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Best practice management software for small UK accountancy practices in 2026
Seven practice management systems for small UK accountancy practices, scored on jobs covered, independent reviews, a readable price and UK filing dates.
Practice management software holds the client list, the jobs, the deadlines, the portal clients upload to and the timesheets. Suppliers price it three ways: by user, by client and by flat fee. A list of from-prices therefore tells a buyer very little.
We priced seven systems for one firm, three staff and 200 clients, over a year and before VAT, from each supplier's own page on 1 October 2026. In pounds the bill runs from £948 a year (Engager.app) to £1,800 (TaxDome). Xero's tool is free to practices with Silver partner status, and Pixie showed us dollars only. Karbon scores highest on our criteria, with three others half a point behind.
Our separate review of AI tools for accountancy practices covers the AI features of Karbon and TaxDome. This page is about the practice system as a whole and does not repeat it.
Overlyft is an AI agency that can set up an AI assistant for accountancy practices. It is not practice management software and it is not in this list.
At a glance
- Best for running client work through a shared inboxKarbonTeam plan: 3 users at £34 a month each, paid annually, is £1,224 a year; the page does not say whether VAT is added. The Business plan is £49 a user, £1,764 a year. Monthly billing is only for teams of 4 or more
- Best for one plan with everything in the seat priceTaxDome3 seats at £600 a year each on a one-year term is £1,800 a year before VAT, billed upfront. On a three-year term it is £560 a seat, £1,680 a year
- Lowest published pound price for this firmEngager.app£79 a month for 151 to 200 clients with unlimited users, billed monthly, is £948 a year before VAT. Two-way Xero sync adds £4 a month, £48 a year
- Best for onboarding and Companies House deadlines togetherBrightManagerEssential plan: 3 users at £409.25 a year each, billed annually, is £1,227.75 a year before VAT. Billed monthly it is £42.63 a user, £1,534.68 a year
- Best for a flat fee however many staff log inPixieUS$129 a month for fewer than 250 clients with unlimited users is US$1,548 a year. The page showed dollars only; a pound price is not published
- Best for practices already on IRISIRIS Elements Practice ManagementEssentials: 3 users at £27 a month each on a 12-month contract is £972 a year before VAT (£34 monthly, £1,224 a year). A second IRIS page shows £21.60 a user, £777.60 a year
- Best for Xero partners at Silver level or aboveXero Partner Hub + Practice ManagementFree for practices at Silver, Gold or Platinum partner level. For a new or Bronze practice, £99 a month for up to 10 users is £1,188 a year before VAT
1. Best for running client work through a shared inbox
Karbon
Karbon scores highest on our criteria: 4.8 before rounding. Every plan includes the client list, work templates, a client portal, client requests, time tracking and billing. Its Companies House integration shows each company's next accounts and confirmation statement filing deadlines on the client record; Self Assessment and VAT dates are not mentioned. Two costs sit outside the seat price. Automatic client reminders need the Business plan, which takes three users from £1,224 to £1,764 a year. Document e-signing uses credits sold in bundles from £80 for 100, though engagement letters sent through Karbon's own engagements tool use none. Capterra UK shows 4.7 from 208 reviews.
Pros
- Pound prices for each plan on its own page
- Companies House filing deadlines shown on each client record
- 4.7 from 208 reviews on Capterra UK
Cons
- Automatic client reminders need the Business plan
- E-signature credits are bought separately, from £80 for 100
- Three users must pay for a year: monthly billing starts at 4 users
| Price | Team plan: 3 users at £34 a month each, paid annually, is £1,224 a year; the page does not say whether VAT is added. The Business plan is £49 a user, £1,764 a year. Monthly billing is only for teams of 4 or more |
|---|---|
| Best for | Practices that run client work through email and want every message tied to a job |
| Set-up | Demo first. Group onboarding and guided implementation packages are offered; their cost is not on the pricing page |
2. Best for one plan with everything in the seat price
TaxDome
TaxDome publishes one plan and one UK price, and all five jobs are in it: client list, workflow with a calendar and job boards, a branded client portal and app with client requests, time and billing, and e-signatures, which its page says are unlimited on every plan. It is the only product here with the full 2 points for coverage. It misses the half point for filing dates. The Companies House integration copies company data into client records, and the UK page says you can build templates around Self Assessment and VAT dates, but neither says filing dates are held for each client. Capterra UK shows 4.7 from 3,624 reviews.
