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About ZipBooks

Modern accounting software for small businesses and accountants including time tracking, invoicing, & digital payments.

Learn more about ZipBooks

Pros:

In some instances, the support staff have not had the expertise to offer guidance or solve elementary problems. The ZipBooks team is impressively swift and knowledgeable.

Cons:

It may be that I'm misremembering and it's just not possible to export without paying, which would also be a problem.

ZipBooks ratings

Average score

Ease of Use
4.6
Customer Service
4.5
Features
4.2
Value for Money
4.5

Likelihood to recommend

7.9/10

ZipBooks has an overall rating of 4.5 out 5 stars based on 103 user reviews on Capterra.

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Filter reviews (103)

CJ
CJ
Owner/Photographer in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Photography
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Not perfect, but constantly improving and Customer Support is the best with super fast replys!

5.0 7 years ago

Pros:

I run a photography+subcontractor business. I've been with Zipbooks since before they started charging a fee (switched from freshbooks) and let me tell you, there were definitely some major growing pains. The good new is that they listened to the customers and would always solve problems quickly. The gap between Zipbooks and Quickbooks/Freshbooks/etc.. used to be cavernous, but that gap is almost unnoticeable now. The interface is ridiculously easy to understand and flows really well. It's the best user interface experience I've had for accounting software. Costumer service has been nothing short of impressive. I'm an accounting/bookkeeping newb and the customer support has basically trained me how to do my own accounting. They have this great chat button that's always in the bottom right corner so you can easily ask questions and get answers like if you were chatting with a friend on facebook messenger. The company has a long way to go to being the best, but they certainly have the chops for it! I would high

Cons:

The fact that I can't mark an invoice as paid from the list view. I don't like the extra step of clicking through to the individual invoice. But, it's a minor inconvenience.

Jack
Jack
Co-Founder, Account Director in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

A great invoicing and accounting solution for small agencies and freelancers

5.0 7 years ago

Comments: A highly functional and easy-to-use platform for client invoicing and accounting.

Pros:

Zipbooks is a phenomenal tool for invoicing and billing clients. As a digital agency, our team does all of our estimating, invoicing, billing, time tracking and accounting through Zipbooks, and it's been a great experience. The platform has seen continuous improvement throughout 2017 and 2018, so I have a lot of confidence that we'll continue to run our business through Zipbooks.

Cons:

The slick interface comes to be a burden when reconciling transactions - if you're not an accountant by trade, it can be easy to make a mistake and have difficulty correcting it due to the streamlined presentation. After struggling with this, I've been able to refine my reporting process to work well with Zipbooks. The project management tool/time tracking was a bit weak but it is getting better and I'm happy to see the service improve. I would also like to see support for signing contracts/agreements for related invoices.

MICHAEL
Owner in US
Retail, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Was GREAT, Recently VERY DISAPPOINTED

1.0 7 years ago

Comments: Easy to use, you just cant get your money

Pros:

Easy to use, no frills, perfect for small business. Makes the daily chore of bookkeeping fairly easy.

Cons:

CAN"T GET YOUR PAYMENTS!!! this is the second time that my payments are not posting to my account. Customer service is responsive, but point the finger at their processor. that does not get me paid. My customers orders have been delayed because of a ZIPBOOKS issue. I have been waiting for my payments to be released for now in 12 days. This is completely unacceptable. They used to be completely free now they want you to upgrade and pay a monthly fee to use the advanced services, but suddenly can't process payments in a timely manner, or in my case at all. Just something to think about before you start using this service. If you NEED to get paid, might want to find another service.

Mike
Mike
Owner/Architect/Engineer in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Great software with outstanding technical support

5.0 7 years ago

Pros:

The software itself is fairly straightforward and easy to use, although for someone who doesn't know accounting that well it sometimes can be slightly confusing. What is really great though is that their support team is very knowledgeable and can not only help solve technical issues but can also help explain what their software means to you from an accounting standpoint. Invoicing is simple and easy to use, integration to bank and credit card accounts continues to improve, and they continue to enhance the set of reports available to help you understand how your business is doing.

