Coast vs Heard
Features, use cases, pros and cons, and pricing side by side — and which one to pick.
Quick verdict: Fleet-based trades and construction teams should pick Coast; solo therapists and wellness practitioners should pick Heard.
Best for: Fleet-based trades like HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roofing, and landscaping companies, Construction firms tracking fuel, tools, and job-site supplies
Read the full Coast reviewBest for: Solo therapists (LLC or sole prop) who want bookkeeping and taxes off their plate, S corp owners and group practices that need payroll bundled in
Read the full Heard reviewCommission may apply at no extra cost
Coast vs Heard: features compared
Compare key features side by side
Feature Comparison Summary
Which should you choose?
Choose Coast if
- You run a fleet and want fuel rebates up to 9¢ per gallon.
- You need card controls, fraud protection, and telematics integrations.
- You want one Visa card for fuel, field, and office spending.
Choose Heard if
- You're a solo therapist who wants bookkeeping and taxes done for you.
- You want quarterly estimates and federal and state returns filed for you.
- You need S corp guidance and payroll under one login.
Coast vs Heard: pros and cons
Coast bundles fuel, field, and office spending onto one Visa card with strong controls, fuel rebates, and integrations like QuickBooks and Samsara, all at $4 per active user monthly. Limits include no free trial, late fees, Bill Pay overage charges, and a 2.5% foreign transaction fee. Overall, it's a solid pick for fleet-based trades that already use its supported tools.
Pros
- Cards lock by default and unlock via a secure mobile process, with limits set by driver, vehicle, dollar amount, merchant type, or time of day — plus a $25,000 fuel fraud guarantee when advanced security features are enabled
- Fuel savings stack up to 9¢ per gallon at 30,000+ partner stations (Exxon, Circle K, 7-Eleven) on top of a 1¢ per gallon statement rebate and 1% cash back on non-gas purchases
- One Visa card replaces separate fuel cards, corporate cards, and expense tools — accepted anywhere Visa is, including instant virtual cards for subscriptions and back-office spending
Cons
- No free plan or free trial is advertised — you can only explore the platform through an interactive demo before committing
- Late payments trigger a fee of the greater of $35 or 2.5% of the past-due amount (rising to the greater of $35 or 5% after 31 days), and foreign transactions add a 2.5% fee
- Full automation value depends on being in Coast's integration ecosystem; applications can take 3-5 business days with extra documents, and cards ship in 5-10 business days via USPS
Heard
Heard pairs therapists with bookkeepers and tax pros who work only with private practices, bundling monthly bookkeeping, quarterly estimates, and full tax filing in one dashboard. Support is human and responsive, though annual plans are billed upfront and non-refundable. Overall, it's a strong fit for solo US practices that want taxes handled, provided you're comfortable committing a year.
Pros
- Specialist tax knowledge — Heard's team files returns only for mental health and wellness private practices, so therapy-specific deductions are tracked automatically instead of you hunting for them.
- Documented savings — providers using Heard save an average of 60 hours a year and $5,000 in taxes, per company figures.
- True all-in-one — monthly done-for-you bookkeeping, quarterly estimates, federal and state filing, banking, payroll, and S corp support run under a single login with plain-language reports.
Cons
- Narrow eligibility — only US-based, single-owner health and wellness practices (sole props, single-member LLCs, S corps) are supported — no C corps, multi-owner practices, or non-US businesses.
- Annual plans are billed upfront and non-refundable; Premium members can't downgrade, and Essential downgrades are only allowed if you haven't filed taxes with Heard yet.
- Extra costs stack up — a one-time catch-up bookkeeping fee of $99 per month in business this year applies at signup, Lite's annual tax filing is a $750 add-on, payroll runs $39/mo plus $6 per person via Gusto, and government and license filing fees are excluded.
Coast and Heard in detail
Coast
Coast is an expense platform built around a Visa commercial card for fleet-based businesses. It covers fuel at the pump, field purchases like tools and supplies, and back-office spending through instant virtual cards. You get controls, receipt capture, and accounting integrations in one program. It targets trades such as HVAC, plumbing, construction, landscaping, and transportation.
Standout features
- One card for fuel, field, and office
- Stop misuse before it happens
- Syncs with the tools you already use
- Less admin, faster month-end
- Fuel savings without the guesswork
Use cases
- Stop fuel fraud before it happens
- Replace three card programs with one
- Close the books faster
Heard
Heard is a financial platform built for therapists and wellness practitioners in private practice. It combines bookkeeping, tax filing, business banking, payroll, and S corp support in one dashboard. A dedicated team reviews your books monthly, and experts answer questions with no per-question fees. It serves solo practices, LLCs, sole proprietors, S corps, and group practices—more than 5,000 therapists use it.
Standout features
- Monthly bookkeeping, done for you
- Taxes without the overwhelm
- S corp and payroll, made simple
- Real humans who know therapists
- One dashboard, plain-language reports
Use cases
- New practice, clean books from day one
- Tax season without the dread
- Group practice payroll, handled
Pricing compared
List prices from each vendor's pricing page, before taxes and add-ons. Costs are per month.
| Pricing compared | Coast | Heard |
|---|---|---|
| From (cheapest paid plan) | $4/mo Fleet & Fuel Cards · per user | $129/mo Lite |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Free trial | Not stated | Not stated |
| Money-back guarantee | Not stated | Not stated |
| Annual billing savings | — | — |
| Pricing model | Per-user and flat plans | Flat price |
| Cost for 1 user | $4/moCheaper Fleet & Fuel Cards plan, billed monthly | $129/mo Lite plan, billed monthly |
| Cost for 5 users | $20/mo Fleet & Fuel Cards plan, billed monthly | $129/mo Lite plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) |
| Cost for 10 users | $40/mo Fleet & Fuel Cards plan, billed monthly | $129/mo Lite plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) |
| Cost for 25 users | $100/mo Fleet & Fuel Cards plan, billed monthly | $129/mo Lite plan, billed monthly · price per account (user limit not stated) |
| Plans | 2 | 3 |
| Prices checked | Vendor page checked Oct 12, 2026 | Checked Oct 13, 2026 |
| Price history | Tracking prices since Sep 9, 2026. No price change detected yet. | Tracking prices since Oct 1, 2026. No price change detected yet. |
- Cheapest plan that fits each team size. Per-user plans are multiplied by the number of users (respecting stated minimums and seat packs). Plans that include some users cost their base price plus the extra-user price for each user beyond those included. Flat-priced plans with no stated user limit are counted as one licence per user.
Cheaper for your team size
For 1 user (billed monthly), Coast costs $4/mo vs Heard at $129/mo.
Computed from published list prices on the dates shown. Excludes taxes, add-ons and promotions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can Coast replace my bookkeeping or tax software?
No. Coast is a spending platform built around a Visa card. It syncs to QuickBooks, NetSuite, and Sage Intacct, but it doesn't file taxes.
Does Heard work for any small business?
No. Heard serves US-based, single-owner health and wellness practices, including side income like coaching. C corps and multi-owner practices aren't supported.
Do Coast or Heard offer free trials?
Neither advertises a free trial. Coast offers an interactive demo, and Heard offers a free demo call to help you choose a plan.