Crunch vs Koinly
Side-by-side comparison — pricing, features, ratings, use cases. Find which Tax Software fits you best.
🔍 Independently researched ·
📊 Data-driven
· ⭐ Ratings from G2 (real user reviews)
76/100
$35 starting
UK freelancers, contractors, and small limited companies who want online accounting software plus a real UK accountant f
★ Best
💰 Pricing
Starting at $35 (subscription)
Fee notes:
- Monthly prices are in GBP and exclude VAT at 20% (shown as base).
- Yearly plan is equivalent to 10 months' cost, saving two months' fees.
- Crunch is known to charge £28+VAT per month for Core, rising to £38+VAT for Core with payroll, and £48+VAT for Complete.
- Additional services: Self-assessment filing for additional people (e.g., partner) available at £49 per return.
- Payroll for more than 10 employees: additional £5 per employee per month (approximately).
⚠ Watch for:
- VAT (currently 20%) is added to all subscription fees.
- On the yearly plan, if you cancel early, you may be charged the full year's fees.
- There is a setup fee of £99 for new limited company registration or conversion (if you need it) — though sometimes waived.
- Additional self-assessment filings for other individuals (e.g., spouse) are not included and cost extra.
🔧 Features
✓ Uk Focus✓ Freelancer Sme✓ Self Assessment✓ Vat✓ Accountant Included
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Crunch bundles a dedicated accountant with its software, which is a rare and valuable feature. You get a named UK-based accountant who can answer questions via phone or email, which is incredibly useful for tax planning, understanding dividends, or filing compliance. This is a huge benefit for business owners who lack accounting knowledge and would otherwise need to hire a separate accountant, saving time and potentially reducing errors.
- It's built specifically for UK tax rules, which is a major advantage. Crunch handles MTD-compliant VAT, self assessment, corporation tax, and dividend tracking natively, meaning you don't have to manually work out your tax liabilities. The software calculates your corporation tax and even helps with payroll, which is a boon for limited company directors who need to manage their salary and dividends efficiently.
- Real-time bank feeds and automatic reconciliation make bookkeeping less tedious. You connect your UK bank accounts via Open Banking, and Crunch pulls in transactions automatically. You can then categorize expenses quickly, and the software matches them to invoices and bills. This feature cuts down on manual data entry and ensures your financials are always up to date, which is great for businesses with high transaction volumes.
- Transparent monthly pricing is a plus, even if you have to ask for a quote. Once you know the rate (starting at $30/mo), it's a predictable subscription that includes everything: software plus accountant support. Compare this to paying for software (e.g., FreeAgent at ~$30/mo) and then separately paying an accountant (~$100/mo+), and Crunch can be a more cost-effective solution for many small businesses.
- The platform offers a mobile app for on-the-go expense tracking and banking. You can snap a photo of a receipt and it syncs to your account, which is handy for contractors and freelancers who incur expenses while away from their desk. This small feature keeps your records accurate and reduces the pile of paper receipts at year-end.
⚠ Watch out for
- Pricing is opaque — you have to book a demo or call Crunch to get a quote. This is a significant friction point for buyers who are comparing software online. Competitors like FreeAgent and Xero publish their rates clearly, so you know what you're getting into without sales calls. Crunch's hiding of pricing feels outdated and can put off potential customers who prefer self-serve onboarding.
- Crunch is not well-suited for unincorporated sole traders who don't need corporation tax or payroll features. The plans for freelancers (sole traders) are more limited, and the add-ons like payroll are geared toward limited companies. If you're a sole trader, you might be paying for features you don't need, making cheaper alternatives like QuickBooks Self-Employed more appealing.
- Integrations are sparse. Unlike Xero or QuickBooks, which have hundreds of third-party apps, Crunch only offers a handful of native integrations (e.g., Stripe, PayPal, and some banking). If you rely on custom tools or want to sync with a CRM or inventory system, you won't find them easily. This is a major drawback for growing businesses that need connected tools.
- The software's interface feels dated compared to rivals. While it's functional, some users report that the dashboard and navigation are not as intuitive as FreeAgent's. This can make the initial learning curve steeper, and it may feel less polished to tech-savvy users.
