iscoverNew research has revealed what accountants and bookkeepers look for in accounting technology platforms, with nearly half prioritising features and functionality.
‘Accountants are increasingly sophisticated buyers’ of tech solutions
30 September 2025
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8 minute read
Market research agency Agile Market Intelligence has provided Accountants Daily with data from its 2025 Accounting Tech Review, which has compiled responses from over 700 Australian accountants and bookkeepers in a survey conducted between April and August 2025.
The report aimed to benchmark platform performance across private practice and in-house accounting professionals and capture perceptions around functionality, service quality, and platform features.
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Seamless simplicity
Agile Market Intelligence (Agile) director Michael Johnson said: “Accountants want platforms that enhance their capabilities, not create additional complexity.”
According to the study, nearly one in two (47 per cent) respondents commented that features and functionality are something they look for when choosing an accounting platform.
Tools that provided a streamlined workflow and seamless integration with other platforms received positive feedback, Agile found.
Speaking about a platform, one respondent said: “[It] has been an incredibly useful platform for simplifying our accounting and financial processes. Its intuitive interface, seamless integrations, and real-time reporting capabilities have made a significant impact on our operational efficiency.”
A simple, yet effective platform design was a sought-after feature, the research found, with one in 10 (12 per cent) providing feedback about user interface and user experience.
It found that over-complicated platform designs caused unnecessary bottlenecks as respondents reported productivity drains, training costs, use challenges, and high time consumption, resulting from user-unfriendly interfaces.
“Platforms that require extensive training or create workflow friction will struggle to maintain user satisfaction, regardless of their underlying capabilities,” Johnson stressed.
“Accountants want platforms that enhance their capabilities, not create additional complexity.”
Pricing isn’t only about the money
Over one in four (27 per cent) respondents commented on the pricing and value of accounting platforms – high subscription costs and poor value for money were raised as reasons for switching products, it found.
“In accounting technology, pricing sensitivity varies significantly by practice size and client volume,” Agile said.
It revealed that smaller practices favoured flexible pricing models, with respondents opting to compare prices across competing platforms.
“Several comments on pricing concerns included competitive comparisons, particularly where cheaper alternatives offered similar functionality, better performance, or better ease of use,” it found.
Johnson emphasised: “Competitive pricing opens conversations, but value demonstration closes deals.”
Further, it showed that the respondents’ perception of demonstrable value or ‘value for money’ was mostly based on the platform’s reliability of features, platform functionality, and user interface.
Findings also revealed that one in 10 (11 per cent) respondents commented on support and updates, and less than one in 20 (4 per cent) commented on performance and reliability offered by platforms.
“Accountants are increasingly sophisticated buyers who weigh total cost of ownership against productivity gains,” Johnson concluded.
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