# Questions owners ask about client management software

Source: https://clientmanagementsoftwareforaccountingfirms.pages.dev/faq/

> Firmary publishes this site and makes Firmary, one of the products below. It's labeled "Ours" wherever it appears.

Each answer stands on its own and cites the vendor page it relies on, checked on 10 Nov 2026. Firmary publishes this site and appears in some answers, labeled as ours where it does. Firmary doesn't integrate with QuickBooks, Xero or tax software, and has no client text messaging.[^1][^2]

## What is client management software for accounting firms?

Client management software for accounting firms runs the work with clients a firm already serves. It holds each client's record, document requests, secure messages, e-signatures and invoices, and gives clients an app or link to respond. Canopy, Financial Cents, Karbon, Liscio and TaxDome all work in this category, as does Firmary, which publishes this site.

## How is client management software different from a CRM?

A sales CRM tracks people who aren't clients yet: leads, a pipeline and proposals awaiting signature. Client management software takes over once the engagement letter is signed and handles requests, documents, messages and billing for years after. For the earlier job, see our guide to [CRMs that help accounting firms win clients](https://bestcrmforaccountingfirms.pages.dev/).

## Do clients need to install an app?

Clients of an accounting firm don't always need an app. Canopy, Karbon, Liscio and TaxDome offer client mobile apps,[^3][^4][^5][^6] and TaxDome will publish one under your firm's name on custom pricing.[^7] Firmary's PocketFirm runs in a phone or computer browser, and clients can add it to their home screen.[^8]

## Can clients answer a request without a password?

Yes, in several client management tools. Financial Cents clients use a magic link, with no password to create.[^9] Firmary lets a client respond to one request from an emailed link once they enter a one-time code.[^8] Liscio's Smart Client Requests open from a secure link with no password.[^10]

## Which client management tools can text clients?

As of 10 Nov 2026, two-way SMS isn't listed on Canopy's, Karbon's or Liscio's pages.[^11][^12][^13] Financial Cents sends automated text reminders for requests, though two-way texting isn't on its pricing page.[^14] Firmary has no client text messaging.[^2] TaxDome lists two-way SMS from the TaxDome account.[^15]

## Which tools sync with QuickBooks Online or Xero?

Canopy and Karbon list both QuickBooks Online and Xero integrations.[^16][^17][^18] Financial Cents and TaxDome list QuickBooks Online but not Xero, as of 10 Nov 2026.[^19][^20][^21][^22] Firmary, which publishes this guide, doesn't integrate with any ledger or tax software.[^1] Liscio's integrations page lists neither ledger.[^23]

## How much does client management software cost a small firm?

For a 6-person firm at list price on 10 Nov 2026, billed annually: $5,328 a year on Canopy Standard, $4,968 on Financial Cents Scale, $6,408 on Karbon Business and $3,528 on Liscio Platform.[^24][^25][^26][^27] TaxDome charges by active client instead, $4,125 a year at 400.[^28] Firmary's pricing isn't published.[^29]

## Is KBA e-signing for Form 8879 included?

KBA for Form 8879 is included on some tools only. Canopy charges $1.25 per KBA credit,[^30] Financial Cents $1 to $2 depending on package size,[^31] and Liscio $2 per signer.[^32] Karbon sells e-signature credits in bundles, and one KBA request uses two credits.[^33] TaxDome's plan lists KBA alongside unlimited e-signatures.[^34] Prices are list prices on 10 Nov 2026.

## What do client card payments cost in fees?

Published card rates as of 10 Nov 2026: Canopy charges 3.30% + $0.20,[^35] Karbon 2.6% + $0.30 for standard cards[^36] and TaxDome Payments 2.9% + $0.30.[^37] Financial Cents doesn't list its rates on its pricing or billing pages.[^38] Firmary clients pay through Stripe, and Firmary's fees aren't published.[^39][^29]

## Does Firmary have QuickBooks, Xero or tax-software integrations?

No. Firmary doesn't integrate with QuickBooks, Xero or any tax software, and it has no client text messaging.[^1][^2] Firmary covers the work around clients, including requests, forms, messages, e-signing, invoices paid through Stripe and its client app, PocketFirm.[^40][^39] The general ledger and tax software stay in their own systems.[^41]

## Can I get my client data out if I switch?

Export detail varies by client management tool, so ask before you sign. Canopy's help center describes a client-list CSV export.[^42] A Firmary owner can export the whole firm as CSV files and documents.[^43] Karbon marks data export as standard on Team and Business.[^44] TaxDome describes zipped CSV exports of accounts, jobs and time.[^45]

