Zoho Books
Zoho Books is the best default for Kenyan SMEs in 2026: shilling pricing from KSh 849 a month billed annually, eTIMS transmission on every paid plan as a KRA-approved OSCU integrator, VAT3 return reports, and a direct M-Pesa integration in the Kenya edition. Prices exclude VAT; growing teams hit the user caps before the feature caps.
Last verified 28 Oct 2026 · Reviewed by Accounting Software Africa editorial, Publisher editorial desk. Tax figures are cited to the Nigeria Tax Act 2025. Assign a named ICAN reviewer in this field before treating a page as a signed professional opinion.
- Product kind
- Accounting
- Made in
- India
- Headquarters
- India
- Founded
- 2011
Strengths
- Not African-made
- Lowest paid global cloud
- Forever-free tier
- Zoho suite
What it actually is
Zoho Books is a cloud accounting app, not payroll and not an ERP. The strength is price and the rest of Zoho. Nigerian VAT can be modelled; NRS e-invoicing and NTA 2025 PAYE are not what you are buying.
Features
| Feature | Coverage | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Invoicing | Core strength | The job it does well for an SME: send, chase, record. |
| Double-entry ledger | Strong | A real ledger at a lower list price than QuickBooks. |
| Bookkeeping | Strong | Bank rules and recurring bills; chart is yours to Nigerian-ise. |
| Financial reports | Strong | Tax and P&L reports exist. They are not NRS return packs. |
| Multi-currency | Present | Professional and above on the public plan chart. |
| Inventory | Present | Higher plans / Elite. Not Odoo-style MRP. |
| Accountant portal | Present | Accountant access exists; the network is thinner than Intuit’s. |
| VAT | Present | Rates and VAT reports. Filing remains with NRS. |
| Bank feeds | Limited | Depends on Zoho’s banking partners. Test GTBank/Access/Zenith. |
| WHT | Limited | Can be a tax or a bill line. Not a Nigerian WHT schedule. |
| E-invoicing | Limited | Reseller pages claim connectors. Verify on a live tenant. |
| Payroll / PAYE | Not offered | Payroll is a separate Zoho app and is not NTA 2025. |
| Spend / cards | Limited | Expense modules exist in the suite. Books itself is a ledger. |
Africa reach
| Countries | Presence |
|---|---|
 Nigeria | Available |
 Ghana | Available |
 Kenya | Available |
 South Africa | Available |
Pricing
| Plan | Amount | Billing | Includes | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Ksh 0 | Monthly | 1 user + accountant. Turnover under KSh 5m. No eTIMS listed. | 28 Oct 2026 |
| Standard | Ksh 849 | Monthly | Billed annually (KSh 999 monthly). 3 users, eTIMS, VAT3 report, inventory basics. | 28 Oct 2026 |
| Professional | Ksh 1,699 | Monthly | Billed annually (KSh 1,999 monthly). 5 users, multi-currency, projects. | 28 Oct 2026 |
| Premium | Ksh 2,499 | Monthly | Billed annually (KSh 2,999 monthly). 10 users, budgets, fixed assets. | 28 Oct 2026 |
| Elite | Ksh 7,500 | Monthly | Billed annually (KSh 9,000 monthly). Warehouses, batch/serial tracking. | 28 Oct 2026 |
Compliance
| Requirement | Status | Note | Verified on |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-invoicing | Supported | KRA-approved eTIMS integrator (OSCU) on Standard and above, per Zoho. | 28 Oct 2026 |
| VAT filing | Supported | VAT tracking and VAT3 returns report; file on iTax. | 28 Oct 2026 |
| WHT | Partial | Withholding VAT/income tax configurable; certificates from iTax. | 28 Oct 2026 |
| PAYE | Via third party | Use a Kenyan payroll (PaySpace, Workpay, Odoo payroll) and post journals. | 28 Oct 2026 |
| Local COA | Supported | Kenyan template, editable. | 28 Oct 2026 |
| Multi-currency | Supported | From Professional. | 28 Oct 2026 |
| Bank feeds | Partial | M-Pesa integration and bank feeds where supported; statement import otherwise. | 28 Oct 2026 |
Best for
- Kenyan SMEs that must transmit invoices to eTIMS
- Businesses taking M-Pesa payments
- Firms with up to 10 finance users
Not suitable for
- Large retailers needing VSCU-volume POS integration
- Multi-company groups needing consolidation
Local support
Zoho has a Kenyan edition, shilling pricing and local partners in Nairobi; support is online.
