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All industries · head to head

Folk vs Zoho Books

Folk logo

Folk

All industries

The CRM that works for you, not the other way around

From
Free
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

  • Each has a real cost: Folk no native mobile app, only works through mobile browser which is not optimized for phones; Zoho Books payroll only available in Texas and California, limiting US usefulness
  • They diverge on capability: Folk covers Contact management, Zoho Books covers Invoicing.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Folk and Zoho Books differ
AttributeFolkZoho Books
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryAll industriesAccounting & Finance
Founded20201996

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), 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 Folk

  • Contact management
  • Email tracking
  • Mail merge
  • Chrome extension
  • Tags & groups
  • Notes & activities
  • Import/export
  • Search & filters

Only in Zoho Books

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

Both cover

  • GDPR
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Folk

  • Contact managementnot Zoho Books
  • Sales outreachnot Zoho Books
  • Networkingnot Zoho Books
  • Recruitmentnot Zoho Books
  • Investor relationsnot Zoho Books

Zoho Books

  • Invoicingnot Folk
  • Expense managementnot Folk
  • Tax preparationnot Folk

Where each one falls short

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

Folk

  • No native mobile app, only works through mobile browser which is not optimized for phones
  • Limited workflow automation capabilities compared to enterprise CRMs
  • No automatic phone call tracking, requires manual entry
  • Limited reporting and analytics features
  • Monthly caps on email sends and enrichment credits on lower tiers
  • LinkedIn Chrome extension sometimes has synchronization problems
  • Email sent through Folk sometimes doesn't appear as sent in user's Outlook account

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

Folk

Free
  • Standard$24/month
    • Pipeline management
    • Email campaigns
    • Contact enrichment
  • Premium$48/month
    • Custom objects
    • Email sequences
    • Dashboards
  • Enterprise$80/month
    • Dedicated account manager
    • Custom integrations
    • Priority support

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 Folk if

  • You need contact management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want email tracking.
Folk 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 Folk or Zoho Books better?
Neither clearly leads. Folk 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, Folk or Zoho Books?
Folk starts at Free and Zoho Books at Free.
Does Folk or Zoho Books run on more platforms?
Folk runs on Web. Zoho Books runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Folk for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Folk best used for?
Folk is most often used for contact management, sales outreach, networking, recruitment. Of those, contact management and sales outreach are not what Zoho Books is typically brought in for.
What can Folk do that Zoho Books cannot?
Folk covers Contact management, Email tracking, Mail merge, Chrome extension. Zoho Books covers Invoicing, Expense tracking, Bank reconciliation, Financial reports. Both handle GDPR, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Folk: What are Folk's pricing plans?

Folk offers three plans: Standard at $24/month per member (billed annually), Premium at $48/month with custom objects and email sequences, and Enterprise from $80/month with advanced security and dedicated support. New workspaces get a 2-week free trial with all Premium features.

Source
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
Folk: Does Folk offer a mobile app?

Folk does not have native iOS or Android apps. The web interface technically works on mobile browsers but is built primarily for desktop use.

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
Folk: Does Folk track phone calls automatically?

No, Folk does not automatically track phone calls. All call interactions must be manually entered into the system.

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
Folk: What integrations does Folk support?

Folk supports over 5,000 integrations through platforms like Zapier and Make. It includes native email, calendar, and WhatsApp sync, LinkedIn extension, and can enrich contact data using its built-in enrichment tool.

Source
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Related pages

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