Bookkeep vs Inkle (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Inkle grades higher than Bookkeep: 2.6 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Inkle grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Bookkeep
Sales and payout accounting automation for ecommerce and retail
Inkle
Accounting software, bookkeeping and tax filing for US companies
Which one is for you
Pick Bookkeep if
- Fits if you run a shop on Shopify or Square and keep books in QuickBooks or Xero
- Works for businesses with several legal entities that want each posted
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you have several entities, since each needs its own subscription
- Watch out: sales tax filing is $75 a filing and payout splitting $3.99 a transfer
- Watch out: history from before sign-up is $0.35 an entry and can't be posted in the trial
- Tight on Lite: $200k revenue and 1 channel, and plans move up on their own
- Skip it if you're outside the US or Canada, because other countries are told to ask for rates
Pick Inkle if
- Fits if you run a US company and want books and tax filing from one provider
- Works for a startup with 2 bank accounts or fewer on the free plan
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you need accrual books, as the free plan is cash-basis only and accrual needs Standard at $30 a month
- Tight if you have more than 2 bank accounts on the free plan
- Pricey if you need bookkeeping, as $99 a month covers only 30 transactions
- Watch out: tax filing is from $850 a year for a business return and $1,350 with one owner's personal return
- Not for you if your books are outside the US, as the pricing page does not describe other countries
How we grade them
| 2.2GPABookkeepFair | 2.6GPAInkleGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$19 a month per entity for Lite, up to $200k revenue and 1 channel. That's in the cheaper half of the category, but the plans climb to $1,199. | CStandard is $30 a month or $300 a year, inside the typical range. Bookkeeping starts at $99 a month and tax filing from $850 a year. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 14-day free trial of any plan with no card. There is no free plan. | BThe Basic plan is free for up to 2 banks, with invoicing, reconciliation and a 1099 vendor report, which a small company could use. |
| Features | CSummarised journal entries, many channels, sales tax filing and payout splitting. It does one job fully, a smaller job than accounting, and posts into your accounting system. | BAccounting, AI-suggested categorization, a dedicated bookkeeper, federal tax filing and Stripe revenue ingestion cover the job end to end. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record, and you connect channels and map categories. | CA web app where you connect banks and set up categorization rules, and no store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with QuickBooks, Xero, Zoho Books, NetSuite, Sage Intacct, Shopify, Amazon and Square. | BWeb only, with Stripe, QuickBooks, Xero, Zoho Books and Mercury Books. |
| Best for | online sellers with several channels and entities | US startups that want books and tax filing from one provider |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Bookkeep and Inkle. How we grade
Price against what you get
Bookkeep starts at $19 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Inkle starts at $25 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7.
Inkle scores higher, and starts $6 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 16 score higher than Bookkeep for less, and 4 score higher than Inkle for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Bookkeep also covers workflow automation, online store and amazon selling.
- Inkle also covers invoicing.
At a glance
| Bookkeep | Inkle | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $19 per month per entity, billed monthly | $30 per month, or $300 per year (Standard) |
| Free plan | None | Basic plan: up to 2 banks, cash financials, invoicing, bank reconciliation, chat support and a Form 1099 vendor report. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of any plan, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Bookkeep | Inkle |
| Price read from | bookkeep.com | inkle.ai |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Bookkeep
- Each legal entity needs its own subscription, and plans change automatically with connected channels and revenue.
- Add-ons cost extra: sales tax filing is $75 per filing, payout splitting $3.99 per transfer and advanced reporting $99 a month.
- Historical journal entries before sign-up are billed at $0.35 each and cannot be posted during the trial.
- Prices are in US or Canadian dollars only; other countries are asked to inquire for rates.
Inkle
- The free Basic plan connects up to 2 banks and keeps cash-basis books only.
- Monthly bookkeeping is priced by activity; the $99 entry tier covers up to 30 transactions a month.
