Software · head to head
Zoho Books vs Brex
Zoho Books
Software
Simple, smart accounting software for growing businesses
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
The short version
- Only Zoho Books has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: Zoho Books payroll only available in Texas and California, limiting US usefulness; Brex the free Essentials tier is limited to two legal entities
- They diverge on capability: Zoho Books covers Invoicing, Brex covers Corporate cards.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Zoho Books and Brex actually diverge.
| Attribute | Zoho Books | Brex |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $29/month |
| Pricing model | Unknown | freemium |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Founded | 1996 | 2017 |
Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 Zoho Books
- Invoicing
- Expense tracking
- Bank reconciliation
- Financial reports
- Tax compliance
- Zoho CRM
- PayPal
- Stripe
Only in Brex
- Corporate cards
- Business accounts
- Expense management
- Bill pay
- Travel
- QuickBooks
- NetSuite
- Xero
Both cover
- SOC 2
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Zoho Books
- Invoicingnot Brex
- Expense managementnot Brex
- Tax preparationnot Brex
Brex
- Corporate cards with spend controls for startupsnot Zoho Books
- Expense management and reimbursementsnot Zoho Books
- Travel booking inside the spend platformnot Zoho Books
- Bill pay and accounting system syncnot Zoho Books
- Multi-entity spend management on the paid tiersnot Zoho Books
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Brex
- The free Essentials tier is limited to two legal entities
- Premium is $12 per user per month, so cost scales with headcount using the card
- Enterprise and Smart Card pricing is not published
- Eligibility criteria are not stated anywhere on the pricing page, which matters for a product that extends credit
Pricing, plan by plan
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
Brex
$29/month- EssentialsFree
- Corporate cards
- Expense management
- Bill pay
- Premium$12/month
- Advanced controls
- Custom approvals
- Travel booking
Which should you pick?
Choose Zoho Books if
- You need invoicing.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want expense tracking.
Choose Brex if
- You need corporate cards.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want business accounts.
Questions people ask
- Is Zoho Books or Brex better?
- Neither clearly leads. Zoho Books starts at Free and Brex at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Zoho Books or Brex?
- Zoho Books has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Zoho Books and $29/month for Brex.
- Does Zoho Books or Brex run on more platforms?
- Zoho Books runs on Web, iOS, Android. Brex 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. Brex starts at $29/month.
- What is Zoho Books best used for?
- Zoho Books is most often used for invoicing, expense management, tax preparation. Of those, invoicing and expense management are not what Brex is typically brought in for.
- What can Zoho Books do that Brex cannot?
- Zoho Books covers Invoicing, Expense tracking, Bank reconciliation, Financial reports. Brex covers Corporate cards, Business accounts, Expense management, Bill pay. Both handle SOC 2, 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.
SourceZoho 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.
SourceZoho 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