# Inkle — US accounting software with AI categorization, plus bookkeepers, tax filing and compliance in one app. > Source: Tick Mark Books — https://tickmarkbooks.com/inkle (structured, researched, re-verified) Inkle is US accounting software for startups and small companies that streams in bank, card and Stripe data and categorizes it with AI. Expert bookkeepers, US tax filing and state compliance run on the same platform. **Best for:** US-incorporated startups and foreign founders needing books and US filings together | Fact | Value | | --- | --- | | Website | https://www.inkle.ai/ | | Category | Online bookkeeping services, Bookkeepers and accounting firms, Cheapest accounting software, Freelancers and the self-employed, Free accounting software, Small businesses, Startups, With a bookkeeper checking, Works with Xero | | Open source | No | | Price | Free | | Price checked | 27 October 2026 | Screenshot of Inkle: https://tickmarkbooks.com/img/1920/screenshots/inkle.webp, captured 27 October 2026 **What we checked** - Pages last read: 27 October 2026 - Price on its site: Free plan (From its pricing page) ## What it costs A month of books at 100 transactions: $0 a month at 100 transactions, on Basic ## Inkle price and plans Prices excluding tax, as Inkle publishes them. | Plan | Price | What's included | | --- | --- | --- | | Basic | Free | Flat fee | | Standard | $30 a month | Flat fee; adds Reads receipts and bills; adds Accrual books and reports; adds Other currencies | | Monthly | From $49 a month | adds Your own bookkeeper | Pricing page as we captured it: https://tickmarkbooks.com/img/1920/screenshots/inkle/pricing.webp, captured 27 October 2026 Read on https://www.inkle.ai/pricing, 27 October 2026. ## What Inkle costs at your volume | Transactions | Cost | Plan | | --- | --- | --- | | 100 | $0 a month | Basic | | 500 | $0 a month | Basic | ## What we checked on Inkle ### What it costs to keep your books **Cost at 100 transactions a month** · Yes — $0 a month on Basic for 100 transactions. > Free > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Accounting software section, Basic plan card price cell, checked 27 October 2026 **Cost at 500 transactions a month** · Yes — $0 a month on Basic for 500 transactions. > Free > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Accounting software section, Basic plan card price cell, checked 27 October 2026 **Cost for a solo freelancer** · Yes — A one-person business can keep books free on Basic with up to two bank accounts, but receipt matching and accrual sit on Standard at $30 a month. > The Standard plan gives you access to all premium features that will super charge your accounting. > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Accounting software section, Standard plan card, checked 27 October 2026 **Promotion and regular price** · No — The published plan prices are the standing rates: the Monthly card states monthly billing with no introductory period, and no countdown or 'then' price appears on any plan card. > Billed monthly. Cancel anytime. > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Bookkeeping services section, Monthly plan card, billing line under the price, checked 27 October 2026 **Ledger included** · Yes — Inkle Books is the ledger itself, with its own general ledger, chart of accounts and journal entries, so no QuickBooks or Xero subscription is needed to use it. > View your general ledger, manage your chart of accounts, reconcile accounts, record journal entries, and track fixed assets easily. > — https://www.inkle.ai/books · 'Automate your books' feature grid, 'Full accounting controls in one place' card, checked 27 October 2026 **What the price is based on** · Partly — The bookkeeping service is priced per business but scaled by monthly transaction volume and unstated 'complexity', so the published $49 is a floor rather than a rate card a buyer can price themselves. > Pricing scales with your business, based on monthly transaction volume and complexity. > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Bookkeeping services section, Monthly plan card, line under 'From $49/month', checked 27 October 2026 **Catching up past months** · Partly — Catch-up of past months is sold as a separate 'Other Services' line rather than inside a plan, and its price is quoted rather than published, so the cost of arrears is unknown up front. > Historical Catch Up Bookkeeping Bring your books up to date, no matter how far behind you are. Custom > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Accounting software