Billed vs ZipBooks

ZipBooks is a free bookkeeping and invoicing tool that targets small businesses and freelancers looking for basic accounting features without a price tag. It offers invoicing, basic time tracking, and double-entry bookkeeping. Billed is an invoicing-first platform with deeper project management, team collaboration, and multi-business support.

ZipBooks appeals to budget-conscious businesses that need invoicing plus lightweight bookkeeping. Billed appeals to businesses that need a stronger operational toolkit — time tracking that feeds into invoices, real project management, and the ability to run multiple businesses from one account.

Feature Comparison: Billed vs ZipBooks

Feature	Billed	ZipBooks
Professional Invoicing	Yes	Yes
Estimates	Yes	Yes
Expense Tracking	Yes	Yes
Time Tracking	Yes	Basic
Project Management	Yes	No
Client Management	Yes	Yes
Recurring Invoices	Yes	Yes
Online Payments	Yes (Stripe & PayPal)	Yes (Square, PayPal)
Bookkeeping / Accounting	No	Yes
Financial Reporting	Yes	Yes
Multiple Businesses	Yes	No
Team Collaboration	Yes	Limited
Mobile Apps	Yes	No
Intelligence Scoring	No	Yes

When to Choose ZipBooks

ZipBooks is a reasonable pick if you need free bookkeeping with basic invoicing and do not require project management or team features. Its "intelligence" scoring feature provides automated health metrics for your finances.

When to Choose Billed

Billed is the better choice when you need robust project management, time tracking integrated with invoicing, multi-business support, and team collaboration with role-based permissions. Billed also provides native mobile apps for invoicing on the go.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ZipBooks really free?

ZipBooks has a free Starter plan, but it is limited in features. Advanced features like recurring invoices, time tracking, and team access require paid plans. Billed also offers a free plan that includes more core features.

Does ZipBooks have a mobile app?

No. ZipBooks is a web-only platform. Billed offers native iOS and Android apps for managing invoices and time tracking from your phone.

Can ZipBooks manage projects?

No. ZipBooks focuses on bookkeeping and invoicing. It does not include project management features. Billed provides full project management with tasks, milestones, and team assignments.

Which tool has better reporting?

Both tools offer financial reporting, but they serve different purposes. ZipBooks provides accounting reports (balance sheet, profit and loss). Billed provides operational reports (invoice status, income vs expense, time tracking, top products).

The Bottom Line

ZipBooks is a budget-friendly bookkeeping tool with invoicing. Billed is a comprehensive business management platform built around invoicing. If your priority is billing clients, managing projects, and tracking time, try Billed free.