Kick
A US replacement ledger that categorizes bank and processor feeds, matches receipts, and hands your CPA a year-end package.
Best for
US founders who let Kick be the ledger and want a year-end review pass an accountant can use, without a monthly bookkeeping service.
Not ideal if
Anyone who needs the books to stay in tried-and-true QuickBooks, Wave, or Xero, or whose CPA will only open those files.
Standout
One workspace for every LLC, with intercompany entries written on both sides, and extra entities that stay free until 250 transactions.
About Kick
Kick is the ledger. You connect banks and cards through Plaid, plus Stripe, PayPal, Mercury, Ramp, Gusto, and BILL. Transactions land in Kick's cash-basis books already categorized. You review the misses, keep the rules that stick, match receipts, and reconcile. Reports and the year-end tax package come out of Kick.
It does not sit on QuickBooks Online or Xero. The live books live here, which is the opposite of Double (a layer on the file you already have) or staying in Wave with a local bookkeeper. For a US service shop, Kick's job is a shorter weekly review than QuickBooks and a year-end package a CPA can use. Owner help currently gates a direct QuickBooks import to Advanced; everyone else starts from bank feeds and a CSV or statement import.
People who stick with Kick are usually DIY US owners who found QuickBooks heavier than the books they actually keep. They care most about a clean year-end handoff: a review pass and a package an accountant can use, without paying a monthly bookkeeping service.
What people who used it say
What they tend to like
Simpler than QuickBooks for a US service shop
Bank feeds land, and the first-pass categories are good enough that the weekly job is a short review list.
Year-end is the moment they care about
A review pass and a package an accountant can use, without paying a monthly bookkeeping service.
Replaced a more expensive bookkeeping service
Kick can recreate the picture a monthly bookkeeping service used to provide, with cash still visible to the owner.
What they hesitate about
Pricing is less competitive than other options
Paid plans are less competitive than other options, even though Kick has a free tier.
The first month still needs a careful eye
Auto-categorization is a review list, not set-and-forget. Do not cancel the old file on week one.
Still new, with a shorter track record
Some owners would rather trust tried-and-true QuickBooks, Wave, or Xero than move the books into a newer ledger.
How it hits your books
- Replaces your ledger
- Yes
- QuickBooks Online
- No
- Xero
- No
- Multi-entity
- Yes
- Inventory
- Partial
- 1099s
- Partial
- Payroll
- No
The first month or two still needs you on the uncategorized list. After that, close is review, transfer matching, and statement reconcile in Kick (reconciliation is Basic and above). Accrual close is a second pass on Plus. Nothing writes back to QuickBooks.
Invite the accountant, or download the year-end Excel package (cover, P&L, balance sheet, general ledger, trial balance) plus a 1099 review export. Kick does not e-file the return or the 1099s.
Images
Features
Categorize as the feed lands
Bank, card, and processor lines post to the cash ledger as they sync. You correct the misses and keep rules. Kick leaves a transaction uncategorized when it is not confident.
Receipt and document matching
Forward, photograph, or upload receipts. Kick matches them to the bank or card line instead of leaving a pile in your camera roll.
Multi-entity in one workspace
Plus and Advanced keep multiple LLCs in one login, match intercompany transfers, and split shared bills. New entities start free for 250 transactions, then $50/month, and that count does not reset next year. Older Plus plans stay capped at 5 entities until you move to current pricing.
Tax package and 1099 review
Download an Excel year-end package (cover, P&L, balance sheet, general ledger, trial balance) for your CPA. Flag vendors as 1099 eligible and export a 1099 report. Kick does not e-file 1099s or the return.
Cash ledger now, accrual on Plus
Cash-basis books are on every plan and post as transactions sync. Plus and Advanced add an accrual ledger, classes, departments, locations, projects, and AR/AP aging. Accrual posts only after you confirm the lines or a rule auto-confirms them.
MCP, CLI, and a REST API
Basic and above include an MCP server and CLI so you can query or update the books from Claude, ChatGPT, or a terminal. Firms also get a REST API across every workspace they manage.
Pricing
A one-entity shop that has outgrown Free pays $480 a year for Basic. There is no month-to-month Basic. Two operating LLCs on Plus start at $300 a quarter; the second entity is free until 250 transactions, then another $50 every month, and that $50 does not drop off next January. A 5-entity group that is all over the cap is $100 plus $200 in entity fees, billed on the Plus cadence, before Advanced. Firms pay the same client-plan prices; the firm workspace itself is a free Plus-tier sandbox.
Free
New businesses and sole props. One entity, 250 business-expense transactions a year.
- Auto-categorization and receipt matching
- Profit and loss, balance sheet, trial balance, year-end tax package
- 1 entity, 250 business-expense transactions/year
- Plaid, Stripe, PayPal, Ramp, Mercury, Gusto, BILL
- Unlimited members, self-serve support
Basic
One full-time entity that has outgrown the expense cap. 14-day trial.
- Unlimited transactions, 1 entity
- Bank and statement reconciliation
- Universal importer
- MCP and CLI
- Standard support and group training
Plus
More than one entity, or you need accrual books and classes.
- Unlimited entities (then $50/mo after 250 tx; fee does not reset)
- Classes, departments, locations, projects
- Accrual ledger and AR/AP
- Prioritized support
Advanced
Complex groups that want a named migration and support contact. Not self-serve.
- Everything in Plus
- Dedicated migration and training
- Consolidation and deduction optimization
- Dedicated support
Integrations
Platforms
Audience
Pick something else instead of Kick
QuickBooks Online
Stay in QuickBooks Online if you sell inventory, need multi-currency, your CPA will only take a QBO file, or you want a ledger the tax-prep world already knows how to recover. Kick replaces the file; it does not sit next to it.
Double
Pick Double instead if a firm should close many QuickBooks Online or Xero clients without moving the books. Double writes back to the ledger you already have.
Wave
Pick Wave instead if you want free invoicing and a simple cash-basis file and you do not need AI categorization or multi-entity.