section, 'Other Services' cards, checked 27 October 2026 **Notice before a price rise** · Yes — The terms promise at least 30 days' notice before a renewal date for any material fee increase or scope reduction, and for annual renewals generally. > For any material fee increase or scope reduction at renewal, and for annual renewals generally, Inkle will give at least 30 days' advance notice before the renewal date. > — https://www.inkle.ai/legal · Terms of Service, section 8 'Fees, renewal, and cancellation', checked 27 October 2026 ### What the AI does with your books **What the AI does** · Yes — The AI categorizes bank and card transactions, matches receipts and summarizes reports; the vendor frames it as AI speed with bookkeeper review rather than unattended automation. > From syncing your financial data to generating reports, Inkle Books blends AI speed with expert accuracy. > — https://www.inkle.ai/books · 'The AI Way to Manage Your Bookkeeping' section intro, checked 27 October 2026 **What the AI costs** · Yes — included - AI-suggested categorization and AI receipt matching are listed as plan features on the software plans, with no credit meter, AI add-on or separate inference charge anywhere on the pricing page. > AI-suggested categorization > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Accounting software section, Standard plan feature list, checked 27 October 2026 **Categorizes transactions** · Yes — Transactions are categorized by an AI engine the vendor says handles 90% of them, with rule-based categorization alongside it; the pages do not say whether it learns from your corrections. > Your AI Bookkeeper categorises 90% of your transactions accurately. > — https://www.inkle.ai/ai-bookkeeper · Hero section, subheading under 'AI that adapts to your books', checked 27 October 2026 **Reconciles your accounts** · Yes — Bank reconciliation is listed even on the free Basic plan, and on the Monthly service the bookkeepers run the monthly reconciliations themselves. > Our bookkeepers handle your monthly bookkeeping, reconciliations, and financial reporting. > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Bookkeeping services section, intro above the Monthly plan card, checked 27 October 2026 **Reads receipts and bills** · Partly — Receipt matching is AI-driven but sits on the paid Standard software plan, not the free Basic plan, so a free user gets no documented receipt-to-transaction matching. > AI-enabled receipt matching > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Accounting software section, Standard plan feature list, checked 27 October 2026 **Sends invoices** · Yes — Invoices are created and sent from Inkle Books and payments are tracked in real time, with the result flowing straight into the books; invoices can also be requested from vendors. > Generate and send professional invoices directly from Inkle Books. Track payments in real time and keep your cash flow in sync, all automatically reflected in your books. > — https://www.inkle.ai/books · Scrolling feature section, 'Create and manage invoices effortlessly', checked 27 October 2026 **Accrual books and reports** · Partly — Accrual financials and accrual automation are on the paid Standard plan while the free Basic plan is cash-basis only; balance sheet and cash flow statements are produced in-app. > Accrual financials > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Accounting software section, Standard plan feature list, checked 27 October 2026 ### Who checks the AI’s work **People check the books** · Yes — Expert bookkeepers review the automated output, and the vendor's own terms warn that automated output is not a final deliverable until reviewed by you and the licensed professionals. > We auto-sync your data, flag issues, and connect you to a real bookkeeper who keeps your books clean, accurate, and investor ready. > — https://www.inkle.ai/services/bookkeeping · Hero section, subheading under 'Bookkeeping on autopilot, reviewed by experts.', checked 27 October 2026 **Your own bookkeeper** · Partly — A named, dedicated bookkeeper comes with the Monthly bookkeeping service; the software plans give only 'Bookkeeper access' and chat, so the cheapest paid software tier does not include one. > Dedicated bookkeeper > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Bookkeeping services section, Monthly plan feature list, checked 27 October 2026 **Accuracy the vendor claims** · Partly — The vendor claims its AI bookkeeper categorizes 90% of transactions accurately and cites over a million transactions