- Customer support, while included, can be slow to respond during peak tax season. Some users have reported waiting longer for email responses, which is frustrating when you have urgent questions. In contrast, other platforms offer instant chat support, though Crunch's phone support is generally reliable.
🎯 Best for
UK freelancers, contractors, and small limited companies who want online accounting software plus a real UK accountant for help with taxes and compliance.
🚫 Who should skip
Sole traders with simple finances who want free or low-cost DIY software, or larger businesses needing advanced inventory, multi-currency, or a large app ecosystem.
📚 Learning curve
Moderate — if you've used any double-entry accounting software, the core features are easy; you'll need a bit of time to learn Crunch's own navigation and where accountant messages sit.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Crunch is a solid choice for UK limited company owners and contractors who want an all-in-one accounting service with built-in human expertise, especially if you prefer the reassurance of an accountant without the separate cost. It's not the best fit for sole traders who need minimal features or tho
59/100
Free tier
Crypto traders and investors in supported countries who need reliable, automated capital gains and income tax reports an
💰 Pricing
🆓 Free tier available
Free plan includes up to 10,000 transactions with unlimited tax reports, but only for hobby users with limited support.
Starting at $99 (tiered_fee)
Fee notes:
- Paid plans are annual only, but charged in a single payment for the year.
- Discounted packages available for professional use (e.g., accountants).
- Additional fee for multi-user or CPA-specific features.
- Some countries have tax-specific add-ons (e.g., UK property income) at extra cost.
⚠ Watch for:
- No hidden fees, but pricing is per tax year, not subscription monthly; you must pay full annual fee even if you sign up midway.
- If you exceed transaction limits, you must upgrade to a higher tier or pay for additional transaction packs (cost varies).
- International payment fees may apply depending on your bank or card.
🔧 Features
✓ Crypto Focus✓ 400 Exchanges✓ 20 Countries✓ Capital Gains✓ Tax Reports✓ Free Tier
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Auto-import from 400+ exchanges and wallets: Koinly's ability to automatically pull transaction data from a vast array of sources is its standout feature. This includes major exchanges like Coinbase, Binance, and Kraken, as well as hardware wallets like Ledger and software wallets like MetaMask. For users with a long trading history across multiple platforms, this saves dozens of hours of manual CSV export and formatting, making the initial setup significantly faster and less error-prone.
- Country-specific tax reports: Koinly generates tax reports tailored to the tax authorities of over 20 countries, including the US (IRS Form 8949/Schedule D), UK (SA108), Germany, and Australia (ATO). This is a major advantage for international users who need accurate, locally compliant reports. The software automatically applies correct cost basis methods (FIFO, LIFO, etc.) based on the country's regulations, reducing the risk of underreporting or penalties.
- Accurate handling of complex transaction types: Koinly correctly categorizes and calculates tax for various crypto events beyond simple trades, such as airdrops, hard forks, staking rewards, and mining income. This is crucial in a landscape where such activities are common and often overlooked by manual calculation. The platform also handles loans and margin trading, classifying them appropriately as income or capital gains, which is a nuanced area many competitors oversimplify.
- Tax-loss harvesting support: Koinly includes a tax-loss harvesting feature that identifies losing trades to offset capital gains, potentially reducing your tax liability. This is a valuable planning tool that sets it apart from some basic calculators, allowing users to minimize taxes legally. It also provides a clear overview of unrealized and realized gains, making it easier to strategize during the year.
- Free plan for tracking: While the free plan doesn't allow you to download tax reports, it does let you sync your transactions and view your portfolio's estimated gains and losses. This is useful for getting a high-level view of your tax situation without paying, and it can help you decide if the platform is right for you before committing to a paid plan.
⚠ Watch out for
- Cost escalates with transaction count: Koinly's pricing is based on the number of transactions, with the paid plans starting at $49/year for up to 1,000 transactions. For active traders with thousands of trades, the cost can quickly rise to $99/year (up to 10,000 transactions) or $199/year (up to 25,000 transactions). High-volume traders may find this pricing model expensive compared to some competitors that offer flat-rate subscriptions, though the automation often justifies the cost in saved time.
- Free plan lacks downloadable reports: The free plan only provides a summary of your portfolio performance; you cannot download the actual tax report forms needed for filing. This means you must upgrade to a paid plan to get your tax documents, which can be a disappointment for users who just want to estimate their taxes or have a small number of transactions.
