Free CRM for accountants & bookkeepersFree for two months (60-day trial) · no per-user fees
Visibility & firm types
Free Trial Checklist: Evaluate Practice Software in 60 Days
Use the full 60 days properly, rather than skimming the interface once.
Built by a practising Chartered Accountant · Unlimited users · Free for 60 days
Quick task creation
Create deadline-linked jobs in seconds.
- Premier Books Consultancy
- Cranleys Chartered Accountants
- CJM Accountants
- Towpath Accounting Solutions
- Auditax International
- RS
Quick answer
A free trial is only useful if you test it with real clients and real workflow, not a quick look at the interface. Set up a genuine slice of your client base, run at least one full deadline cycle, and involve the staff who'll actually use it day to day before deciding.
What does properly evaluating a free practice software trial actually involve?
It means using the trial period to run real client work through the system — a genuine subset of clients, a full deadline cycle, and feedback from the staff who'll use it — rather than a brief look at the dashboard and login screen.
Many firms treat a free trial as a five-minute browse: log in, click around, form an impression, move on. That tells you almost nothing about whether the software will actually work for your practice, because the real test is whether your team can run genuine client work through it under normal time pressure.
A 60-day trial is long enough to set up a meaningful slice of your client base, run through at least one recurring deadline cycle, and get honest feedback from the people who'll be using it daily — which is a much better basis for a decision than a sales demo alone.
Why do free trials so often go untested properly?
Only the decision-maker logs in
If the partner evaluating the software is the only one who tries it, the team members who'll actually use it daily have no input before the decision is made.
Trial data is fake or trivial
Setting up a handful of dummy clients doesn't reveal how the software behaves with your real client volume, naming conventions or edge cases.
No deadline cycle is run through it
Looking at the interface without actually running a recurring task or chasing a real client through the system misses most of what matters.
The trial period is left too late
Starting a trial two weeks before your current contract renews leaves no time to test properly, forcing a rushed decision either way.
There's no clear success criteria
Without deciding upfront what 'this works for us' looks like, the trial ends with a vague impression rather than a clear yes or no.
What does a poorly evaluated trial cost a firm in the long run?
Choosing software based on a superficial trial risks a mismatch discovered only after migration, meaning wasted migration effort, disrupted client service, and having to go through the whole switching process again sooner than planned.
Migrating client data and retraining staff takes real effort; doing that twice within a year or two because the first choice wasn't tested properly is a far bigger cost than the time it takes to run a thorough 60-day trial.
How do you evaluate a practice software free trial properly? Step by step
- 1
Decide your success criteria before you start
Write down the two or three problems you need solved — for example, deadline tracking or client chasing — and judge the trial against those specifically.
- 2
Import a real slice of your client base
Bring in a genuine sample of clients, not dummy data, so you see how the software handles your actual naming, structure and volume.
- 3
Set up at least one recurring workflow
Configure a real recurring task, such as a monthly or quarterly deadline, and let it run through a full cycle during the trial.
- 4
Involve the staff who'll use it daily
Get the team members doing the actual work to log in and try their real tasks, not just the partner making the final call.
- 5
Test the reporting you actually need
Check whether the dashboard answers the workload and client questions you currently struggle to answer, not just whether it looks good.
- 6
Try the support and migration process, not just the software
See how responsive support is and how straightforward migration assistance feels, since you'll need both if you switch.
- 7
Review against your success criteria before the trial ends
Revisit your original list a week or two before the 60 days are up, so the decision isn't rushed on the final day.
How does Remindoo support a proper free trial evaluation?
Remindoo's free 60-day trial gives full access, not a limited demo, so you can import a real batch of clients using quick and detailed task creation, set up recurring tasks and service templates, and run them through a genuine cycle rather than clicking through a sample dataset. Import lead and proposal history lets you bring across existing pipeline data if you're also evaluating the CRM side, so the trial reflects how your firm actually works, not a blank slate. Client onboarding automation and service templates let you test a real onboarding or service workflow end to end within the trial window. Because the trial is a full 60 days rather than a shorter demo period, there's time to involve your team, run at least one full deadline cycle, and make a genuinely informed decision before any commitment or payment is required — this is a free CRM for accountants and bookkeepers, free for 60 days, not a limited-feature preview.