categorized, but publishes no method, sample or date behind the figure. > Your AI Bookkeeper categorises 90% of your transactions accurately. > — https://www.inkle.ai/ai-bookkeeper · Hero section, subheading under 'AI that adapts to your books', checked 27 October 2026 ### Where your books live and what it connects to **Xero** · Yes — separately its accountants will work inside QuickBooks, Xero, Zoho Books or Mercury Books, but the pages read describe that as a service, not a data sync, and never mention QuickBooks Desktop or NetSuite. > On your accounting software Our accountants, working inside the tool you already use. Mercury Books QuickBooks Xero Zoho Books > — https://www.inkle.ai/practice · Site-wide 'Services & products' menu, BOOKKEEPING column, 'On your accounting software' entry, checked 27 October 2026 **QuickBooks Desktop** · No — separately its accountants will work inside QuickBooks, Xero, Zoho Books or Mercury Books, but the pages read describe that as a service, not a data sync, and never mention QuickBooks Desktop or NetSuite. > On your accounting software Our accountants, working inside the tool you already use. Mercury Books QuickBooks Xero Zoho Books > — https://www.inkle.ai/practice · Site-wide 'Services & products' menu, BOOKKEEPING column, 'On your accounting software' entry, checked 27 October 2026 **NetSuite** · No — separately its accountants will work inside QuickBooks, Xero, Zoho Books or Mercury Books, but the pages read describe that as a service, not a data sync, and never mention QuickBooks Desktop or NetSuite. > On your accounting software Our accountants, working inside the tool you already use. Mercury Books QuickBooks Xero Zoho Books > — https://www.inkle.ai/practice · Site-wide 'Services & products' menu, BOOKKEEPING column, 'On your accounting software' entry, checked 27 October 2026 **Bank and card feeds** · Yes — Transactions stream in through direct API integrations with Brex, Mercury, Ramp and Stripe plus coverage of more than 10,000 US banks; refresh frequency is not stated. > Inkle Books has direct integrations with Brex, Mercury, Ramp and Stripe. We also support over 10k US banks so you can sync your financial data seamlessly within the app. > — https://www.inkle.ai/books · 'Automate your books' feature grid, 'Accurate streaming of your financial data' card, checked 27 October 2026 **Stripe** · Yes — Stripe revenue data is ingested automatically and named as a native integration alongside Brex, Mercury and Ramp > Automated revenue data ingestion with Stripe > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Accounting software section, Standard plan feature list, checked 27 October 2026 **Shopify** · No — nothing on the pages read names Shopify, PayPal, Square or Gusto as connections. > Automated revenue data ingestion with Stripe > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Accounting software section, Standard plan feature list, checked 27 October 2026 **PayPal** · No — nothing on the pages read names Shopify, PayPal, Square or Gusto as connections. > Automated revenue data ingestion with Stripe > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Accounting software section, Standard plan feature list, checked 27 October 2026 **Square** · No — nothing on the pages read names Shopify, PayPal, Square or Gusto as connections. > Automated revenue data ingestion with Stripe > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Accounting software section, Standard plan feature list, checked 27 October 2026 **Gusto payroll** · No — nothing on the pages read names Shopify, PayPal, Square or Gusto as connections. > Automated revenue data ingestion with Stripe > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Accounting software section, Standard plan feature list, checked 27 October 2026 **Payroll** · Partly — integration - payroll is not sold by Inkle; on the Monthly service its bookkeepers post payroll entries into your books each month, and no in-house or add-on payroll product appears on the pricing page. > Monthly payroll entries in books > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Bookkeeping services section, Monthly plan feature list, checked 27 October 2026 **Moves your history in** · Partly — Inkle's team will download and import a prior provider's accounting and tax data free of charge, but the only migration the pages document is from Bench, not from QuickBooks or Xero. > Yes, migration is free. > — https://www.inkle.ai/bench · FAQ, 'Is it free to migrate from Bench to Inkle?', checked 27 October 2026 **Platforms** · Yes — web - the product runs in the browser at app.inkle.io and the vendor calls it one app for books, invoices and close; no page read names a Windows, Mac, iOS or Android app. > Track cash flow, send invoices, and close books - all in one app, with expert bookkeepers just a chat away. > — https://www.inkle.ai/books · Hero section, subheading under 'Automated accounting that scales with your startup', checked 27 October 2026 **Getting your books out** · Yes — Leaving is documented in both directions: financial statements and the general ledger download to Excel, and the vendor says it will move your data onto whichever software you pick. > Migrating off Inkle Books is a simple, one click process. Our team will take all your data from Inkle Books and ensure everything is set up on the software you chose to migrate to. > — https://www.inkle.ai/bench · FAQ, 'Can I migrate off Inkle Books?', checked 27 October 2026 ### Taxes **Files your tax return** · Yes — Federal and state returns are prepared and e-filed by licensed CPAs as separately priced services: Form 1120 from $650 a year, Form 1120-S and 1065 from $650, and personal Form 1040 from $500. > Form 1120 Federal corporate income tax return From $650/year > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Tax packages section, Domestic C-Corp card, checked 27 October 2026 **Files 1099s** · Yes — 1099 and W-series filings for US contractors are a $100-a-year service, and even the free software plan produces the vendor report the filing is built from. > Form 1099 and W series Required if you paid US contractors or landlords over $2000 $100/year > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Tax packages section, Domestic C-Corp card, Form 1099 row, checked 27 October 2026 **Quarterly tax estimates** · Yes — The Monthly bookkeeping plan raises quarterly estimated tax warnings off your books, and the actual calculation and filing is a priced add-on at $100 a quarter federal plus $50 per state. > Quarterly estimated tax warnings > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Bookkeeping services section, Monthly plan feature list, checked 27 October 2026 **Calculates sales tax** · Partly — What the Monthly plan provides is state-wise sales tax warnings off your books, not sales tax calculated on invoices or a per-state liability ledger. > State-wise compliance and sales tax warnings > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Bookkeeping services section, Monthly plan feature list, checked 27 October 2026 ### What it keeps track of **Other currencies** · Partly — Multi-currency handling is a Standard-plan feature and is not in the free Basic plan's list, so a free user gets no documented foreign-currency accounting. > Multi-currency handling > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Accounting software section, Standard plan feature list, checked 27 October 2026 ### Your data and its security **SOC 2 report** · Yes — Inkle says it is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant under AICPA standards and publishes a SafeBase trust center where the security documentation can be requested. > We are officially SOC 2 Type 2 compliant under the standards established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). > — https://www.inkle.ai/security · 'We're SOC 2 compliant' card, checked 27 October 2026 **Your data trains AI** · Partly — The terms let Inkle use de-identified, aggregated data from your materials for research and service improvement, with a written opt-out; they never say whether that includes training AI models. > Inkle may create and use de-identified, aggregated data derived from Customer Materials for benchmarking, analytics, research, and improving the Services > — https://www.inkle.ai/legal · Terms of Service, section 13.4 'Feedback and de-identified data', checked 27 October 2026 ### Who it is built for **For accounting firms** · Yes — Inkle Practice is a firm workspace: accountants onboard clients, invite team members with roles, and launch US tax filings from one dashboard; no firm pricing or white-label branding is described. > Inkle Practice lets you onboard clients, collect information, communicate, and launch U.S. tax filings. > — https://www.inkle.ai/practice · 'File U.S. taxes and manage clients in one place' section, checked 27 October 2026 **Several businesses** · Partly — Consolidated financials across entities exist, but as a $149 one-time service rather than a standing multi-entity plan, and no page read says what each extra entity adds to the monthly