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Software · head to head

Clockify vs Zoho Books

Clockify logo

Clockify

Software

Free time tracker for teams

From
Free
Rated
-
Zoho Books logo

Zoho Books

Software

Simple, smart accounting software for growing businesses

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Clockify the free plan stops at 5 users; Zoho Books payroll only available in Texas and California, limiting US usefulness
  • They diverge on capability: Clockify covers Timer & manual time entry, Zoho Books covers Invoicing.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Clockify and Zoho Books differ
AttributeClockifyZoho Books
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Browser-extensionWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20171996

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Clockify

  • Timer & manual time entry
  • Timesheets
  • Calendar view
  • Projects & tasks
  • Reports & analytics
  • Team dashboard
  • Kiosk mode
  • Offline mode

Only in Zoho Books

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

Both cover

  • GDPR

What people use each for

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

Clockify

  • Employee time trackingnot Zoho Books
  • Project time budgetsnot Zoho Books
  • Client billingnot Zoho Books
  • Productivity analysisnot Zoho Books
  • Payroll calculationnot Zoho Books

Zoho Books

  • Invoicingnot Clockify
  • Expense managementnot Clockify
  • Tax preparationnot Clockify

Where each one falls short

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

Clockify

  • The free plan stops at 5 users
  • Free accounts are throttled to 30 API requests per hour and 3 webhooks
  • Reporting on the free plan only covers a 1 month range
  • Invoicing needs Standard at $5.49 per seat per month and GPS tracking needs Pro at $7.99
  • SSO, SCIM provisioning, a custom subdomain and the audit log are Enterprise only at $11.99 per seat per month

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

Clockify

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited users
    • Unlimited projects
    • Time tracking
  • Basic$3.99/user/month
    • Bulk edit
    • Billable rates
    • Rounding
  • Standard$5.49/user/month
    • Timesheet approvals
    • Invoicing
    • Scheduled reports
  • Pro$7.99/user/month
    • Profit & loss
    • GPS tracking
    • Screenshots

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 Clockify if

  • You need timer & manual time entry.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Browser-extension.
  • You also want timesheets.

Choose Zoho Books if

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

Questions people ask

Is Clockify or Zoho Books better?
Neither clearly leads. Clockify starts at Free and Zoho Books at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clockify or Zoho Books?
Clockify starts at Free and Zoho Books at Free.
Does Clockify or Zoho Books run on more platforms?
Clockify runs on Web, Windows, Macos, Linux, Ios, Android, Browser-extension. Zoho Books runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Clockify for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Clockify best used for?
Clockify is most often used for employee time tracking, project time budgets, client billing, productivity analysis. Of those, employee time tracking and project time budgets are not what Zoho Books is typically brought in for.
What can Clockify do that Zoho Books cannot?
Clockify covers Timer & manual time entry, Timesheets, Calendar view, Projects & tasks. Zoho Books covers Invoicing, Expense tracking, Bank reconciliation, Financial reports. Both handle GDPR.

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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