Do occasional users and outside accountants need a full Zoho One licence?

Not always. It depends on your Zoho One pricing model and how they need to work. With all-employee pricing, every employee usually needs a licence, while flexible pricing lets you license only active users. Outside accountants can often be invited to Zoho Books as an accountant user, and customers or partners can use portals. Check the current Zoho One terms before adding anyone.

Zoho One has two main pricing models. All-employee pricing covers everyone in the organisation, which suits companies where most staff use some app. Flexible user pricing lets you pay only for the people who need access, which can suit companies with many staff who never log in. The rules on which model you must use depend on headcount and terms, so read them carefully.

Outsiders are different. Zoho Books lets you invite an accountant with suitable access, and Zoho has programmes for accounting firms. Customers, vendors and partners can use portals in Zoho Books, CRM, Desk and Creator without being full users, within each app's portal limits.

For staff who need one app only occasionally, consider whether a standalone licence or a portal works better than a full Zoho One seat. Check before mixing standalone and Zoho One licences in the same organisation, as rules apply. Zoho's licensing pages and your account manager have the current details.

Written by Flowpeak, a Zoho implementation partner. Zoho pricing and features change, so confirm current details on the official Zoho site. Free checklists | Ask us a question