Zoho Books vs. Tally

Businesses should never cut corners with accounting. Selecting industry-leading accounting solutions to streamline processes is key to a productive workflow. Two of the best current options are Zoho Books and Tally.

Here’s a detailed comparison of the two services so you can decide which one is a better fit for your business.

Software

The first significant difference between Zoho Books and Tally lies in the software.

Zoho Books is a modern accounting solution created by the Zoho Corporation. The company offers a state-of-the-art business suite for customer relationship management (CRM) that covers all bases, including finances. Zoho Books is an online, cloud-based solution you can access and use wherever you are located. This means you can open Zoho Books in a browser window from any PC. In addition, Zoho also has an app for Android and iOS phones, as well as Windows and Kindle Fire tablets, which makes it even easier to use on the go.

On the other hand, Tally is traditional software provided by Tally Solutions. The company offers a robust enterprise resource planning (ERP) product for business management called Tally Prime. Accounting is only one of the features this integrated solution offers. Being local software, accessing your accounting remotely isn’t as straightforward with Tally. No mobile apps are available for this solution, either. Furthermore, the program is somewhat outdated by today’s standards.

Zoho Books clearly offers more flexibility in this regard.

Pricing

The next important consideration is pricing.

Zoho Books is an affordable solution, especially for small businesses. A free plan is available for those with less than $50,000 in revenue per year. Paid versions range from $15-$240 per month for annual and $20-$275 per month for monthly subscriptions. Five payment plans let every business choose what best suits their needs. While each plan determines the number of users able to access the app, you can add more users by purchasing reasonably priced add-ons. Zoho also offers a 14-day free trial to give you an idea of how the app works.

Tally Prime offers two subscription options for businesses of all sizes. The Silver subscription is for single users, and it starts from $25.50 per month for a year-long subscription. A three-month subscription costs $81, while a six-month option is $153. The higher Gold tier gives an unlimited number of users access to the app. A 12-month Gold subscription costs $76.50 per month, while three and six-month plans are $243 and $459, respectively. In addition, a premium TallyPrime Server subscription is available to Gold members for $1,530 per year. Note that you can try Tally on a 7-day free trial.

While large enterprises might require Tally’s robust subscription options, for smaller businesses, Zoho Books provides a budget-friendly option.

Features

Advanced features can make day-to-day business operations more efficient. While both Zoho Books and Tally do the job, their features don’t measure up equally.

Zoho Books is a truly modern solution with a slew of great features. You can manage your clients’ accounts, create invoices in multiple languages, track expenses and mileage, automate payment reminders, and much more, even in the free version of the app. Each tier offers additional features that will make your job easier. Zoho also offers a high level of invoice customization and supports all the top international languages.

As mentioned, Tally doesn’t really satisfy the modern business demands of today. The software may have sound features, but they are limited in number. Still, Tally offers key solutions like inventory management, tax compliance, purchase and sales management, etc. Insightful business reports may be one of the most desirable features of this all-around business management solution. However, the features that make Zoho particularly desirable, like automation and a customer portal, are missing from Tally. Tally also supports multiple languages, but not particularly extensively.

Naturally, the right option will depend on individual needs, but Zoho Books undeniably provides a richer experience.

Integrations

Another key criterion to fulfill is fitting into your existing digital framework.

If you use Zoho’s ecosystem, choosing their accounting solution is the best course of action. But that’s not all. Zoho Books also works well with numerous other apps. G Suite, Office365, Slack, Zapier, Google Drive, and Dropbox are just some examples. With a Standard subscription, you can also integrate payment gateways (11 options), and with Zapier, hundreds of other apps are at your disposal.

Tally doesn’t offer similar options. However, it can be integrated with other software. The process isn’t as straightforward as it is with Zoho. That said, Tally offers a range of extensions and add-ons users can purchase from the Tally Shop to optimize their experience.

If you use the apps mentioned above, fitting Zoho into the picture will be a breeze.

Who Is It For?

Zoho Books and Tally have major differences, and this is partly because they were designed with a different user base in mind.

Zoho Books is primarily targeted at small businesses, startups, and freelancers. It’s an accessible solution for those who are just getting started in the commercial sphere. Setting up Zoho doesn’t take longer than a few minutes. The intuitive interface also makes the app incredibly user-friendly.

In contrast, Tally is for businesses with a higher focus on manufacturing. It also requires download and installation, so it may take longer to get it up and running. It’s also more suitable for larger enterprises, which is also reflected in its various pricing options.

Zoho Books vs. Tally: The Winner

In today’s internet-driven business world, selecting a versatile and scalable cloud-based solution is a no-brainer. Although Tally stands its ground as a solid, traditional accounting program, more and more people are moving away from such offline solutions and switching to Zoho Books for modern features, app integrations, and more. Affordable pricing, multi-platform support, and a user-friendly interface make Zoho Books the best accounting solution.

Are you ready to take your accounting to a whole new level, or will you continue looking for the right solution for your business? Let us know in the comments section below.