Countingup vs Pandle (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Pandle grades higher than Countingup: 2.8 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Pandle grades higher on the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.
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
Pandle
UK bookkeeping with a free plan and a £5 monthly upgrade
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 Pandle if
- Fits if you're a UK sole trader who files VAT or MTD
- Works for freelancers who want free invoicing and can skip bank feeds
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free, because bank feeds, receipt uploads and projects are Pro
- Watch out: Pro is £5 plus VAT, rolling monthly, with no annual plan
- Not for you if you're outside the UK, as it's built around VAT and MTD
- Watch out: bank connections run through Plaid
How we grade them
| 2.2GPACountingupFair | 2.8GPAPandleGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | BPro is £5 a month plus VAT, a little over $6, inside the cheapest quarter of accounting tools. |
| 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. | BThe free plan has quotes, invoices, reports, VAT returns and MTD income tax submissions, so a sole trader can live on it. No bank feeds. |
| 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. | BInvoices, VAT and MTD, bank and payment feeds, receipts, mileage, projects and stock. Nothing core is missing. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You open a bank account and connect it before the bookkeeping does anything. | CNo rating read. Bank links and tax settings to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | CiOS and Android only; the listing shows no web or desktop app. Integrations on record are iwoca and HMRC. | BWeb, iOS and Android, with PayPal, Stripe and Plaid. No desktop app. |
| Best for | a UK sole trader who wants bank and books in one app | UK bookkeeping for sole traders |
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 Pandle. How we grade
Price against what you get
Countingup starts at about $6.70 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Pandle starts at about $6.70 a month and scores 2.7.
Pandle scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 13 score higher than Countingup for less, and 1 scores higher than Pandle 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
- Pandle also covers quotes and estimates.
At a glance
| Countingup | Pandle | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | £5 per month for up to £750 deposited monthly, after a 3-month free trial | £5 per month (+VAT) |
| Free plan | None | Quotes and invoices, multiple currencies, VAT and MTD income tax submissions, with no bank feeds. |
| Free trial | 3-month free trial; the monthly subscription starts after it. | 14-day free trial of Pandle Pro, no card details required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Counting Ltd | Pandle |
| Price read from | countingup.com | pandle.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
Pandle
- Bank feeds, receipt uploads, projects and extra users need Pandle Pro, which is £5 a month plus VAT.
- The pages are aimed at the UK, with Making Tax Digital and VAT filing.
- Pandle Pro is billed monthly only; the pricing page says there is no annual subscription.
- Pandle describes itself as an agent of Plaid Financial Ltd for its bank connections.
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.
Pandle
- Invoices and quotes
- Sends quotes and invoices in several currencies, with payment reminders, recurring transactions and customer statements.
- VAT and Making Tax Digital
- Submits VAT returns and MTD income tax updates, and produces EU VAT and EC sales lists, on the free plan too.
- Bank and payment feeds
- Pandle Pro pulls in bank feeds, PayPal feeds and Stripe feeds; bank rules automate the categorizing.
- Receipts and mileage
- Pandle Pro can upload receipts and track mileage, and the mobile app can record journeys automatically.
- Projects and stock
- Pro adds projects, stock control and cash flow forecasting on top of the standard business reports.
- Users and companies
- Pandle Pro allows unlimited users with permissions and multi-company management.
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.
Pandle
Free£0
Quotes and invoices, items, reports, VAT returns and MTD income tax submissions; no bank feeds or receipt uploads.
Pandle Pro£5
per month (+VAT), rolling monthly
Adds bank feeds, receipt uploads, projects, user permissions, unlimited users, mileage tracker, stock control and live chat.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Countingup or Pandle?
As of Nov 13, 2026, they start at the same price. Countingup starts at £5 per month for up to £750 deposited monthly, after a 3-month free trial, and Pandle starts at £5 per month (+VAT).
Which has a free plan, Countingup or Pandle?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Pandle has a free plan. Countingup does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Countingup and Pandle run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Pandle lists a web app. Both list iOS and Android apps. 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.