Axonaut vs Starling: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of Axonaut and Starling to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
Axonaut
5.7/10
French all-in-one management software for very small and small businesses. It combines quotes and invoicing, expenses, cash flow, pre-accounting, CRM and a business bank 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 | 5.7/10 | 6.6/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 4/10 |
| Compliance | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 5/10 | 9/10 |
| Customization | 5/10 | 3/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Integration | 4/10 | 6/10 |
| Scalability | 4/10 | 3/10 |
| Security | 5/10 | 8/10 |
| Support | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | €97/user/mo TPE (under 10 employees) | £7/mo Accounting Plus |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | €970/mo TPE (under 10 employees) | Free Business Account + Accounting Essentials |
| Features | ||
| Accountant Access | ||
| Bank Reconciliation | ||
| Expense Management | ||
| Invoicing | ||
| Online Payments | ||
| Tax Compliance | ||
| Accounts Payable | Not listed | |
| Corporate Cards | Not listed | |
| Inventory Accounting | Not listed | |
| Multi-entity Consolidation | Not listed | |
| Payroll | Not listed | |
Axonaut vs Starling cost by team size
| Team size | Axonaut | Starling |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | €97/moTPE (under 10 employees) | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 5 users | €485/moTPE (under 10 employees) | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 10 users | €970/moTPE (under 10 employees) | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 25 users | €2,425/moTPE (under 10 employees) | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 50 users | €4,850/moTPE (under 10 employees) | 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 Axonaut
- Higher Customization score (5/10 vs 3/10)
- Higher Analytics score (5/10 vs 4/10)
Why choose Starling
- Has a free plan (Axonaut does not)
- Higher Cost score (9/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Security score (8/10 vs 5/10)
Pros & Cons
Axonaut
Pros
- One plan per user covers invoicing, expenses, cash flow, CRM, stock, projects, HR and ticketing, so there are no feature tiers to compare.
- Registered as an approved e-invoicing platform (Plateforme Agréée) for the French e-invoicing reform.
- Accountants get free access through a dedicated portal, and journals can be exported to Sage, Ibiza and Cegid.
- Reviewers rate the French support team as responsive and available by chat, email and phone.
- Includes a business account with a French IBAN and physical and virtual cards, alongside online invoice payment through Stripe, GoCardless or PayPal.
Cons
- It is a pre-accounting tool without a full double-entry general ledger, so you still need an accountant.
- Reviewers say it has few native integrations and relies on Zapier for many connections.
- It cannot manage several companies in one account, and the HR module does not produce payslips.
- Marketing and CRM are basic, with limited automation and limited dashboard customisation.
- The no-commitment price of 97 euros per user per month gets expensive as the team grows.
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 5.7/10 for Axonaut. The largest gap is in Cost: 5/10 for Axonaut and 9/10 for Starling.
Starling has a free plan; Axonaut does not list one.