Quick task creation
Create deadline-linked jobs in seconds.
See featureService templates
Repeatable structures for every service.
See featureImport lead and proposal history
Bring your sales history with you.
See featureClient onboarding automation
Standardise requests, checks and first services.
See featureSpreadsheets vs Remindoo: what changes?
| Area | Spreadsheets & email | With Remindoo |
|---|---|---|
| Trial data used | Dummy or sample clients | A real slice of your client base |
| Who tests it | Only the decision-maker | The team who'll use it daily |
| What's tested | Interface look and feel | A full recurring deadline cycle |
| Decision basis | First impression | Against pre-agreed success criteria |
| Trial length | Often a short demo | Full 60 days, full access |
See it with your own clients
A 30-minute walkthrough using your services and deadlines.
“Managing deadlines and tasks is much easier.”
Frequently asked questions
Is Remindoo's 60-day trial a full version or a limited demo?
It's full access to the platform, not a stripped-down demo, so you can test real client data, recurring tasks and reporting exactly as they'd work if you continued.
Do I need a credit card to start the free trial?
Check the current sign-up terms on the pricing page, as trial requirements can be confirmed there before you begin.
Can I import my existing client list to test properly?
Yes, and doing so is recommended — testing with a real slice of your client base gives a far more accurate picture than dummy data.
What happens to my data if I decide not to continue after the trial?
Your data remains intact during the trial; if you don't continue, discuss data export options with the team before the trial period ends.
How many staff can I involve in testing during the trial?
Unlimited users are included at no extra cost, so the whole team can log in and test their own workflows during the 60 days.
What's a realistic minimum time to properly evaluate the software?
At least one full recurring cycle relevant to your services — a month for monthly work, a quarter for quarterly work — gives a much better picture than a brief initial look.
Ready to run a calmer practice?
See Remindoo with your own clients, or start free for 60 days with unlimited users.
Sources
Comparing options? Read our guide to practice management software for small accounting firms.
Last updated: . General guidance, not regulatory advice. Check with your professional body.
Why recording every task matters in an accountancy practice
Accounting firms run on deadlines: VAT returns, payroll, confirmation statements, accounts and Self Assessment. Recording every job as a task, with an owner and a date, is the simplest way to make sure nothing is missed.
Avoid penalties
HMRC and Companies House charge penalties for late filing. A task for every deadline, with an internal date before it, gives the team a buffer.
Nothing depends on memory
Recorded tasks mean work continues when someone is off sick, on leave or has left the firm.
Consistent quality
Subtask checklists make every job follow the same steps and reviews, whoever does the work.
Visibility for managers
Filters by owner, status and deadline show at a glance what is late, what is due and who needs help.
Practical tips from UK practice
- Set an internal deadline two to four weeks before every statutory deadline.
- Use recurring tasks for repeat work such as VAT, payroll and bookkeeping.
- Break larger jobs into subtasks, including a review step.
- Comment on the task instead of by email, so the history stays with the work.
Related Remindoo features
Written and reviewed by Waqas Sagar ACA FCCA FMAAT, Chartered Accountant with 18+ years in practice. Founder and MD of Accotax, an ICAEW, ACCA and AAT regulated London practice that has served over 5,000 clients, and founder of Remindoo. Guidance is general; check current GOV.UK and professional body guidance for your firm.
What UK practices say about Remindoo
Read all reviews on Trustpilot“With Remindoo, everything from the first enquiry to onboarding and ongoing client management is tracked in one place… It saves us hours and gives me, as a practice owner, complete visibility of where the firm stands.”
“The biggest benefit is having clients, tasks, deadlines, workflows, proposals and communication all organised in one place.”
“During my trial, the team were absolutely amazing. They helped onboard my clients, set up my settings and made sure everything was ready for me to use… they made the whole process completely stress-free.”
“It brings client information, tasks, recurring deadlines, workflows and reminders together in one place, giving us much better visibility across the team.”
