Countingup is great.
For sole traders.
Countingup built a beautiful banking app with built-in accounting. It's perfect if you're self-employed.
But if you run a UK limited company, you've already outgrown it.
The fundamental mismatch
Countingup was designed from the ground up for sole traders. When you're a Ltd company director, the rules are completely different.
Sole Trader
What Countingup is built for
- You ARE the business (no separate entity)
- Pay Income Tax on profits
- Take money whenever you want
- Self Assessment once a year
Countingup handles this perfectly
Ltd Company
What you actually run
- Company is a separate legal entity
- Pay Corporation Tax on profits (19-25%)
- Must extract money via salary or dividends
- CT600, Annual Accounts, Confirmation Statement
Countingup doesn't support any of this
Sound familiar?
We hear from Ltd directors who tried Countingup every week
“I incorporated my business and suddenly realized Countingup couldn't track my Corporation Tax. Had to scramble for new software.”
“I wanted to use Starling for my business account but Countingup requires you to use their bank. Deal breaker.”
“Countingup is great for tracking income and expenses, but as a Ltd director I need to know: how much dividend can I take? It can't tell me.”
“The app kept showing me my 'tax pot' for Income Tax, but I'm Ltd - I need to know my Corporation Tax liability instead.”
What Ltd directors need
These aren't nice-to-haves. They're essential for running a limited company - and missing from Countingup.
Salary vs Dividend optimization
The biggest tax lever for directors. Take £12,570 salary + dividends to save thousands. Countingup doesn't track this because sole traders can't pay dividends.
Missing feature costs you
£2,000-5,000/year
Corporation Tax planning
Ltd companies pay 19-25% CT on profits. You need to track this liability and plan for the bill. Countingup tracks Income Tax (for sole traders).
Missing feature costs you
Unexpected £10k+ tax bills
Director's Loan Account
Money you take beyond salary/dividends is a loan. Take too much without tracking and HMRC charges 32.5% on the balance.
Missing feature costs you
32.5% tax charge if mismanaged
Employer's NI on salary
When you pay yourself a salary, the company owes 13.8% Employer's NI. Countingup doesn't calculate payroll liabilities.
Missing feature costs you
13.8% hidden cost on salary
The bank lock-in problem
Countingup's killer feature is also its biggest limitation. Their accounting only works with their bank account. Which means:
Switch your bank
Already have a Starling, Revolut, or Barclays business account? You'd need to switch to Countingup's bank.
Limited banking features
Countingup is a challenger bank, not a full-service bank. May lack features you need (credit lines, foreign payments, etc).
Hard to leave
Your accounting data is tied to their bank. Want to switch? You'll lose your categorization history.
AccountsOS works with any UK bank. Keep the bank you love.
Two very different products
Countingup
Banking app with built-in bookkeeping
- Designed for sole traders & freelancers
- Must use Countingup bank account
- Income Tax estimates (not Corporation Tax)
- No AI, manual categorization
- No dividend or director loan tracking
Best for: Freelancers & side hustles
AccountsOS
AI accounting built for Ltd directors
- Built specifically for UK Ltd companies
- Works with any UK bank account
- Corporation Tax + dividend optimization
- AI chat + voice commands
- Director's loan account tracking
Best for: Ltd company directors
The day you incorporate
If you're a sole trader thinking about going Ltd, here's what happens to Countingup users:
- 1
You incorporate your Ltd company
Congrats! Now you need to track Corporation Tax, not Income Tax.
- 2
Countingup keeps showing Income Tax estimates
Which are now completely wrong for your situation.
- 3
You need to track dividends vs salary
Countingup has no concept of this. You're flying blind.
- 4
You switch to Ltd-focused software anyway
Usually within 6 months. After confusion and potential mistakes.
Skip the pain: Start with Ltd-first software
If you're already Ltd or planning to incorporate, start with software designed for it. AccountsOS handles everything a Ltd director needs from day one.
Feature comparison
| Feature | AccountsOS | Countingup |
|---|---|---|
Built for Ltd companies AccountsOS: Ltd-first. Countingup: sole trader-first. | ||
Works with any bank Keep Starling, Revolut, or Barclays. No forced switching. | ||
Director salary/dividend planning The #1 Ltd tax optimization lever. Missing from Countingup. | ||
Corporation Tax tracking 19% of profits. Countingup doesn't calculate it. | ||
Director's loan account Track what you owe the company (or it owes you). | ||
AI chat (ask questions) "Can I claim this laptop?" answered in 2 seconds. | ||
Voice commands Log expenses while driving. Countingup is tap-only. | ||
Business bank account Countingup IS a bank. AccountsOS works with YOUR bank. | ||
Auto-categorization Both categorize. AccountsOS uses AI + learns your patterns. | ||
Receipt capture Both support photo receipts. | ||
Tax estimates Countingup: Income Tax only. AccountsOS: CT + VAT + more. | Partial |
Countingup Pricing
£9.50-49/month
Banking + sole trader bookkeeping. Must use their bank.
AccountsOS Pricing
£19/month
Full Ltd company accounting with AI. Use any bank.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Countingup suitable for limited companies?
Countingup explicitly targets self-employed sole traders and freelancers. While they do offer Ltd accounts, the app lacks essential Ltd features: no Corporation Tax tracking, no dividend vs salary planning, no director's loan account. If you're a Ltd director, you'll quickly outgrow it.
Do I have to use the Countingup bank account?
Yes. Countingup is a banking app with built-in accounting, so you must use their bank account to access the accounting features. AccountsOS works with any UK bank - Starling, Revolut, Barclays, HSBC, or whoever you're already with.
What happens when I incorporate from sole trader to Ltd?
This is when most founders discover Countingup's limitations. As a sole trader, it works great. But once you incorporate, you need Corporation Tax tracking, dividend planning, and director's loan management - none of which Countingup offers. Most Ltd directors switch to dedicated Ltd software within 6 months of incorporating.
Why doesn't Countingup have Corporation Tax features?
Because Countingup was designed for sole traders who pay Income Tax, not Corporation Tax. Adding proper Ltd support would require fundamental changes to their tax calculation engine. They've focused on doing sole trader accounting really well instead.
Can I use Countingup AND AccountsOS together?
Technically yes - you could use Countingup as your bank and export statements to AccountsOS. But you'd be paying for features you're not using. Most people either: use Countingup if they're a sole trader, or use a regular business bank + AccountsOS if they're Ltd.
Is Countingup cheaper than AccountsOS?
Countingup ranges from £9.50-49/month. AccountsOS is free during Early Access (then £9/month). But the comparison isn't quite fair: Countingup is a bank + basic bookkeeping for sole traders. AccountsOS is full Ltd company accounting with AI. If you're Ltd, Countingup is missing essential features at any price.
You've outgrown sole trader tools.
Your Ltd company deserves software that understands Corporation Tax, dividends, and director's loans. Try AccountsOS free during Early Access.
Get Started FreeNo credit card required. Keep your existing bank.