Looking for an AccountancyManager alternative?
AccountancyManager doesn't exist as a standalone product any more — it was acquired by Bright Software Group in March 2022 and is now BrightManager. If you signed up to AccountancyManager and are deciding what comes next, this page is for you.
What happened to AccountancyManager?
AccountancyManager was founded in 2017 by James Byrne and Alex Hawke and grew into one of the UK's best-known practice management tools. In March 2022 it was acquired by Bright Software Group — the Hg Capital-backed group behind BrightPay — and was subsequently rebranded as BrightManager.
For existing users, the product carried on, but the context changed: the founders moved on from day-to-day product leadership, and pricing is no longer published — as of July 2026, new quotes come via a demo booking rather than a public price list.
If you chose AccountancyManager back when it was a founder-led product with transparent pricing, it's fair to ask whether today's BrightManager is still the same purchase — and to look at what else is available before you renew.
Sodium: the familiar shape, under new-old management
Sodium is what AccountancyManager was in its early years: UK-built practice management run by its founder — in this case Duane Jackson, who previously founded KashFlow and Staffology. It's independent, founder-owned, and takes no external investment.
The essentials are covered — client records with Companies House built in, workflows and recurring tasks, client portal, proposals and engagement letters — and pricing is public: free up to 5 clients, from £25/month (+VAT), up to 25 users included.
Where Sodium’s time and billing goes further
BrightManager does this properly, and it’s worth saying so: a WIP ledger, WIP allocated onto invoices — reallocated or unallocated as needed — cost of work and profit against that WIP, and a sync into Xero. The difference is narrower than the feature list makes it look, and it’s about what happens when the fee doesn’t match the time.
Sodium records time against clients, tasks, workflow steps and services, with timers that can start and stop with a workflow step, and puts your whole unbilled position on one screen. Bill a fixed fee against the time logged and the shortfall is written off there and then with a reason attached, entry by entry — or left in WIP to bill later. Write-off analysis by reason, recovery rates and open WIP all come off those same entries. Read more about time tracking, WIP and write-offs.
Each person also carries a cost rate alongside their charge rate, so approved hours turn into contractor pay runs — the part of the loop that neither BrightManager ’s WIP allocation nor its Insights Hub covers in what Bright publishes. It’s in the price of every package: no time add-on, and no per-user charge.
What BrightManager (as it now is) does well
The product AccountancyManager built is still there: a mature, well-rounded feature set shaped by years of UK practitioner feedback, with particular strength in client onboarding. And if you also run BrightPay payroll, having one vendor across payroll and practice management is a real convenience. Plenty of firms are staying — this page is for the ones who'd rather not.
Side by side
| AccountancyManager (BrightManager) | Sodium | |
|---|---|---|
| Public pricing | Not published — pricing via a demo booking | Yes — free for up to 5 clients, from £25/month (+VAT); full pricing calculator online |
| Ownership | Bright Software Group (acquired AccountancyManager in March 2022; Bright is backed by Hg Capital) | Independent and founder-owned — no external investment |
| Free trial | — | Free one-month trial, no card required |
| AI assistant access | — | Built-in MCP server — connect Claude and other AI assistants to your practice data |
| Companies House | — | Companies House built into the core client record |
| Time tracking and WIP | Time tracking with a WIP ledger, and WIP allocated onto invoices — reallocated or unallocated as needed — with Xero sync | Six ways to log time — against clients, tasks, workflow steps and services — including timers that start and stop with a workflow step, calendar and timesheet views, and your whole unbilled position on one screen |
| Fee billing and write-offs | Fixed-fee work can be allocated to invoices; write-off reasons and recovery rates are not stated | Bill a fixed fee against logged time and write off the shortfall with a reason, or leave it in WIP to bill later — with write-off, recovery and open-WIP reporting |
| Staff cost and profitability | Cost of work and resulting profit shown against WIP | A cost rate per person alongside their charge rate, contractor pay runs for approved hours, and cost against profit and recovery on the same entries |
Last checked 11 July 2026. AccountancyManager (BrightManager) pricing and features may have changed since — always confirm current details with the vendor. Time and WIP rows describe what each vendor publishes on its own website as at 10 September 2026. A dash means the capability is not stated in the vendor's published material, not that it is unavailable — check with the vendor. A dash (—) means the item wasn't listed on the vendor's public site when we last checked.
Moving your data
The move is CSV-shaped: export clients and services, then bring them into Sodium with the built-in import tools. Our step-by-step migration guide covers clients, contacts, and service assignments — most firms complete the data move in an afternoon.
Common questions
Is AccountancyManager still available?
Not under that name. AccountancyManager was acquired by Bright Software Group in March 2022 and is now sold as BrightManager. Existing accounts continue on the Bright platform.
Can I import my AccountancyManager/BrightManager data into Sodium?
Yes. Export your clients and services as CSV files and use Sodium's import tools. The step-by-step guide at sodiumhq.com/guides/migrating-from-bright-manager covers clients, contacts, and service assignments.
How much does Sodium cost?
Sodium is free for up to 5 clients. Paid plans are tiered by client count from £25/month (+VAT) for up to 25 clients, and include up to 25 users with no per-user charges. Full pricing is public at sodiumhq.com/pricing.
Is there a free trial?
Yes — one month free with no card details required, and the free tier for up to 5 clients has no time limit.
Who builds Sodium?
Sodium Software Ltd, a UK company founded by Duane Jackson — previously the founder of KashFlow and Staffology. Independent and founder-owned, with no external investment.
“I've tried other practice management solutions but find they're always heavy work to get them set up - but yours feels a breeze!” — Anne Sievewright, charlesblack.co.uk
Ready to make the switch?
Sodium is free for up to 5 clients, with no card required. Turn off the features you don't need and it fits a practice with 5 clients or 5,000 — import your clients, contacts and services in minutes.