Countingup vs QuickFile (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, QuickFile grades higher than Countingup: 3.0 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
QuickFile grades higher on value for money, the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on 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
QuickFile
UK online accounting, free for smaller ledgers
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 QuickFile if
- Fits if you're a UK sole trader or small company with under 1,000 ledger entries a year
- Works for people who want MTD VAT returns without a subscription
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you're busy: 1,001 entries or more moves you to £60 plus VAT a year
- Watch out: bank feeds cost £15 plus VAT a year and extra storage £9.99 per GB, with 1 GB included
- Watch out: Power User features cost extra on the free tiers, and the page doesn't state the price
- Skip it if you're an accountant or bookkeeper: you're directed to QuickFile Affinity instead
How we grade them
| 2.2GPACountingupFair | 3.0GPAQuickFileVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | AFree below 1,000 ledger entries a year, then £60 plus VAT a year, well under 60% of the $15 a month that starts this category's cheaper quarter. |
| 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. | BFree while the 12-month ledger stays under 1,000 entries, with unlimited users. A small business can live on it, but a busy one passes the cap. |
| 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. | BInvoicing, estimates, VAT returns, purchases, banking automation and an API. The listing's limits are paid extras, not missing parts of 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 set up the ledger and bank feeds yourself, with help pages to lean on. |
| Platforms and integrations | CiOS and Android only; the listing shows no web or desktop app. Integrations on record are iwoca and HMRC. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with an API. No desktop app is listed. |
| Best for | a UK sole trader who wants bank and books in one app | free UK accounts for smaller ledgers |
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 QuickFile. 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. QuickFile starts at about $6.70 a month and scores 2.7.
QuickFile scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 5 score higher than Countingup for less, and 1 scores higher than QuickFile 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
- QuickFile also covers quotes and estimates.
At a glance
| Countingup | QuickFile | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | £5 per month for up to £750 deposited monthly, after a 3-month free trial | £60 per year, plus VAT, for accounts over 1,000 ledger entries |
| Free plan | None | Free while the 12-month nominal ledger stays under 1,000 entries, with invoicing, MTD VAT returns, multi-currency and unlimited users. |
| Free trial | 3-month free trial; the monthly subscription starts after it. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Counting Ltd | QuickFile Ltd |
| Price read from | countingup.com | quickfile.co.uk |
| 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.
QuickFile
- Prices exclude VAT; the paid tiers apply from 1,001 ledger entries in a rolling 12 months.
- Bank feeds cost an extra £15 plus VAT a year, and extra file storage is £9.99 per GB a year, with 1 GB included.
- Power User features cost extra on the free tiers, and the pricing page does not state that price.
- Accountants and bookkeepers are directed to the separate QuickFile Affinity product.
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.
QuickFile
- Invoicing and estimates
- Branded invoices and quotations, with a client area, reusable inventory items and multi-currency support.
- VAT returns
- MTD-compatible VAT returns on every plan; MTD VAT bridging and MTD ITSA readiness are listed as Power User features.
- Purchases and receipts
- Receipt and purchase management, with receipts photographed and stored from the iOS and Android mobile app.
- Banking automation
- Automated bank feeds are an add-on at £15 plus VAT a year; the vendor lists the supported banks.
- Power User features
- Segmented profit and loss, custom trading styles, invoice revision history, cryptocurrency tracking and bulk invoice entry.
- API access
- API access and free unlimited users are included on all plans, along with two-factor authentication and daily backups.
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.
QuickFile
Extra Small, Small and Medium£0
Up to 1,000 ledger entries in 12 months; Power User features are a separate paid subscription.
Large and Extra Large£60
per year, plus VAT
For 1,001 ledger entries and up, including Power User features; accounts over 40,000 entries need an enterprise quote.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Countingup or QuickFile?
As of Nov 12, 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 QuickFile starts at £60 per year, plus VAT, for accounts over 1,000 ledger entries.
Which has a free plan, Countingup or QuickFile?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only QuickFile has a free plan. Countingup does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Countingup and QuickFile run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only QuickFile 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.