- Manual adjustments for complex DeFi: While Koinly supports many DeFi protocols, some complex smart contract interactions—such as yield farming, liquidity provision, or multi-step swaps—may not be automatically recognized and could lead to incorrect calculations. Users may need to manually edit or categorize these transactions, which requires a learning curve and can be time-consuming. In some edge cases, the auto-import might even classify a transaction incorrectly, leading to a need for careful review.
- Limited customer support on lower tiers: Koinly's customer support is primarily via email and live chat, but live chat is only available on higher-tier plans. Free users and those on the Hobby plan may have to wait longer for email responses, and some users report slow resolution times for complex queries. The knowledge base is extensive, but if you're stuck, the premium support might feel like an additional cost to consider.
🎯 Best for
Crypto traders and investors in supported countries who need reliable, automated capital gains and income tax reports and want to import data from many exchanges without manual entry.
🚫 Who should skip
Users who only trade on centralized exchanges with simple buy/sell activity and want a completely free tax report, or those needing tax-loss harvesting optimization and investment advice.
📚 Learning curve
Minimal — import data, review flagged transactions, and generate reports; the interface is straightforward, though understanding tax rules and fixing every invalid transaction may take time.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Koinly is a robust, user-friendly crypto tax calculator that excels at automation and international tax compliance. It's ideal for traders with multiple exchanges who want to save time and are willing to pay for ready-to-file reports. However, if you're a high-volume DeFi user or on a tight budget,
📊 Use Case Suitability
Higher score = better fit. Scores from editorial review.
Use CaseCrunchKoinly
Managing a UK limited company's day-to-day bookkeeping90—
Full ledger, bank reconciliation, expense tracking, and accountant oversight bui
Filing personal self-assessment tax returns85—
Crunch calculates your tax liability from your income and expenses and lets you
VAT compliance for a small e-commerce or services business82—
MTD-compliant VAT submission with automated calculations and digital links to HM
Getting accountant advice on tax planning without hiring a separate firm94—
The included accountant support means you can ask questions about dividends, sal
Running a large or growing business with complex inventory or payroll35—
Crunch targets freelancers and small businesses, not mid-sized companies with mu
US Tax Filing (IRS)—95
Koinly supports US tax laws, generates IRS-compatible reports, and integrates wi
UK Tax Reporting (HMRC)—92
Koinly provides HMRC-compatible capital gains and income tax reports, including
High-Volume Exchange Auto-Import—90
With 400+ exchange integrations and API auto-import, Koinly reduces manual data
🧭 Which One Should You Pick?
Choose Crunch if...
- You are: UK freelancers, contractors, and small limited companies who want online accounting software plus a real UK accountant f
- 👍 Bundled human accountant support at a transparent monthly subscription — rare among online accountin
- 👍 Built specifically for UK tax rules: MTD-compliant VAT, corporation tax, self-assessment, and divide
- 👍 Real-time bank feeds from major UK banks simplify reconciliation and keep financials up to date with
- 💰 From $35.28/mo
- ⚠ Trade-off: Pricing is opaque; you have to book a demo or call to get a quote, unlike FreeAg
Choose Koinly if...
- You are: Crypto traders and investors in supported countries who need reliable, automated capital gains and income tax reports an
- 👍 Auto-imports transactions from 400+ exchanges and wallets, saving hours of manual CSV work.
- 👍 Supports tax reporting for 20+ countries with country-specific forms and calculations.
- 👍 Accurately handles capital gains, income tax, and various transaction types including forks, airdrop
- 💰 From $99/mo
- ⚠ Trade-off: The free plan does not include downloadable tax reports, so you must pay to actu
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Crunch cost?
Crunch doesn't publish upfront pricing; you need to request a quote or contact their sales team. Pricing typically varies based on your business structure (sole trader vs limited company) and the level of service you need.
Is Crunch a good FreeAgent alternative?
Yes, for UK users who want accountancy support bundled in. Crunch includes human accountant access, which FreeAgent alone doesn't. But FreeAgent has a slightly polished UX and a larger third-party ecosystem, so it depends on your preference for software vs. service.
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