HMRC MTD VAT · CIS · 4 VAT schemes · Open Banking · Unlimited users · Verified 2026-06-09
The AI-first QuickBooks alternative for UK small businesses. Native HMRC MTD VAT, all 4 VAT schemes, CIS for construction, Open Banking feeds — at flat £ pricing with unlimited users on every plan.
1. HMRC MTD VAT native — and MTD ITSA roadmap-ready
HelloBooks ships HMRC Making Tax Digital VAT submission, all 4 VAT schemes (Standard, Cash, Flat Rate, Annual), and the £90k threshold tracker. MTD ITSA support is on the roadmap for the 2026 expansion. QuickBooks UK has MTD VAT but locks tax planning features behind higher tiers.
2. Unlimited users at flat £ pricing — no per-seat tax
After the January 2026 price rise, QuickBooks UK Simple Start is £14/mo for 1 user, Essentials £28, Plus £50 (up ~47%), Advanced £82 (verified 2026-06-09). HelloBooks Pro is flat £ pricing with unlimited users — invite your accountant, bookkeeper, and team at no per-seat cost. See /uk/pricing for the exact GBP figure.
3. AI never costs more than QuickBooks
QuickBooks bundles only a basic assistant and reserves its deeper AI automation for the higher tiers it just made pricier. HelloBooks is AI-native on every plan — roughly 3,000 AI categorizations a month on Pro, so a typical UK SMB never tops up and AI never pushes the bill past QuickBooks.
4. AI bookkeeping vs bank rules
QuickBooks UK adds AI to its US-first ledger. HelloBooks is AI-native — auto-categorization, anomaly detection, OCR bill capture all work from day one without rule-writing. Especially valuable for CIS contractors and trades businesses with high-volume small transactions.
5. CIS for construction + UK Open Banking
Native CIS deduction calculation for construction subcontractors. Open Banking PSD2-compliant bank feeds for major UK banks. No Yodlee dependency.
6. UK + India + US + AU + CA in one platform
If you have UK operations plus a US subsidiary, an Indian back-office, or an AU client base, HelloBooks runs all five jurisdictions from one chart of accounts. QuickBooks UK is UK-first; QuickBooks USA is US-first — and they don't talk to each other natively.
| Feature | HelloBooks | QuickBooks UK |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price (verified 2026-06-09) | Free Plan + flat-£ Pro (see /uk/pricing) | Simple Start £14/mo (1 user); Plus £50/mo after the Jan 2026 hike |
| AI Cost | ~3,000 AI categorizations/mo bundled in Pro; AI on every plan | Basic assist only on lower tiers; deeper AI on higher (pricier) tiers |
| Users per plan | Unlimited on every paid plan | 1 (Simple Start) → 25 (Advanced) |
| HMRC MTD VAT | Native, all 4 VAT schemes + £90k tracker | Native |
| MTD ITSA (Income Tax Self-Assessment) | Roadmap (2026 expansion) | Roadmap (same timeline) |
| CIS Construction Industry Scheme | Native deduction calculation + statements | Available on higher tiers |
| AI Categorization | AI agent — autonomous | Recently added, rules-based primarily |
| AI Bill OCR | Built-in document extraction | Receipt capture; bill OCR via add-ons |
| UK Bank Feeds | Open Banking PSD2-compliant | Open Banking |
| Multi-Currency | All plans with auto FX gain/loss | Plus and above only |
| Multi-Entity (UK + US + IN + AU + CA) | Native consolidation on all plans | Advanced only; country products separate |
| CPA / Accountant Practice Management | Built-in (free for accountants) | QuickBooks Online Accountant (separate subscription) |
| UK Accountant Network | Growing directory at /find-an-accountant (ICAEW / ACCA verification) | ProAdvisor network (mature in UK) |
Free Plan with 5,000 AI credits to get started. MTD VAT submission, CIS, all 4 VAT schemes — included on every plan.