An affordable option is only affordable once you know what the price leaves out. Below, each option's price is quoted as its own page published it, in the currency it used and never converted, with the date we checked it. The government fees and the audit that sit on top are set out after the table, with each figure linked to the Companies Registry or Inland Revenue Department (IRD) page it comes from.
What each option costs
| Option | Published price | Checked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suma, an app built around your business | Setup: from HK$2,500, one time. Monthly: from HK$1,500 a month. You use the finished app free for 14 days before you pay. Currency: HKD. | suma.hk [1] | |
| A bookkeeper plus off-the-shelf software | HK$1,000 to 3,000 a month for the bookkeeping, plus software subscriptions: the commonly published Hong Kong market range on our pricing page. No official body publishes a bookkeeping price. Currency: HKD. | suma.hk [1] | |
| Osome, outsourced accounting | Accounting and audit from HK$ 3,500/y, as the page writes it. Currency: HKD. | osome.com [2] | |
| QuickBooks, accounting software | Price not published on the page we checked: the plan figures did not load and showed no amount, so we quote none. Each plan is marked free for 30 days. Currency: not shown. | intuit.com [3] | |
| Sleek, outsourced accounting | Accounting Basic from HK$3,500/fy, Accounting Standard HK$5,880/fy and Accounting Premium HK$15,120/fy. Currency: HKD. | sleek.com [4] | |
| Xero, accounting software | Lite $7 per month, Starter $29 per month, Standard $50 per month and Premium $75 USD per month. New customers were offered 80% off for their first 3 months when we checked, and the page says prices increase from 1 November 2026. Currency: USD, as the page states; not converted. | xero.com [5] | |
| Zoho Books, accounting software | Free: $0. Standard: $12 per organisation per month, or $10 per month billed annually. Currency: a $ sign with no currency code, as the page showed it to us; not converted. | zoho.com [6] |
How to read these prices
The figures are not like for like, so compare them on what you get rather than on the headline number:
- Subscriptions are software, not bookkeeping. Xero, QuickBooks and Zoho Books sell software you or a bookkeeper set up and run. The monthly figure buys the tool; someone still has to enter, check and close the books.
- Packages are priced by the year. Osome and Sleek publish yearly package prices. Read what each package lists before comparing it with a monthly figure; we quote only what the page states.
- Currencies are as published. Xero's Hong Kong page prices in USD and Zoho Books shows a $ sign with no currency code, so we have not converted either into HKD.
- Prices move. Introductory offers end and announced increases take effect: Xero's page says its prices increase from 1 November 2026 [5]. Check the vendor's own page on the day you buy.
- Suma's setup is one time. The setup fee from HK$2,500 is paid once, and only if you keep the app after the free trial; the monthly fee is from HK$1,500 a month [1].
What each tool's AI actually does is set out in our guide to the best AI accounting software in Hong Kong (2026).
The costs people forget
None of the prices above is the whole bill. A Hong Kong limited company also pays for the following, and the government figures here come from the official page cited beside each:
- The audit fee. Audit of financial statements is required for all companies, including companies falling within the reporting exemption, except dormant companies [7]. There is no government figure for an audit fee: the audit firm quotes it, so we print no estimate. Our guide AI accountant vs a human accountant in Hong Kong explains why software cannot do this part.
- Profits tax. The return is filed with the IRD, and what the IRD publishes is the tax itself: a corporation pays 8.25% on the first HK$2,000,000 of assessable profits and 16.5% on the rest [8]. If a tax representative prepares the return, the fee is their own quote. Our profits tax return guide covers the deadlines.
- The business registration fee. For a certificate starting between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027, the fee and levy are HK$2,350 for 1 year (HK$2,200 fee plus HK$150 levy) or HK$6,170 for 3 years [9].
- The annual return. A private company's annual return costs HK$105 when delivered within 42 days after the anniversary of incorporation, and more when it is late [10].
Where Suma fits
Suma is not the lowest monthly figure in the table, and it is not trying to be. If you want ready-made software you set up yourself today, a subscription costs less. Suma is AI accounting software of a different kind:
- An app built around your business. AI builds and maintains an accounting app around how your business runs, from your spreadsheets, calendar and receipts.
- Double-entry books kept by fixed rules. Every posting follows fixed accounting rules with 4-digit account codes, not a model's guess.
- The CPA work, quoted separately. Review, audit and statutory filing go through our partner CPA firm, W. M. Sum & Co., quoted separately.
- Try it before you pay. You use the finished app free for 14 days, and your exact price is agreed on a short call before we build.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most affordable AI accounting software in Hong Kong?
On published prices, Zoho Books lists a free plan and Xero's Hong Kong page starts at $7 a month for Lite, in USD, both checked on 30 October 2026 [6] [5]. Those are subscriptions you set up and run yourself, and the prices change: Xero's page says its prices increase from 1 November 2026. Suma is from HK$1,500 a month for an app built around your business, with a 14-day free trial of the finished app [1].
Does low-cost AI accounting include the audit?
Usually not. A software subscription keeps records; it does not audit them. Audit of financial statements is required for all Hong Kong companies, including those within the reporting exemption, except dormant companies [7]. Some outsourced packages name audit in the plan, such as Osome's "Accounting and audit from HK$ 3,500/y", as its page writes it [2]. At Suma, audit goes through our partner CPA firm, W. M. Sum & Co., quoted separately.
How much does a bookkeeper cost in Hong Kong compared with AI accounting software?
A bookkeeper is commonly HK$1,000 to 3,000 a month plus software subscriptions, the market range our pricing page compares against; no official body publishes a bookkeeping price [1]. Suma is from HK$1,500 a month. Setup is a separate one time fee, from HK$2,500, paid only if you keep the app after the 14-day free trial. Neither figure includes the audit.
What government fees does a Hong Kong company pay on top of its accounting?
For a business registration certificate starting between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027, HK$2,350 for 1 year or HK$6,170 for 3 years [9]. A private company's annual return is HK$105 if delivered within 42 days after its anniversary [10]. Profits tax is 8.25% on the first HK$2,000,000 of a corporation's assessable profits and 16.5% on the rest [8]. The audit fee is quoted by the audit firm.
General information current as of 30 October 2026. This is not tax, legal or accounting advice. Vendor prices are quoted as each page published them on the date shown and may have changed; confirm them on the vendor's own page and government fees with the IRD or the Companies Registry.