# Akaunting vs Bench

**Leader by Vioscale score:** Akaunting

| Attribute | Akaunting | Bench |
|---|---|---|
| **Vioscale score** | 60.5 (63% (medium)) | 53.1 (58% (medium)) |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"hybrid":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true}` |
| description.long | Free, open-source online accounting software offering invoicing, expense tracking, accounting, and reporting for small businesses and freelancers. | Bench is an online bookkeeping service that combines automated software with dedicated professional bookkeeping experts to provide monthly books, financial reporting, and tax preparation for small businesses. |
| features.capabilities | `{"inventory":true,"api_access":"full","bank_feeds":"manual_import","deployment":"hybrid","ar_invoicing":true,"ap_automation":true,"multi_currency":true,"tax_compliance":"Sales Tax Calculation, Tax Filing","double_entry_gl":true,"payments_capture":true,"accountant_collab":true,"project_accounting":true}` | `{"bank_feeds":"aggregator","deployment":"cloud","tax_compliance":"Federal income tax filing","payments_capture":true,"accountant_collab":true}` |
| integrations.count | 50 | 16 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Shopify"},{"name":"Stripe"},{"name":"Bank Feeds"}]` | `[{"name":"Plaid"},{"name":"Square"},{"name":"QuickBooks Online"},{"name":"Drake"},{"name":"FileThis"},{"name":"Stripe"},{"name":"Salesforce"},{"name":"AWS"},{"name":"Azure OpenAI"},{"name":"Mailchimp"},{"name":"Marketo"},{"name":"Stream Chat"},{"name":"Appcues"},{"name":"DataDog"},{"name":"Rollbar"},{"name":"Retool"}]` |
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":[],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"regional","availableCountries":["US"],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"web":true}` | `{"web":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"hybrid","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Standard On-Premise","summary":"Free","features":["1 Company","1 User + 1 Accountant","1,000 Invoices","Community Support","Unlimited Customers","Unlimited Vendors","Unlimited Reports","Recurring Payment Reminders","Multiple Currencies","Manage Employees","List Products or Services","Sales Tax Calculation","Multiple Bank Accounts","Import Bank Transactions"],"minSeats":1,"description":"Best for one-person businesses","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"users":"1 User + 1 Accountant","invoices":"1,000","companies":"1"}},{"free":false,"name":"Premium On-Premise","summary":"$72/year or $756 lifetime","features":["10 Companies","10 Users","10,000 Invoices","Ticket Support","Unlimited Customers","Unlimited Vendors","Unlimited Reports","Recurring Payment Reminders","Multiple Currencies","Manage Employees","List Products or Services","Sales Tax Calculation","Multiple Bank Accounts","Import Bank Transactions"],"minSeats":10,"commitment":"annual","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":72,"period":"year","currency":"USD"},{"kind":"one_time","amount":756,"currency":"USD"}],"description":"Best for small businesses","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"users":"10","invoices":"10,000","companies":"10"}},{"free":false,"name":"Elite On-Premise","summary":"$168/year or $1,764 lifetime","features":["30 Companies","30 Users","30,000 Invoices","Ticket Support","Unlimited Customers","Unlimited Vendors","Unlimited Reports","Recurring Payment Reminders","Multiple Currencies","Manage Employees","List Products or Services","Sales Tax Calculation","Multiple Bank Accounts","Import Bank Transactions"],"minSeats":30,"commitment":"annual","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":168,"period":"year","currency":"USD"},{"kind":"one_time","amount":1764,"currency":"USD"}],"description":"Best for mid-sized businesses","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"users":"30","invoices":"30,000","companies":"30"}},{"free":false,"name":"Ultimate On-Premise","summary":"$684/year or $7,224 lifetime","features":["Unlimited Companies","Unlimited Users","Unlimited Invoices","Ticket Support","Unlimited Customers","Unlimited Vendors","Unlimited Reports","Recurring Payment Reminders","Multiple Currencies","Manage Employees","List Products or Services","Sales Tax Calculation","Multiple Bank Accounts","Import Bank Transactions"],"commitment":"annual","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":684,"period":"year","currency":"USD"},{"kind":"one_time","amount":7224,"currency":"USD"}],"description":"Best