Zoho Invoice wins on more features overall (3 vs 1, 15 tied). Below is the full feature-by-feature breakdown.
| Feature | Clear Books | Zoho Invoice |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan |
✗ No
30-day trial
|
✓ Yes
1 user, 1,000 invoices/year
|
| Entry paid plan |
— Paid add-on
From ~AU$15/mo
|
— Paid add-on
AU$15/mo Standard
|
| Download PDF without signup |
✗ No
|
✗ No
|
| Feature | Clear Books | Zoho Invoice |
|---|---|---|
| Unlimited invoices |
— Limited
|
— Limited
|
| Custom logo & branding |
✓ Yes
|
✓ Yes
|
| Recurring invoices |
✓ Yes
|
✓ Yes
|
| Email invoices to clients |
✓ Yes
|
✓ Yes
|
| Multi-currency |
✓ Yes
|
✓ Yes
|
| Client management |
✓ Yes
|
✓ Yes
|
| Feature | Clear Books | Zoho Invoice |
|---|---|---|
| ATO-compliant GST invoices |
— Limited
UK VAT focused
|
— Limited
|
| ABN field built in |
— Limited
Custom field workaround
|
✓ Yes
|
| Australian-focused support |
✗ No
|
— Limited
|
| Feature | Clear Books | Zoho Invoice |
|---|---|---|
| Bank reconciliation |
✓ Yes
|
✗ No
|
| Expense tracking |
— Limited
|
— Limited
|
| Payroll |
✗ No
|
✗ No
|
| Inventory tracking |
✗ No
|
✗ No
|
| Feature | Clear Books | Zoho Invoice |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe payments |
✓ Yes
|
✓ Yes
|
| Mobile app |
— Limited
|
— Limited
|
| Feature | Clear Books | Zoho Invoice |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time |
— Limited
Account signup required
|
— Limited
Account signup required
|
Neither tool fits your invoicing-only workflow? Try InvoiceSonic — free for unlimited ATO-compliant tax invoices, no signup required.
Create a free invoice now →Clear Books starts at From ~AU$15/mo; Zoho Invoice starts at AU$15/mo (Standard). Clear Books offers 30-day trial. Zoho Invoice offers free for 1 user, 1,000 invoices/yr.
For ATO-compliant GST: Clear Books = limited, Zoho Invoice = limited. For native ABN field: Clear Books = limited, Zoho Invoice = yes. If you operate in Australia and either tool falls short here, InvoiceSonic handles both natively — and it's free.
Most freelancers want fast invoicing without paying for full accounting. Between these two, Zoho Invoice wins more categories overall. But if you're a freelancer who just wants ATO-compliant tax invoices for free, InvoiceSonic is purpose-built for that workflow.
Both Clear Books and Zoho Invoice let you export client lists and invoice history (usually as CSV). Migration takes an afternoon for most small businesses. If you're considering switching anyway, it might be worth evaluating InvoiceSonic as a free alternative for invoicing while keeping your accountant's tool of choice for bookkeeping.
Both tools are accounting-first platforms; their invoicing modules are a subset of what they do. If invoicing is your only need, a free dedicated invoice generator like InvoiceSonic is usually faster, cheaper, and more focused — without paying for bookkeeping, payroll, or inventory features you won't use.
Yes — InvoiceSonic is free for unlimited Australian-compliant invoices with no signup required for PDF download. You can run it alongside or instead of paid accounting platforms.