Pros
- All five jobs in one plan, with unlimited e-signatures
- One published UK price for each seat
- The largest review count here: 3,624 on Capterra UK
Cons
- Dearest of the six priced in pounds: £1,800 a year for three
- Billed a year upfront; the page says to ask about monthly terms
- The page says the final price may vary with the dollar exchange rate
| Price | 3 seats at £600 a year each on a one-year term is £1,800 a year before VAT, billed upfront. On a three-year term it is £560 a seat, £1,680 a year |
|---|---|
| Best for | Practices that want the portal, signatures and billing in one subscription with no add-ons |
| Set-up | Demo first. The pricing page lists onboarding help and training materials as included |
AI staff and workflows for accountants and bookkeepers. Starting with client document chasing.See what we would set up3. Lowest published pound price for this firm
Engager.app
Engager.app prices by the number of clients, with unlimited users at every tier. Its calculator puts 200 clients at £79 a month, £948 a year, the lowest pound figure of the seven; client 201 moves the firm to the £89 tier. Its pages state a client portal, e-signing, automated record requests, task boards, time tracking against budgets, engagement and professional clearance letters, and an HMRC link that requests and tracks agent authorisations. Invoicing is not stated. The Companies House link imports company and director details nightly, but no page we read says in words which filing dates are held for each client. Trustpilot shows 4.6 from 199 reviews.
Pros
- Unlimited users at every tier
- Billed monthly, with the price for any client count on the page
- Requests and tracks HMRC agent authorisations from inside the system
Cons
- Invoicing not stated
- No written statement of which statutory dates it holds
- The price steps up with the client count: £89 from client 201
| Price | £79 a month for 151 to 200 clients with unlimited users, billed monthly, is £948 a year before VAT. Two-way Xero sync adds £4 a month, £48 a year |
|---|---|
| Best for | Small UK practices that would sooner pay by client count than by seat |
| Set-up | 28-day free trial with no card details. Free training sessions and an initial setup guide are listed |
4. Best for onboarding and Companies House deadlines together
BrightManager
BrightManager, formerly AccountancyManager, says on its page that Companies House filing deadlines are kept up to date for each client and that tasks are generated from compliance deadlines. It also states onboarding with professional clearance, engagement letters, AML checks and HMRC agent authorisation codes, a client portal with e-signatures and forms, automatic requests for records by email and text, and time tracking with work in progress. Invoicing is not stated. Essential is priced per user for 2 to 12 users. The branded portal and proposal tool are listed under Premium and Advanced, which the page describes as for single users, so ask what Essential includes. Trustpilot's 4.0 from 834 reviews covers all Bright products.
Pros
- Companies House filing deadlines kept up to date for each client
- Clearance, engagement letters, AML checks and agent authorisation in onboarding
- Records requested from clients automatically by email and text
Cons
- The review count covers payroll and other Bright products too
- What the Essential plan leaves out is not clear from the page
- Invoicing not stated
| Price | Essential plan: 3 users at £409.25 a year each, billed annually, is £1,227.75 a year before VAT. Billed monthly it is £42.63 a user, £1,534.68 a year |
|---|---|
| Best for | Practices that want AML checks, clearance letters and agent authorisation in the same system as the deadlines |
| Set-up | 30-day free trial on the Essential plan; a demo can be booked |
AI staff and workflows for accountants and bookkeepers. Starting with client document chasing.See what we would set up5. Best for a flat fee however many staff log in
Pixie
Pixie charges one fee for the whole firm by client band: under 250 clients is US$129 a month, however many staff log in. The page we read showed dollars only, so it scores half for price. Its pages state a client list that imports contact details and incorporation and statement dates from Companies House, jobs that start automatically from key client dates, internal target dates, client tasks with automatic reminders, a document portal and e-signing. Time recording and billing are not mentioned. Capterra UK shows 4.8 from 32 reviews, which is a small sample.
Pros
- One fee for the firm, with no charge for each user
- Companies House dates imported to the client record
- Client tasks with automatic reminders, and e-signing
Cons
- Priced in US dollars on the page we read
- Time recording and billing not stated
- Only 32 independent reviews read
| Price | US$129 a month for fewer than 250 clients with unlimited users is US$1,548 a year. The page showed dollars only; a pound price is not published |
|---|---|
| Best for | Small practices that want workflow, client tasks and signing and do not record time |
| Set-up | 30-day free trial with no card. Migration help, live chat support and starter workflow templates are listed |
6. Best for practices already on IRIS
IRIS Elements Practice Management
This is Senta under a new name. The Essentials plan states a client list, a workflow engine, email and text automation, a client portal with e-signatures and a Companies House link; Senta's own pages say that link pulls in compliance dates. Time and fees is an optional add-on to the Professional plan, whose price is on request. IRIS shows two price lists. The product page gives £27 a month in its 2-to-4 band on a 12-month contract and labels the slider as a number of clients, though the bands match the per-user bands on a second IRIS page, which gives £21.60. Get the figure in writing. Capterra UK lists it as Senta: 3.0 from 4 reviews.
