Crunch: £149/month + 3-day response times. AccountsOS: £20/month + VAT, instant.

Stop paying £150/month
to wait for answers.

Crunch gives you human accountants who reply in 1-3 days. AccountsOS gives you AI that replies in 3 seconds. Same MTD compliance. Same filings. 5-10x cheaper. Infinitely faster.

Try AccountsOS FreeSee Full Comparison

Crunch is a reputable online accountancy firm with real human accountants, typically priced at £99 to £189 per month. AccountsOS delivers the same MTD compliance and filing capability for £20/month + VAT with a 14-day free trial, and Finn answers questions in seconds rather than days. The right choice depends on whether you want human reassurance or instant AI access.

C

Crunch

Online accountancy firm with human accountants. Good service, but you're paying for human time, whether you need it or not.

  • 1-3 day response times
  • £99-189/month minimum
  • Office hours only (Mon-Fri)
A

AccountsOS

AI-native accountant that answers instantly, works 24/7, and costs less than one Crunch invoice.

  • 3-second response times
  • Voice commands while you work
  • £20/month + VAT, everything included

The Crunch frustrations you know too well

Human accountants are great, when you need human judgment. But most questions don't.

"I waited 3 days for a simple answer"

You email Crunch asking if you can claim your home office. They get back to you Thursday. With AccountsOS, you'd know in 5 seconds.

"I'm paying £150/month to ask 4 questions"

Crunch charges monthly minimums whether you need help or not. Most months you have simple questions that AI could answer instantly.

"Every question feels like I'm bothering someone"

Human accountants have limited time. You hesitate to ask "stupid questions." AI doesn't judge - ask anything, anytime, unlimited.

"Receipts pile up waiting for processing"

Send Crunch a receipt, wait for their team to process it. With AccountsOS, snap a photo, it's categorized in 4 seconds.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

FeatureAccountsOSCrunch
Instant answers to questions
Ask at 11pm on Sunday. Get an answer in 3 seconds. No waiting.
Voice commands
Log expenses while driving. "Add £47 Costa as client entertainment."
Receipt processing speed
AI extracts, categorizes, and files instantly vs waiting for human review
4 seconds24-48 hours
24/7 availability
AI never takes annual leave. Crunch accountants have office hours.
Proactive tax optimization
Both advise - but you'll wait days for Crunch vs instant from AI
Unlimited questions
Ask anything, anytime. Crunch questions = accountant time = your money.
Limited
Bank reconciliation
Both handle bank feeds
Invoice creation
Both support invoicing
Self Assessment filing
Both handle personal tax returns
Company accounts filing
Both file with Companies House
VAT returns (MTD)
Both are MTD-compliant
Human accountant included
Crunch includes humans. AccountsOS: AI handles 90%, humans for the rest.
Add-on

The true cost over time

Small monthly differences compound into massive savings.

1 Year

Crunch£1,788
AccountsOS£228
Save £1,560

3 Years

Crunch£5,364
AccountsOS£684
Save £4,680

5 Years

Crunch£8,940
AccountsOS£1140
Save £7,800

Based on Crunch Pro at £149/month vs AccountsOS (free for 14 days, then £20/month + VAT)

When Crunch might still make sense

We're not here to trash Crunch. Here's when a human-first service might be right for you.

Complex tax situations

R&D tax credits, EIS/SEIS investments, share option schemes, or international tax planning genuinely benefit from human expertise.

Peace of mind preference

Some founders simply prefer knowing there's a named human accountant behind their books, even if AI could do the same job faster.

Revenue over £500k

At higher revenue levels, the complexity often justifies the cost of full-time accountant attention. Though many scale-ups still prefer AI + occasional CFO.

Multiple companies or structures

Group structures, holding companies, or complex multi-entity setups may need human oversight to coordinate.

The smart hybrid approach

Use AccountsOS (£240/year) as your daily accountant for 90% of questions. Pay for a human consultation (£200-400) when you hit something complex. Still save thousands vs a Crunch retainer.

Same compliance. Different delivery.

Both AccountsOS and Crunch get you compliant with HMRC and Companies House. The difference is how you get there, and what you pay.

MTD VAT
Companies House
Corporation Tax
Self Assessment

Frequently Asked Questions

How is AccountsOS different from Crunch?

Crunch is an online accountancy firm - you get software plus human accountants on a monthly retainer. AccountsOS is AI-first - you get intelligent software that answers questions instantly, 24/7. Both handle the same compliance tasks (MTD, Companies House, HMRC), but AccountsOS costs £20/month + VAT vs Crunch's £99-189/month, and you never wait for responses.

Is Crunch better if I want a human accountant?

If you specifically want regular human contact and prefer waiting 1-3 days for answers over instant AI responses, Crunch may suit you. But consider: most questions ("can I claim this?", "when's my VAT due?", "what was my contractor spend?") don't need human judgment, AI handles them faster and cheaper. For genuinely complex situations, you can still consult a human accountant occasionally and still save thousands.

Which is cheaper, AccountsOS or Crunch?

AccountsOS is free for 14 days (then £20/month + VAT) flat. Crunch ranges from £99/month (software + basic support) to £189/month (full accountancy). That's 5-10x more expensive. Over 5 years, you'd save around £7,800 with AccountsOS while getting faster service.

Will I miss important deadlines without a human accountant?

No - AccountsOS syncs your deadlines from Companies House automatically. You'll get proactive reminders for Confirmation Statements, Annual Accounts, Corporation Tax, and VAT returns. The AI tracks this better than a human would because it never forgets.

What if I have a complex tax situation?

For genuinely complex situations (R&D tax credits, share schemes, international tax), human expertise still helps. The smart approach: use AccountsOS as your base layer (£240/year) and pay for a one-off human consultation when needed (£200-500). Still cheaper than Crunch's £1,800+/year retainer.

Stop paying for slow answers

Free for 14 days. No credit card required. Ask your first question in under 5 minutes.

Get Started Free

Save £1,500+/year. Get answers 1000x faster.