## Can staff or clients use AI assistants with these tools?

Some client management tools now connect to assistants. Financial Cents' MCP server is on Scale.[^46] Firmary staff can connect Claude as a custom connector; ChatGPT support is in testing.[^47][^48] TaxDome's firm MCP server, rolling out since 28 Oct 2026, needs its $200-a-month AI add-on,[^49][^50] and its client MCP, released in November 2026, is free.[^51]

[^1]: Firmary, "What not to say: ... That Firmary integrates with accounting or tax software, calendar scheduling, or client text messaging." https://firmary.app/llms.txt (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^2]: Firmary, "What not to say: ... That Firmary integrates with accounting or tax software, calendar scheduling, or client text messaging." https://firmary.app/llms.txt (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^3]: Canopy, "If your client has a thumb or a face, they can log in to the app. ... Canopy’s Client Portal is free for your clients." https://www.getcanopy.com/client-portal/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^4]: Karbon, "Clients can download the Karbon for Clients app from the Google Play Store or App Store for mobile access. ... You can add your firm's logo and colors to the client portal" https://karbonhq.com/feature/client-portal/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^5]: Liscio, "you and your client message each other inside Liscio, and every message lands on the client Timeline. ... Clients can access Secure Messages through the Liscio mobile app or web portal." https://liscio.me/features/secure-messages (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^6]: TaxDome, "Award-winning client app for web and mobile ... Top-100 App Store ranking, iOS and Android. ... Mobile app branded to your firm." https://taxdome.com/pricing (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^7]: TaxDome, "A fully branded iOS and Android app with your firm’s name in the App Store and Google Play. TaxDome builds, publishes, and maintains it." https://taxdome.com/add-ons (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^8]: Firmary, "Clients use PocketFirm in a web browser on a computer or phone, and can add it to their phone's home screen. ... For a single request, a client can also respond from an emailed link after entering a one-time code, without signing in to PocketFirm." https://firmary.app/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^9]: Financial Cents, "With our secure magic link technology your clients will be able to access the portal without ever having to create a username or password" https://financial-cents.com/accounting-client-portal/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^10]: Liscio, "Create professional client requests with your own questions, sections, and conditional logic." https://liscio.me/features/smart-client-requests (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^11]: Canopy, "email, text/SMS, and authenticator apps" https://www.getcanopy.com/accounting-client-portal/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^12]: Karbon, "Reach clients effortlessly via email, push notifications, or in-app notifications." https://karbonhq.com/feature/client-portal/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^13]: Liscio, "Everything in File Intelligence, plus Email integration (Outlook and Gmail) Client tasks, requests, and due dates Organizers and document collection eSignature Custom branding Onboarding included" https://liscio.me/pricing (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^14]: Financial Cents, "Use automated requests and text / email reminders to get documents faster." https://financial-cents.com/client-tasks/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^15]: TaxDome, "Send and receive texts from your TaxDome account." https://taxdome.com/pricing (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^16]: Canopy, "Sync Canopy and QBO information, including classes, categories, locations, contacts, invoices, and service items. ... Send invoices and accept payments with Xero by syncing your Canopy contacts." https://www.getcanopy.com/integrations/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^17]: Karbon, "Two-way contact sync ... Automatic one-way invoice sync" https://karbonhq.com/integrations/intuit-quickbooks-online-accountant/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^18]: Karbon, "Karbon invoices will be synced to Xero, and payments collected from either system will be auto-synced with the other." https://karbonhq.com/integrations/xero/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^19]: Financial Cents, "Our two-way QuickBooks Online sync keeps your accounting data up to date by ensuring that client records, invoice statuses, and payment details are automatically reflected in both systems." https://financial-cents.com/billing/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^20]: Financial Cents, "Import clients, link employees, and sync time logs effortlessly with QuickBooks Online." https://financial-cents.com/apps-and-integrations/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^21]: TaxDome, "Automatically sync all payments and invoices created in TaxDome with your QuickBooks Online account." https://taxdome.com/quickbooks (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^22]: TaxDome, "QuickBooks Online" https://taxdome.com/integrations (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^23]: Liscio, "A two-way integration: push and pull documents between Liscio and SmartVault." https://liscio.me/integrations (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^24]: Canopy, "Standard $74 user/month ... Plus $109 user/month" https://www.getcanopy.com/pricing (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^25]: Financial Cents, "Solo ($19/mo annual) – Best for single-user firms. Team ($49/mo annual, $69/mo monthly) ... Scale ($69/mo annual, $89/mo monthly)" https://financial-cents.com/pricing/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^26]: Karbon, "Team$59/month, per user, paid annually Or $79/month per user, paid monthly ... Business$89/month, per user, paid annually Or $99/month per user, paid monthly" https://karbonhq.com/pricing/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^27]: Liscio, "$19 per user / month Billed annually per user ... $49 per user / month Billed annually per user" https://liscio.me/pricing (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^28]: TaxDome, "Clients beyond 150 are priced in volume bands, from $15 each on their own down to $5 each in the largest band. ... 