Cons:

It's fairly minor stuff - the graph on the main page of the application assumes you are using accrual basis accounting, and that ends up misrepresenting the numbers you see if you are using cash basis accounting. I also don't like that I can define that my business uses cash basis but the reports always default to accrual. It would be nice to understand how the business health score is calculated, as mine continues to decrease despite the fact that I thought my business was continuing to improve.

Robin
Robin
Owner in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Zipbooks makes it easy for me to manage accounting for my consulting business.

5.0 7 years ago

Pros:

The user interface is intuitive and easy! I like that I don't have to be an accounting pro to get set up and start invoicing clients. My clients love how easy it is to pay me. They click a couple of buttons and they are done, which means faster payments and more efficient accounting for me!

Cons:

Because I don't understand accounting, I had some trouble reconciling some of the charges/credits and couldn't "undo" what I'd done very easily. It's not the most forgiving, however, their customer service was top notch in helping me solve the issue for no additional charges. I thought I'd have to hire someone to fix it, and they gave me free advice to help me fix it myself.

Leigh
Leigh
Officiant/Civil Celebrant - Wedding in KC in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Great Customer Service

4.0 6 years ago

Comments: For small business, it's perfect.

Pros:

The software is user friendly. Easy to re-set up our company. Like the on-line look from the customer's point of view. It's easy to complete.

Cons:

I do find it a bit frustrating that I cannot find out WHEN my deposits are estimated to hit my bank. It's either that it doesn't exist in the software, or that it's difficult, even for a daily user, to find it in the menu system.

Tracy
Tracy
Voice-Over Talent in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

I love this user-friendly service!

5.0 7 years ago

Comments: It makes it easy and fast to get paid--don't we all want that?

Pros:

It's easy-to-use and I don't have to read endless tutorials to figure it out. A close second is that it accepts PayPal and credit card payments--my clients love it!

Cons:

I think some of the expenses categories are confusing/unnecessary. I would also like to see some customization of expense categories, though this is perhaps something that is offered and I have yet to learn how to do.

Paul
Paul
Realtor in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Real Estate, 201–500 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Best DIY accounting software

5.0 7 years ago

Pros:

Zipbooks is the best and easiest accounting software available out there. I know this because I free tried them all. They differentiate themselves bye the ease of use and the app that is above and beyond user-friendly. I have access to all the features that I need even though I'm on the free plan so with the upgrade you can get access to the most powerful features available. I recommend the software strongly to everyone. Paul

Cons:

I'm waiting for the Android phone app to be released soon. They are expecting to be released in the beginning of the second quarter of 2018

Corey
Corey
Creative Director / UX Designer in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Music
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Zipbooks is a MUST for anyone who is a freelance graphic designer!

5.0 7 years ago

Comments: Simply, organization for my business and invoicing needs. Excited to demo the time tracking functionality soon too!

Pros:

Excellent user interface design and dashboard. Super easy to navigate with a strong attention to the information architecture. Intuitive invoicing software. Amazing customer service!

Cons:

5 day waiting period for payments was frustrating at first. Eventually, I was able to learn how to drop this down to a 2 days. Also, some functionality took me a bit to figure out. But customer service was able to answer my questions within a matter of minutes!

Orlando
Web Development Project Manager in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Powerful freeware! Easy to understand interface. Fairly easy to use. Very satisfied!

5.0 7 years ago

Pros:

This software connects with your bank account and automatically syncs transactions and auto-categorizes transactions. I've only been using for a few days, but have not had an issue with the auto-categorization of expenses and revenues. Saves a lot of time. I also like the auto-generated financial statements. Goof feature for free software.

Cons:

I did have to brush up on some accounting fundamentals to ensure I am recording transactions correctly. It would be nice if they had some tips/descriptions of different types of transactions and how to properly record them. Was able to figure it all out through Google search though.

Andrea
Consultant
Marketing & Advertising, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source
Source: SoftwareAdvice

Simple bookkeeping for businesses

4.0 7 years ago

Comments: I've been using this for about the last year and started when it was free to use. For what it was then and for as simple as it is, it serves my needs at the moment but it's a little difficult to use with my workflow so I feel like I'll probably outgrow it at some point. I do primarily project based work, tracking time and billing hourly. I don't sell anything through an inventory but will add expenses to an invoice. This software works great for that though it would probably work for something with a light inventory or commonly used services as well. Overall, it's a good value and worth testing out but it may not work as well for every business model.

