Accounting tools that earn their place
Purpose-built software for accounting firms, with each tool built to do one thing well.
Why Cairn
Software that understands how firms actually work
Purpose-built for accounting firms
This is not generic project management software repackaged for accountants. Every feature in Cairn exists because someone running an accounting firm needed it to get the work done.
Only pay for what your firm needs
Every tool in the suite works on its own and is priced individually, so you can start with one and add more when you're ready. There are no bundles, and no commitments to features your firm will never use. The tools work independently, and they work even better together.
Your data gets its own database
Every firm's financial data lives in its own dedicated database, completely separate from every other firm's. Your data can be independently backed up, restored, and exported, with no accidental crossover and no exceptions.
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Cairn Statements
When bank statement PDFs come in, Cairn reads every transaction, learns your firm's categorization patterns over time, and syncs the results to QuickBooks Online or Desktop without anyone retyping a line.
- Reads every transaction on every page, including dates, amounts, descriptions, and running balances
- Three approvals of the same categorization locks the pattern, and the system applies it on its own from then on
- Syncs directly to both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop
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Cairn Books
Cairn Books gives bookkeepers a single place to see where every client stands and which accounts still need attention this month. It is meant as a quick-glance status board, not a workspace, so the team can tab in, update what changed, and tab back out without losing their place.
- Personal queue with your assigned clients sorted by priority
- Firm-wide admin dashboard sorted by urgency
- Per-account period tracking with task checklists
Tested on Real Work
Built on a real firm. Tested on real deadlines.
Every feature in Cairn is put to work on real client engagements before it is offered to anyone else, against real bank statements, real tax returns, and real filing deadlines. None of this is theoretical, and the tools have to earn their place inside a working firm every day.
Build Your Stack
Every firm's cairn looks different
Each tool in the suite is a stone, and every firm picks the ones it actually needs. They work independently, and they work even better together through Cairn Stack.
Cairn Stack
Your firm's dashboard for managing your team, your tools, and your billing in one place.
- One login for every Cairn tool, with no separate accounts to manage across the suite
- Launch any app from your dashboard in a single click
- Add tools as the firm grows, on a single invoice, with transparent pricing and no surprises
Cairn Statements
Bank statement processing and QuickBooks sync, built for accounting firms.
- Reads every transaction on every page, including dates, amounts, descriptions, and running balances
- Three approvals of the same categorization locks the pattern, and the system applies it on its own from then on
- Syncs directly to both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop
Cairn Books
A status board for your firm's monthly reconciliation workflow.
- Personal queue with your assigned clients sorted by priority
- Firm-wide admin dashboard sorted by urgency
- Per-account period tracking with task checklists
Cairn Returns
Personal and business tax return management for accounting firms.
- Find any client, household, or entity in seconds without leaving the page you are on
- Personal module: households, individuals, filing statuses, and 1040 document checklists
- Business module: entities, stakeholders, filing jurisdictions, and shareholder basis tracking
Cairn Toolbox
Accounting calculators and quick-reference tools, organized into purchasable packs.
- Seven calculator packs in total: a free Starter pack plus six paid packs your firm can add as needed
- Tax estimators, deduction calculators, and payroll utilities the firm reaches for every week
- Loan amortization, Social Security, and RMD calculators ready when a client question lands
Cairn Docs
A secure client document collection portal for accounting firms.
- Secure links let clients upload without creating an account or remembering a password
- Files upload directly to encrypted cloud storage, never sitting in someone's inbox
- Reusable document request templates for recurring collections like tax season
Cairn Contacts
A client relationship and institutional knowledge base for accounting firms.
- Relationships that link both ways across the directory (spouse, partner, attorney, referral source)
- Notes carry timestamps and attribution, so the firm always knows who learned a fact and when
- Pulls activity from Returns, Docs, and Books into a single view of the client
Cairn Time
Lightweight time tracking purpose-built for accounting firms.
- Timer mode that supports multiple concurrent timers when the day jumps between clients
- Manual entry with quick-entry favorites for the work the team does every week
- Configurable hourly rates and quarter-hour rounding to match your firm's billing
Cairn Guide
A searchable help center for the Cairn tools your firm uses.
- The team only sees help articles for the apps your firm subscribes to
- Full-text search across every article in your firm's library
- Article feedback lets the team flag what is unclear, so the docs get better over time
Cairn Leaf
Personal note-taking for accounting professionals, with daily pages, quick capture, and ambient calm.
- One page per day, focused and unhurried, always ready when you open the app
- Zero-friction capture that saves as you type, so a thought lands on the page before it gets away
- Keyword-based tag suggestions that learn your vocabulary and surface old notes when you need them
Cairn Post
In DevelopmentAn email intake assistant that classifies, extracts documents, and routes content to the right Cairn app.
- Classification that knows accounting, so it can tell a 1099 from a newsletter without help
- Extracts the key fields from K-1s, W-2s, 1099s, bank statements, and receipts
- One-click routing to Returns, Docs, Statements, Receipts, and Notices, so nothing gets lost
In development
Learn moreCommon Questions
What firms ask us most
Do I have to buy the whole suite?
No. Every tool in Cairn is standalone and priced individually, so a firm can start with one, add more when the time is right, and never pay for something it does not use. Nothing in the suite requires another tool to function.
How is my firm's data protected?
Every firm on Cairn gets its own dedicated database, completely separate from every other firm. Your data can be independently backed up, exported, or deleted at any time, and there is no shared table where firms ever sit alongside each other.
Does it work with QuickBooks Desktop?
Yes. Cairn Statements syncs with both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop. The Desktop integration runs through the QuickBooks Web Connector, so firms still on Desktop are fully supported.
Is there a long-term contract?
No. Subscriptions are month-to-month, and you can add or remove tools at any time without penalty or paperwork.
Is there a user limit?
Standard per-firm pricing covers up to 15 active users, which fits most small and mid-sized firms comfortably. If your firm is larger than that, reach out and we will sort out pricing together.
Who built this?
Cairn was built by someone who worked inside a real accounting firm and watched the same problems show up year after year. Every feature is tested on real client work before it ships, against real deadlines, with the firm depending on it.
Ready to build your stack?
We are onboarding firms one at a time to make sure every implementation is done right. Leave your information and we will reach out.
Each tool in the suite is priced individually, with no bundles and no long-term contracts.