Canopy vs Uku (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Uku grades higher than Canopy: 2.2 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Uku grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Canopy if
- Fits if you run a tax or accounting firm and want clients, documents and billing in one place
- Makes sense if your firm already uses QuickBooks Online or Microsoft 365
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want software for your own books, because this manages a firm and not a ledger
- Pricey if you have many staff: it's per user, from $74 to $149 a month
- Skip it if you want a free plan or trial, since neither is listed
- Watch out: Tax Resolution is $50 per user a month and Close Automation is $10 per connected client a month on top
Pick Uku if
- Fits if you are a solo accountant with 20 clients or fewer
- Works for UK and US practices that run on Xero, QuickBooks or FreeAgent
Look elsewhere if
- Too light for you on Solo if you have more than 1 member or 20 active clients
- Pricey if you need BI analytics, e-signatures, the public API or Zapier, which need Elite at $48 per member
- Watch out: monthly billing is about 30% dearer per member than annual
- Watch out: email triage, capacity planning and proposals are roadmap items, not live features
- Watch out: Enterprise at $88 per member is sold through sales
How we grade them
| 1.6GPACanopyWeak | 2.2GPAUkuFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$74 a user a month billed annually ($93 monthly), just under where the category's dearest tenth begins. Capacity planning and custom reporting need Plus at $109. | CSolo is $19 a month billed annually and Team is $38 per member, both within the typical range. Elite, at $48, is where e-signatures, the API and BI sit. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial on the pricing page. | CA 14-day trial of Elite with no card, and no free plan. |
| Features | CClient portal, e-sign, workflows, time and billing, and an AI assistant. It runs a firm and doesn't keep a business's books, and Tax Resolution is a paid add-on. | CTasks, time tracking, billing, a client portal and email management are there, but the listing puts email triage, capacity planning and proposals on the roadmap. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. A firm has to set up clients, workflows and billing before it pays off. | CA web app with workflows and automations to configure, and no store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, plus QuickBooks Online, Microsoft 365, Gmail, Zapier and others. No desktop app. | BWeb only, with QuickBooks, Xero, FreeAgent, Gmail, Microsoft 365, Google Drive, Dropbox and Zapier. |
| Best for | practice management for accounting and tax firms | accounting-firm workflows and client work in one place |
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: Canopy and Uku. How we grade
Price against what you get
Canopy starts at $74 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Uku starts at $19 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Uku starts $55 a month lower. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 30 score higher than Canopy for less, and 16 score higher than Uku 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
- Uku also covers tasks.
At a glance
| Canopy | Uku | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $74 per user / month, billed annually ($93 billed monthly) | $19 per month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of the Elite plan, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Canopy | Uku Viam OÜ |
| Price read from | getcanopy.com | getuku.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Canopy
- Pricing is per user, so cost scales with firm headcount; the page says annual billing saves 20% against monthly.
- Capacity planning and custom reporting need Plus, and advanced workflows and billing need Premium.
- Add-ons are priced separately: Tax Resolution is $50 per user a month, and Close Automation is $10 per connected client a month.
- Tax Workflow Automation starts at $34 per client credit, billed annually.
Uku
- Solo is capped at 1 member and 20 active clients.
- BI analytics, public API, e-signatures and Zapier need Elite at $48 per member / month, billed annually.
- Annual billing saves about 23% against monthly, which carries a higher per-member price.
- Email triage, capacity planning and proposals are listed on the roadmap, not as live features.
Key features
Canopy
- Client portal and messaging
- Clients get a portal, a mobile app and secure messaging for sending documents, questionnaires and organizers.
- Workflow and engagements
- Recurring task workflows, engagement letters and proposals, and tax workflow automation keep firm work on a schedule.
- Time, billing and payments
- Tracks time, invoices clients, collects payments and shows realization rates; group billing combines entities on one invoice.
- Tax resolution tools
- Pulls IRS transcripts, tracks notices and auto-fills more than 200 federal and state forms, as a paid add-on.
- Coworker AI
- An AI assistant included on every plan with monthly credits per user; the pricing page lists it as in open beta.
Uku
- Task and workflow management
- Recurring work is planned as tasks and projects with workflow automations, a calendar and team collaboration tools.
- Time tracking and billing
- Time tracking feeds automated billing, and the Elite plan adds payment links and client budgeting.
- Client portal and documents
- A client portal and document management link to Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox, with e-signatures on Elite.
- Email management
- Email can be sent and received from inside Uku through Gmail or Microsoft 365.
- Accounting and tax software links
- The integrations page lists QuickBooks, Xero, FreeAgent, CCH Axcess Tax, Lacerte, UltraTax CS and Drake Tax, among others.
- BI analytics and API
- Elite adds built-in BI analytics, workforce management, a public API, Zapier and an Uku MCP server for connecting AI assistants.
Plans
Canopy
Standard$74
per user / month, billed annually ($93 billed monthly)
CRM, document management and e-sign, client portal, task workflows, invoicing and payments, and the Coworker AI.
Plus$109
per user / month, billed annually ($136 billed monthly)
Adds user roles and access controls, more client intake capacity, capacity planning and custom reporting.
Premium$149
per user / month, billed annually ($186 billed monthly)
Adds advanced workflows and automation, advanced billing scenarios and deeper reporting.
EnterpriseCustom
Tailored plan for large firms; the page says it is likely not a fit below roughly a 200-person firm.
Uku
Solo$19
per month for 1 member, billed annually ($25 billed monthly)
One member and up to 20 active clients, with CRM, time tracking, billing, workflow automations and client portal.
Team$38
per member / month, billed annually ($49 billed monthly)
Unlimited members and clients, plus AML, projects, access management, calendar and live chat support.
Elite$48
per member / month, billed annually ($62 billed monthly)
Adds BI analytics, workforce management, audit log, client budgeting, payment links, public API, e-signatures and Zapier.
Enterprise$88
per member / month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
Adds custom integrations, a dedicated account manager, assisted client import, team workshop and pay by invoice. Sold through sales.
Ways to pay less
Canopy
- Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
The pricing page says annual billing saves 20%, for example Standard at $74 instead of $93 per user a month.
Uku
- Annual discount
About 23% off with annual billing
The pricing page shows an annual-billing saving of about 23% against paying monthly, for example Team at $38 against $49 a month.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Canopy or Uku?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Canopy starts at $74 per user / month, billed annually ($93 billed monthly), and Uku starts at $19 per month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Canopy or Uku?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Canopy nor Uku has a free plan. Uku has a free trial.
Which platforms do Canopy and Uku run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Canopy lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.