Pros:

Add expenses, track time, create projects, create tasks within projects, print out accounting reports, send invoices and receive payments in app, recurring invoicing available, ability to set up reminders automatically

Cons:

Visually clean but not as streamlined to use. Projects can't be created on the fly in the time tracking app, but have to be created ahead of time. Still quick to do but it's an extra step. Same for tasks within projects. They must be created ahead of time too, though each project automatically creates a General task. Invoice design is simple and clean but there's not much that can be customized beyond the logo.

Derek
Creative Director in South Africa
Marketing & Advertising, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Simply Amazing

5.0 8 years ago

Comments: ZipBooks is the perfect bookkeeping solution for my small business! It allows me to add client details, business expenses and payments received from clients. There is also a great quotation feature built into the app that includes project management and time tracking. Generating an invoice from an existing project or quote only takes a click of a button (how awesome is this?!) and manual invoices can be added too. My favorite feature is the recurring invoices which get sent automatically and even allows me to set payment reminders for those that have not been marked as paid. Believe it or not, these reminders do work! ZipBooks also has great reporting features which shows you your total revenue for the past 12 months, an expense report, income per client, outstanding payments, tax and more. Oh, I forgot to mention, all of this is free! You can also accept payments via the internet but this isn't supported in my country yet. ZipBooks saves me loads hours every month and lots of paper (everything is backed up securely in the cloud), the app and its development/support team definitely add value to my life. Oh yeah, there's also an iPhone app for when I'm on the move or need to generate a quote for a client immediately :-) If you're looking for great bookkeeping software, this is it.

Pros:

Recurring invoices, payment reminders, great support, iPhone app, quotation system, easy to use report features, integration with Slack.

Cons:

Can only accept internet payments with American banks.

Brian
Brian
Financial Analyst in US
Accounting, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: Not provided
Reviewer Source

This wasn't anything special - just an ordinary accounting software.

3.0 7 years ago

Pros:

What I liked best is that the customer service was excellent and always very responsive. That goes a long way when you try to do a conversion.

Cons:

It's relatively ordinary which is why we didn't go with it but that doesn't make it a bad software. It's best for small business.

David
Owner in US
Construction, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

This program locked me out of my account and there is no way to gain access to my account

1.0 5 years ago

Pros:

Doesn't matter what I liked because the bugs in this system outweigh the good now I am loosing money

Cons:

The bugs it is really buggy and things happen that cannot be explained

John
John
Founder and Creative Director in US
Marketing & Advertising, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

The perfect set of tools for my tiny agency

5.0 8 years ago

Comments: I switched to Zipbooks from another accounting platform and was amazed at how simple and well-thought-out it is. And for free! I was able to get set up in less than an hour, and it lacks nothing I need for estimating and invoicing for projects. It's also nice to have the time-tracking and project-tracking functions for the future. Great job, guys!

Pros:

Easy to set up and easy to use. Great mobile app. Free!

Nawahl
Owner/manager in South Africa
Used the Software for: Not provided
Reviewer Source

Simple, Neat and easy to use! Perfect for a small business

5.0 9 years ago

Comments: It took me all of 5 minutes to figure everything out. At first I was a bit disappointed that the date format could not be set to South African standard, but when I noticed that the date very clearly appeared, printed in full on the finished documents that can get sent/printed out, I think its completely ok. I love that I could easily use my own logo. I love how everything automatically gets tracked. I love that its free! Its been really useful in my small and growing business, to keep track of all my income and expenses without me having to know much about accounting and without having to hire an accountant, on top of keeping all the receipts, written invoices and other transaction docs. It just simplifies life. I guess a complete accounting system is probably necessary when a business gets bigger, but for a small growing business and a newbie entrepreneur, who just needs a simple income statement, Zipbooks is the perfect tool to get one in the game, staying organized, tracking expenditure and income and having automated outputs that allow one to assess where to improve and streamline the business. The messaging system is pretty nice too. The response to queries from the Zipbooks team is quick and clear and quite personalized, which I'm very impressed by. Zipbooks is perfect.

