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Compare › Karbon
ZealiD vs Karbon
Karbon runs the whole accounting practice: work, team email, tasks and billing, plus a client portal. Trust Circle does one part of the client relationship: verified clients, shared files and qualified signatures. Here is how they compare.
In short
Karbon wins on running the practice.Work, team email, tasks, time and billing sit in one system. Karbon for Clients adds client tasks, file sharing, e-signatures and approvals, and billing for your clients.
It's priced per staff user.Team is $59 per user a month and Business $89, paid yearly. E-signatures use credit bundles, and a request with knowledge-based authentication uses two credits.
Trust Circle is priced per firm and checks the person.Each client verifies once with an ID document and a face check, valid for two years, with no fee per check. They sign with a qualified signature. Plans start at €40 a year.
ZealiD and Karbon, side by side
Sources: Karbon pricing, Karbon client portal and ZealiD pricing, November 2026. Karbon shows prices in "$"; its currency selector also lists EUR and GBP.
Where they really differ
Knowledge questions, or an ID document and a face
In Karbon, an e-signature request can add knowledge-based authentication, which uses two credits per request. Karbon doesn't publish an ID document check. In Trust Circle, every client verifies once in the ZealiD app with an ID document and a face check. It stays valid for two years, with no fee per check, and your client doesn't pay either.
A practice system, or a client space
Karbon is where your team runs its work: jobs, deadlines, email and billing, with the client portal attached. Trust Circle covers one part of that: a space per client or matter where files, verified identities and signatures sit together. If you already have a practice-management system, Trust Circle sits next to it.
Lindqvist Bygg AB
Count what your client side costs today
Take last month. Count the staff seats you pay for, the e-signature requests you sent, and how many of them used knowledge-based authentication at two credits each. Then ask one question: could you show a supervisor which ID document each signer used?
Compare the total with the Trust Circle plan that covers your team, where identity checks are included.
Your last month
What each one costs
Karbon is priced per staff user, so five people on Team cost 5 × $59 = $295 a month, paid yearly, before e-signature credits. Trust Circle is priced per plan, billed yearly, with identity verification included and no limit on how many clients you verify.
Karbon
Per user a month, paid yearly. E-sign credits extra
See Karbon pricing →Trust Circle
A month, billed yearly. ID checks included
See pricing →Which one is right for you?
Choose Karbon if:
- You want one system for work, deadlines, email and billing
- You are an accounting or bookkeeping firm and want client tasks tied to internal jobs
- You are ready to replace your current practice-management tool
- A simple e-signature covers what your clients sign
Choose Trust Circle if:
- You must know who your client is, and keep that proof
- Your clients sign documents that need a qualified signature
- You want to pay per firm, not per staff user
- You want to know your shared files are kept in the EU
- You already have a practice-management system and want to keep it
Use both if: you run your practice in Karbon and need verified clients and qualified signatures for regulated work. Keep Karbon for jobs and billing, and use Trust Circle for identity, sensitive files and QES.
What Trust Circle doesn't do
Live sanctions and PEP screening, beneficial ownership checks and the risk decision stay with your firm.
It isn't a practice-management system. Jobs, time, email and billing stay in your own system.
What our customers say
I spend at least an hour a day answering ‘Where is the latest SHA?’ or ‘What is the notice period?’
We’ve searched for a document or client portal for years. SharePoint doesn’t work.
ABN AMROMicrosoftDLA PiperBird & BirdBinderrOyster HRCALIPIA
Verify, share and sign in one place
- Identity verification in every plan, no fee per check
- Verified once, valid for two years
- ZealiD AB is a qualified trust service provider on the EU Trusted List
- Documents stored in Stockholm, EU
Common questions
Does Karbon have a client portal?
Yes. Karbon for Clients gives clients tasks, file sharing, e-signatures and approvals, and billing, with two-factor or magic-link login. Karbon client portal.
How does Karbon check a client's identity?
With knowledge-based authentication on e-signature requests, at two credits per request. Karbon doesn't publish an ID document check. Karbon pricing.
What does Karbon cost?
Team is $59 and Business $89 per user a month, paid yearly, or $79 and $99 monthly for teams of 4+. Enterprise is custom. E-signature credits come in bundles from $100 for 100 credits. Karbon pricing.
Can I use Trust Circle alongside Karbon?
Yes, side by side. There's no direct integration between them. Karbon keeps your jobs, billing and client tasks, and Trust Circle invites the client by email to verify, share files and sign. You'd pay for both, so it makes most sense when you need verified identity or qualified signatures.
Does identity verification cost extra in Trust Circle?
No. It's included in every plan, from Micro to Enterprise, with no limit on how many clients you verify. Your client doesn't pay anything either. See plans.
Where are the documents stored?
Trust Circle keeps files in Stockholm, EU. ZealiD AB is a qualified trust service provider on the EU Trusted List, supervised by PTS and audited every year by TÜViT and SRC Security. Karbon doesn't publish where its data is stored on its pricing or portal pages. Certifications and compliance.