Pros
- Client portal with e-signatures in the Essentials plan
- Companies House integration that pulls in compliance dates
- Syncs its client list with IRIS Accountancy Suite
Cons
- Two IRIS pages give different prices for the same band
- Time and fees is an add-on to a plan with no published price
- Only 4 independent reviews read, averaging 3.0
| Price | Essentials: 3 users at £27 a month each on a 12-month contract is £972 a year before VAT (£34 monthly, £1,224 a year). A second IRIS page shows £21.60 a user, £777.60 a year |
|---|---|
| Best for | Practices that use IRIS for accounts and tax and want one client list across both |
| Set-up | 30-day free trial with no card needed |
AI staff and workflows for accountants and bookkeepers. Starting with client document chasing.See what we would set up7. Best for Xero partners at Silver level or above
Xero Partner Hub + Practice Management
Xero's practice tool, formerly sold as Xero Practice Manager, now sits inside Xero Partner Hub. It is free to practices at Silver partner level or above and £99 a month for up to 10 users otherwise, so a practice with Silver status pays nothing extra. The page states job tracking with templates, task deadlines, staff scheduling, time entry by duration or by start and stop, invoices built from time, and work in progress reports, all driven from the hub's client records. The page we read does not mention a client portal, document requests, e-signing or UK filing dates. We could not open an independent review listing: G2 has one but would not load.
Pros
- Free at Silver partner level or above
- Time entry converts to progress or final invoices
- Runs from the same client records as Xero Tax
Cons
- Client portal and e-signing not stated
- No independent review count read
- Free only with partner status; £1,188 a year without it
| Price | Free for practices at Silver, Gold or Platinum partner level. For a new or Bronze practice, £99 a month for up to 10 users is £1,188 a year before VAT |
|---|---|
| Best for | Practices whose clients are mostly on Xero and who mainly need jobs, timesheets and invoices |
| Set-up | 14-day free trial. Xero recommends its partner consulting team for set-up |
Side by side
| Karbon | TaxDome | Engager.app | BrightManager | Pixie | IRIS Elements Practice Management | Xero Partner Hub + Practice Management | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly cost, 3 users and 200 clients, before VAT | £1,224 | £1,800 | £948 | £1,227.75 | US$1,548 | £972 or £777.60 | £0 or £1,188 |
| Priced by | User | User | Client count | User | Client count | User | Flat fee or partner status |
| Client portal and requests | Yes; automatic reminders on Business | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Not stated |
| E-signing | Yes, as paid credits | Yes, unlimited | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, with the portal | Not stated |
| Time and billing | Yes | Yes | Yes for time; invoicing not stated | Yes for time; invoicing not stated | Not stated | No; an add-on to the Professional plan | Yes |
| UK filing dates held for each client | Yes; Companies House deadlines | Not stated; build your own templates | Not stated | Yes; Companies House deadlines | Yes; Companies House dates | Yes; Companies House compliance dates | Not stated |
| Independent reviews read | 4.7 from 208, Capterra UK | 4.7 from 3,624, Capterra UK | 4.6 from 199, Trustpilot | 4.0 from 834, Trustpilot, all Bright products | 4.8 from 32, Capterra UK | 3.0 from 4, Capterra UK, as Senta | No independent review count read |
| Free trial | Not stated; demo | Not stated; demo | 28 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 14 days |
| Points before rounding | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 2.2 |
| Price | Team plan: 3 users at £34 a month each, paid annually, is £1,224 a year; the page does not say whether VAT is added. The Business plan is £49 a user, £1,764 a year. Monthly billing is only for teams of 4 or more | 3 seats at £600 a year each on a one-year term is £1,800 a year before VAT, billed upfront. On a three-year term it is £560 a seat, £1,680 a year | £79 a month for 151 to 200 clients with unlimited users, billed monthly, is £948 a year before VAT. Two-way Xero sync adds £4 a month, £48 a year | Essential plan: 3 users at £409.25 a year each, billed annually, is £1,227.75 a year before VAT. Billed monthly it is £42.63 a user, £1,534.68 a year | US$129 a month for fewer than 250 clients with unlimited users is US$1,548 a year. The page showed dollars only; a pound price is not published | Essentials: 3 users at £27 a month each on a 12-month contract is £972 a year before VAT (£34 monthly, £1,224 a year). A second IRIS page shows £21.60 a user, £777.60 a year | Free for practices at Silver, Gold or Platinum partner level. For a new or Bronze practice, £99 a month for up to 10 users is £1,188 a year before VAT |
How we ranked them
What counted: five jobs covered (client list, jobs and deadlines, client portal and requests, e-signing, time and billing) at 0.4 each, up to 2 points; independent reviews with a count, up to 1.5; a full UK price for the example firm that can be read without a sales call, up to 1; UK statutory filing dates held for each client, stated on the supplier's own page and naming Companies House, Self Assessment or VAT, 0.5.