for accountants","contactSales":false,"includedLimits":{"users":"Unlimited","invoices":"Unlimited","companies":"Unlimited"}}],"summary":"Free for standard plan, or $72–$684/year for paid tiers (annual or one-time lifetime options)","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://akaunting.com/plans-on-premise","retrievedAt":"2026-08-13T17:02:49.673Z","startingPrice":{"amount":72,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["year"]}` | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":false,"name":"Bookkeeping Grow","summary":"$199/mo or $1,910/year (20% discount)","features":["Dedicated bookkeeping experts","Accurate monthly books and year-end tax-ready financial packages","P&L, balance sheet and 1099 reporting","Pre-scheduled communication touchpoints with your bookkeeping team","Custom categorizations"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":1910,"period":"year","currency":"USD"},{"kind":"fixed","amount":199,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"An accessible, lighter-touch plan built for lean businesses seeking financial clarity and confidence as they grow.","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Bookkeeping Core","summary":"$399/mo or $3,830/year (20% discount)","features":["Dedicated bookkeeping experts","Accurate monthly books and year-end tax-ready financial packages","P&L, balance sheet and 1099 reporting","Unlimited communication with your bookkeeping team","Custom categorizations"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":3830,"period":"year","currency":"USD"},{"kind":"fixed","amount":399,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Reliable bookkeeping to cover your basic financial reporting needs.","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Bookkeeping Core + Tax","summary":"$5,750/year","features":["Dedicated bookkeeping experts","Accurate monthly books and year-end tax-ready financial packages","P&L, balance sheet and 1099 reporting","Unlimited communication with your bookkeeping team","Dedicated team of licensed tax professionals to file your income tax return on time","Annual income tax filing for businesses (partnerships, S corps, C corps)","Annual income tax filing for individuals (sole proprietors, contractors)"],"commitment":"annual","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":5750,"period":"year","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Full-service bookkeeping with income tax filing and advisory to manage your financials seamlessly.","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"QBO Certified Bookkeeper","summary":"$55/hour + $1,200 onboarding","features":["QuickBooks native support","A true team extension","On-demand flexibility","Fully customizable scope"],"components":[{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"hour","amount":55,"currency":"USD"},{"kind":"one_time","amount":1200,"currency":"USD"}],"description":"Expert QuickBooks support that works inside your existing account.","contactSales":false}],"summary":"From $199/mo for Bookkeeping Grow. Free trial available.","currency":"USD","freeTier":false,"sourceUrl":"https://www.bench.co/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-08-13T17:04:06.683Z","startingPrice":{"amount":55,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month","year"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | no |
| pricing.model | freemium | commercial |
| pricing.price_level | high | mid |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| reliability.sla_pct | 99.97 | - |
| security.gdpr | yes | - |
| security.soc2 | - | yes |

## Capabilities (Accounting Software)

| Capability | Akaunting | Bench |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Double-entry GL | ✓ | - |
| Multi-entity | - | - |
| Multi-currency | ✓ | - |
| Bank feeds | Manual import | Aggregator |
| **Modules** |  |  |
| AP automation | ✓ | - |
| AR / invoicing | ✓ | - |
| Inventory | ✓ | - |
| Fixed assets | - | - |
| Project accounting | ✓ | - |
| **Compliance** |  |  |
| Tax compliance | Sales Tax Calculation, Tax Filing | Federal income tax filing |
| **Workflow** |  |  |
| Accountant collaboration | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Payments** |  |  |
| Payments capture | ✓ | ✓ |
| **Ecosystem** |  |  |
| API access | Full | - |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Deployment | Hybrid | Cloud |

*Source: Vioscale. Generated 2026-09-01T16:36:08.704Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*