Looking for a HaysMac Alternative for Your Agency?
HaysMac is a well-known mid-tier London firm serving media, marketing, and advertising businesses. If you’re exploring alternatives — whether on price, firm size, or approach — here’s how Alto compares.
What HaysMac Offers
HaysMac is an award-winning chartered accountancy firm based in the City of London, formed through the merger of Hays Allan and MacIntyre & Co. With over 600 professionals and 24 partners, they are a mid-tier firm offering a comprehensive range of services including audit and assurance, taxation, business advisory, corporate finance, and transaction services.
Their media, marketing, and advertising team works with a wide range of businesses in the sector — from full-service marketing agencies and international advertising groups to digital marketing firms, influencer marketing agencies, PR firms, and production houses. They advise on cash flow planning, revenue recognition, and project-based cost structures, and have particular strength in exit planning and M&A advisory for agency owners.
- Mid-tier London firm with 600+ professionals and 24 partners
- Dedicated media, marketing, and advertising sector team
- Full-service offering: audit, tax, corporate finance, and transaction advisory
- Strength in exit planning, IPO preparation, and M&A for agency owners
- Revenue recognition and project-based cost structure advisory
- Based at Queen Street Place, London EC4
How Alto Differs from a Mid-Tier Firm
HaysMac is a large, established firm with deep resources across audit, corporate finance, and international advisory. That scale is valuable for agencies preparing for an IPO, navigating a trade sale, or managing complex multi-entity structures.
Alto serves a different segment of the market. As a specialist practice focused exclusively on agencies, Alto works primarily with owner-managed agencies and growing businesses that need proactive, hands-on accounting without the overhead and complexity of a mid-tier firm. The trade-off is straightforward: Alto does not offer audit or corporate finance services, but delivers deeper day-to-day agency accounting, tax planning, and financial advisory at a more accessible price point.
- Agency-only practice — every client is a marketing, creative, or digital agency
- Designed for owner-managed and growing agencies, not large corporate groups
- Hands-on, partner-led service without being passed to junior staff
- Free calculators for salary optimisation, profitability, runway, VAT, and IR35
- ACCA-chartered practice with transparent, fixed-fee pricing
Key Differences at a Glance
HaysMac and Alto serve different ends of the agency market. This comparison helps you identify which approach fits your agency’s current stage and needs.
| Feature | HaysMac | Alto |
|---|---|---|
| Firm size | 600+ professionals, 24 partners | Specialist boutique practice |
| Client profile | International ad groups, large agencies, pre-exit businesses | Owner-managed agencies, growing creative businesses |
| Audit services | Full audit and assurance capability | Not offered — focused on accounting, tax, and advisory |
| Corporate finance | M&A advisory, IPO preparation, transaction services | Not offered — can refer to specialist corporate finance advisers |
| Day-to-day service | Larger teams; may involve junior staff on day-to-day work | Direct access to senior practitioners |
| Contract terms | Engagement letter terms vary | Flexible terms |
| Free tools | Not listed | Salary, profitability, runway, VAT, and IR35 calculators |
When to Choose Which
HaysMac is the right choice if your agency needs audit services, is preparing for an IPO or trade sale, operates as part of a larger group, or requires international advisory capability. Their corporate finance and transaction teams are well-suited to complex, high-value events.
Alto is a better fit if your agency is owner-managed, you want a hands-on accountant who understands agency finances without the overhead of a mid-tier firm, and you value flexibility in your contract terms. If your priority is proactive day-to-day accounting, tax planning, and cash flow management rather than audit or corporate finance, Alto’s focused approach delivers that without the cost structure of a larger practice.
A Note on Exit Planning
One area where HaysMac has particular strength is supporting agency owners through exits — whether that is a trade sale, management buyout, or IPO. If you are actively planning an exit within the next 12–24 months, a firm with dedicated corporate finance capability may be more appropriate.
That said, the groundwork for a successful exit starts years before the event itself: clean books, accurate revenue recognition, strong management reporting, and optimised tax positions. Alto helps agencies build this foundation from day one, and can work alongside a specialist corporate finance adviser when the time comes.
Frequently asked questions.
Is HaysMac too large for a small or mid-sized agency?
Does Alto offer the same corporate finance services as HaysMac?
Is Alto cheaper than HaysMac?
Can Alto support an agency planning to scale to £5m+ revenue?
We work with every creative + digital vertical.
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