Crunch vs Pleo Comparison
Compare Crunch vs Pleo features, pricing, and more.
Last updated: November 2026
Crunch
5.4/10
UK online accountancy service that pairs bookkeeping and invoicing software with ACCA-regulated accountants for sole traders, contractors and small limited companies.
Pleo
6.8/10
Pleo is a European spend management platform that gives small and mid-sized businesses company cards, receipt capture, reimbursements and supplier invoice payments.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 5.4/10 | 6.8/10 |
| Scalability | 3/10 | 6/10 |
| Analytics | 4/10 | 6/10 |
| Compliance | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 3/10 | 7/10 |
| Security | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 5/10 |
| Cost | 5/10 | 6/10 |
| Customization | 3/10 | 6/10 |
| Ease of Use | 7/10 | 9/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | £27/mo Sole Trader Pro | £8/user/mo Start |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | Free Crunch Free | £80/mo Start |
| Features | ||
| Payroll | ||
| Expense Management | ||
| Multi-currency | ||
| Accountant Access | Not listed | |
| Accounts Payable | Not listed | |
| Bank Reconciliation | Not listed | |
| Budgeting and Forecasting | Not listed | |
| Corporate Cards | Not listed | |
| Financial Reporting | Not listed | |
| General Ledger | Not listed | |
| Invoicing | Not listed | |
| Online Payments | Not listed | |
| Tax Compliance | Not listed | |
Crunch vs Pleo cost by team size
Crunch costs less at every team size we checked.
| Team size | Crunch | Pleo |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | FreeCrunch Free | £8/moStart |
| 5 users | FreeCrunch Free | £40/moStart |
| 10 users | FreeCrunch Free | £80/moStart |
| 25 users | FreeCrunch Free | £200/moStart |
| 50 users | FreeCrunch Free | £400/moStart |
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 Crunch
- Has a free plan (Pleo does not)
- Lower estimated cost for 10 users: Free vs £80/mo
- Higher Support score (7/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Compliance score (8/10 vs 7/10)
- Includes Payroll, which Pleo lacks
Why choose Pleo
- Higher Integration score (7/10 vs 3/10)
- Higher Scalability score (6/10 vs 3/10)
- Better fit for enterprise (4/10 vs 1/10)
Pros & Cons
Crunch
Pros
- Paid plans include a qualified UK accountant who prepares and files Self Assessment, Corporation Tax, VAT and year-end accounts.
- Fixed monthly pricing through a published quote tool, backed by a price match guarantee and a 14-day free trial.
- MTD for Income Tax software comes at no extra cost on sole trader plans.
- Dividend vouchers, board minutes and distributable reserves are automated for limited company directors.
- Support is available by phone, live chat, video and email, and Trustpilot reviewers often praise named advisers.
Cons
- Far fewer third-party integrations than Xero or QuickBooks, and no app marketplace.
- Payroll for staff, director Self Assessment and multi-currency all cost extra on top of the base fee.
- Recent reviews complain about inconsistent support and software glitches, such as bank file formats not being recognised.
- A poor fit for complex companies with group structures or share schemes.
Pleo
Pros
- G2 reviewers praise the card and receipt-capture app as easy for employees to use, and Pleo holds a 4.7 rating across roughly 1,400 G2 reviews.
- Per-user list prices are published, starting at £8 per user per month.
- Native accounting integrations cover Xero, QuickBooks, NetSuite, FreeAgent, Xledger and Twinfield.
- SAML SSO is included even on the entry Start plan.
- The UK entity is authorised by the FCA, and cards are issued under a Mastercard licence.
Cons
- Build and Optimise are billed yearly and require at least three users.
- Transaction charges such as FX fees of up to 2 percent and per-payment fees add to the subscription cost.
- Live chat support is only included on Optimise, and Trustpilot reviewers complain about slow support.
- Some reviewers report weak coverage and support in the US.
- It is not an accounting system and has no general ledger, customer invoicing or payroll.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Pleo scores higher on our Finance Software criteria: 6.8/10 against 5.4/10 for Crunch. The largest gap is in Integration: 3/10 for Crunch and 7/10 for Pleo.
Crunch costs less for 10 users: free on its Crunch Free plan, against about £80/mo on its Start plan for Pleo, billed monthly.
Crunch has a free plan; Pleo does not list one.
Pleo is the better fit for enterprise: we rate it 4/10 for them, against 1/10 for Crunch.
Crunch has Payroll, which Pleo lacks.
