TechRadar Verdict
This is a very smart and highly efficient online bookkeeping service that offers a raft of great tools and the backup of accountancy professionals if you need it.
Pros
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Free
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Cloud-based
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Easy to set up and use
Cons
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Premium help comes at a cost
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Bokio is free-to-use accounting software that makes use of artificial intelligence in order to simplify bookkeeping duties. Aimed at small businesses, sole traders and freelancers, Bokio has been designed to help users save both time and money.
With a user-friendly interface and cloud-based convenience, the service lets you tackle an array of small business-focused tasks, such as invoicing, expenses, producing financial reports and VAT returns too. Bokio originated in Sweden but now has an edition that works for the UK market while remaining free, which is good news during coronavirus.
The creators of Bokio hope to help new users keep errors in their accounting to an absolute minimum thanks to the power of its artificial intelligence-led philosophy. A Premium edition of Bokio is also available that can get you hooked up with accountancy professionals if you prefer to outsource your bookkeeping activities.
Other competitor options include Sage Business Cloud Accounting, QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, Freeagent, GoSimpleTax, TaxCalc, Nomisma, ABC Self-Assessment, Crunch or Zoho Books.
- Want to try Bokio? Check out the website here
Pricing
You can enjoy all of the main Bokio features and functions for nothing, which is a pretty good deal when you consider just how useful this service is. At the same time, there is the Premium edition of Bokio that can connect you to accounting professionals if you feel you need help, or would rather have someone else take care of your accounts and bookkeeping duties.
Features
There are three core areas of Bokio aimed at improving your efficiency when it comes to accounting. The Bookkeeping aspect of the software comes with a very solid selection of features, which let you record all of your transactions, view automated reports of balances and work out your profit and loss figures. The service allows for automated submission of VAT returns to HMRC.
Cleverly, built-in algorithms are able to automate normally tedious tasks, such as receipt filing, while smart templates assist you in ensuring everything is filed in an orderly fashion. The next main area of Bokio is invoicing, for which there are a whole host of tools to get this repetitive job done. You get lots of options for creating bespoke digital paperwork that does a very good job of making your business look as professional as possible.
Finally, Bokio has numerous options for staying on top of expenses, with additional tools that can be used by workers if you have employees in your business. Add in other organizational tools including a very handy ‘To-do list’ assistant and you’ve got a feature heavy package.
Performance
During our time using Bokio it flew along very nicely indeed. The setup procedure was swift and fault free. Once we got to try the features from with the dashboard area we found Bokio to be very sprightly, allowing the creation of new records for money out, money in and the production of supplier invoices proving particularly speedy.
Hopefully this high performance edge will remain consistent the more you use it, even if you’re populating Bokio with large volumes of data. The service also comes with the capacity to connect to your bank, for even more streamlined bookkeeping and that also seems to be well engineered with no major hurdles to encounter along the way. For a free service this is all very impressive.
Ease of use
When it comes to getting started then Bokio has to be one of the easiest accounting packages there is. To register, you just need to enter a few details, create a basic profile of yourself and verify your email. It took us just seconds to do all that and then have access to our own dashboard area, complete with the full array of Bokio tools.
Getting around this work area is a breeze, with lots of help along the way. The interface has been designed with novice users in mind too, while the menus and navigation tools are all simple to get to grips with. Once you’re signed up you can also download an accounting handbook that contains step-by-step guides and other practical tips. There’s a product tour in the main dashboard area too.
Support
There’s a whole Bokio help hub that can be accessed directly from within the software if you need additional information on how anything works. This area covers just about everything you’ll ever need to know as regards features and functionality.
However, if you opt for the Bokio Premium service then this connects a user with a real human who’s an expert in accountancy, which might prove useful if you’re prone to getting tied up in knots during bookkeeping duties. There’s a Priority Support option, which was available for £10 per month when Bokio first launched. This has now become free for UK users and certainly adds value as it guarantees support within 24 hours (on working days).
Bokio says for those who wish to access more technical support, or outsource their bookkeeping, the 'hire an accountant' feature remains unchanged as a paid-for service. Expect more add-ons like this to be be rolled out as time progresses.
Final verdict
Bokio is a hugely impressive cloud-based package that lets you get stuck into every aspect of your bookkeeping duties at a rate of knots. The interface is a joy to use, the learning curve is minimal to say the least and the results it produces are generally excellent.
With no cost involved for using what seems to be a fully featured package Bokio seems like a no brainer if you’ve got accounts to take care of, but don’t want to spend much in order to get them done. With the added benefit of being able to purchase professional help if you need it we happen to think Bokio is very good indeed.
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