We read each supplier's product and pricing pages in a browser on 1 October 2026 and recorded what each says. Every price is from the supplier's own page, before VAT, worked out to a year for a firm with three users and 200 clients. We ran no trials and asked for no quotes, so the scores measure what is published, not how the software performs.
"Not stated" means the pages we read did not mention it. That is an absence of a statement, not proof the product cannot do it. A job a page states only in part, or sells as an extra, counts 0.2. For the half point we looked for wording that statutory dates are pulled in or tracked for each client. A page that says only that you can build your own templates and reminders does not score. Every page that scored names Companies House dates; none says Self Assessment or VAT due dates are filled in for each client.
Review counts are from Capterra UK and Trustpilot on the same day; G2 would not load for us. Evidence scores 1.5 for 100 or more reviews of the product averaging 4.5 or higher; 1 for 25 to 99, or for 100 or more where the profile covers all of a company's products or the average is 4.0 to 4.4; 0.5 for fewer than 25; 0 where we read none. Price scores 1 for a full price in pounds and 0.5 where the price is not in pounds or two of the supplier's pages disagree. Totals are rounded to the nearest half; the table shows them before rounding. Capium and Nomi are left out because each sells practice management as one module of an accounts and tax suite.
Questions people ask
How much does practice management software cost for a small UK accountancy practice?
For three users and 200 clients, on the suppliers' own pages read on 1 October 2026 and before VAT: Engager.app £948 a year, IRIS Elements Practice Management £972 on its product page (£777.60 on a second IRIS page), Karbon £1,224 on the Team plan, BrightManager £1,227.75 billed annually and TaxDome £1,800. Xero's tool is free at Silver partner level and £1,188 a year otherwise. Pixie showed US$1,548 a year.
Which practice management software is cheapest for three staff and 200 clients?
On prices read on 1 October 2026, Engager.app at £79 a month, £948 a year, because it charges by client count and not by user. IRIS's landing page shows £21.60 a user, £777.60 a year, but its product page shows £27, so we have not treated the lower figure as settled. A practice with Xero Silver partner status pays nothing for Xero's tool, though that tool states no client portal or e-signing.
Which practice management software tracks Companies House deadlines?
Four of the seven say so on their own pages, read on 1 October 2026. Karbon shows next accounts and confirmation statement filing deadlines on the client record. BrightManager says filing deadlines are kept up to date. Pixie imports incorporation and statement dates, and Senta's pages say IRIS's Companies House link pulls in compliance dates. None of the seven says Self Assessment or VAT due dates are filled in for each client; those are recurring jobs you set up yourself.
Is Xero Practice Manager free?
For some practices. Xero's page, read on 1 October 2026, says practice management inside Xero Partner Hub is included free for practices at Silver, Gold or Platinum partner level. A practice that is new to Xero or at Bronze level gets a 14-day trial and then pays £99 a month for up to 10 users, before VAT, which is £1,188 a year.
Which practice management systems work with Xero?
On the pages we read on 1 October 2026, Karbon says it connects to Xero for client, billing and payment data, TaxDome says it integrates with Xero and QuickBooks Online, BrightManager lists Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent and Sage, and IRIS says it imports client data from Xero. Engager.app sells a two-way client sync with Xero for £4 a month on top of its fee. Pixie's pages did not mention Xero.
Does a three-person practice need practice management software?
A spreadsheet can hold 200 clients and their dates. What it cannot do is send the requests and the reminders. Since 6 April 2026 each client in Making Tax Digital for Income Tax has four quarterly updates a year as well as the return, so 50 such clients means 250 deadlines a year. The cheapest pound price here is £948 a year, which is £4.74 a client. Whether that pays for itself depends on how much chasing is done by hand.
AEO Lookup editorial team
We write practical guides for people who run small UK firms, and we check every fact against its source on the date shown. Read how we review, or tell us if something has changed.
