Softwr

Project Management · head to head

Podio vs Zoho Books

Podio logo

Podio

Project Management

The flexible team collaboration platform

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: Podio the free plan stops at 5 users and 100 items across the whole organisation; Zoho Books payroll only available in Texas and California, limiting US usefulness
  • They diverge on capability: Podio covers Workspaces, Zoho Books covers Invoicing.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Podio and Zoho Books differ
AttributePodioZoho Books
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
Free tierNoYes
CategoryProject ManagementAccounting & Finance
Founded20091996

Identical on both: 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 Podio

  • Workspaces
  • Apps
  • Workflows
  • Tasks
  • Calendar
  • Slack
  • Google Drive
  • Dropbox

Only in Zoho Books

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

Both cover

  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Podio

  • Building custom workspaces and apps without codenot Zoho Books
  • Project and task management for a small teamnot Zoho Books
  • Client collaboration with external users on the paid plansnot Zoho Books
  • Simple workflow automation between appsnot Zoho Books

Zoho Books

  • Invoicingnot Podio
  • Expense managementnot Podio
  • Tax preparationnot Podio

Where each one falls short

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

Podio

  • The free plan stops at 5 users and 100 items across the whole organisation
  • Workflow automation is capped at 25,000 actions a month even on Premium at $19.20 per user
  • API access is a paid add-on from $23 a month, and higher call rates run to $159
  • Extra automation is billed separately, from $39 up to $559 a month
  • Visual reports, email integrations and PDF generation all require Premium

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

Podio

On request
  • FreeFree
    • 5 employees
    • Basic features
  • Basic$7.2/month
    • Unlimited employees
    • User management
    • Automations

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 Podio if

  • You need workspaces.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want apps.
Podio 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 Podio or Zoho Books better?
Neither clearly leads. Podio 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, Podio or Zoho Books?
Zoho Books has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Podio and Free for Zoho Books.
Does Podio or Zoho Books run on more platforms?
Podio runs on Web, Ios, Android. 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. Podio starts at On request.
What is Podio best used for?
Podio is most often used for building custom workspaces and apps without code, project and task management for a small team, client collaboration with external users on the paid plans, simple workflow automation between apps. Of those, building custom workspaces and apps without code and project and task management for a small team are not what Zoho Books is typically brought in for.
What can Podio do that Zoho Books cannot?
Podio covers Workspaces, Apps, Workflows, Tasks. Zoho Books covers Invoicing, Expense tracking, Bank reconciliation, Financial reports. Both handle GDPR, 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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