Quaternary compound semiconductor Cu2ZnSnS4 (CZTS) has been prepared using two different precursors sols, chlorides and nitrates, using spin coating process to get phase pure and less defective thin films for solar photovoltaics. The synthesized CZTS thin films are heat treated at different temperatures to achieve the kesterite crystallographic phase. The prepared thin films are highly textured along (112) axis. The surface microscopic images suggest that chloride precursor derived CZTS thin films are relatively uniform and densely packed as compared to nitrate precursors. The dislocation density is ∼1 × 1016 lines m-2 for the chloride precursor derived thin films, much lower than that of the nitride precursor derived CZTS thin films. The optical absorption measurements suggest the direct optical gap ∼1.52 eV for CZTS thin films derived from both the precursor routes. However, electrical resistivity measurements suggest that resistivity is uniform and much lower ∼0.025 Ω cm for chloride precursor CZTS thin films, alike nitride precursor CZTS thin films, where resistivity is three orders of magnitude higher ∼30 Ω cm. These studies suggest that chloride precursor derived CZTS thin films are of high quality and can be used for solar photovoltaic applications. © 2017 Author(s).