Crunch accounting software review

Crunch online accounting software packages and features

Crunch* has a free bookkeeping option aimed at freelancers and small business start-ups as well as a number of paid subscription plans. Each plan can be tailored meaning users can bolt-on additional features as and when their business needs them. Below we compare the four main packages on offer. Money to the Masses has secured an exclusive offer where new members can get £5 per month off the sole trader package for the first year or 10% off of the limited company package. Use discount code: MTTM21

Crunch subscription packages for freelancers, sole traders and limited companies

Features	Free Plan £0.00	Pro (Sole Trader) £24.50 + VAT per month*	Pro (Limited Company) £75.50 + VAT per month*	Premium (Limited Company) £115.50 + VAT per month*
Online Accounting software
Unlimited expenses
Unlimited sales invoices
Free open banking links
Easy bank reconciliation
Ask an accountant
Receipt scanning app
Tripcatcher business mileage app
Discounts on Mortgage services and Business insurance
Unlimited accountancy support
HMRC registration
Self assessment submission	Option to pay £95 + VAT for a Self assessment submission add on
Dedicated client management
Year end accounts
VAT and Corporate tax filing
Unlimited phone and email support
Company formation, registration for company taxes & Registered Office address
Real time tax dashboard
In app support
Annual accountancy healthcheck
Priority support
IR35 solutions

*Use code MTTM21 to get £5 per month off of the sole trader package or 10% off of the limited company package for the first 12 months

How does Crunch accounting work?

Setting up a Crunch account is fairly straightforward. Once you provide your name, email address and type of business, you'll receive an email inviting you to finalise the setup process within a couple of minutes. In order to make use of the main features – such as sending invoices and sorting your expenses – you'll need to complete your business address and bank details. Again, this is fairly straightforward, however, there is a handy ‘Getting started' guide that will walk you through the process as well as a number of tutorial videos.

The features included in the free bookkeeping software package are perfectly suited to sole traders and freelancers, especially if they have some prior accounting knowledge. Those with a more complex business structure or with little or no accounting background may be better off signing up to a paid subscription as these come with unlimited accountancy support. You can still gain access to a dedicated accountant on the free bookkeeping package, however, you'll have to pay for the advice that you receive, with prices quoted at £39.95 + VAT for sessions up to 1 hour. Users on the free bookkeeping package can snap and upload up to 15 receipts for free each month and those who need access to more can pay to upgrade for £3.50 + VAT per month.

Users can choose to start off with a free account with the option to upgrade at a later time, or alternatively, they can subscribe to one of the paid subscriptions from the outset.

Crunch customer reviews

Crunch is rated as ‘Excellent' on independent review site Trustpilot with a score of 4.5 out of 5.0 stars from almost 1,000 reviews. 77% of customers rate it as ‘Excellent' with many commenting on its intuitive software and knowledgable team of accountants. Around 11% rate it as ‘Bad' with some saying they have problems closing down their company and response times being longer than they had hoped.

Pros and Cons of Crunch accounting software

Pros

• Free bookkeeping software available
• Unlimited access to qualified accountants on some plans
• Depending on the complexity of your business, you may not require the additional services of your own personal accountant

Cons

• Free bookkeeping software is fairly limited
• VAT submission is an extra £5.00 per month on the basic plan
• Payroll option is expensive

How does Crunch compare to its competitors?

Below we have provided a simple table that compares Crunch to three of its closest competitors. It is important to remember when comparing online accounting software packages that Crunch provides something a little bit different to its competitors. It provides additional accounting support with all of its paid plans which includes access to qualified accountants who handle everything from registration with HMRC to submission of year-end accounts.

Crunch vs Quickbooks vs Xero vs Sage

All costs in the above table are excluding VAT

Who is Crunch accounting good for?

Crunch online accounting software provides a perfect solution for freelancers and small business start-ups. Providing a free bookkeeping option that promises to remain free for life is innovative, allowing users to get to grips with how online accounting software works and whether it is a good fit for their business. Crunch provides a flexible solution for businesses that are growing and who may need additional accounting support from a qualified accountant. Additionally, new users can take advantage of an exclusive Money to the Masses sign up offer*. Save £5 per month on the sole trader package or get 10% off a limited company package for the first 12 months. Use code: MTTM21

While researching online reviews, we noted that there has been a small amount of criticism levelled at Crunch surrounding the response times for certain accounting queries. If your business has a complex setup or you require immediate action then you may be better looking at cheaper online software and employing the services of a personal accountant. It is worth remembering however that any accountant you employ will have other clients who are likely to take priority from time to time. Additionally, complex accounting tasks such as tax and business planning can come at a cost of around £125-£150 per hour and so the fees can quickly add up. Crunch provides an all-in-one accounting solution at a fixed cost; an important consideration for businesses that are starting out and who want to keep costs under control.

If a link has an * beside it this means that it is an affiliated link. If you go via the link Money to the Masses may receive a small fee which helps keep Money to the Masses free to use. But as you can clearly see this has in no way influenced this independent and balanced review of the product. The following link can be used if you do not wish to help Money to the Masses – Crunch