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Proposals · head to head

Indy vs Zoho Books

Indy logo

Indy

Proposals

Freelance workflow suite covering proposals, contracts, invoices and time tracking with a usable free tier

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoho Books logo

Zoho Books

Accounting

Simple, smart accounting software for growing businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Indy the free tier caps documents per month, and an active freelancer passes those caps quickly enough that the free plan is a trial in practice rather than a permanent option.; Zoho Books payroll only available in Texas and California, limiting US usefulness
  • They diverge on capability: Indy covers Contract library, Zoho Books covers Expense tracking.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Indy and Zoho Books differ
AttributeIndyZoho Books
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
CategoryProposalsAccounting
FoundedUnknown1996

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 Indy

  • Contract library
  • Proposals
  • Time tracking
  • Task and calendar
  • Client portal
  • Free tier

Only in Zoho Books

  • Expense tracking
  • Bank reconciliation
  • Financial reports
  • Tax compliance
  • Zoho CRM
  • PayPal
  • Stripe
  • SOC 2

Both cover

  • Invoicing

What people use each for

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

Indy

  • A new freelancer who needs a real signed contract before there is revenue to fund a subscriptionnot Zoho Books
  • Testing whether an all in one freelance bundle suits your workflow before committing money to onenot Zoho Books
  • Part time or side project freelancing with low monthly document volume that stays inside the free capsnot Zoho Books
  • Replacing an unsigned emailed quote with a proposal that converts into a contract and an invoicenot Zoho Books

Zoho Books

  • Invoicingnot Indy
  • Expense managementnot Indy
  • Tax preparationnot Indy

Where each one falls short

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

Indy

  • The free tier caps documents per month, and an active freelancer passes those caps quickly enough that the free plan is a trial in practice rather than a permanent option.
  • Project management and task tracking are shallow, so anyone running several concurrent projects will keep a separate tool and lose the single system benefit.
  • Reporting on income, utilisation and profitability is thin next to a dedicated accounting or time tracking product.
  • Payments are processed by a third party gateway, so the card fee applies on top of the subscription and materially changes the cost per invoice on small jobs.
  • As with every bundle, leaving means separating proposals, contracts, time and invoices out of one export, which is harder than replacing a single purpose tool.

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

Indy

Free
  • Indy$undefined/year
    • Free tier with monthly document limits
    • Proposals, contracts and invoices
    • Time tracking and tasks

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 Indy if

  • You need contract library.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want proposals.
Indy review

Choose Zoho Books if

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

Questions people ask

Is Indy or Zoho Books better?
Neither clearly leads. Indy 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, Indy or Zoho Books?
Indy starts at Free and Zoho Books at Free.
Does Indy or Zoho Books run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Indy for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Indy best used for?
Indy is most often used for a new freelancer who needs a real signed contract before there is revenue to fund a subscription, testing whether an all in one freelance bundle suits your workflow before committing money to one, part time or side project freelancing with low monthly document volume that stays inside the free caps, replacing an unsigned emailed quote with a proposal that converts into a contract and an invoice. Of those, a new freelancer who needs a real signed contract before there is revenue to fund a subscription and testing whether an all in one freelance bundle suits your workflow before committing money to one are not what Zoho Books is typically brought in for.
What can Indy do that Zoho Books cannot?
Indy covers Contract library, Proposals, Time tracking, Task and calendar. Zoho Books covers Expense tracking, Bank reconciliation, Financial reports, Tax compliance. Both handle Invoicing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Indy: Is the free tier actually usable?

Yes, for real signed contracts and invoices, but it caps documents per month and active freelancers hit that fairly quickly.

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
Indy: Does it take a percentage of invoices?

The payment gateway charges its standard card fee. That is separate from the subscription and should be modelled per invoice.

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
Indy: Can it manage several concurrent projects?

Only lightly. The task and project features are the weakest part of the product.

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
Indy: Are the contracts legally sound?

They are standard freelance templates with editable clauses. They are a starting point, not legal advice for your jurisdiction.

Indy: Who is it wrong for?

Agencies, anyone with subcontractors, and freelancers who need real project management or detailed profitability reporting.

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