Great bank. Great invoicing.
Not accounting.
Tide gives you a business bank account with solid invoicing and basic expense tracking. But it's not accounting software - no P&L, no balance sheet, no Corporation Tax tracking. For real accounting, you need AccountsOS.
Tide
A business bank account with great invoicing and basic expense tracking. Perfect for banking, but not accounting software.
- Features tied to their bank account
- No P&L or balance sheet reports
- Zero Corporation Tax features
AccountsOS
AI-powered accounting built for UK Ltd companies. Works with any bank including Tide. Full financial reporting and tax planning.
- \"What's my Corporation Tax liability?\"
- Voice commands + proactive tax alerts
- P&L, balance sheet, salary/dividend optimization
Credit where it's due: Tide's invoicing is solid
Let's be fair - Tide does invoicing well. Create professional invoices, track payments, send reminders. It's one of their genuine strengths.
What Tide does well:
- Professional invoice creation
- Payment tracking and reminders
- Bank account integration (obviously)
- Quick business account opening
- Clean, modern mobile app
But invoicing isn't accounting:
- No Profit & Loss statements
- No Balance Sheet generation
- No Corporation Tax tracking
- No director loan account monitoring
- No salary vs dividend optimization
The smart move? Use both.
Keep Tide for banking and invoicing. Add AccountsOS for the accounting Tide can't do - P&L, balance sheet, Corp Tax, and AI-powered insights.
What Ltd directors discover about Tide
Tide is excellent at what it does - banking and invoicing. But Ltd company directors often hit these walls.
"I have to use their bank account"
Love your Starling cashback? Your Monzo pots? Your Revolut multi-currency? With Tide, you lose access to those features. AccountsOS works with any bank - no switching required.
"Where's my P&L?"
Tide shows you income minus expenses. That's not a P&L. When your accountant asks for proper financial statements, or you need to file accounts, Tide leaves you stuck.
"No Corporation Tax tracking at all"
Tide was built for sole traders and freelancers. There's zero Corp Tax functionality - no estimates, no planning, no optimization. You're flying blind on your biggest tax bill.
"It's a bank pretending to be accounting software"
Great for banking, invoicing, and basic expense tracking. But categorizing transactions isn't accounting - it's bookkeeping-lite without the reports you actually need.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | AccountsOS | Tide |
|---|---|---|
Works with any bank AccountsOS works with Starling, Monzo, Revolut, or any UK bank. Tide's features only work with their bank account. | ||
Profit & Loss reports Real P&L statements for your accountant and HMRC. Tide shows income vs expenses, not proper P&L. | ||
Balance Sheet Assets, liabilities, equity - the full picture. Tide doesn't generate balance sheets. | ||
Corporation Tax tracking Estimate and plan for CT. Tide has no Corp Tax features. | ||
Ask questions in plain English "What's my Corporation Tax bill?" vs navigating dashboards | ||
Voice commands Hands-free expense logging and questions while working | ||
AI-powered categorization AI learns your business. Tide uses basic rules. | ||
Director salary/dividend advice Optimal remuneration guidance. Tide doesn't touch this. | ||
Companies House integration Auto-sync filing deadlines. Tide has no Companies House features. | ||
Invoicing Both create and send invoices. Tide's invoicing is genuinely strong. | ||
Bank account included Tide is a bank first. AccountsOS works with your existing bank. | ||
Expense management Both capture receipts. AccountsOS adds AI categorization and tax optimization. | ||
MTD for VAT Direct HMRC submission. Tide has limited VAT support. | Partial |
Tide Pricing
Free - £49.99/month
Business banking + invoicing. Not accounting software.
- + Free plan has basic banking
- + Paid plans add expense cards, cashback
- + No financial statements or CT tracking
AccountsOS Pricing
£19/month
Full Ltd company accounting. Works with any bank.
- + AI chat + voice commands
- + P&L, balance sheet, CT tracking
- + Use with Tide or any other bank
A bank with bookkeeping. Not accounting software.
Tide categorizes your transactions and helps you invoice. That's valuable, but it's bookkeeping-lite - not the full accounting a limited company needs.
Profit & Loss
Tide shows income vs expenses. That's not a P&L - there's no cost of sales, gross profit, operating expenses breakdown, or EBITDA.
Balance Sheet
No balance sheet at all. Assets, liabilities, shareholder equity - none of it. You can't see your true financial position.
Corporation Tax
Zero Corp Tax features. No estimates, no tracking, no optimization. Your biggest tax bill is completely untracked.
Director Remuneration
No salary vs dividend guidance. How much to pay yourself tax-efficiently? Tide has no idea.
Companies House
No integration with Companies House. Confirmation statement and annual accounts deadlines? Track them yourself.
Director Loan Account
No DLA tracking. Borrow from your company without knowing you're approaching S455 tax liability.
When Tide is the right choice
Tide is genuinely good at what it does. Here's when it makes sense.
You need a business bank account
Tide is a genuinely good business bank. Fast onboarding, clean app, decent features. If you need a bank account, it's a solid choice.
Invoicing is your main need
Tide's invoicing is strong - create, send, track, get paid. If invoicing is 80% of what you need, Tide handles it well.
You're a sole trader
Simpler tax situation, no Corporation Tax, no director dividends. Tide's basic bookkeeping might be enough.
Running a UK limited company?
You need proper accounting alongside your bank - P&L, balance sheet, Corporation Tax tracking. AccountsOS works with Tide (or any bank) to give you the full picture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tide accounting software?
No, Tide is a business bank account with invoicing and basic expense categorization - not full accounting software. It doesn't generate P&L reports, balance sheets, or track Corporation Tax. For real accounting, you need software like AccountsOS that produces proper financial statements and handles Ltd company tax planning.
Can I use Tide with AccountsOS?
Yes! AccountsOS works with any UK bank account including Tide. You can keep Tide as your bank for its invoicing features and use AccountsOS for proper accounting - P&L, balance sheet, Corporation Tax tracking, and AI-powered financial management. Just upload your Tide statements or connect your account.
Does Tide do Corporation Tax?
No, Tide has no Corporation Tax features whatsoever. It was designed for sole traders and freelancers, so Corp Tax planning, estimates, and optimization are completely missing. If you run a limited company, this is a significant gap that leaves you guessing at your biggest tax liability.
Is Tide good for limited companies?
Tide works as a bank account for limited companies, and its invoicing is solid. However, it lacks essential Ltd company features: no P&L or balance sheet generation, no Corporation Tax tracking, no director loan account monitoring, no salary vs dividend guidance. You'll need proper accounting software alongside it.
What's the difference between Tide and accounting software?
Tide is a bank with bookkeeping features: it categorizes transactions and creates invoices. Accounting software like AccountsOS goes further: generating P&L and balance sheets, tracking Corporation Tax, optimizing director remuneration, handling VAT returns, and producing the reports your accountant and HMRC actually need.
Which is cheaper, Tide or AccountsOS?
Tide's free plan includes basic banking and invoicing. Paid plans range from £9.99-£49.99/month. AccountsOS is free during Early Access (then £9/month) for full Ltd company accounting. But comparing prices isn't quite fair - Tide is a bank with basic bookkeeping, while AccountsOS is full accounting software. Many Ltd directors use both: Tide for banking/invoicing, AccountsOS for accounting.
Bank with Tide. Account with AccountsOS.
Free during Early Access. Works with Tide, Starling, Monzo, Revolut, or any UK bank. Full Ltd company accounting - P&L, balance sheet, Corporation Tax, and AI-powered insights.
Get Started FreeNo credit card required. Keep using Tide for banking.