Migration notes
Import contacts, items, opening balances and open invoices; then activate eTIMS and test one invoice end to end before going live.
How does Zoho Books transmit invoices to eTIMS?
Zoho Books Kenya works as an OSCU integration: when you create a sales invoice, it is transmitted to KRA in real time and the KRA control details and QR code appear on the invoice. Credit notes follow the same route.
What about purchases?
From 2026 your expense claims are checked against suppliers’ eTIMS invoices. Record supplier bills with the supplier’s eTIMS invoice number and chase suppliers who cannot issue one — the deduction is at risk.
Is the free plan enough?
For a sole trader under KSh 5m turnover who is not VAT-registered, maybe. eTIMS is listed from Standard, so most VAT-registered businesses start there.
How does M-Pesa reconciliation work?
The Kenya edition integrates with M-Pesa so customer payments can be matched to invoices. Test it on a real month of Paybill or Till transactions during the trial.
Zoho Books in Kenya: common questions
Is Zoho Books KRA approved for eTIMS?
Zoho states Zoho Books is a KRA-approved eTIMS integrator using OSCU. Confirm on KRA’s current list of approved integrators.
Sources
- Zoho Books Kenya pricing 28 Oct 2026
- Zoho Books Kenya — eTIMS compliance 28 Oct 2026
- KRA eTIMS income and expense validation (guide) 28 Oct 2026
Keep reading
- Zoho Books vs QuickBooks in Kenya
Head to head.
- TallyPrime vs Zoho Books
Licence vs subscription.
- How to choose accounting software in Kenya
eTIMS checklist.
Related in Kenya
- How to choose accounting software in Kenya
- Business Central is a strong Kenyan mid-market ERP for distributors, manufacturers and NGOs, with several Nairobi partners offering eTIMS (VSCU-style system integration) and Kenyan payroll extensions. Budget about KSh 10,393–14,290 per full user per month at list plus implementation.
- QuickBooks Online is still widely used by Kenyan accounting firms, but in 2026 it carries an eTIMS tax: Intuit does not ship a KRA integration, so you need a third-party connector, and you pay in dollars. For a new Kenyan SME, Zoho Books is cheaper and eTIMS-ready; QuickBooks makes sense when your accountant’s practice runs on it.
- Kenya has one of the deepest SAP Business One partner benches in Africa, which makes B1 a credible ERP for Nairobi distributors, manufacturers and regional groups expanding into Uganda and Tanzania. Pricing is partner-quoted; eTIMS integration is a partner deliverable you should see working at another customer.
- Odoo is the most flexible ERP route for Kenyan SMEs that want accounting, inventory, POS, CRM and payroll in one system. A Kenyan payroll localisation exists in Odoo’s app store, and Nairobi partners ship eTIMS connectors. Quality depends heavily on the partner, and per-user pricing is regionalised — get the shilling quote.
- Tyms suits Kenyan founders and accounting firms who need books caught up and kept current from bank and M-Pesa statements, at $200 per seat per year (about KSh 25,982). It is not an eTIMS integrator, so VAT-registered businesses still need eTIMS invoicing elsewhere — Zoho Books beats Tyms on that for most Kenyan SMEs. Tyms Inc. publishes this site.
- PaySpace, now Deel Local Payroll, is a strong choice for Kenyan employers that want a cloud payroll engine maintained for 2026 rules — PAYE, NSSF with the KSh 6,480 cap, SHIF at 2.75% and the Housing Levy — especially groups also paying staff in other African countries. Pricing is by quote.
- TallyPrime is the strongest option in Kenya for inventory-heavy traders who want to own a licence rather than rent software: KSh 57,600 for Silver or KSh 172,800 for multi-user Gold, excluding VAT, with direct eTIMS integration, QR codes and eTIMS status reports. It is desktop software, so remote teams need hosting.