If you've been shopping for practice management software in the UK for more than a few months, you've probably seen the name change under your feet. AccountancyManager, one of the most widely used UK-specific practice management tools for accounting and bookkeeping firms, has been rebranded to BrightManager as part of the Bright software group. Same product lineage, same client base, new name — which means a lot of the comparison content out there (including searches for "AccountancyManager alternative") is now describing a product that technically doesn't go by that name anymore.
Once you get past the rebrand, BrightManager is worth a serious look for UK firms specifically, because unlike some of the more generic practice management platforms, it's built around UK compliance workflows: AML checks, HMRC agent authorisation requests, and Companies House integration sit alongside the client-facing portal, not bolted on separately.
What BrightManager Actually Is
BrightManager (formerly AccountancyManager) is a UK-focused practice management platform for accounting and bookkeeping firms. Its feature set centers on client management and communication — including secure client portals for document sharing, forms, and communication, automated email and SMS notifications, and a library of pre-written email templates — alongside workflow and task automation built around compliance deadlines, automated client onboarding with AML checks and risk assessments, time tracking and work-in-progress monitoring, and a reporting hub for productivity and client profitability.
The client portal itself is presented as one module within that broader suite rather than a separately sold product: clients get a branded space to exchange documents and forms and to communicate with the firm, sitting alongside the practice's AML, workflow, and time-tracking tools.
As of September 2026, Bright publishes pricing directly on its own site. The Essential plan, which requires 2–12 users, runs roughly £42.63 + VAT per user per month on monthly billing (about £409 + VAT per user per year annually). Premium and Advanced, aimed at single-user practices with more advanced needs, run roughly £57.85 + VAT per month (about £694 + VAT per year annually). Firms should confirm current rates directly with Bright, since exact tier inclusions and pricing in this category change and third-party sources don't always agree on the specifics. One structural point worth flagging: because Essential has a 2-user minimum, a true sole practitioner ends up on the pricier single-user tier rather than the entry-level rate — worth checking before assuming the lowest advertised number applies to a one-person firm.
What Osuria Actually Is
Osuria is a branded digital workspace built specifically for the client-facing layer of an accounting firm's operations: secure document sharing and structured document collection, centralized client communication in place of scattered email threads, proactive and scheduled client notifications, task requests, and a client experience that carries the firm's own brand.
Osuria isn't a practice management system — it doesn't do AML checks, time tracking, billing, or workflow automation for internal staff. It's designed to sit alongside whatever a firm already uses for those functions and solve the client communication and document exchange problem specifically. Osuria does not publish self-serve pricing; firms request a walkthrough directly to get a number tailored to their firm's size and needs.
Side-by-Side
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BrightManager | Osuria | |
|---|---|---|
Core scope | Full UK practice management suite: AML, workflow automation, time tracking, onboarding, plus a bundled client portal | Purpose-built client communication, document collection/sharing, proactive notifications, branded workspace |
Pricing model | Published, per internal user/month (Essential ~£42.63+VAT, 2–12 users; Premium/Advanced ~£57.85+VAT, single user); annual billing discount available | Not published; provided on request via a guided walkthrough |
UK compliance tooling | AML checks, HMRC agent authorisation requests, Companies House integration built in | Not a compliance tool — focused on the client relationship, not regulatory checks |
Client portal availability | Bundled as part of the practice management suite | Core product, full functionality from day one |
Pricing scales with | Number of internal staff seats | Your firm's client-workspace needs, not internal headcount |
Best fit | UK firms wanting to consolidate AML, workflow, and client communication into one per-seat-priced system | Firms that already have practice management or compliance tools they like and want a dedicated, branded layer just for the client relationship |
Which One Actually Fits Your Firm
If your firm is choosing UK-specific practice management software from scratch and wants AML checks, workflow automation, and a client portal from a single vendor with published pricing, BrightManager is a legitimate, established option — it's been serving UK firms under one name or another for years, and the per-seat model is straightforward to budget against once you account for the two-user minimum on its cheapest tier.
If your firm already has practice management, AML, or billing software it's happy with, and the actual bottleneck is the client-facing side specifically — documents scattered across email, no branded place for clients to see what's outstanding, communication that depends on whoever picks up the phone — replacing your whole practice management stack just to get a better client portal is a heavier lift than the problem calls for. That's the gap Osuria fills: a single, branded workspace focused entirely on the client relationship, priced around what your firm needs rather than how many internal staff seats you're running.
See It for Yourself
This comparison is directional, not a substitute for testing either platform against your own firm's client base and existing tool stack. If your real pain point is specifically client communication and document collection rather than practice management as a whole, it's worth seeing what a dedicated, branded workspace looks like next to a per-seat suite that bundles the portal in with everything else.
Explore the Digital Workspace or start using Osuria to see how a focused, branded client communication layer compares to what your firm is doing today.