Fintura vs SmartPractice

The key difference is execution vs planning. SmartPractice is a trusted South African accounting practice management suite covering tasks, time billing, document storage and CIPC tracking — built by accountants, for accountants. Fintura does all of that and goes further: it files CIPC submissions directly in-platform, generates client engagement letters, provides legally-valid e-signatures and publishes its pricing transparently. If your practice needs to execute compliance workflows end-to-end without switching between systems, Fintura is the stronger fit.

No — SmartPractice does not do direct CIPC filing. The SecSmart module tracks annual return dates, incorporation details and submission status, but the actual submissions must be completed manually via the CIPC portal. Fintura files directly in-platform. You can execute 45+ CIPC services — annual returns, director changes, beneficial ownership declarations and more — without leaving the system.

SmartPractice does not publish its pricing publicly. To find out what you'll pay, you need to submit a profile request and go through their onboarding process — which makes it difficult to compare costs or budget accurately before committing. Fintura's pricing is fully listed on the website. You can start a 14-day free trial immediately, without speaking to anyone, and see exactly what you'll pay before you sign up. No forms, no waiting, no surprises.

Fintura covers the core functionality of all SmartPractice's modules — PlanSmart (task planning), TimeSmart (time billing), DocShareSmart (document storage), DebtorSmart (debtor management), ClientSmart (client communication) and SecSmart (company secretarial) — in a single unified platform. Where Fintura goes further is in the workflows SmartPractice doesn't support: direct CIPC filing, legally-valid e-signatures and engagement letter generation. For most South African accounting firms, Fintura covers everything SmartPractice does — and closes the gaps that still require manual workarounds.

For most accounting practices, yes — especially if you're still logging into the CIPC portal manually, chasing e-signatures over email or generating engagement letters in Word. Fintura replaces all of those manual steps with automated, in-platform workflows. The practical test: if your team spends time on tasks that should be handled by your practice management software but aren't, that's the gap Fintura fills. Start with a 14-day free trial and use Fintura's bulk CIPC import to onboard your full client base in a single session before committing.

Both platforms integrate with Xero and Sage. SmartPractice is an accredited Xero and Sage Independent Software Vendor — that's a genuine credential worth noting. For QuickBooks, SmartPractice accommodates it via a batch import file rather than a live native connection. Fintura integrates natively with Xero, Sage and QuickBooks — meaning time tracked against tasks pushes directly to invoices in your accounting platform with one click, across all three.

Most South African accounting firms are fully onboarded in a single session. Fintura pulls your client data directly from the CIPC registry via bulk import — no spreadsheets, no manual capturing. Enable services per client and your compliance deadline reminders run automatically from day one. You can start with a 14-day free trial on Practice Management and run the full Compliance workflow on your own company at no cost before rolling it out across your client portfolio.