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ERP & Business Operations · head to head

Cin7 vs Zoho Books

Cin7 logo

Cin7

ERP & Business Operations

Connected inventory management for product sellers

From
$349/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoho Books logo

Zoho Books

Accounting & Finance

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: Cin7 sales orders are capped annually rather than monthly, at 6,000 on Standard, 24,000 on Pro and 120,000 on Advanced; Zoho Books payroll only available in Texas and California, limiting US usefulness
  • They diverge on capability: Cin7 covers Inventory management, Zoho Books covers Invoicing.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cin7 and Zoho Books actually diverge.

Attributes where Cin7 and Zoho Books differ
AttributeCin7Zoho Books
Starting price$349/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsCloud, Web, MobileWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryERP & Business OperationsAccounting & Finance
Founded20121996

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

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 Cin7

  • Inventory management
  • Order management
  • Warehouse management
  • EDI integration
  • B2B commerce
  • Shopify
  • Amazon
  • eBay

Only in Zoho Books

  • Invoicing
  • Expense tracking
  • Bank reconciliation
  • Financial reports
  • Tax compliance
  • Zoho CRM
  • PayPal
  • Stripe

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Cin7

  • Inventory and order management across multiple sales channelsnot Zoho Books
  • Connecting ecommerce storefronts to warehousing and fulfilmentnot Zoho Books

Zoho Books

  • Invoicingnot Cin7
  • Expense managementnot Cin7
  • Tax preparationnot Cin7

Where each one falls short

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

Cin7

  • Sales orders are capped annually rather than monthly, at 6,000 on Standard, 24,000 on Pro and 120,000 on Advanced
  • Ecommerce and app integrations are rationed by plan, at 2, 4 and 6
  • User seats are capped at 5, 10 and 15 by plan
  • The entry Standard plan is $349 a month and Advanced is $1,199
  • Additional users, integrations and order volume are all chargeable extras on top of the plan

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

Cin7

$349/month
  • Standard$349/month
    • Inventory management
    • 3 sales channels
    • Basic reporting
  • Pro$599/month
    • Unlimited channels
    • Advanced automations
    • 3PL connections

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 Cin7 if

  • You need inventory management.
  • You work on Cloud, Web, Mobile.
  • You also want order management.
Cin7 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 Cin7 or Zoho Books better?
Neither clearly leads. Cin7 starts at $349/month and Zoho Books at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cin7 or Zoho Books?
Zoho Books has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $349/month for Cin7 and Free for Zoho Books.
Does Cin7 or Zoho Books run on more platforms?
Cin7 runs on Cloud, Web, Mobile. 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. Cin7 starts at $349/month.
What is Cin7 best used for?
Cin7 is most often used for inventory and order management across multiple sales channels, connecting ecommerce storefronts to warehousing and fulfilment. Of those, inventory and order management across multiple sales channels and connecting ecommerce storefronts to warehousing and fulfilment are not what Zoho Books is typically brought in for.
What can Cin7 do that Zoho Books cannot?
Cin7 covers Inventory management, Order management, Warehouse management, EDI integration. Zoho Books covers Invoicing, Expense tracking, Bank reconciliation, Financial reports. Both handle Web support.

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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