Quipu vs Starling: Complete Comparison (2026)
An in-depth comparison of Quipu and Starling to help you choose the right tool for your business.
Last updated: November 2026
Quipu
6.2/10
Cloud invoicing and pre-accounting software for Spanish freelancers, SMEs and accounting firms, covering invoices, receipt OCR, bank reconciliation, tax forecasting and VeriFactu.
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 | 6.2/10 | 6.6/10 |
| Scalability | 4/10 | 3/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 4/10 |
| Compliance | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Integration | 6/10 | 6/10 |
| Security | 6/10 | 8/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 6/10 | 9/10 |
| Customization | 4/10 | 3/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 8/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Cheapest paid plan | €17/mo Starter | £7/mo Accounting Plus |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | €17/mo Starter | Free Business Account + Accounting Essentials |
| Features | ||
| Accountant Access | ||
| Bank Reconciliation | ||
| Expense Management | ||
| Invoicing | ||
| Tax Compliance | ||
| Budgeting and Forecasting | Not listed | |
| Financial Reporting | Not listed | |
| General Ledger | Not listed | |
| Inventory Accounting | Not listed | |
| Online Payments | Not listed | |
Quipu vs Starling cost by team size
| Team size | Quipu | Starling |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | €17/moStarter | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 5 users | €17/moStarter | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 10 users | €17/moStarter | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 25 users | €17/moStarter | FreeBusiness Account + Accounting Essentials |
| 50 users | €17/moStarter | 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 Quipu
- Higher Scalability score (4/10 vs 3/10)
- Higher Analytics score (5/10 vs 4/10)
Why choose Starling
- Has a free plan (Quipu does not)
- Higher Cost score (9/10 vs 6/10)
- Higher Security score (8/10 vs 6/10)
Pros & Cons
Quipu
Pros
- IVA and IRPF forecasting and pre-filled quarterly forms suit Spanish autonomos who are not accounting experts.
- VeriFactu-compliant invoicing with QR codes is included on every plan, including Starter.
- Ready-made integrations with Stripe, PayPal, Shopify, WooCommerce and PrestaShop create invoices from online sales automatically.
- Good review scores: 4.5/5 on Capterra Spain and about 4.2/5 from 271 reviews on Trustpilot.
- 15-day free trial with no card needed, and you can export your data to Excel when you cancel.
Cons
- No full double-entry accounting, so it is not a replacement for an ERP or a full accounting package.
- Bank reconciliation needs at least Solution, and automatic reconciliation needs Premium.
- Starter users only get email support, and some reviewers say response times were missed.
- Some reviews say expense recognition sometimes fails or creates duplicate records.
- The API is limited, and extra API calls cost more.
- Built for Spain only, with little for inventory or HR.
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 6.2/10 for Quipu. The largest gap is in Cost: 6/10 for Quipu and 9/10 for Starling.
Starling has a free plan; Quipu does not list one.
