ReAI vs KashFlow

KashFlow is a UK-born cloud accounting platform now owned by IRIS Software Group. It has been serving UK small businesses since 2005 and is known for its simplicity and HMRC integration. ReAI is a newer platform that brings AI-powered automation to the same market. Here is how they compare.

Quick comparison

Pricing

KashFlow offers three main plans:

Additional payroll employees cost extra beyond the five included in the top tier.

ReAI starts at £22/month with the full feature set included: invoicing, bank feeds, automated categorisation, VAT filing and reporting. No feature gating, no per-employee charges for core functionality.

Cost comparison for typical scenarios

KashFlow is cheaper at the entry level, particularly for sole traders who do not need bank feeds or VAT filing. But once you add the features most businesses actually need, the prices converge – and ReAI’s AI automation provides more value for the cost.

Automation

This is the most significant difference between the two platforms.

ReAI

ReAI uses machine learning to automate repetitive accounting tasks:

• Transaction categorisation that improves over time as it learns your patterns
• Invoice matching that automatically connects payments to outstanding invoices
• Anomaly detection that flags unusual transactions for review
• Automated posting that reduces the need for manual journal entries

For businesses that process dozens or hundreds of transactions per week, the time savings are substantial.

KashFlow

KashFlow takes a more traditional approach:

• Manual transaction categorisation with some remembered rules
• Basic bank feed matching
• Template-based workflows
• No AI or machine learning features

KashFlow is straightforward and gets the job done, but you will spend more time on manual data entry and review than you would with ReAI.

UK-specific features

Both platforms are built for the UK market, which gives them an advantage over tools originally designed for other countries.

VAT

Both platforms handle UK VAT well. KashFlow has been doing this for nearly two decades and has a solid track record. ReAI matches this functionality while adding AI-assisted VAT categorisation that reduces errors.

For more on how VAT works, see our VAT guide .

Self Assessment

KashFlow supports Self Assessment tax returns for sole traders, which is useful if you are not operating through a limited company. ReAI focuses on limited company accounting, so if Self Assessment is a priority, KashFlow has an edge here.

Companies House filing

Neither platform directly files accounts at Companies House, but both produce the financial statements you need to file. Some third-party tools integrate with both to handle the iXBRL conversion and submission.

Invoicing

Both platforms include invoicing in all plans. Here is how they compare:

KashFlow’s invoicing is clean and practical. ReAI adds AI-powered matching that automatically reconciles incoming payments to open invoices, saving time on the reconciliation side.

Payroll

KashFlow includes payroll in its top-tier plan (Business + Payroll), covering:

• RTI submissions to HMRC
• Payslip generation
• Auto-enrolment pension compliance
• Statutory payments (SSP, SMP, SPP)

The base plan includes up to 5 employees, with additional charges for more.

ReAI integrates payroll within the same platform, keeping everything synchronised without needing to reconcile between separate systems.

Bank feeds and reconciliation

Both platforms connect to UK banks and pull in transactions automatically. The difference is what happens next:

• KashFlow presents your bank transactions and asks you to categorise them, with some suggestions based on previous rules you have set up
• ReAI automatically categorises transactions using AI, presents them for review and learns from any corrections you make

For a business that processes a high volume of transactions, this difference adds up to hours saved each month.

Reporting

KashFlow provides solid standard reporting that covers what most small businesses need. ReAI offers similar reports with additional analytical capabilities.

Integrations

KashFlow integrates with a smaller ecosystem compared to platforms like Xero or QuickBooks, but it covers the essentials:

• GoCardless for direct debit payments
• Stripe for online card payments
• PayPal for payment tracking
• IRIS products (as part of the IRIS group)

ReAI focuses on deep, native functionality rather than a broad integration marketplace. The philosophy is that if the core platform handles your needs well, you need fewer external tools.

Support

KashFlow offers:

• Phone support during UK business hours
• Email support
• Knowledge base and help articles

ReAI provides UK-based support designed for UK accounting queries. Both platforms offer responsive help, though KashFlow’s longer history means its knowledge base is more extensive.

Ease of use

KashFlow was designed from the start to be simple enough for non-accountants. The interface is clean and the terminology avoids unnecessary jargon. It is a good choice for business owners who want to do their own bookkeeping without an accounting background.

ReAI takes simplicity further by using AI to handle the parts that require accounting knowledge. You do not need to know which category a transaction belongs to – the AI suggests it, and you confirm. This makes it accessible even to people with no accounting knowledge at all.

Who should choose what

Choose KashFlow if:

• You are a sole trader who needs Self Assessment support
• You want the cheapest possible option for basic invoicing and expenses
• You prefer a platform with a long track record in the UK market
• Your accounting needs are straightforward with low transaction volumes

Choose ReAI if:

• You want AI automation to reduce the time you spend on bookkeeping
• You are a limited company looking for a modern, all-in-one platform
• You have a high volume of transactions and want automated categorisation
• You value having all features included in one predictable price
• You are growing and want a platform that keeps up with you

More comparisons

See how ReAI compares to other UK accounting platforms:

• ReAI vs Xero
• ReAI vs QuickBooks
• ReAI vs FreeAgent
• ReAI vs Sage
• ReAI vs Wave
• ReAI vs FreshBooks
• ReAI vs Zoho Books