Debbie
Program Manager in US
Health, Wellness & Fitness, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

ZipBooks provided simple software and it grew with me - from free to inexpensive.

5.0 7 years ago

Comments: I started with accounting but now I use it for invoicing and time tracking. I can share with other users as well. Reports are easy to see and simple to use.

Pros:

You don't need to be certified to use it! Unlike other accounting options :). It was easy to use, the reports were great and it helped for invoicing, time tracking and accounting.

Cons:

They are still growing their integrations to work with other software and solutions so you can't connect with very many apps outside paypal, stripe, and wepay.

Blake
Blake
CMO in US
Marketing & Advertising, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Amazing Free Accounting Software

5.0 7 years ago

Pros:

As a small business owner, Zipbooks helped me organize my finances and keep track of what was going on in my business. I even used Zipbooks to produce all the financials to sell my business.

Cons:

When I started, it didn't offer all of the things that Quickbooks had, but it seems like they are adding features regularly. For a free software I really don't have any complaints at all.

Janet
COO in US
Real Estate, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Responsive Leadership & Support Team

5.0 7 years ago

Comments: It has saved us so much time and frustration and they are responsive to customer feedback.

Pros:

- Simple, Attractive User Interface. Not difficult to learn or teach staff. Easy for customers to interact with. - Shout out to the support staff who has been stellar at listening and resolving issues.

Cons:

Growing company always have hiccups but they are always responsive and willing to listen to customers and fix things ASAP

Mariah
Owner in US
Retail, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Basic but free

3.0 2 years ago

Pros:

This allows me to create a balance sheet and income statement easily. It saves the hassle and the.

Cons:

It doesn't scan receipts or do billing but handles just the finances

Sarah
Executive Vice President in US
, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Great Product

5.0 7 years ago

Pros:

Our nonprofit was looking for easy to use software for our accounting. Not only is this easy, it is nice to look at too. And all web based means no more downloads on my computer! Linking a bank account was very easy! The mobile apps help as well. Customer service responded in under 12 hours!!!

Cons:

They only have an app for IOS, No Android app yet, however I was informed it will be here late summer! (very excited about that)

Norbert
Business Consultant in Australia
Information Services, Self Employed
Used the Software for: Free Trial
Reviewer Source
Source: SoftwareAdvice

Wrong advertising - free means free 30-day trial not free starter version

3.0 3 years ago

Comments: Very disappointed because of the wrong advertising

Pros:

It met my needs for invoicing and seemed to meet my needs for financial reporting

Cons:

The software has 3 version. The starter version is advertised as "free", while the other 2 version require paid subscription, but allow for a free trial. Nowhere does it say that the starter version is for a free trial only

Alex
Director in Australia
Information Technology & Services, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Deleted my account

1.0 6 years ago

Comments: For some reason zipbooks deleted my account without warning or notification, when I queried them they were unable to recover the account and I was instead met with a patronising support team member who suggested I just create a new account.

Pros:

The software was easy to use and intuitive.

Cons:

They deleted my account without warning.

David
Creative Manager in US
Used the Software for: Not provided
Reviewer Source

ZipBooks has been super useful as my one-stop-shop for all my invoicing needs.

5.0 9 years ago

Comments: Pros: Very simple to use and intuitive. I'm amazed how easy they've made invoicing. Not to mention it's 100% free, which makes it a no-brainer choice for me. I've been impressed with the customer service and how quickly they've been adding features. ZipBooks is the invoicing tool of the future. Cons: There's still a few more features I'd like added, but they seem to release new stuff regularly so I know it's only a matter of time till everything I need is included in the software.

ZipBooks Response

9 years ago

David, Thanks for your patience on our feature release timeline. We won't let you down!

Dan
US
Used the Software for: Not provided
Reviewer Source

Intuitive, responsive

5.0 9 years ago

Comments: Software is user-friendly, straight forward. I love the automazation built in, and also the flexibility available for what cant be automated. They recently added an automatic receipt feature that my clients love. Zipbooks is quick to answer customer service requests and has more than exceeded expectations enabling me to grow my business.

ZipBooks Response

9 years ago

Dan, Thanks for adopting the product so early and sticking with it through all the feature growing pains. Glad your customers like the new receipt feature! ZipBooks Team