Tillage vs Zoho InvoiceThe free invoicing alternative
Updated . Every Zoho Invoice fact links to its source.
Tillage
Zoho Invoice
Monthly price
$0, unlimited users, quotes and invoices
Free, capped at 2 users, 3 projects and 500 invoices a year
Online payment fees
Your client can cover them
No Zoho fee; Zoho Payments cards 2.9% + 30¢, ACH 0.8% capped at $5
Margin on quotes
Variance buffer and profit margin on every line
No markup or margin controls found
The short answer
Zoho Invoice is a mature free invoicing app with quotes, time tracking and expenses, and a path into the wider Zoho suite. Its free plan is capped at 2 users, 3 projects and 500 invoices a year, with Zoho branding on documents. Tillage is free with no user or invoice limits, built for agencies with margin on quotes, contracts and milestone billing. If you live in Zoho’s ecosystem, Zoho Invoice fits. If you’re an agency that will outgrow those caps, Tillage won’t box you in.
Choose Tillage if
- YesYou have more than 2 people or 3 active projects
- YesYou need contracts and milestone payment schedules
- YesYou want clients to cover payment fees
Choose Zoho Invoice if
- YesYou already use Zoho CRM, Books or other Zoho apps
- YesYou need multi-language invoices or regional editions
- YesYou bill under 500 invoices a year with a small team
Tillage vs Zoho Invoice, feature by feature
| Feature | Tillage | Zoho Invoice |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | Yes$0, unlimited users, quotes and invoices | YesFree, capped at 2 users, 3 projects and 500 invoices a year |
| Online payment fees | YesStripe 2.9% + 30¢ (cards) or 0.8% capped at $5 (ACH), plus 1% capped at $50 per invoice | YesNo Zoho fee; Zoho Payments cards 2.9% + 30¢, ACH 0.8% capped at $5 |
| Pass fees to clients | YesBoth Stripe and platform fees, set team-wide | NoNo surcharge or fee pass-through feature found |
| Quotes and estimates | YesHours × rate, or itemized with units and sections | YesQuotes clients can accept, decline or negotiate |
| Variance and profit margin on quotes | YesVariance buffer and profit margin on every line | NoNo markup or margin controls found |
| Contracts with e-signatures | YesGenerated from approved quotes | PartlyE-sign quotes through Zoho Sign; no contracts module |
| Deposits and milestone payment schedules | YesPercentages triggered by signing, dates or milestones | PartlyPartial payments; no milestone schedules found |
| Recurring invoices and retainers | YesWeekly, monthly, quarterly, every six months or yearly | YesWith card auto-charge |
| Client pages with no login | YesSecure links to approve, sign and pay | PartlyPortal needs a password; single invoices can be paid from a link |
| Time tracking | NoNot a time tracker | YesTimesheets, within the 3-project limit on free |
| Full accounting and bookkeeping | NoUse alongside your accounting software | NoFull accounting is Zoho Books |
| QuickBooks or Xero sync | NoComing soon: QuickBooks Online, Xero, Mercury and Puzzle | PartlyQuickBooks Online; no Xero |
| AI quote drafting | YesDrafts line items, hours and rates with your OpenAI or Claude key | PartlyZia invoice insights and AI email drafts |
| Claude and ChatGPT through MCP | YesQuotes, contracts and invoices | YesOfficial Zoho MCP for Claude and ChatGPT |
Zoho Invoice pricing
Zoho Invoice has no paid tiers. Accounts inactive for more than 180 days can be deleted after notice.
- Zoho Invoice
- FreeUp to 2 users, 3 projects, 500 invoices a year, 2 organizations
- Branding
- “Powered by Zoho Invoice” on documentsCannot be removed on the free plan
- Beyond the limits
- Contact Zoho, or move to Zoho Billing
- Tillage, for comparison
- $0/month with unlimited users1% when paid online, capped at $50 per invoice. Your client can cover it. See pricing
Where Zoho Invoice is better
No tool is right for everyone. Here is where it may suit you better.
The Zoho ecosystem
One login connects to Zoho CRM, Books, Analytics, Expense and Sign, with a path to full accounting or subscription billing.
A broad free product
About 30 reports, 17 languages, 12 regional editions, native apps and more than 10 payment gateways.
AI access and an API
An official MCP connector and a documented REST API on a free product.
Low ACH fees
Zoho Payments caps ACH at $5 and adds no fee of its own.
Where Tillage is better for agencies
No user, project or invoice caps
Zoho Invoice’s free plan stops at 2 users, 3 projects and 500 invoices a year. Tillage is free with unlimited users, quotes and invoices.
Your brand, not ours
Zoho Invoice puts its branding on your documents and you can’t remove it. Tillage documents carry your logo and colors.
Contracts and milestone billing
Zoho Invoice e-signs quotes through Zoho Sign but has no contracts module or milestone schedules. Tillage turns approved quotes into contracts and splits projects into scheduled payments.
Clients can cover the fees
We found no way to pass processing fees to clients in Zoho Invoice. Tillage lets each client cover card, ACH and platform fees.
Recent Zoho Invoice changes
Jul 26, 2021
Zoho Invoice became completely free for small businesses. Existing paid subscriptions continued.
Current
The free plan lists limits of 2 users, 3 projects and 500 invoices a year, with Zoho branding.
Switching from Zoho Invoice
- 1
Export clients, items and invoices from Zoho Invoice as CSV or XLS.
- 2
Import clients into Tillage and recreate your items as services with variance and margin.
- 3
Connect Stripe in Tillage and choose which clients cover the fees.
- 4
Rebuild recurring invoices as Tillage retainers or payment schedules.
Related guides and tools
Best free invoicing software
How the free plans compare, and where each one sets its limits.
Invoicing software for agencies
Quotes, contracts and payment schedules in one free tool.
Quoting software with margin
Hours × rate quotes with your margin built in.
Billing schedules
Deposits, milestones and retainers without copying invoices.
Sources
Checked Oct 7, 2026. Pricing and features change, so if something here is out of date, email support@tillage.ai and we will fix it.
Tillage vs Zoho Invoice questions
Zoho Invoice is free. What’s the difference?
Zoho Invoice’s free plan is limited to 2 users, 3 projects and 500 invoices a year, with Zoho branding. Tillage is free with no user or invoice limits, and adds contracts, milestone schedules and fee pass-through.
Does Zoho Invoice charge payment fees?
Zoho adds no fee. Zoho Payments charges 2.9% + 30¢ for cards and 0.8% capped at $5 for ACH. Tillage adds a 1% platform fee capped at $50, which your client can cover.
Does Zoho Invoice work with Claude or ChatGPT?
Yes, through Zoho’s official MCP. Tillage also has its own MCP server for quotes, contracts and invoices.
Can I move from Zoho Invoice to Tillage?
Yes. Export your clients and invoices as CSV or XLS, import clients into Tillage, and set up your services and schedules once.