bill. > Group Books Consolidation - One time Consolidated financials of all your entities. $149 > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Accounting software section, 'Other Services' cards, checked 27 October 2026 **Australia** · No — Nothing on the pages read offers Canadian, UK or Australian banks, GST or VAT. > The modern accountant for your US company > — https://www.inkle.ai/ · Homepage hero heading, checked 27 October 2026 ### Trying it, starting and getting help **Free trial or free plan** · Yes — There is a standing free plan, not a trial: Basic costs nothing, connects up to two banks and does cash financials, reconciliation and invoicing, and signup is self-serve. > The Basic Plan gives you access to free features so you can start accounting on our software. > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Accounting software section, Basic plan card, checked 27 October 2026 **Sign up without a sales call** · Yes — Both software plans and the Monthly bookkeeping plan carry a 'Get started' signup link beside the optional 'Talk to an expert', so no sales call is required to buy. > The Free Plan gives you access to our core features so you can get started with accounting on our software. > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Bookkeeping services section, Free plan card above the 'Get started' button, checked 27 October 2026 **Contract and cancelling** · Yes — The Monthly plan is billed monthly and cancellable at any time; the terms add that you cancel in the app or by email, effective at the end of the billing period. > Billed monthly. Cancel anytime. > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Bookkeeping services section, Monthly plan card, billing line under the price, checked 27 October 2026 **Support** · Partly — Chat support is on every plan, with calls and Zoom from Standard upward and chat, Zoom and phone on the Monthly service, plus a published phone number; no hours, time zone or SLA appear on the pages read. > Chat, Zoom, Phone > — https://www.inkle.ai/pricing · Bookkeeping services section, Monthly plan feature list, checked 27 October 2026 ## Inkle alternatives - [FreeAgent](https://tickmarkbooks.com/freeagent) · From £10 a month (about $13): UK cloud accounting with HMRC filing, bank feeds and AI receipt capture, priced per business type. - [Zoho Books](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zoho-books) · Free plan, then $20 a month: Cloud accounting ledger with Zia AI, bank feeds, sales tax and 1099 e-filing, from $20 a month. - [Puzzle](https://tickmarkbooks.com/puzzle) · No list price: AI-native accounting software with optional bookkeeper services for startups and small businesses. - [Pilot](https://tickmarkbooks.com/pilot) · No list price: A bookkeeping and tax service for startups that pairs software-driven dashboards with human financial advisors. - [Stampli](https://tickmarkbooks.com/stampli) · Price on request: Procure-to-pay workspace for invoices, vendors, payments and card spend, with AI coding and routing. - [Booke AI](https://tickmarkbooks.com/booke-ai) · No list price: An AI bookkeeper that works inside QuickBooks Online and Xero to categorize transactions and match documents. - [SimpleAI](https://tickmarkbooks.com/simpleai) · From $79 a month: AI agents that extract, classify and reconcile accounting documents, then publish them into Xero or QuickBooks. - [Zeni](https://tickmarkbooks.com/zeni) · From $549 a month: AI bookkeeping with a dedicated finance team, built on QuickBooks Online Plus. - [QuickBooks Online](https://tickmarkbooks.com/quickbooks-online) · Free plan, then $38 a month: Intuit's cloud ledger, now with Intuit Intelligence agents that categorize, reconcile and flag errors. 5 of the 9 publish a price. [All 9 alternatives](https://tickmarkbooks.com/inkle/alternatives/) ## Sources and changes Last changed 27 October 2026 **Sources on inkle.ai** (9) - https://www.inkle.ai/pricing, read 27 October 2026 - https://www.inkle.ai/books, read 27 October 2026 - https://www.inkle.ai/ai-bookkeeper, read 27 October 2026 - https://www.inkle.ai/bench, read 27 October 2026 - https://www.inkle.ai/legal, read 27 October 2026 - https://www.inkle.ai/practice, read 27 October 2026 - https://www.inkle.ai/, read 27 October 2026 - https://www.inkle.ai/security, read 27 October 2026 - https://www.inkle.ai/services/bookkeeping, read 27 October 2026 ## Is this yours? Claim Inkle: https://tickmarkbooks.com/claim/inkle Report an error if a fact is wrong: hello@tickmarkbooks.com, subject "Report an error: Inkle (inkle)".