Countingup vs Crunch (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Countingup grades higher than Crunch: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Countingup grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Crunch grades higher on features. They get the same grade on ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Countingup
UK business current account with built-in bookkeeping
Free trial · from £5/mo
Which one is for you
Pick Countingup if
- Fits if you are a UK sole trader or a one-or-two-director limited company who does admin from a phone
- Works for owners who want business banking and VAT filing under one login
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a browser or desktop app, because the listing shows phone apps only
- Not for you if you are a partnership, charity or trust, or your company has more than two directors or corporate shareholders
- Pricey if money flows through it, since the fee rises from £5 to £12 to £20 as deposits grow
- Watch out: more than 3 free transfers or Direct Debits a month cost 27p each, ATM withdrawals £1 and foreign card spending 3%
Pick Crunch if
- Fits if you run a UK limited company and want an accountant plus software in one bill
- Makes sense if you're a UK sole trader who wants Self Assessment and MTD handled
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to see a price before talking to anyone: it's quote only
- Watch out: employee payroll is £20 plus VAT a month for up to 5 employees, and company formation is £100
- Watch out: Self Assessment is described as worth £240 plus VAT where it isn't already in your plan
- Not for you if you're outside the UK
How we grade them
| 2.2GPACountingupFair | 1.8GPACrunchWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | B£5 a month while deposits are under £750, against $14 where the cheaper quarter of accounting tools starts. It goes to £12 up to £7,500 and £20 beyond, so a busy business pays more. | CNo plan prices are published: costs come from a quote based on turnover, transactions and extras. Unpublished means the middle grade. |
| Free plan and trial | C3-month free trial, then the subscription starts. There is no free plan, and the listing does not say whether a card is needed. | FNo free plan or trial on record, and even the software-only option is priced through a quote. |
| Features | CCategorising, invoices, receipt photos, VAT filing and a tax estimate cover a sole trader's basics. No payroll or stock, and it is built only for UK sole traders and limited companies. | BAccountant, invoices and expenses, bank reconciliation, Making Tax Digital for Income Tax, payroll and a tax review. The listing shows no gap in the job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You open a bank account and connect it before the bookkeeping does anything. | CNo store rating on record. You start with a quote and an accountant, not a signup. |
| Platforms and integrations | CiOS and Android only; the listing shows no web or desktop app. Integrations on record are iwoca and HMRC. | CWeb only and UK only, with no app or integrations listed. |
| Best for | a UK sole trader who wants bank and books in one app | UK companies wanting an accountant included |
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: Countingup and Crunch. How we grade
Where they differ
- Countingup also covers reports.
- Crunch also covers payroll.
In commonInvoicingBookkeepingExpense tracking
At a glance
| Countingup | Crunch | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | £5 per month for up to £750 deposited monthly, after a 3-month free trial | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 3-month free trial; the monthly subscription starts after it. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Counting Ltd | Crunch |
| Price read from | countingup.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Countingup
- Open to UK residents aged 18 or over who are sole traders or directors of limited companies; partnerships, charities and trusts are not supported.
- Limited companies must be limited by shares, with up to two directors and all shareholders being individuals.
- Fees apply beyond 3 free account transfers and outgoing Direct Debits a month (27p each), plus £1 per ATM withdrawal and 3% on foreign transactions.
- An app is needed to open and use the account; no desktop or browser app is listed on the pages read.
Crunch
- Prices come from an instant quote based on turnover, transactions and extras, so no plan prices are listed here.
- Employee payroll is listed at £20 plus VAT a month for up to 5 employees; company formation is £100.
- Self Assessment filing is described as worth £240 plus VAT where it is not already part of a plan.
- A software-only option exists, but its price is also given through the quote process.
Key features
Countingup
- Business account with accounting
- Payments in and out are categorized automatically, with cashflow and performance reporting in the app.
- Invoices and payment links
- Create and send invoices from the app, see which are unpaid and get a notification when a payment lands.
- Receipt capture
- Photograph receipts in the app and attach them to the matching transaction.
- VAT and tax
- VAT returns are filed to HMRC through a Making Tax Digital-compliant tool at no extra cost, with a running tax estimate and deadline reminders.
- Tax pots
- A tax pot sets money aside, and the page says deposits into it earn 1.45% variable interest.
- Accountant access
- An Accountant Hub lets an accountant see the data they need through secure access.
Crunch
- Accountant-led service
- Crunch pairs its software with accountants who handle year-end accounts, tax returns and Self Assessment filing.
- Invoices and expenses
- The software pages cover sending invoices, tracking expenses and a payments feature called CrunchPay.
- Bank connection and reconciliation
- Connect a business bank account and reconcile its transactions against invoices and expenses in the software.
- Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
- MTD ITSA software is advertised at no additional cost to accountancy clients, per the comparison pages.
- Director and employee payroll
- Director payroll is included for up to 2 directors; employee payroll is an add-on handled by Crunch.
- Tax optimization review
- The Premium plan description lists a tax optimization review, and the site advertises average tax savings for clients.
Plans
Countingup
Entry£5
per month while total monthly deposits are £0 to £750
Includes all banking, accounting and tax features. The page does not name the tiers; they are set by deposits.
Mid£12
per month while total monthly deposits are £750.01 to £7,500
Same features as the entry tier, priced by how much money comes into the account.
Unlimited deposits£20
per month for unlimited monthly deposits
Same features, with no cap on deposits.
Crunch
Pricing could not be confirmed. See crunch.co.uk.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Countingup or Crunch?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Countingup starts at £5 per month for up to £750 deposited monthly, after a 3-month free trial, and Crunch has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Countingup or Crunch?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Countingup nor Crunch has a free plan. Countingup has a free trial.
Which platforms do Countingup and Crunch run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Countingup lists iOS and Android apps and only Crunch lists 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.