Countingup vs IRIS KashFlow (2026): which should you pick?

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 IRIS KashFlow if

• Fits if you're a UK limited company that wants VAT returns and payroll in one product
• Works for sole traders who sell through Shopify, WooCommerce or Amazon

Look elsewhere if

• Tight if you're on Starter: one user, 10 invoices and 25 bank transactions
• Not for you if you're outside the UK, since VAT goes to HMRC and prices are in pounds
• Watch out: the £1.35 and £2.75 months and the annual prices are new-customer offers
• Pricey if you need more than one user: Business is £27.50 a month plus VAT

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.

IRIS KashFlow

• Built for UK businesses: VAT submission goes to HMRC, and prices are in pounds.
• Starter is limited to a single user, 10 invoices and 25 bank transactions to reconcile; Business lifts those limits.
• The page marks the annual prices (£97 and £178 plus VAT) as discounted offers for new customers only.
• The pricing page names a mobile app but not which operating systems it runs on.

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.

IRIS KashFlow

Invoicing and quotes

Send quotes and invoices, set up repeat invoices and purchases, schedule customer statements and set credit limits.

VAT returns

VAT is managed in the software and can be submitted online to HMRC; the vendor also has a Making Tax Digital page.

Bank feeds and reconciliation

Bank feeds bring in transactions to reconcile, capped at 25 on Starter and unlimited on Business.

Purchases, expenses and receipts

Manage purchases and expenses, track mileage and capture receipts with a mobile app.

Payments

KashFlow Payments and IRIS Pay let customers pay invoices online.

Payroll and reports

Both plans list payroll for up to 5 employees, over 50 reports, multi-currency and a customizable dashboard.

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.

IRIS KashFlow

• Starter£13.50

  per month, billed monthly (£97 a year, new customers)

  Single user; unlimited quotes, 10 invoices and 25 bank transactions to reconcile. New customers pay £1.35 a month for 6 months.

• Business£27.50

  per month, billed monthly (£178 a year, new customers)

  Multi-user; unlimited quotes, invoices and bank transactions. New customers pay £2.75 a month for the first 6 months.

Countingup

No public discounts listed.

IRIS KashFlow

• Other savings

  90% off the first 6 months

  New customers on monthly billing pay £1.35 (Starter) or £2.75 (Business) a month for 6 months, then the regular monthly price.

• Annual discount

  Annual plans for new customers

  New customers can pay £97 a year for Starter or £178 a year for Business, plus VAT, against listed RRPs of £162 and £291.50.