Fortnox vs Starling: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of Fortnox and Starling 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.
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 | 6.5/10 | 6.6/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 4/10 |
| Compliance | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 6/10 | 9/10 |
| Customization | 5/10 | 3/10 |
| Ease of Use | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Integration | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Scalability | 6/10 | 3/10 |
| Security | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| Support | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | SEK 238/mo Mini | £7/mo Accounting Plus |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | SEK 238/mo Mini | Free Business Account + Accounting Essentials |
| Features | ||
| Accountant Access | ||
| Expense Management | ||
| Invoicing | ||
| Accounts Payable | Not listed | |
| Bank Reconciliation | Not listed | |
| Corporate Cards | Not listed | |
| Financial Reporting | Not listed | |
| General Ledger | Not listed | |
| Online Payments | Not listed | |
| Payroll | Not listed | |
| Tax Compliance | Not listed | |
Fortnox vs Starling cost by team size
| Team size | Fortnox | Starling |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | SEK 238/moMini | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 5 users | SEK 238/moMini | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 10 users | SEK 238/moMini | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 25 users | SEK 238/moMini | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 50 users | SEK 238/moMini | 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 Fortnox
- Higher Scalability score (6/10 vs 3/10)
- Higher Customization score (5/10 vs 3/10)
- Better fit for startups (8/10 vs 6/10)
Why choose Starling
- Has a free plan (Fortnox does not)
- Higher Cost score (9/10 vs 6/10)
- Higher Security score (8/10 vs 6/10)
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.
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 6.5/10 for Fortnox. The largest gap is in Cost: 6/10 for Fortnox and 9/10 for Starling.
Starling 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 Starling.
