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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Crunch

Pricing could not be confirmed. See crunch.co.uk.

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.

Crunch

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.