Best accounting software for charities UK in 2026

What is charity accounting software?

Charity accounting software is designed specifically to support the financial and regulatory needs of not‑for‑profit organisations. Unlike standard business accounting tools, it enables charities to track restricted and unrestricted funds, produce SORP‑compliant reports, manage Gift Aid claims, and demonstrate accountability to trustees and funders.

The best accounting software for charities also supports audit readiness, multi‑project reporting, VAT and payroll compliance, and integrations with fundraising and donor management systems, helping charities operate efficiently while meeting UK regulatory requirements.

Benefits of accounting software for charities

Using specialist charity accounting software delivers practical benefits across the organisation:

1. Clear visibility of funds - Track restricted and unrestricted income with confidence and avoid misallocation
2. Simpler trustee and funder reporting - Produce SOFA, SORP and management reports quickly
3. Accurate Gift Aid management - Automate claims and reduce the risk of HMRC errors
4. Stronger financial controls - Approval workflows and audit trails improve governance
5. Reduced manual admin - Automation frees finance teams to focus on insight rather than data entry
6. Scalability - Support growth in projects, income streams and organisational complexity

What is the best accounting software for charities in 2026?

There are a number of providers to consider, so narrow down the options to those that focus in on your sector. This way, you’ll have a good chance of finding a solution that more closely fits with your needs now and going forwards.

We’ve looked at the three best accounting software providers for charities and provided a quick summary to help you compare.

The Access Group

With 25+ years of supporting non profit organisations, Access accounting software for charities is proven to simplify accounting processes. It covers the full finance cycle and including fund accounting, core ledgers, partial VAT, audit, corrections, reporting and more.

You can also enjoy additional options such as expense management and workflows. These features make this comprehensive solution is a market leader.

Sage

Sage offers cloud-based accounting software designed for trusts, charities and non profits. This includes weekly and monthly budgeting, donations, quarterly summaries and year end accounts. Other important features include automated admin tasks, transaction and donation reconciliation, and a mobile app.

Xero

Organised via a dashboard, the Xero accounting package for charities includes all the functionality you would expect. This includes cash in and out, expenses management, reporting, and online payroll. There is also an app that staff can use to monitor spend whilst out and about.

Common features of the best accounting software for not for profits

Whilst you’re evaluating what is the best accounting software for charities – and what might best suit the specific requirements of your not for profit – look out for these common features.

Cloud-based software

Have you have considered moving to the cloud? Learn how much of a difference cloud-based accounting software could make to your charity. By allowing staff, stakeholders, trustees and volunteers to submit data, complete tasks, action approvals and view relevant reports remotely and securely - everyone can work from wherever they are and on whatever device they’re on. Total flexibility.

Revenue sources and SORP compliance

The best charity accounting software packages are designed for ease of SORP compliance. Your staff won’t need to spend hours and hours trying to analyse income and expenditure across multiple fund streams.

Automatic expenses and receipt scanning

It’s likely your staff won’t enjoy manually entering data from their receipts and compiling their expenses claims. Some charity accounting software solutions include receipt scanning which speeds the whole process up and boosts accuracy.

Integration with HMRC

Imagine how much easier it would be to automate payroll and VAT submissions to HMRC. The good news is that with a modern charity accounting software solution: you can! It’s common for the latest iterations to integrate with HMRC and meet your Making Tax Digital requirements.

Integration with existing systems

Already using CRM, a membership solution, or a platform for fundraising? Then it will be helpful to assess any new charity accounting software on its ease of integration with what you currently have in place. Any charity accounting software provider worth their salt will be able to advise you on how this might work.

Optional add-ons

While some functionality may be common, not every charity accounting software package is the same. Consider add-on functions that might be useful for your organisation, such as:

• Automated purchase order
• Invoice entry automation
• Expenses management
• Credit card approvals

Things to consider when choosing the best charity accounting software for your organisation

When selecting charity accounting software, it’s important to assess both current needs and future growth. Key considerations include:

• Fund structure: Do you need detailed restricted and unrestricted fund tracking
• Compliance: Does the software support SORP, Gift Aid and UK VAT requirements?
• Reporting needs: Can you easily report to trustees, funders and regulators?
• Ease of use: Will non‑finance users need access to financial information?
• Integration: Does it connect with fundraising, CRM or payroll systems?
• Scalability: Will the software still meet your needs as the charity grows?

Choosing the best accounting software for charities means balancing compliance, usability and long‑term value.

Charity accounting software packages

Looking at the ‘big picture’ is a key part of deciding on which provider you go with for your new charity accounting software.

Once you’ve made that first step, you’ll need the time for assessing various levels of functionality and what support to include.

Choosing the best charity accounting software package for your specific needs will mean going a level deeper. Assess what your staff will use and how much the system needs to deliver to make their jobs easier.

Below are the Access charity accounting software packages which give an idea of what you can expect.

Next steps

Are you ready to find out more about charity accounting software and what it can do for your organisation? Check out the links below and choose your next step.

Explore our charity accounting software further or book a demo to see the software in action so you can see if it's the right fit for your organisation.