Mazuma vs Ember Accounting
Which is best for my business?
If you’re on the hunt for an online accounting service in the UK, it’s likely that you’ve come across Mazuma and Ember.
While these two accounting platforms have a lot in common, they’re not entirely the same — which is why they’re worth comparing.
Once you know more about the features both services offer, it becomes clear that Mazuma has the superior offering. In this article, we’ll be looking at why Mazuma is the better choice, based on the facts.
Let’s take a look at Mazuma vs Ember in more detail.
What is Mazuma?
Mazuma is a complete online accounting solution for businesses and self-employed individuals in the UK.
When you join Mazuma, you’ll be assigned your own accountancy team, who will offer services that can take the stress and hassle off your hands. Mazuma’s accountants can handle your taxes, accounts management, bookkeeping, payroll, and more. As a Mazuma customer, you also have access to the platform’s invoicing software and bank feed — it’s your choice whether to make use of these or not.
If you’re looking to improve tax efficiency, better manage your cash flow, or simply hand over your accounting duties to an expert, Mazuma offers a service that will tick your boxes.
What is Ember?
Ember is an accounting software package that automates your accounts and tax. You can use Ember to track expenses, send invoices, and more.
Ember is designed to be used by the everyday business owner but it can feel a little restrictive. The tool has invoicing software and bank feed, but, unlike Mazuma, you don’t get to choose whether to use these features — you have to.
You can get in-app support from Ember’s chat feature if you have any questions or concerns.
Mazuma vs Ember: The Differences
When comparing Mazuma and Ember, the differences that stand out the most have to do with your role as the customer.
Mazuma requires less hard work from you. You simply send your monthly financial documents (bills and receipts) to your accountancy team and they’ll do all the filing and bookkeeping for you. You’ll receive monthly reports keeping you informed of your financial situation throughout the year.
Ember requires more work from you. You can use Ember to do your bookkeeping and then file your returns yourself. You also won’t receive any advice from Ember on how to classify your income and expenses. They do offer helpful articles so that you can learn it yourself, but tax law is vast. That’s why it’s the Mazuma accountants who classify your income and expenditure on your behalf so that they can be absolutely certain that anything you claim truly is legally tax deductible.
Mazuma is more flexible with its offerings. You don’t have to use the invoicing software, for instance, but it’s there if you want it. Ember, on the other hand, insists that you use its invoicing and bank feed features.
Ember does give you access to accountants in its in-app support team. However, while you can approach Ember’s accountants with the odd question, they won’t actually do your accounting for you. You can, though, pay extra if you’d like Ember’s accountants to prepare your end-of-year accounts and tax return.
In terms of pricing, Mazuma is flexible, with a fixed monthly cost based on the services you choose on the free quote form. Ember has a set price per package, with additional costs per employee on payroll and for services like year-end accounts, tax returns, director self-assessment, and business address registration.
The issue here is that Ember has a number of hidden costs, while Mazuma works off a subscription model, so you’ll pay exactly what you expect to pay per month.
Finally, what about those scary tax investigations? Well, with Ember you’re not covered – you’ll need to handle it yourself. But with Mazuma they’ll not only assist in any HMRC investigation, but also offer packages that will cover all of your fees in the case that you get investigated.
When should you choose Mazuma, and when should you choose Ember?
Ember
If you have the time to manage your own accounts and submit your returns, Ember is an option to consider. Ember has a central feed that lets you see all your transactions in one place, including earnings, invoices, spendings, receipts and tax.
However, Ember doesn’t offer the option to hand over your work to a dedicated accountancy team. That’s not how this accounting service works. The point is that you manage your bookkeeping and tax returns yourself because the software is advertised as easy enough for anyone to use. You’ll also need to be sure that what you claim as being tax deductible really is, because Ember do not check your bookkeeping.
Ember can also feel restrictive, as you’re obliged to use all of its features, including its invoicing software. If you already have a set way of doing things yourself, you might not like being tied down by Ember’s offering.
Mazuma
You should choose Mazuma if you’re looking for a smart accounting service that requires minimal work from you. If you like the convenience of an online accounting service, the flexibility of choosing which services you make use of, and the reliability of your own dedicated accountant, Mazuma is a good choice for you.
Reasons you will love Mazuma:
- You value your time and don’t want to spend hours with bookkeeping or tax responsibilities.
- You don’t want the hassle of dealing with a traditional accountant, nor do you want to figure out DIY accounting software.
- You’re self-employed, a limited company, or a limited partnership, and you currently manage your own finances.
- You prefer having an all-in-one accounting service that you can tailor to suit your exact requirements.
- You want someone to do all of the bookkeeping and data entry for you.
- You’d rather have the option not to use technology if you don’t want to, but if you are tech-happy there will be additional options you can access
- You want to be connected with real-life chartered accountants, not chat-bots
- You want assurance that you’re covered in an HMRC investigation
The verdict? Mazuma for the win!
Mazuma and Ember are two popular online accounting services. Each tool offers its own unique online accounting experience but, ultimately, Mazuma is a better choice for many small businesses and self-employed people. It offers all the resources of a larger firm alongside the benefits and relationship of a high-street accountant.
Mazuma can greatly reduce the effort you need to put into your bookkeeping. The service connects you with a dedicated chartered accountant, so you can be certain that your accounts are being managed by a qualified expert. And you’ll get that all-important peace of mind that even if HMRC come knocking, Mazuma have got you covered.
