Canopy
Cloud practice management for accounting firms with client management, document management, workflow, time and billing modules.
IRIS Practice Engine
Website: www.irisglobal.com
IRIS Practice Engine at a glance
- Best for
- Mid-sized to large accounting firms
- Regions
- US, AU
Practice Engine is a practice management system for accounting firms that covers workflow management, resource allocation, time and billing, CRM, and performance reporting. It is designed for firms that need detailed control over job scheduling, staff utilisation, and engagement profitability.
Firms use Practice Engine to plan and allocate resources across client engagements, track time at a granular level, and generate billing based on various fee arrangements (fixed, hourly, or value-based). The reporting module provides insight into staff productivity, job profitability, and work-in-progress across the practice.
The platform is best suited for mid-sized to larger accounting firms that need resource planning and utilisation tracking alongside standard workflow and billing features. Smaller firms with simpler needs may find lighter-weight alternatives more practical.
Practice Engine was acquired by IRIS Software Group in March 2019 and is now sold as IRIS Practice Engine. The former practiceengine.com domain no longer belongs to the product — it now hosts an unrelated healthcare company — so use the IRIS product page above.
Pricing
Contact Practice Engine for current pricing.
Reviews
Review data being updated.
Features
Workflow Management
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| List view | Yes |
| Kanban view | — |
| Job/work templates | Yes |
| Recurring jobs | Yes |
| Subtasks | — |
| Task dependencies | — |
| Automations | Yes |
| Custom statuses | — |
| @Mentions | — |
| Statutory due dates | — |
Client Management
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Client directory | Yes |
| Contacts | Yes |
| Client groups | — |
| Custom fields | — |
| Tags | — |
| Notes | Yes |
| Leads | — |
| CRM sync (QBO) | — |
| CRM sync (Xero) | — |
Client Portal
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Client portal | — |
| Client tasks/requests | — |
| File uploads | — |
| Secure messaging | — |
| Scheduling | — |
| E-signatures | — |
| White label/custom branding | — |
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Outlook integration | — |
| Gmail integration | — |
| Shared inboxes | — |
| Email-to-task | — |
| Email templates | — |
| AI email drafting | No |
| AI email summarization | No |
| View all client comms | — |
Time Tracking & Billing
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Time tracking | Yes |
| Timers | Yes |
| Invoicing | Yes |
| Fixed fee & hourly billing | Yes |
| Recurring billing | — |
| Online payments | — |
| WIP tracking | Yes |
| Write up/down | Yes |
| Realization reporting | Yes |
| QBO invoice sync | — |
| Xero invoice sync | — |
Document Management
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Document storage | Yes |
| Folders | Yes |
| Folder templates | — |
| File sharing with clients | — |
| SharePoint integration | — |
| Google Drive | — |
| Dropbox | — |
Reporting
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Time reports | Yes |
| Billing reports | Yes |
| Capacity/workload | Yes |
| Revenue insights | Yes |
Proposals & Engagement
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Proposals | — |
| Engagement letters | — |
| E-signatures on engagements | — |
Integrations
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online | — |
| Xero | — |
| Outlook | — |
| Gmail | — |
| Zapier | — |
| Make | — |
| API | Yes |
| Webhooks | — |
Security & Admin
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| User roles | Yes |
| Custom permissions | — |
| 2FA/MFA | Yes |
| SSO | — |
| SOC 2 | Yes |
| Client access controls | — |
AI Features
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| AI email drafting | No |
| AI email summarization | No |
| AI task suggestions | No |
| AI document classification | No |
| AI search | No |
Mobile
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Mobile-friendly (internal) | Yes |
| Native mobile app (internal) | Yes |
| Native mobile app (client portal) | — |
Compliance & Regulatory
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| HMRC integration | No |
| Companies House integration | No |
| ATO integration | — |
| IRS transcript pulls | No |
| MTD support | No |
| Statutory deadline tracking | — |
Support & Onboarding
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Chat support | — |
| Email support | Yes |
| Phone support | Yes |
| Dedicated rep | — |
| Onshore support | — |
| Free onboarding | — |
| Paid onboarding packages | — |
| Knowledge base/docs | Yes |
Feature data is incomplete
We have confirmed answers for 42% of the feature checklist used across our practice management entries. A dash (—) means we have not verified it yet, not that IRIS Practice Engine lacks it. Treat the gaps as unknown rather than unsupported, and confirm with the vendor.
Unverified areas: Client Portals, Proposals & Engagement Letters, E-Signature, Scheduling, Communication & Collaboration, Project Management, CRM.
IRIS Practice Engine Alternatives
Other practice management tools for accounting firms, ordered by how much of IRIS Practice Engine's functionality they cover. Our feature data is still incomplete for BrightManager (formerly Accountancy Manager), so it ranks lower here than a full assessment might place it.
Qount
Qount is a unified practice management platform for multi-service accounting firms covering workflow automation, billing, and client management.
Tidyflow
Practice management platform for accounting firms combining workflows, client requests, documents, email, proposals, time tracking, and billing.
BrightManager (formerly Accountancy Manager)
UK practice management software for accountants with automated deadline tracking, client onboarding, and HMRC/Companies House integration.
Firm360
Firm360 is a practice management platform for small accounting firms covering workflow, time and billing, payment processing, and client communication.
Financial Cents
Accounting practice management platform that helps firms track work status, automate client data collection, manage workflows, and measure profitability.