Agenda vs Starling: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of Agenda and Starling to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
Agenda
6/10
German accounting, fixed-asset, cost accounting and payroll software from Agenda for small and mid-sized businesses and for tax advisory firms.
Starling
6.6/10
A UK digital bank business account with built-in invoicing, bookkeeping, and Making Tax Digital tax tools for sole traders and small limited companies.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6/10 | 6.6/10 |
| Scalability | 5/10 | 3/10 |
| Analytics | 6/10 | 4/10 |
| Compliance | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Security | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 5/10 | 9/10 |
| Customization | 6/10 | 3/10 |
| Ease of Use | 4/10 | 8/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | €45/mo Rechnungswesen Small (from) | £7/mo Accounting Plus |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | €45/mo Rechnungswesen Small (from) | Free Business Account + Accounting Essentials |
| Features | ||
| Accountant Access | ||
| Bank Reconciliation | ||
| Tax Compliance | ||
| Budgeting and Forecasting | Not listed | |
| Expense Management | Not listed | |
| Financial Reporting | Not listed | |
| General Ledger | Not listed | |
| Invoicing | Not listed | |
| Online Payments | Not listed | |
| Payroll | Not listed | |
Agenda vs Starling cost by team size
| Team size | Agenda | Starling |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | €45/moRechnungswesen Small (from) | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 5 users | €45/moRechnungswesen Small (from) | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 10 users | €45/moRechnungswesen Small (from) | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 25 users | €45/moRechnungswesen Small (from) | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 50 users | €45/moRechnungswesen Small (from) | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Agenda
- Higher Customization score (6/10 vs 3/10)
- Higher Scalability score (5/10 vs 3/10)
Why choose Starling
- Has a free plan (Agenda does not)
- Higher Cost score (9/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Ease of Use score (8/10 vs 4/10)
- Better fit for freelancers (8/10 vs 5/10)
Pros & Cons
Agenda
Pros
- Covers German compliance tasks in one package: ELSTER VAT returns, E-Bilanz, Bundesanzeiger filing and GoBD-compliant cash books.
- DATEV-style booking logic and DATEV interfaces make it easy to work with tax advisors and to switch from DATEV.
- Computerwoche calls it a full-featured and cheaper alternative to DATEV for SMEs.
- The expert hotline is free in every package, and the hosted ASP option includes backups and updates in a German data center.
- Cost center and cost unit accounting with contribution margin analysis are built in.
Cons
- Built only for German law and the German language, and there is no mobile app according to Tax & Bytes.
- Very few public reviews: the four reviews on Capterra Germany average 2.3 out of 5, with 2.0 for ease of use.
- Usage-based costs for cloud use and payroll headcount make the full cost hard to predict.
- The listed prices are starting prices, and training costs extra.
Starling
Pros
- The business account has no monthly fee, and UK transfers, invoicing, and up to five expense cards are free.
- The free Essentials tier includes MTD for Income Tax submissions, which helps sole traders and landlords facing the April 2026 rules.
- VAT returns can be filed to HMRC from inside the banking app for £7 a month until April 2027.
- Bank feeds connect to Xero, QuickBooks, and FreeAgent.
- UK-based support is available 24/7 in the app, and Finder ranked it highly for customer satisfaction in 2026.
Cons
- It is not a full accounting system: there is no general ledger, payroll, or multi-entity support.
- Accountants only get view-only access.
- Only GBP and EUR accounts are available, and new USD account applications are paused.
- Eligibility is strict: directors and people with significant control must be UK residents.
- Overdrafts and loans are not available to new business customers, and there are no branches.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Starling scores higher on our Finance Software criteria: 6.6/10 against 6/10 for Agenda. The largest gap is in Cost: 5/10 for Agenda and 9/10 for Starling.
Starling has a free plan; Agenda does not list one.
Starling is the better fit for freelancers: we rate it 8/10 for them, against 5/10 for Agenda.
