Compare
Bukku vs AutoCount vs SQL Account, From the Firm's Side.
A firm does not pick one ledger. It picks per client — and lives with all three. Here is the honest map: which suits which client, and the one job that stays the same whichever wins.
At A Glance
Three ledgers, seven rows
Facts from each vendor's published pages and dealer price lists, as at 7 September 2026.
| AutoCount | SQL Account | Bukku | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runs where | Local desktop/server, and Cloud | Local desktop/server, and Cloud | Cloud only |
| Pricing model | Perpetual licence via dealers (entry packages dealer-listed from about RM2,200) + maintenance | Perpetual licence via dealers; cloud plans also offered | Subscription: Free, then RM35–RM135/month + 8% SST |
| Users | Per licence/edition | Per licence/edition | Unlimited on every plan |
| Typical client | Trading and inventory businesses; firms wanting local control | Trading businesses; firms deep in the SQL dealer ecosystem | Startups and service SMEs; clients who want cloud access |
| e-Invoice | Supported via its e-Invoice tooling | Supported via its e-Invoice tooling | Supported on every plan, including Free |
| Built-in scanning | AI Smart Scan — credits, ~RM10 per 200 per book | AI EasyScan — free unlimited until 31 Dec 2026 (needs Dec 2025+ version) | Included extractions: 50–300 pages/month by plan, +RM8 per 200 |
| Ecosystem | Large dealer network, plugins, POS | Large dealer network, strong training content | Direct + partner programme, payroll and bank-feed integrations |
The Firm Reality
You will end up running a mix
Firms we work with often run half their clients on AutoCount and a growing share on Bukku, with SQL books in between. That is not indecision. It is matching the ledger to the client: inventory-heavy trading company → local AutoCount or SQL. Cloud-first service startup → Bukku. Client already trained on one → leave it alone.
The mistake is forcing one answer. Migration costs real hours — opening balances, chart of accounts, retraining the client — and it rarely pays unless the client needs something their current ledger cannot do.
The Constant
Whichever ledger wins, the key-in stays
Supplier invoices, receipts and statements arrive the same way regardless. Someone still turns them into entries.
That layer is what BalanceNow does: it reads client documents, keys them in, and posts approved entries into AutoCount and SQL Account today — local versions included. Firms with mixed portfolios run it on those books.
Comparing the built-in scanners instead? Start with built-in scan vs a firm workflow. Weighing headcount? Run the clerk-vs-automation maths. The wider field is in the 2026 software comparison.
Questions
Bukku vs AutoCount vs SQL — FAQ
- Bukku vs AutoCount — which is better?
- Different clients, different answer. AutoCount suits trading and inventory businesses that want local control and a dealer nearby. Bukku suits service businesses and startups that want cheap cloud entry and unlimited users. Many firms run both across their client base.
- Is Bukku really free?
- The Launch plan is free forever, with limits: about 50 recommended transactions a month, no document extractions, 100 MB storage. Paid plans run RM35 to RM135 a month plus 8% SST. It supports LHDN e-Invoice on every plan, including Free.
- How does document scanning compare across the three?
- All three now have built-in extraction, all metered differently. Bukku includes 50–300 pages a month by plan, extra at RM8 per 200. SQL AI EasyScan is free with unlimited scans until 31 December 2026, on SQL Account versions from December 2025. AutoCount AI Smart Scan uses credits, about RM10 per 200 per account book. All work one company book at a time.
- Should a firm move its AutoCount or SQL clients to Bukku?
- Usually no — migrate only when the client has a reason, like needing cloud access or unlimited users. Migration is real work: opening balances, chart of accounts, retraining. The common pattern we see is a mixed portfolio: existing books stay where they are, new cloud-first clients start on Bukku.
- Does BalanceNow work with Bukku?
- BalanceNow posts into AutoCount and SQL Account today — local versions included. Firms with mixed portfolios use it on those books. It does not replace any ledger; it removes the key-in in front of one.
- Which is cheapest?
- Depends on the horizon. Bukku is cheapest to start (RM0–135 a month). AutoCount and SQL Account are perpetual licences through dealers — more upfront, but no monthly fee per company, which is why firms with many long-lived client books still favour them. Price the client’s five-year picture, not the first month.
Sources
Where these facts come from
- Bukku pricing page (plans, extraction quotas, unlimited users, e-Invoice support).
- AutoCount dealer price lists (entry packages, AI Smart Scan credits), September 2026.
- SQL AI Easy Scan page and SQL documentation (EasyScan offer and version requirement).
We build a product that posts into AutoCount and SQL Account, so we have an interest here. Ledger facts come from the vendors’ own published material. Prices and quotas change — check the linked pages before advising a client.
Last reviewed 7 September 2026 · BalanceNow team · Questions? hello@balancenow.com.my
Get Started
Keep every ledger. Lose the keying on AutoCount and SQL.
20 minutes on one client's real documents — posted into AutoCount or SQL Account in front of you.