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Acuity Scheduling vs Zoho Books

Acuity Scheduling logo

Acuity Scheduling

Software

Scheduling made simple

From
$16/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoho Books logo

Zoho Books

Software

Simple, smart accounting software for growing businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Zoho Books has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Acuity Scheduling starter tier limited to 1 calendar only; Zoho Books payroll only available in Texas and California, limiting US usefulness
  • They diverge on capability: Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Zoho Books covers Invoicing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Acuity Scheduling and Zoho Books actually diverge.

Attributes where Acuity Scheduling and Zoho Books differ
AttributeAcuity SchedulingZoho Books
Starting price$16/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20031996

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Acuity Scheduling

  • Online booking
  • Appointment types
  • Calendar sync
  • Payment processing
  • Email reminders
  • Client self-scheduling
  • Packages & memberships
  • Timezone detection

Only in Zoho Books

  • Invoicing
  • Expense tracking
  • Bank reconciliation
  • Financial reports
  • Tax compliance
  • Zoho CRM
  • SOC 2
  • GDPR

Both cover

  • Stripe
  • PayPal

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Acuity Scheduling

  • Client self-scheduling with automated time zone conversionnot Zoho Books
  • HIPAA-compliant scheduling for healthcare practitionersnot Zoho Books
  • Multi-location scheduling with multiple staff membersnot Zoho Books
  • Membership, package sales, and gift certificate managementnot Zoho Books

Zoho Books

  • Invoicingnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Expense managementnot Acuity Scheduling
  • Tax preparationnot Acuity Scheduling

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Acuity Scheduling

  • Starter tier limited to 1 calendar only
  • SMS/text reminders, memberships, and gift certificates require Standard or Premium tier
  • HIPAA compliance (BAA signature) exclusive to Premium tier at $49/month
  • Custom API and CSS access, and Acuity branding removal require Premium tier

Zoho Books

  • Payroll only available in Texas and California, limiting US usefulness
  • Limited access to historical financial data compared to competitors
  • Customer support is slow with long response times and frustrating workarounds
  • Fewer integrations than QuickBooks Online and Xero
  • User limit restrictions (1-15 depending on plan) compared to Xero's unlimited users
  • Occasional inaccuracies in automatic exchange rate updates for international transactions

Pricing, plan by plan

Acuity Scheduling

$16/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Acuity Scheduling review.

Zoho Books

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 1 user + accountant
    • Unlimited invoices
  • Standard$20/month
    • 3 users
    • Core accounting
  • Professional$60/month
    • 5 users
    • Advanced reporting
  • Premium$120/month
    • 10 users
    • Inventory management

Which should you pick?

Choose Acuity Scheduling if

  • You need online booking.
  • You also want appointment types.
Acuity Scheduling review

Choose Zoho Books if

  • You need invoicing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want expense tracking.
Zoho Books review

Questions people ask

Is Acuity Scheduling or Zoho Books better?
Neither clearly leads. Acuity Scheduling starts at $16/month and Zoho Books at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Acuity Scheduling or Zoho Books?
Zoho Books has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $16/month for Acuity Scheduling and Free for Zoho Books.
Does Acuity Scheduling or Zoho Books run on more platforms?
Acuity Scheduling runs on Web. Zoho Books runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Zoho Books for free?
Yes. Zoho Books has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Acuity Scheduling starts at $16/month.
What is Acuity Scheduling best used for?
Acuity Scheduling is most often used for client self-scheduling with automated time zone conversion, hipaa-compliant scheduling for healthcare practitioners, multi-location scheduling with multiple staff members, membership, package sales, and gift certificate management. Of those, client self-scheduling with automated time zone conversion and hipaa-compliant scheduling for healthcare practitioners are not what Zoho Books is typically brought in for.
What can Acuity Scheduling do that Zoho Books cannot?
Acuity Scheduling covers Online booking, Appointment types, Calendar sync, Payment processing. Zoho Books covers Invoicing, Expense tracking, Bank reconciliation, Financial reports. Both handle Stripe, PayPal.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Zoho Books: Does Zoho Books support payroll?

Zoho Books offers limited payroll integration available only in Texas and California currently. Outside these states, users must use separate payroll software.

Source
Zoho Books: How many users can access one account?

User limits vary by plan: Free tier (1 user + accountant), Standard (3 users), Professional (5 users), Premium (10 users), Elite (15 users). Each business requires separate subscription.

Source
Zoho Books: What integrations does Zoho Books support?

Zoho Books integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, Razorpay, PayPal, Stripe, Salesforce, Google Sheets, and 500+ apps via Zapier. It integrates with other Zoho products like Zoho Inventory and Zoho Projects.

Source
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