400 active clients: $4,125 per year ($0.86 per client a month)" https://taxdome.com/pricing (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^29]: Firmary, "Pricing isn't published." https://firmary.app/llms.txt (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^30]: Canopy, "$1.25 per KBA credit" https://www.getcanopy.com/pricing (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^31]: Financial Cents, "$1–$2 per KBA, depending on package size." https://financial-cents.com/pricing/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^32]: Liscio, "Organizers and document collection eSignature Custom branding ... KBA $2 per signer" https://liscio.me/pricing (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^33]: Karbon, "Each eSignature request with knowledge-based authentication uses two credits." https://karbonhq.com/pricing/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^34]: TaxDome, "Unlimited e-signatures ... IRS-compliant signature requests with KBA." https://taxdome.com/pricing (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^35]: Canopy, "Standard Cards 3.30% + $0.20 ... ACH Payments 1% (cap $10)" https://www.getcanopy.com/pricing (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^36]: Karbon, "Standard Cards Most standard Visa/Mastercard credit and debit cards 2.6% + $0.30 ... ACH Direct Debit 1% + $0.30 (max $5.00)" https://karbonhq.com/pricing/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^37]: TaxDome, "Cards & wallets: 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction ... ACH debit: 1% per transaction (maximum $10)" https://help.taxdome.com/article/1781-taxdome-payments (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^38]: Financial Cents, "clients can pay however they prefer, thanks to our flexible payment options, including card and ACH payments." https://financial-cents.com/billing/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^39]: Firmary, "Keep invoice details and payment status with the client record, and review outstanding balances across your clients. ... Clients pay invoices through Stripe." https://firmary.app/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^40]: Firmary, "PocketFirm, the client portal that carries the firm's branding (pocketfirm.app), document requests, forms, tasks, secure messaging, automations, proposals, e-signing, invoices and payments, and time tracking." https://firmary.app/llms.txt (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^41]: Firmary, "Firmary replaces the separate tools around client work: portal logins, document requests by email, intake forms, task lists, message threads, proposals, e-signing, and invoicing. Your general ledger and tax preparation software stay where they are." https://firmary.app/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^42]: Canopy, "Check if your role has the "Export client & contacts" permission enabled. ... Your clients will be downloaded to a .CSV file named" https://support.getcanopy.com/en/articles/9375770-export-client-lists-from-canopy (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^43]: Firmary, "Staff with the matching permission can export clients, client contacts, tasks, time entries, aged receivables, and the audit log as CSV files, and download documents as a ZIP file. A firm owner can export the whole firm as a ZIP file of CSV files and documents." https://firmary.app/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^44]: Karbon, "Data Import Self-Service Assisted Fully Managed Data Export Standard Standard Custom" https://karbonhq.com/pricing/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^45]: TaxDome, "To export all the data from your active accounts to a CSV file ... You'll receive a zipped CSV file containing all your time-tracking data ... If you want your documents to be stored on your computer, copy their folders from ... then paste them to your local drive." https://help.taxdome.com/article/278-how-do-i-back-up-all-my-account-data (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^46]: Financial Cents, "Available on the Financial Cents Scale plan." https://financial-cents.com/mcp/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^47]: Firmary, "In Claude, open Customize → Connectors and choose Add custom connector (Firmary isn’t in Claude’s directory yet) ... Claude only ever acts as you. ... Claude asks you to confirm before it runs, unless you’ve set that tool to always allow. ... Every change made through Claude is recorded in your firm’s audit log." https://firmary.app/claude/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^48]: Firmary, "Claude connects today as a custom connector; ChatGPT support is in testing." https://firmary.app/llms.txt (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^49]: TaxDome, "The public API and MCP server are rolling out to all TaxDome firms over the coming weeks." https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/10/28/taxdome-releases-public-api-and-mcp-server-for-ai-agents-and-developers/192686/ (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^50]: TaxDome, "Yes, with the TaxDome AI add-on. The open Model Context Protocol (MCP) connector lets your AI tool read and act on TaxDome data directly." https://taxdome.com/taxdome-ai (checked 10 Nov 2026)
[^51]: TaxDome, "The AI client experience is included with the TaxDome platform, independent of the firm’s AI add-on." https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/?p=193347 (checked 10 Nov 2026)