- Tax filing starts from $850 per year for a business return and from $1,350 with one owner's personal return.
- Aimed at US companies; the pricing page does not describe support for other countries' books.
Key features
Bookkeep
- Summarized journal entries
- Posts gross sales, discounts, refunds and sales tax from each channel to the accounting system, with mapping to classes, tracking categories or tags.
- Many sales channels
- Connects to Amazon, Clover, Shopify, Square, Stripe, Toast, Walmart, eBay, Mindbody, PayPal and others; channels allowed rise by plan.
- Accounting systems
- Posts to QuickBooks Online, Xero and Zoho Books from Lite; NetSuite, Sage Intacct and Intuit Enterprise Suite from Growth.
- Sales tax filing
- A managed filing service for Shopify, Toast and Square POS merchants in the US, billed per filing and requiring enrollment.
- Payout splitting
- Transfers deposit funds across bank accounts by store, franchise or fulfillment location for a flat fee per transfer; needs Pro or higher.
- Inventory module
- A separate Bookkeep Inventory product covers purchase orders and receiving; its price is listed separately.
Inkle
- Accounting software
- Bank reconciliation, invoicing and cash-basis financials on the free plan, with accrual financials on Standard.
- AI-suggested categorization
- Standard adds rule-based and AI-suggested transaction categorization and AI-enabled receipt matching.
- Dedicated bookkeeper
- The Monthly plan assigns a bookkeeper who handles reconciliations, payroll entries and monthly review calls.
- Federal tax filing
- Business tax returns (Form 1120, 1120-S or 1065) with a 6-month extension and one state's franchise tax or annual report.
- Stripe revenue ingestion
- Standard pulls revenue data in from Stripe automatically and reports revenue metrics.
- Incorporation and mailroom
- The site also sells US company incorporation, a virtual US address with registered agent, and dissolution.
Plans
Bookkeep
Lite$19
per month per entity, billed monthly
Up to $200k annual revenue and 1 sales channel; category-level mapping, email support, monthly billing only.
Starter$49
per month per entity, billed monthly
Sub-category mapping for 1 sales channel, segmentation by channel or location, live chat support.
Growth$99
per month per entity, billed monthly
Adds NetSuite, Sage Intacct and Intuit Enterprise Suite posting and a dedicated onboarding session.
Pro$199
per month per entity, billed monthly
Up to $5M annual revenue and 5 channels; managed sales tax filing, managed COGS and payout splitting.
Advanced$499
per month per entity, billed monthly
Adds fulfillment-based revenue recognition for Shopify, a dedicated account manager and priority support.
Unlimited$1,199
per month per entity, billed monthly
Unlimited sales channels, buy-online-pick-up-in-store entries and unlimited payout splitting transfers.
Inkle
Basic$0
Accounting software for up to 2 banks with cash financials, invoicing, bank reconciliation and a Form 1099 vendor report.
Standard$30
per month ($300 per year, billed annually)
Adds accrual financials, rule-based and AI-suggested categorization, receipt matching, multi-currency, Stripe revenue ingestion and bookkeeper access.
Monthly bookkeeping$99
per month for up to 30 transactions, billed monthly
A dedicated bookkeeper, monthly review calls and standard financials. Above 30 transactions a month it becomes a full-service plan.
Ways to pay less
Bookkeep
- Annual discount
Two months free on annual plans
Bookkeep's pricing page says annual billing gives two months free, about a 17% discount; Lite is monthly only.
Inkle
- Annual discount
16% off Standard with annual billing
Standard is $30 a month or $300 a year, which the pricing page labels as 16% off.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Bookkeep or Inkle?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Bookkeep is cheaper to start with: $19 a month, against $25 a month when paid by the year for Inkle. Bookkeep starts at $19 per month per entity, billed monthly, and Inkle starts at $30 per month, or $300 per year (Standard).
Which has a free plan, Bookkeep or Inkle?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Inkle has a free plan. Bookkeep does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.