Fortnox vs Shine: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of Fortnox and Shine to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
Fortnox
6.5/10
Swedish cloud accounting platform covering bookkeeping, invoicing, payroll, supplier invoice approval and reporting for small and mid-sized Swedish businesses and accounting firms.
Shine
6.1/10
French online business account for freelancers and small companies, with Mastercard cards, built-in invoicing, receipt capture and accounting exports.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 6.5/10 | 6.1/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 4/10 |
| Compliance | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Cost | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Customization | 5/10 | 4/10 |
| Ease of Use | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Integration | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Scalability | 6/10 | 4/10 |
| Security | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | SEK 238/mo Mini | Contact for pricing |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | SEK 238/mo Mini | Free Free |
| Features | ||
| Payroll | ||
| Accountant Access | ||
| Corporate Cards | ||
| Expense Management | ||
| Invoicing | ||
| Accounts Payable | Not listed | |
| Bank Reconciliation | Not listed | |
| Financial Reporting | Not listed | |
| General Ledger | Not listed | |
| Online Payments | Not listed | |
Fortnox vs Shine cost by team size
| Team size | Fortnox | Shine |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | SEK 238/moMini | FreeFree |
| 5 users | SEK 238/moMini | FreeFree |
| 10 users | SEK 238/moMini | FreeFree |
| 25 users | SEK 238/moMini | FreeFree |
| 50 users | SEK 238/moMini | FreeFree |
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 Fortnox
- Higher Integration score (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Higher Scalability score (6/10 vs 4/10)
- Better fit for startups (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Includes Payroll, which Shine lacks
Why choose Shine
- Has a free plan (Fortnox does not)
- Higher Cost score (7/10 vs 6/10)
- Higher Ease of Use score (8/10 vs 7/10)
Pros & Cons
Fortnox
Pros
- More than 500 integrations, and one 189 kr licence covers all of them.
- A single platform covers bookkeeping, invoicing, payroll, supplier invoice approval, payments and a company card, which suits Swedish SMEs.
- Accounting firms get a dedicated bureau package for working in their clients' books.
- New companies get six months free, and every new subscription has a 30-day open purchase period.
- Trustpilot and Shopify app reviewers frequently praise customer service and sync reliability.
Cons
- Usage fees for invoices, paid employees and interpretations, plus an Access fee that scales with activity, make total cost hard to predict.
- Three-month agreements cost 15 percent more than the 12-month list prices.
- The product is Swedish-focused, and users have asked for an English interface.
- Some users call the reporting tools dated and say neobank integrations such as Revolut are missing.
Shine
Pros
- A real free plan that includes unlimited quotes and invoices with automatic reminders
- Cash deposits through tobacconists, which few online business accounts offer
- Strong Trustpilot ratings of about 4.6 to 4.7 out of 5 across thousands of reviews, and an in-house support team based in France
- Paid plans have a 30-day trial and no commitment
Cons
- As a payment institution it offers no overdraft, loans or interest-bearing account
- Higher fees than some rivals on non-euro card payments and international transfers
- No phone support on the Free plan, and reviewers report accounts blocked without warning
- Garnishment processing fees of 10 percent, capped at 100 EUR, criticised as poorly signposted
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Fortnox scores higher on our Finance Software criteria: 6.5/10 against 6.1/10 for Shine. The largest gap is in Integration: 8/10 for Fortnox and 6/10 for Shine.
Shine has a free plan; Fortnox does not list one.
Fortnox is the better fit for startups: we rate it 8/10 for them, against 6/10 for Shine.
Fortnox has Payroll, which Shine lacks.
