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Project Management · head to head

Paymo vs Zoho Books

Paymo logo

Paymo

Project Management

Work & project management for teams

From
On request
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: Paymo every advertised price rises after 3 months, with Plus going from $10.90 to $15.90 per user and Pro from $16.90 to $23.90; Zoho Books payroll only available in Texas and California, limiting US usefulness
  • They diverge on capability: Paymo covers Task management, Zoho Books covers Expense tracking.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Paymo and Zoho Books differ
AttributePaymoZoho Books
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, DesktopWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryProject ManagementAccounting & Finance
Founded20081996

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 Paymo

  • Task management
  • Time tracking
  • Gantt charts
  • Resource scheduling
  • Slack
  • Google Workspace
  • Zapier
  • SSL encryption

Only in Zoho Books

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

Both cover

  • Invoicing
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Paymo

  • Project management with time tracking and invoicing for agenciesnot Zoho Books
  • Tracking billable hours and project profitabilitynot Zoho Books

Zoho Books

  • Invoicingnot Paymo
  • Expense managementnot Paymo
  • Tax preparationnot Paymo

Where each one falls short

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

Paymo

  • Every advertised price rises after 3 months, with Plus going from $10.90 to $15.90 per user and Pro from $16.90 to $23.90
  • The free plan allows 1 user, 1 client and 2 projects
  • The Solo plan is still capped at 3 clients and 5 projects
  • Gantt charts, task dependencies and scheduling require the Plus plan
  • Integrations are excluded from both the free and Solo plans

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

Paymo

On request
  • FreeFree
    • 1 user
    • Basic features
  • Starter$4.95/month
    • Time tracking
    • Kanban
    • Invoicing

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 Paymo if

  • You need task management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want time tracking.
Paymo 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 Paymo or Zoho Books better?
Neither clearly leads. Paymo starts at On request and Zoho Books at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Paymo or Zoho Books?
Zoho Books has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Paymo and Free for Zoho Books.
Does Paymo or Zoho Books run on more platforms?
Paymo runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop. 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. Paymo starts at On request.
What is Paymo best used for?
Paymo is most often used for project management with time tracking and invoicing for agencies, tracking billable hours and project profitability. Of those, project management with time tracking and invoicing for agencies and tracking billable hours and project profitability are not what Zoho Books is typically brought in for.
What can Paymo do that Zoho Books cannot?
Paymo covers Task management, Time tracking, Gantt charts, Resource scheduling. Zoho Books covers Expense tracking, Bank reconciliation, Financial reports, Tax compliance. Both handle Invoicing, Web support, Ios support, Android 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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