Built for sole traders, not Ltd companies
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.
Countingup is a solid banking and bookkeeping app for the self-employed, but it was built for sole traders and lacks the features UK Ltd directors need: Corporation Tax tracking, salary versus dividend planning, and director loan account management. AccountsOS is £20/month with a 14-day free trial, works with any bank, and gives you Finn, an AI accountant built specifically for limited companies.
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 the company pays section 455 Corporation Tax on the balance. The rate depends on when each amount was drawn: 33.75% for amounts drawn before 6 April 2026, 35.75% for amounts drawn on or after that date.
Missing feature costs you
33.75-35.75% 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
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
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
£20/month
Full Ltd company accounting with AI. Use any bank.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Countingup suitable for limited companies?
Do I have to use the Countingup bank account?
What happens when I incorporate from sole trader to Ltd?
Why doesn't Countingup have Corporation Tax features?
Can I use Countingup AND AccountsOS together?
Is Countingup cheaper than AccountsOS?
I love the innovative approach to accounting
I love the innovative approach to accounting, which can often be quite dull. I particularly appreciate how interactive it is, including the emails, reminders, and the ability to anticipate the next step.
Ksenija · SI
Great UI, fast response
Great UI, very quick at fixing any errors/bugs.
Mitch Edwards · GB
You've outgrown sole trader tools.
Your Ltd company deserves software that understands Corporation Tax, dividends, and director's loans. Try AccountsOS free for 14 days.
No credit card required. Keep your existing bank.