Accountants Direct vs Sleek: which should your business use in 2026?
Sleek is a Singapore-founded company platform: registration, ASIC compliance, bookkeeping and tax bundled into annual subscription plans behind a polished dashboard. Accountants Direct is an Australian registered tax agent firm: an accountant handles your company setup, tax and books over phone or video, priced per job.
The choice is a software subscription that includes accountants, or an accounting firm that skips the software. Both are legitimate registered providers; they suit different owners.
How we compared
This page is published by Accountants Direct, so read it knowing that. Every Sleek figure below comes from Sleek’s own published Australian pricing pages, checked on 14 July 2026, linked in the sources. Where Sleek is the better fit, we say so.
Last updated: 14 July 2026
Accountants Direct vs Sleek at a glance
| Feature | Accountants Direct | Sleek Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Company registration | Free service fee; you pay only the $636 ASIC fee. No subscription attached | Launch plan from $300 a year (ASIC’s $636 not included), renewing annually; free registration only when bundled with a $2,100+ a year accounting plan |
| Company accounting and tax | Company returns from $549, one-off, quoted first | Starter $1,800 a year (quarterly books, BAS, company return); Pro $3,780 a year (monthly books, Xero and Dext included) |
| Bookkeeping | From $20 an hour, package pricing | Included in plans: quarterly on Starter, monthly on Pro |
| Sole trader | From $399 per return | Sole trader plans at the same $1,800 and $3,780 tiers |
| Who does the work | A dedicated accountant on phone or video from the first call | Dedicated accountant on all plans; a “direct line” to an Australian accountant is a Pro-tier feature |
| Billing model | Per job or per year, quoted before you commit | Annual auto-renewing subscriptions, including the $300 a year registration plan |
| Platform | No dashboard; phone, video and email | Polished dashboard, digital mailroom, 24/7 document access |
| Credentials | Registered tax agent TPB 2243 3005, ASIC agent, IPA member | TPB 26131380, ASIC Agent 47659 |
| Footprint | Australian firm since 2012; around 46,000 clients served | Founded in Singapore in 2017; about 3,500 Australian businesses |
| Customer rating (independent listings) | 4.9 stars, 1,200+ Australian Google reviews | 3.9 stars on Trustpilot from about 3,700 reviews pooled across four countries; 104 Australian Google reviews (self-reported) |
| Best for | Businesses that want quoted work and a person they can call | Founders who want a SaaS-style dashboard managing compliance in one bundle |
Where Accountants Direct pulls ahead
- Registration with no strings. Free service fee plus ASIC’s $636, done. Sleek’s standalone registration is a $300 a year subscription that does not include the ASIC fee, and its “free” registration requires committing to a $2,100+ a year accounting bundle.
- Pay per job, not per year. A company return from $549 when you need one, bookkeeping from $20 an hour in packages. Nothing auto-renews.
- The accountant is the product, on every tier. Direct access to your accountant is not a premium feature; it is how the whole service works, from the first phone call.
- Australian depth. Operating since 2012 with around 46,000 clients and a 4.9-star Google rating from more than 1,200 Australian reviews.
- A registered office alternative. If you need a business address, Accountants Direct’s virtual office bundles address, company registration and first-year books without a compliance subscription.
Where Sleek remains strong
- The platform is genuinely good. Dashboard, digital mailroom, e-signing and 24/7 document access. If you want to run compliance like SaaS, that is the product.
- Predictable bundled pricing. One annual fee covering books, BAS and the return suits owners who prefer a set-and-forget subscription, and Pro includes Xero and Dext licences.
- Incorporation at scale. Sleek reports more than 450,000 companies incorporated globally since 2017, and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on accounting plans.
- Registered address and mailroom on higher tiers, useful for founders with no fixed premises.
Who each option suits
Choose Sleek if you want everything in one dashboard and one annual bundle, and you will genuinely use the platform features you are paying for.
Choose Accountants Direct if you want an accountant you can call, work quoted before you commit, and no subscription running in the background.
If you are registering your first company
Compare the real first-year cost. Accountants Direct: $636 ASIC fee, registration service free, no ongoing commitment. Sleek: $636 ASIC plus from $300 a year on Launch, or a $2,100+ a year bundle to unlock free registration. If you were going to buy the full accounting bundle anyway, Sleek’s bundle maths can work; if not, the subscription is the product.
If you already have an accountant model in mind
Sleek’s “dedicated Australian accountant with a direct line” is a Pro-tier ($3,780 a year) feature. With Accountants Direct, talking directly to your accountant is the baseline service at every price.
If you are a sole trader
Sleek’s sole trader plans start at $1,800 a year. If your needs are one annual return from $399 and occasional bookkeeping, paying per job costs a fraction of a plan.
Trust and registration
Accountants Direct has been a registered tax agent since 2012 (Tax Practitioners Board registration 2243 3005, ABN 16 155 811 448), is an ASIC agent and a member of the Institute of Public Accountants. Sleek Australia publishes its credentials as TPB 26131380 and ASIC Agent 47659. Both are registered providers; check any agent on the TPB public register.
Common questions
Is Sleek’s company registration really free?
Only when bundled: the free registration offer requires a Grow or Scale accounting plan from about $2,100 a year. Sleek’s standalone Launch registration is from $300 a year, renews annually, and does not include ASIC’s $636 fee. Accountants Direct registers companies with no service fee and no subscription; you pay only the ASIC fee.
What is the main difference between Accountants Direct and Sleek?
Sleek is a subscription platform with accountants inside it. Accountants Direct is an accounting firm with no platform between you and the accountant. Bundle pricing versus quoted jobs is the practical difference.
How much does Sleek’s accounting cost?
Starter is $1,800 a year (quarterly bookkeeping, BAS and the company return); Pro is $3,780 a year (monthly bookkeeping, Xero and Dext included, direct-line accountant). Accountants Direct prices the same work per job: company returns from $549, bookkeeping from $20 an hour in packages.
Is Sleek Australian?
Sleek was founded in Singapore in 2017 and operates in four countries; its Australian arm serves about 3,500 businesses and is properly registered here (TPB 26131380, ASIC Agent 47659). Accountants Direct is Australian-only, operating since 2012.
Which is better for a new company?
If you want a dashboard running registration, mail and compliance in one bundle and you will use it, Sleek. If you want an accountant to register the company and handle tax with you, paying for work as it happens, Accountants Direct.
Can I move from Sleek to Accountants Direct?
Yes. Your new accountant takes over tax lodgements through a short agent nomination step in ATO online services, and the ASIC registered-agent change is a standard form. Mind your Sleek renewal date so the subscription does not roll over mid-move.
Sources
Sleek figures checked 14 July 2026 from Sleek’s own Australian pages: incorporation pricing, accounting pricing and about, plus Trustpilot’s live listing. ASIC fee from asic.gov.au. If any figure here is out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
Want your accountant on the phone, not behind a dashboard?
Book a phone or video call about your company’s setup, tax or books. Book online or call 1300 829 746.