Since hiring an entire finance team costs more than many small companies are willing to pay, an increasing number of business owners in the UK are now choosing to use outside finance providers. The pressure has been increased by rising employment costs and the introduction of Making Tax Digital, and as a result the market now includes online accountants as well as part-time finance directors.
The following list presents five of the top providers for UK SMEs in 2026, together with a benefit and a drawback for each one, and is then followed by a comparison and a brief guide to helping you choose between them.
Azets, for a full-service team across the UK
Azets provides accounting services on an outsourced basis through a series of modular packages, enabling a business to add or remove services as it grows; the available options are bookkeeping, credit control, VAT returns and management accounting, all of which are carried out by local teams in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Advantage: a single provider can look after most of the everyday compliance tasks, with local staff available.
Disadvantage: larger groups are most suitable for well-established companies, while smaller businesses might prefer a more boutique type of service.
The CFO Centre, for part-time senior leadership
The CFO Centre assigns part-time CFOs to rapidly growing businesses and ensures that each client is paired with a CFO who is local to their region and industry. The service is designed for small and medium-sized enterprises, with the usual timeframe for making a match being a few days.
Advantage: it provides access to senior-level input regarding fundraising and exit planning without having to pay a full-time salary.
Disadvantage: the rule setting the starting point at £1 million excludes a large number of smaller companies, and since it is a strategic service it is usually provided in conjunction with a separate bookkeeper.
Accounts and Legal, for accounting and legal support in one team
Accounts and Legal was established in 2015 with the aim of bringing together accountants, lawyers and experts in corporate finance into a single team. The fully managed finance service includes bookkeeping, payroll, credit control, tax returns, preparation of the year-end accounts and management reporting, together with FD-level insight and legal support.
Advantage: quarterly performance reviews are included as standard, which means that clients receive updates from their accountant long after the annual accounts have been prepared.
Disadvantage: the integrated accounting and legal services are suited to growing businesses, while a company which only requires basic bookkeeping will make little use of them.
Menzies, for finance director support inside an accountancy firm
Menzies is able to provide a complete outsourced finance team, covering everything from bookkeeping and VAT to offering support to a finance director together with forecasting and scenario planning; dedicated staff become familiar with the business, and the part-time finance director option is suitable for companies that are not ready to make a permanent appointment.
Advantage: the finance director is employed by the same company as the people who carry out the accounting work.
Disadvantage: the office network is based in the south of England, which means that a business in the North East will most likely have to work with the team from a distance.
Crunch, for small limited companies and sole traders online
Crunch is an online accountancy built around software and ACCA-regulated accountants, and it says more than 64,000 UK small businesses use it. Sole traders and landlords with qualifying income above £50,000 had to start using Making Tax Digital for Income Tax on 6 April 2026, and the plans include compatible software at no extra cost.
Advantage: quotes obtained from a short online form which is based on turnover and the number of transactions, and it includes director’s pay for up to two directors.
Disadvantage: complex arrangements such as alphabet shares or property holdings have to be handled under the custom Premier plan, which means that companies that are growing might find themselves exceeding the capacity of the standard packages.
The 5 Providers Side by Side
Azets offers full-service accounting through modular outsourced packages, suited to small and established firms alike. The CFO Centre focuses on strategic leadership, matching businesses locally with part-time CFOs, and fits SMEs from roughly £1 million turnover upward. Accounts and Legal brings accounting and legal support together through a fully managed finance function, built for growing SMEs. Menzies provides finance director support as part of a full outsourced finance team, aimed at SMEs that need FD-level input. Crunch runs on software paired with accountants for online accounting, and suits sole traders and small limited companies looking for a lower-cost, self-service option.
Which One Should You Pick?
Choose Azets if you want one national provider with local teams handling your accounts and compliance.
Choose The CFO Centre if turnover is above roughly £1 million and you need strategic direction.
Choose Accounts and Legal if you expect to need legal support alongside your accounts.
Choose Menzies if you want finance director input from an established accountancy firm.
Choose Crunch if you run a small limited company or work as a sole trader and prefer to manage things online.
If you are still weighing up how outsourcing fits into your growth plans, our business coverage carries news and commentary from companies across the North East.
Finding the Right Outsourced Finance Provider
The choice of the most suitable finance services to outsource for a business will depend on the size of the business and the amount of support it requires each month. Decide first on your needs, for example bookkeeping or strategic advice, and then request a quote from each service provider before making a commitment.