Lili vs Zoho Books Comparison 2026
Lili is a business bank account first, free at Core with a debit card and savings up to 4.00 percent APY, and the tax bucket and real bookkeeping only arrive on Pro at $15 a month or Smart at $35. Zoho Books is accounting software with no bank account attached, but its free plan already includes invoices, expenses, bank reconciliation and 1099 tracking for one user, capability that costs $35 a month on Lili's Smart tier. The two can complement each other: Lili as the account money sits in, Zoho Books as the free bookkeeping layer reading from any bank you actually use.
Business banking that puts the tax money aside
Free accounting for a one person business
At a glance
- Lili starts cheaper, at $15.
- Both have a genuinely free tier.
Side by side
Lili | Zoho Books | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (they differ) | From $15 | From $20 |
| Pricing model | Free plan, paid tiers | Free plan, paid tiers |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Billing | Monthly or annual | Monthly or annual |
| Free trial (they differ) | 30 days | None |
| API |
Lili
Business banking that puts the tax money aside
Lili is a business checking account for people who are the whole company. What separates it from a plain bank is the tax bucket: a share of what lands is held back automatically, and transactions are sorted into the categories a tax return actually asks for. Dearer plans fold in invoicing, bill pay and a set of books, which is where it starts competing with the accounting tools rather than the banks. Anybody already paying a bookkeeper should check what they would stop paying for.
Our note
The tax bucket is the reason to be here and it is on Pro rather than on the free plan, so treat Core as a bank account and Pro as the actual product. Compare the Smart tier against what you currently pay for bookkeeping rather than against the other banks, because that is the spend it is trying to replace.
Zoho Books
Free accounting for a one person business
Zoho Books gives a solo business a genuinely free plan with invoices, expenses, bank reconciliation and 1099 tracking on it, which is more than most vendors put behind their cheapest paid tier. It is worth the trade if you already use anything else Zoho makes. On its own it is a heavier, more form-driven thing to learn than the tools built for freelancers first.
Why people weigh these two
- Zoho Books instead of Lili
- Zoho Books starts at $20, more than Lili's $15, and is accounting software rather than a bank account, the pick for someone who already banks elsewhere and only needs the books kept.
- Lili instead of Zoho Books
- Lili is a business bank account that sets tax money aside automatically, from $15 with a free tier, banking rather than the invoices and reconciliation Zoho Books tracks.
Which one should you pick
Choose Lili if a business bank account with an automatic tax bucket is the actual need, since Pro at $15 a month sorts expenses into tax categories and sets money aside as it lands. The free Core account is a real bank account on its own, with savings up to 4.00 percent APY.
Choose Zoho Books if real bookkeeping, invoices, reconciliation and 1099 tracking, is the want and a monthly bill is not, since its free plan already covers all of that for one user. It is not a bank account, so pair it with whichever checking account you already use, and expect a heavier, more form-driven interface than tools built for freelancers first.
Common questions
- Is Zoho Books a bank account like Lili?
- No, Zoho Books is accounting software only, with no checking account, debit card or savings attached. Lili is a bank account first, with accounting features added on its paid tiers.
- Which one gives more accounting features for free?
- Zoho Books, by a wide margin: invoices, expenses, bank reconciliation and 1099 tracking are all on its free plan. Lili's free Core account is banking only; equivalent bookkeeping features cost $35 a month on its Smart tier.
- Can I use both together?
- Yes, since they solve different problems: Lili can hold the money while Zoho Books does the free bookkeeping on top of whichever account the business actually banks with. Neither listing describes the other as a replacement.
- Which one pays interest on a balance?
- Lili does, up to 4.00 percent APY on its free Core account. Zoho Books is accounting software with no bank balance to hold, so the question does not apply to it.
Ratings are the average of reviews readers left. The facts are stated by each tool’s own listing and are not verified by CloutStack. How we make money.