has 12. These include Asana, Slack, Google Drive, Google Workspace, PayPal, Square Appointments, Square POS, Square for Retail, Square Payments, Spiceworks Network Monitor, GrandMaster Suite, and eNETEmployer.

QuickBooks Integrations

QuickBooks Online integrates with more than 650 business apps. Two of these integrations can be accessed directly within the program, which are the payroll and timesheet functions. These are described below:

• QuickBooks Payroll: This integration allows you to pay and manage your team all in one place. Its features include integrated payroll, taxes, human resources (HR), health benefits, workers’ compensation, and more.
• QuickBooks Time: You can track your time automatically from within QuickBooks Online and sync data to your QuickBooks account in real-time. Employees can also track time from their location using any device. This will simplify payroll processing, helping you to save time.

Here’s a sample of key QuickBooks integrations:

• A/R: Bill.com, Melio, Veem, Lightyear, and Beanworks
• Customer relationship management (CRM): HubSpot, Capsule CRM, Method:CRM, and MessageDesk
• Expenses: Expensify, Checkflo, Pluto, and Corpay One
• Inventory management: SOS Inventory, Connex, Katana Inventory and Manufacturing, and Order Time Inventory
• Payroll: RUN Powered by ADP, Gusto, Payroll by Patriot Software, Square Payroll, and Justworks
• Time tracking: Time Tracker by eBillity, BigTime, Hour Timesheet, TimeRewards, and Homebase

Takeaway: While both applications offer a solid application programming interface (API), QuickBooks Online is the clear winner in the integration category, offering integration with hundreds of apps in a wide variety of categories.

ZipBooks vs QuickBooks: Mobile App

ZipBooks doesn’t currently offer a mobile app, but it can still be accessed through the browser of any device. QuickBooks’ most useful mobile features are invoicing and receipt scanning. The invoicing feature shows all of your customer’s details, including directions and maps to find your way to their business.

ZipBooks Mobile App

The ZipBooks mobile app has been discontinued while the company works to build out new features. However, the browser version is very mobile-friendly so that you can use it while you’re on the road.

QuickBooks Mobile App

With its robust set of features, the QuickBooks mobile app allows you to run your entire business from your phone. You can use it to enter transactions, record expenses, invoice customers, and send reports anywhere. QuickBooks automatically backs up all of your data to the cloud and syncs across all of your devices.

Takeaway: There is no basis for comparison here as ZipBooks doesn’t currently have a mobile app. The QuickBooks mobile app is ideal for businesses that perform much of their work on the road as it has special features like mileage tracking with GPS, invoicing, and receipt scanning.

ZipBooks vs QuickBooks: Customer Support

ZipBooks has live chat support for its paid plans but doesn’t offer phone support or support for the free plan. There is also a knowledge base, but its features aren’t as in-depth as the ones that QuickBooks offers. In addition to its in-product resources, QuickBooks offers email, live chat, and phone support during extended business hours.

QuickBooks has numerous online resources, including video tutorials, webinars, articles, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and active user forums. Another advantage of QuickBooks is its massive network of QuickBooks Pro Advisors, who you can hire on an as-needed or ongoing basis.

ZipBooks Customer Support

ZipBooks customer support is limited to live chat, which you can access from within the application or the ZipBooks website. It also has a searchable knowledge base.

QuickBooks Customer Support

QuickBooks has numerous support options for its customers, which include the following:

• Telephone support
• Email support
• Messaging support
• In-product help
• Searchable knowledge base
• User community

While telephone support is available, it is not possible to call QuickBooks Online directly. You must submit a request for them to call you. Email and message support are emphasized as the first options. For any issues that are not able to be resolved with these resources, you may want to look into hiring an independent QuickBooks Pro Advisor or sign up for QuickBooks Live, an assisted bookkeeping service.

Takeaway: It’s always an advantage to have a greater number of support resources, so QuickBooks has the edge with its email, telephone, and message options, plus you can find an independent QuickBooks ProAdvisor in your area or online easily.

Bottom Line

QuickBooks scores in its depth of functionality, reporting, and customer support. However, considering its popular free option, it’s remarkable how well ZipBooks stacks up. If you need to keep your costs low, ZipBooks can handle pretty much everything you need for business accounting unless you sell physical products and need to track inventory.