Bokio vs Starling: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of Bokio and Starling to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
Bokio
5.6/10
Swedish cloud accounting service for sole traders and small limited companies, covering bookkeeping, invoicing, payroll, VAT reporting and an integrated business account.
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 | 5.6/10 | 6.6/10 |
| Analytics | 4/10 | 4/10 |
| Compliance | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 5/10 | 9/10 |
| Customization | 4/10 | 3/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Integration | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Scalability | 3/10 | 3/10 |
| Security | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| Support | 5/10 | 7/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | SEK 319/mo Basic | £7/mo Accounting Plus |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | SEK 319/mo Basic | Free Business Account + Accounting Essentials |
| Features | ||
| Accountant Access | ||
| Bank Reconciliation | ||
| Expense Management | ||
| Invoicing | ||
| Tax Compliance | ||
| Financial Reporting | Not listed | |
| General Ledger | Not listed | |
| Online Payments | Not listed | |
| Payroll | Not listed | |
Bokio vs Starling cost by team size
| Team size | Bokio | Starling |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | SEK 319/moBasic | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 5 users | SEK 319/moBasic | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 10 users | SEK 319/moBasic | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 25 users | SEK 319/moBasic | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 50 users | SEK 319/moBasic | 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 Bokio
- Higher Customization score (4/10 vs 3/10)
Why choose Starling
- Has a free plan (Bokio does not)
- Higher Cost score (9/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Security score (8/10 vs 6/10)
Pros & Cons
Bokio
Pros
- Bank connection suggests entries and matches incoming payments automatically, which cuts manual bookkeeping for small firms.
- VAT is calculated from the books and the VAT report is generated for Skatteverket, with a choice of monthly, quarterly, or yearly periods.
- Accounting consultants invited via Bokio Byrå count as free users.
- A forum user reports a smooth connection to årsredovisningonline for annual reports.
- Bookkeeping, invoicing, payroll, and a business account with a card come from a single vendor.
Cons
- The free plan was removed in September 2023 at short notice, which angered long-time users.
- Users and a Capterra reviewer call it expensive, at roughly 500 SEK per month with two employees.
- Many functions are paid extras, including extra users, Swish, e-invoices, advanced payroll, and the annual report.
- A forum user reports, secondhand and unverified, that payroll reporting cannot handle parental leave or VAB.
- It is focused on Sweden and suits only small businesses.
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 5.6/10 for Bokio. The largest gap is in Cost: 5/10 for Bokio and 9/10 for Starling.
Starling has a free plan; Bokio does not list one.
