Karbon vs Uku (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Uku grades higher than Karbon: 2.2 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Uku grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Karbon if
- Fits if you run an accounting firm and want shared client email and workflow in one place
- Makes sense if your firm already works in Gmail and Google Calendar
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want software for your own books, as it's built for firms
- Skip it if you want to try it yourself first, because there's no self-serve trial
- Pricey if you want automation: reminders and task automation need Business at $89 a user
- Watch out: monthly billing is open only to teams of 4 or more users
Pick Uku if
- Fits if you are a solo accountant with 20 clients or fewer
- Works for UK and US practices that run on Xero, QuickBooks or FreeAgent
Look elsewhere if
- Too light for you on Solo if you have more than 1 member or 20 active clients
- Pricey if you need BI analytics, e-signatures, the public API or Zapier, which need Elite at $48 per member
- Watch out: monthly billing is about 30% dearer per member than annual
- Watch out: email triage, capacity planning and proposals are roadmap items, not live features
- Watch out: Enterprise at $88 per member is sold through sales
How we grade them
| 1.6GPAKarbonWeak | 2.2GPAUkuFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D$59 a user a month billed yearly for Team and $89 for Business, where the automation is. That's past the $52 where the dearer quarter starts, and Business is above $75. | CSolo is $19 a month billed annually and Team is $38 per member, both within the typical range. Elite, at $48, is where e-signatures, the API and BI sit. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan, and the pricing page says self-serve free trials aren't offered, so access starts with a demo request. | CA 14-day trial of Elite with no card, and no free plan. |
| Features | CShared email, workflow templates, a client portal, time, budgets and billing. It runs a firm and doesn't keep a business's books, and automation isn't on Team. | CTasks, time tracking, billing, a client portal and email management are there, but the listing puts email triage, capacity planning and proposals on the roadmap. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You set up templates and client requests, and access starts with a demo. | CA web app with workflows and automations to configure, and no store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Ignition and QuickBooks Online Accountant, plus an API. | BWeb only, with QuickBooks, Xero, FreeAgent, Gmail, Microsoft 365, Google Drive, Dropbox and Zapier. |
| Best for | practice management for accounting firms | accounting-firm workflows and client work in one place |
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: Karbon and Uku. How we grade
Price against what you get
Karbon starts at $59 a month for each person and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Uku starts at $19 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Uku starts $40 a month lower. Of the other accounting and invoicing tools on the chart, 28 score higher than Karbon for less, and 16 score higher than Uku 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
- Karbon also covers shared inbox.
- Uku also covers reports.
At a glance
| Karbon | Uku | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Free trial |
| Starts at | $59 per user / month, billed yearly ($79 billed monthly) | $19 per month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of the Elite plan, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Karbon | Uku Viam OÜ |
| Price read from | karbonhq.com | getuku.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Karbon
- It is a tool for running a firm, not general ledger software for a business's own books.
- The pricing page says self-serve free trials are not offered; access starts with a demo request.
- Monthly billing is open only to teams of 4 or more users.
- Automatic client reminders, task automation and industry integrations are not on the Team plan.
Uku
- Solo is capped at 1 member and 20 active clients.
- BI analytics, public API, e-signatures and Zapier need Elite at $48 per member / month, billed annually.
- Annual billing saves about 23% against monthly, which carries a higher per-member price.
- Email triage, capacity planning and proposals are listed on the roadmap, not as live features.
Key features
Karbon
- Shared email triage
- Team members can share, assign and comment on client emails, with comments and @mentions on emails, tasks and notes.
- Workflow templates
- Work is created from templates with statuses and types. Limits rise by plan: 35, 50 or unlimited statuses and 40, 75 or unlimited templates.
- Client requests and portal
- Clients get requests, file uploads and comments through a portal. Automatic client reminders need the Business plan.
- Time, budgets and billing
- Track time against budgets, then bill and collect payment from inside the same workflow.
- Integrations and API
- Connects with Gmail, Google Drive, Ignition and QuickBooks Online Accountant, and has a public API for contacts, work items and timesheets.
Uku
- Task and workflow management
- Recurring work is planned as tasks and projects with workflow automations, a calendar and team collaboration tools.
- Time tracking and billing
- Time tracking feeds automated billing, and the Elite plan adds payment links and client budgeting.
- Client portal and documents
- A client portal and document management link to Google Drive, OneDrive and Dropbox, with e-signatures on Elite.
- Email management
- Email can be sent and received from inside Uku through Gmail or Microsoft 365.
- Accounting and tax software links
- The integrations page lists QuickBooks, Xero, FreeAgent, CCH Axcess Tax, Lacerte, UltraTax CS and Drake Tax, among others.
- BI analytics and API
- Elite adds built-in BI analytics, workforce management, a public API, Zapier and an Uku MCP server for connecting AI assistants.
Plans
Karbon
Team$59
per user / month, billed yearly ($79 billed monthly)
Integrated email, workflow and to-do lists, time tracking and budgets, billing, payments and engagements. Monthly billing needs 4+ users.
Business$89
per user / month, billed yearly ($99 billed monthly)
Team features plus automatic client reminders, task automation and industry integrations. Monthly billing needs 4+ users.
EnterpriseCustom
Adds an enterprise platform, a dedicated Karbon contact, customization and unlimited usage limits.
Uku
Solo$19
per month for 1 member, billed annually ($25 billed monthly)
One member and up to 20 active clients, with CRM, time tracking, billing, workflow automations and client portal.
Team$38
per member / month, billed annually ($49 billed monthly)
Unlimited members and clients, plus AML, projects, access management, calendar and live chat support.
Elite$48
per member / month, billed annually ($62 billed monthly)
Adds BI analytics, workforce management, audit log, client budgeting, payment links, public API, e-signatures and Zapier.
Enterprise$88
per member / month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
Adds custom integrations, a dedicated account manager, assisted client import, team workshop and pay by invoice. Sold through sales.
Ways to pay less
Karbon
No public discounts listed.
Uku
- Annual discount
About 23% off with annual billing
The pricing page shows an annual-billing saving of about 23% against paying monthly, for example Team at $38 against $49 a month.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Karbon or Uku?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Karbon starts at $59 per user / month, billed yearly ($79 billed monthly), and Uku starts at $19 per month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly). One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Karbon or Uku?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Karbon nor Uku has a free plan. Uku has a free trial.
Which platforms do Karbon and Uku run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Karbon lists iOS and Android apps. Both list 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.